Staying In Shape Doesn't Have To Hurt

America is one of the most overweight, most out of shape countries on earth. And in a way that's good, we have the highest standard of living, abundant food and lot's of leisure time (not as much as people in Europe, but that's another article). Unfortunately this high standard of living also leads to most Americans being the most sedentary creatures on the planet, which also put's us at number one for heart disease, diabetes and obesity, along with a whole host of other deadly, yet wholly preventable maladies.

What I want to do with this blog is educate you about exercise and nutrition, while dispelling many of the myths that surround weight loss and healthy living. Saving you, time, money and disappointment along the way.

Because it really is true that staying in shape doesn't have to hurt, it's simpler than you might expect.



Flatten Your Stomach in 10 Minutes a Day

Let's Get Old School on Your Abs

Let's face it, most westerners are fat, and getting fatter. In most of the western hemisphere the availability of fast, convenient and fat laden foods has contributed to a growing problem of obesity in most of the developed world. And with this comes the added issues of back problems and even diabetes.

What I am going to present here are some fairly simple, no nonesense, old school techniques and advice for getting a flatter stomach and improving your overall health. And you don't need any of those expensive gadgets you see on late night infomercials that are of dubious quality and limited effectiveness. Especially when a majority of them wind up as expensive clothes hangers or on a table at a yard sale.

With a little work and a lot of consistancy you can see results in 4 to 6 weeks.

Sex, Lies and Crappy Products

Ok, we've all been up way past our bed times and got sucked in to watching those infomercials claming that this product will do everything from give you a rock hard six pack to cook your bacon for you in the morning (may want to lay off the bacon for a bit though) And we all know people who have actually bought these products. Now ask yourself, if you know someone who has purchased one of these things, is their stomach any flatter that it was say, six months ago? More than likely the answer is no. Don't get caught up in the fancy graphics, the heat sensitive camera that shows how hard the muscles are working, or the great looking models with the tiny waists. These are actors, paid to perform and say just what the marketers want you to hear. And to play on your emotional response by appealing to either your sex drive or your vanity.

The truth is there is no miracle pill, no piece of plastic and tubing that can reduce your waistline overnight. The good news is, you can do it yourself, with no equipment and just a bit of will power and consistency.

Let's Go Old School

I know you have all heard of, and probably done some abdominal crunches at sometime in your life, while a good exercise to be sure, I am going to introduce you to some other, decidedly old school exercises that will make those crunches much more effective.

But first a word about consistency. You cannot reduce your gut overnight, that is just a fact, and often after a long day in the salt mines the last thing you want to do is get on your shorts and work out. What I have found, and what I do every morning in addition to my regular bodybuilding workouts is this; As soon as I awake, six mornings a week, I do 50 push ups and 50 crunches, leg lifts or some other abdominal exercise. Doesn't sound like much but it is a highly effective habit. Think about it, 50 sit ups x 6 days a week is 300 sit ups in a week. Now in the course of just a month you've done 1,200 sit ups! That's nothing to sneeze at. Combine that with over 1,000 push ups and you are making some real strides. Doing this first thing in the morning will also jump start your metabolism and make burning the calories you do take in easier.

Exercises

When I first began competing in bodybuilding years ago I had had several really old school guys take me under their wing who taught me a lot about lifting, things I still use today, and one thing they told me was that guys like Steve Reeves (Mr America and later famous for playing Hercules) were getting big, classically proportioned physiques long before Nautilus machines were invented. Back in the 1940's and 50's the ideal was well proportioned physiques with small waists-- Unlike the steroid bloated competitors of the last thirty or so years.

And two exercises that they used were stomach vacuums and standing or seated twists. For some reason, vacuums especially, have fallen in to disuse in most workout programs but there are few more effective exercises you can do for your waistline when combined with crunches, leg lifts and sensible eating.

To do twists, simply lay a broomstick across your shoulders holding on to each end, legs shoulder width apart and twist from side to side 50-100 repetitions each side should be enough for one session. You can also do them sitting if you prefer and I would advise alternating between both methods.

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