Its over…..

A sixteen week weight loss journey of dieting and training and extreme focus have come to an end. Sixteen weeks of nerves, laughs, second guessing myself and growing have written their final chapter.

A sixteen week adventure that begun with a silly idea have ended in two spectacular shows. Read the full story

Are you working towards getting a flat stomach? Awesome – but how will you know when you get there? What does your ideal flat stomach look like?

If you don’t know where you are going how are you going to get there? This doesn’t just apply to driving in a car or exploring a new destination – this also includes your workouts and your fitness goals. If you don’t know what your ideal flat stomach looks like, then you’ll never know if you have reached your goal!

So, I’ve included some pictures to help you figure out what you are working towards and to help figure out what type of flat stomach workout you’ll need to get there.

Flat Stomach #1 – The Six Pack

Getting this type of flat stomach (true defined six pack abs) is a dedicated process. You must make sure that you follow your flat stomach workout meticulously.  Not skipping a workout or cardio session and making sure that you are eating clean with every meal.  A woman with six pack abs like this is not something I see at the beach every weekend. It requires extreme dedication to your flat stomach workout and diet. Is this the flat stomach for you? If not, take a look at Flat Stomach #2.

Flat Stomach #2

Were six pack abs a little too much for you? How about this option – some definition of abs, but not too much.  You will still have to work hard and make the commitment in the gym to get a flat stomach like this.  Making sure that your diet is consistent with a flat stomach diet.

Flat Stomach #3

Don’t want any definition – just want a flat tummy – well then flat stomach #3 is for you.  As in the first two options you still need to be dedicated to your workout and eating habits, but you might not have to do AS many crunches. A flat stomach workout video, to follow along too, is a great place to start to get you closer to your fitness and flat stomach goals.

Which flat stomach are you working towards?

With all the flat stomach workout information you see online and in magazines it’s hard to figure out what’s the best and most effective way to create a flat stomach workout that will work and get you results.  So I’m going to take the time right now to help you with some basic guidelines to follow to help you get the flat stomach you’ve always wanted.
Interval Training

Stay away from your standard steady state cardio regimen, such as walking or jogging at one speed, as it will not get you optimal fat loss results to get a flat stomach. The most effective flat stomach cardio is Interval Training.

This means you are alternating a certain time period of high intensity work (or sprinting) with a slow intensity work (like a slow jog or walk). This type of interval training will help you burn fat faster and up to 48 hours after your workout.

The best part about this type of workout – you can use it on any cardio machine in the gym – the bike, Treadmill, Elliptical, even the Stair Climber.
Here is an example of what your interval training could look like:

Week 1-3: 15 Seconds Sprint, 45 Seconds Walk/Jog (repeat for 5 minutes)

Week 4-6: 30 Second Sprint, 30 Seconds Walk/Jog (repeat for 10 minutes)

Week 7-10: 1 minute Spring, 1 minute Walk/Jog (repeat for 15-20 minutes)

Workout Program

In order to get flat abs, your workout needs to incorporate weights – not just cardio and crunches.  A full body weight workout is the most effective and efficient type of workout for a flat stomach. This type of weight workout will keep your heart rate elevated, therefore, burning more fat throughout your workout.

Also, when you lift weights you build muscle. The more muscle you have, the more fat you burn, which will get you the flat stomach that you want.

Full body workouts allow you to train every muscle group, three times a week (with a day of rest between each workout).  This type of training promotes muscle growth as well as fast fat burning, due to the increase in fat burning enzymes in your body. The more fat you burn the sooner you have the flat stomach you’ve always wanted.

Below is a sample of a full body workout

A follow along flat stomach workout video.

Diet

The hardest part of any flat stomach workout is the diet. When you think of working out, you don’t really think about what you eat – you are most concerned with what you have to do at the gym. However, a flat stomach diet is a key element in getting the stomach of your dreams.

If you’re post workout attitude about eating sounds like this, “I just worked out so I can eat whatever I want” – will only make it harder for you to get a flat stomach.  A flat stomach diet must consist of protein, healthy fats, and ‘good’ carbohydrates.  Making sure you have the right mixture of these foods in your meals is important to getting a flat stomach.

I went to my first Seminar this past weekend, Fast Track to Fitness Millions, in New Jersey. It was awesome – so many amazing people there with awesome stories, dreams, ideas and goals. One thing I realized while I was there is that we sometimes over-analyze things WAY too much and make them a bigger deal than they need to be. This makes it harder for us to reach our goals and accomplish what we want.

There were a handful of women at this conference (which I was able to meet and hang out with a few of them like Angie Schumacher, Holly Rigsby, and Melissa Roberts) and the rest were men. One of my favorite presentations was that by Chris McCombs – he talked about blogging and how to attract your market and be a successful blogger. [singlepic=25,320,240,,center]

Chris offered some amazing tips and tricks to be a successful blogger, but the main idea throughout his presentation was DO IT. Just write. If you don’t start somewhere you’re never going to get anywhere.

I was in awe….wow…it’s so simple.  It can’t really be that simple – is it? What’s the trick? There’s got to be a hidden trick? Something he’s not telling me…my mind was racing.

After talking to a few more people I realized that there really were no tricks and it really as that simple – as Nike says – Just Do It.

Really – whatever it is you are trying to achieve or accomplish, you need to just do it.

Stop thinking about flat abs – do what you need to do to get them.

Stop wondering if you can do it – believe in yourself and know that you will.

Stop playing the scenarios over and over again in your head – just go for it.

If you keep wondering about something you may miss your opportunity, you get frustrated and then it makes it even harder for you to try something. This goes for all aspects of life – work, gym, dating, friends – we think too much about doing something and may miss out on the opportunity that was right before our eyes the whole time, but we analyzed it too much.

What are you thinking about right now? What are you worrying about?
Go do it. [singlepic=26,220,140,,right]

When you finally ‘Just Do It’ the feelings of accomplishment afterwards beat no other. You’ve accomplished a small goal, task, desire and now you are one step closer to reaching the bigger picture.

Go to the gym. Lift weights. Stop eating when you get upset and go for a run. Stop wondering what that guy thinks of you and go talk to him. Don’t think about it – just go.

What are you going to do today and not think about it? For me, it was writing this post.
WOOHOO!

It’s the Memorial Day weekend – the sun has FINALLY come out and the temperature has risen to make it ‘beach weather’. People are trying to finish up their Friday and head home or to wherever their weekend festivities will take place. This weekend marks the beginning of “Beach Season”, an unofficial beginning to summer.  It is those two words that send many people flocking to the beach to show off their ‘new and improved’ summer bodies (complete with flat abs and tight toned legs),  and sends many others running to the gym to lose those 5 extra pounds before they too put on their bathing suit and head to the beach.

But just because it’s the beginning of ‘beach season’ doesn’t mean that it’s the end of your chances of ever fitting into that bathing suit and turning heads at the beach. These three moves will help you burn off those last few pounds to give you flat abs, and tight toned legs that will help you be noticed this ‘beach season’.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oqp0rMI5i0[/youtube]

Don’t have time for the gym or a long workout?  Here are three quick moves you can do at home (if you have a stability ball) or right before you cardio session the gym. These three exercises will get your heart rate going and fat burning through your body all day long.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyjU165YLXU[/youtube]

“If you don’t do what’s best for your body, you’re the one who comes up on the short end.” – Julias Erving

Thursday’s Trick to Flat Abs

To keep yourself interested in cardio – change up the equipment. Try out different machines at your gym and find out which ones you like.  There is no point in forcing yourself to use a piece of cardio equipment because everyone else is using it – that will only make you hate the process more.

Try a hill climb on the elliptical one day and sprints the next day on the treadmill. Or try the StairMaster for 20 minutes and then go for a bike ride along a rolling path for another 20 minutes. Keep your mind stimulated and body guessing what’s next and you’ll see your weight loss results and flat abs sooner than you expected.

What’s your favorite cardio workout?

Who doesn’t want a butt like Monica Brant? I know I do!! I found this awesome video of Monica Brant, from one of her FEM Camps, demonstrating some exercises that are great for your glutes! And when it comes to having a nice bum – I’m all in – so I had to share!

Depending on how you train you can make good use of the exercises Monica Brant shows in this video. If you train legs one day or lower body one day – you can take this exact routine she demonstrates and make it your leg workout for the day. Or if you prefer to do a full body workout – choose 3 of the exercises Monica demonstrates and add them to your full body routine in place of what you are currently doing for legs. Its a great idea to change up your workouts every few weeks to keep your muscles guessing as to what you’re doing next.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pxYtwehlaU[/youtube]

I know I’m excited to incorporate some of these exercises into my workout (short season IS just around the corner). I’m really looking forward to trying the reverse hack squat and the single leg leg press, incorporating the heel movement (which targets your hamstrings).

What’s your favorite exercise to tone and tighten your glutes?

Saturday morning in the gym is usually one of my tougher workouts. I’m not coming from work, its not SUPER early – just wake up, eat and head to the gym. Plus, I usually don’t like to workout on Sundays, so I know I’ll have an extra day to recover.

After watching the Women’s Figure Competition from the Arnold Classic last night, I was SO motivated to KICK BUTT in the gym this morning – harder than usual.  Those women are in tip top physical shape – they have trained for months for this opportunity.  If they can do it and reach that level, I can do my workouts to reach my goal (I mentioned on Twitter last night I’m toying with the idea of doing a Figure competition – we’ll see).

So, with my new motivation I had a KILLER workout and wanted to share it with you….

1st (3 times about 1 min rest between sets)

20 Burpees

20 Jump Squats (on Machine 90lbs)

Wall Table with 15lbs hold for 1 Min

2nd (4 sets, rest about a minute between sets)

Supine Lat Pulldown (I increased my weight! WOOHOO! Went from 90lbs to 105!)

Dumbbell Shoulder Press

3rd (4 sets, resting about a minute between each set)

Dumbbell Chest Press

Sprint for 2 minutes on Treadmill after 1st and 3rd Set

4th (3 sets, resting a minute between each set)

Incline Dumbbell Row

Overhead DB Tricep Extension

5th (4 sets, dropping number of reps 20, 15, 12, 10)

Dumbbell Bicep Curl

6th (3 sets, 1 minute rest)

45lb Plate Chest Press (focus on Triceps)

Dumbbell Stiff Leg Deadlift

It was a long workout…but I kept the rest between each set minimal and that kept my heart pumping and the fat burning. I have SO much energy right now it’s awesome!

The most important thing after this type of workout is to make sure that you eat enough protein to help build your muscles. For breakfast I had a protein shake and an egg white omelet with spinach, salsa, and a little bit of cheese.

How was your workout today?

What motivates you?

I’m hungry again…only downside to having a fast metabolism!! If you have any questions about my workout – let me know!

They teach you to “Just Say No” when you are in school, so why have you forgotten to say NO to boring cardio when you’re trying to lose weight?

If you REALLY want flat abs and you REALLY want the body of your dreams then you need to get away from spending hours upon hours just running on the treadmill.

The most effective type of cardio for weight loss and endurance is Interval Training. With interval training you are not only going to see results faster, but you can cut your time at the gym in half!

What is interval training? Will it really work? Listen and find out….