I Want Abs!!!

Hey, who does not! Abs are more easier for guys than gals, but more women are sporting them these days. A lot of us had them, or the body fat that would have allowd them when we were teenagers. Unfortuatly beer, pizza, and a natural drop in testoserone make a goal of abs very difficult. I can tell you this much, situps will not help. You must lower your body fat. How much? well here is some oneline research:

Men 8% - Women 14% - http://www.ironmagazine.com/article12.html

Men 10% - - http://www.teenbodybuilding.com/lemare8.htm

Men 10% - Woman 14-18% - http://www.takefit.com/212/how-low-does-my-body-fat-percentage-need-to-be-before-my-abs-will-become-visible/

Men 11% - Women 17% - http://www.chiquibrosas.com/blog/2009/what-body-fat-percentage-do-i-need-for-six-pack-abs/

Men 10-12% - - http://4pack.wordpress.com/2008/07/22/4-6-pack-abs-get-body-fat-down-to-10-12/

Ok, so what is the answer? No one really knows. Each body is differentl. The following charts are from AsktheTrainer.com

By these charts, the "average" american does not have the ability to show off abs. Duh! It also shows that not everyone with "ideal" body fat will display abs. If it was easy, we would all have them. If abs is what you desire, be responsible in how you get them. Stay away from the fad diets and consider consulting a personal trainer.

You can do all the sit ups and crunches that you want, but until you safely lower your body fat those abs will never show.

Eat This not That: Part III

More good ways to eat healthier

Use Enriched Skim Milk and not whole milk.

All the good stuff, non of the bad stuff.

Pick ground turkey over ground beef or ground chicken.

Beef is big in the US. It is also not good for you. Skinless chicken breast is very good for you. Ground chicken is the breast and the skin ground up. Ground turkey is very good for you. Some do not like the rubbery texture though. See the next substitute.

Pick Bison or Elk Over Beef.

OK, this might sound like the whole Ostrich meat thing all over again. Truth be told, both bison and elk are outstanding. The Louis and Clark expedition took advantage of this treasure of the great plains. In April of 1805, Lewis wrote that his men ate up to 9 to 10 pounds a day each. Bison and elk are low in fat an cholesterol. Something that beef cannot claim.

Make your own pizza.

Frozen pizza is high in fat and trans-fats. Make your own to make it healthy and better tasting.

Choose broccoli instead of celery.

Celery may make a quick snake, but it is lacking in nutritional value. Try raw broccoli instead. Another good use of broccoli is as the base for your salad instead of lettuce.

Exercise: Pullup

This is one of the basics for the military. When I first enlisted at my reserve center, I used a pullup bar outside the drill deck. I could not figure out why everyone looked at me funny. Apparently it is because that only the marines used it. Well, times have changed. I see many more pullup bars on bases and ships.

• Using an overhand grip at should width, pull yourself up and hold for 2 - 3 seconds.

Exercise: Dumbbell Incline Bench Press

One thing that I like about dumbbells is that that force you to exercise your stabilization muscles as well as prevents your strong side from helping your weak side. He is a variation on the Dumbbell press.

• Set a bench to 10 - 30 degrees.
• Lower the dummbells to your armpits and then raise them back up.
• Do not lock you elbows or bag the weights together.
• Keep in control.

Eat This not That: Part II

Here are some more food substitutes:

Pick Whole Wheat bread instead of white bread.

Just remember to get "Whole Wheat"

Use reduced fat mayo instead of regular mayo.

Some brands will advertise "50% less fat then regular". Well, check the regular. It is easier to produce a fat produced then a reduced fat product. The regular may have an overwhelming amount of fat compared to its competitors. The reduced fat may not be much better then the regular varieties out there. Read the labels.

Use Half & Half cream instead of whole cream.

Hey, you will probably not notice the difference in you java anyhow. Just stay away from Starbucks. Seriously, do you know how much fat, surger, and calories are in those things? (http://dietbites.com/Calories-In-Starbucks-Coffee.html)

Pick multigrain chips instead of regular chips.

This on kind of violates the rules on eating lab created foods. but multigrain chips made from whole wheat have benefits for weight control.

Dark greens instead of iceberg lettuce.

Lets get to the point, iceburg lettuce is like water with a green membrane. Choose a darker green vegetable. Spinach is a good one. I know, your kids will never eat it. Don't tell them what it is. To them spinach is the pile of green goo that is splattered on their lunch tray at school.

Exercise: Dumbbell Lunge

You will feel this one. I seriously suggest starting with weights that are light.

• You can alternate legs or do an entire set on just one.
• Step forward and down, but do not let your knee touch the ground.
• Push yourself back up.

Again, use lighter weights then you what you think you should use. You will feel this one.

Exercise: Leg Press

The leg press will really give your quads (The big muscles on your upper legs) and you butt a workout.

• Keep your back firmly on the seat.
• Place you feet should width apart.
• Do not lock your legs.