I want to talk about abs. We all see these ab classes or ab videos in health clubs and in stores. I know everyone is guilty of buying one or going to one of these classes. They use words like "This class will get you the beautiful abs we all crave." or "6 minute 6 pack". This is a way of creative advertising on a subject every
wants and very few people get. These classes and videos are false hope for people. They simply do not work!
This is what you would typically see in a class like that. Bicycle crunches, weighted sit ups, crunches, and leg raises. These exercises will never give you six pack abs. You could do them everyday for years and still never get abs. I see people all the time sign up for classes like this and expect to have abs in 6 weeks when the class is over. When they do not they quit! It is false hope for people. If you do a class like this you had better ask the instructor to see their abs and if they don't have abs, walk out. If they do ask them if this is the method they used to get them. I guarantee it was not!
I was one of those people years ago who bought videos with titles like "Quick abs" or "6 minute 6 pack" and went to these specialized classes and it did not work. I never saw any difference in my ab region with these methods. I wanted abs more than anything and I was willing to do whatever it took. I did not even know how to start. All I knew was there was all of these creative advertising methods that made people think that doing this class or video would result in 6 pack abs. I believed it. Until I met my husband and my thinking changed. He taught me there were no specific abs exercises and if I wanted abs that I would need to develop a strong core through working out. Things like burpees, pushups, and functional exercises. The other and most important aspect was what I was putting in my mouth. You can work out all day long but if you are eating fast food, highly processed, and sugar loaded foods then you will never have a 6 pack.
I changed my mindset and everything I thought and cleaned up my diet. I stopped eating fast food, desserts, things with white sugar (like pasta's, bread, and rice) and replaced that with fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats (Chicken, Ground turkey, Lean Steak occasionally, fish, and turkey bacon), Healthy fats (Avocados, olive oil, nuts, olives, natural peanut butter, and eggs), Almond milk instead of regular milk, and switched to whole grains. What a difference this made. I immediately started seeing results. Let me tell you abs are not made overnight. It takes time and effort. It took me about 2.5 years of eating a healthy diet and exercising 5 days a week and after having 2 kids I have abs that I can see. I'm sure other people can do it quicker if you do the right thing.
So you are asking now. How do I do it? Here is my list of things I have come up with:
1.Look at your diet. What can you do to clean this up? I recommend a Clean Eating Program. This has been great for me and I have adapted Clean Eating to my every day life and I love it. I'm not talking about counting calories or starving. I'm talking about great tasting food that will fill you up. Look for my 30 Day Clean Eating Program at the end of this blog.
2. Stop stressing over it. Stress will cause you to store fat and keep you from losing. Don't obsess over having a 6 pack everyday and find a way to relieve the stresses of life. For me it is exercise! Find your stress relief and practice it daily.
3. Sleep. This is a huge portion of it. If you are not getting enough sleep then your body will not function properly and it will store fat. I recommend the average adult should sleep 7 to 8 hours nightly. If you are staying up late and getting up early and not getting 7 to 8 hours, try going to bed earlier. I promise if you start getting enough sleep you will feel better and have more energy.
4. Workout! Abs are made in the kitchen but you need to workout. I recommend working out 4 to 5 days a week if you are serious about getting those abs that you have always wanted. Find a boot camp or Functional fitness program and ad in weight training and running. If you can find a program that offers all of that in one, then do that. Stay away from Ab Classes! If you are local to Tavares, our Gym No Limits Fitness offers a program that incorporates all of that! More about that at the end of this.
5. Find a friend or spouse to partner on this journey. Doing something like this with someone else is so much better than doing it on your own. It is more fun to do it with a friend or family member and it provides accountability for each person. If you don't have anyone than find a coach or personal trainer that can hold you accountable.
I hope that you have found value in this post. I am passionate about fitness and I want to help others reach their goals. I hear the goal of 6 pack abs so much that I had to write about it. I also see the advertising of Quick Ab videos and Specialized Ab Classes and know that these things are a waste of time and money.
Here is a before and after of me. The picture on the left was on my Honeymoon almost 3 years ago.
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Hard work makes abs!
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If you are interested in the 30 Day Clean Eating Program, below is the Facebook event with more details. You get 30 days of breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks as well as weekly shopping lists. All the hard work is done for you! https://www.facebook.com/events/724040487661367/
You can register for just $45 here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/30-day-clean-eating-challenge-tickets-14126393423
If you are local to Tavares and are looking for a fitness program that incorporates all the methods I talked about in this blog then please check out our gym No Limits Fitness. We are located at 15841 Old Us Hwy 441 Tavares, FL 32726. Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nolimitsfitnesstavares
You can contact us at 352-989-6795 or info@nolimitsfitness.me.
I hope that you found value in this post and please share this post with your friends and family!
Teresa Copley. Co-owner No Limits Fitness
15841 Old Us Hwy 441 Tavares, FL 32726
teresa@nolimitsfitness.me
Labels: abs, false hope, no limits fitness, nolimitsfitness, personal trainer tavares
