The Infonian

There are a lot of different gizmo’s, gadgets and widgets out there that supposedly help you build a great set of abs, but very few of them actually work. I originally that the same about doing the ab roller exercise using an ab wheel – until I found out the truth.

Here’s the story:

I was up late one night watching an infomercial and saw one that claimed that the ab roller exercise was scientifically proven to recruit more muscle fibers in your core than any other abdominal exercise machine on the market, plus it was better than any type of situp or crunch too.

Being the skeptical person I am, I actually went out and bought an ab roller just to see how this thing really worked.

And guess what?

The ab roller exercise immediately became my “go to” exercise for building a rock-solid core and getting abs of steel!

After using it for roughly a month, my abs were literally never stronger. Every single one of my lifts went up due to my increased core strength, and my abs started popping out in place they never came out before.

So if you ask me whether or not I’m a fan of the ab roller exercise, it’s a definite yes. There are a variety of exercises you can do with it including leaning to one side to work your obliques, standing instead of kneeling, adding a weighted vest, doing them one-handed, and a few other variations.

But who is it for?

Well this is kind of complicated, but here’s what I suggest if you don’t know whether or not you’d be strong enough to try out these ab roller exercises.

Go out and grab an ab roller (they’re cheap) and instead of going all the way out like most people show you, simply go until you feel a good amount of resistance and then pull back up.

The next time you workout, do the ab roller exercise another inch or 2 lower. Continue doing this until you can fully extend your arms, and keep working up to higher reps until you can start adding weight.

In my personal opinion this is the fastest way to build a set of rock-hard abs. Try out the ab roller exercise today and I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.

For more information on how to build lean muscle and lose weight without going on some crazy diet, check out my free report titled “The 7 Deadly Fat Loss Sins” by going to http://www.7-deadly-fat-loss-sins.com

Author: Jeremy Reeves

If you’ve read more than two articles I’ve written then you should know that I favor unconventional training methodologies that push and challenge both body and mind. I firmly believe that this is the only way to get really big and hit your goals. From that perspective DoggCrapp Training (a.k.a. DC Training) definitely fits the bill. This incredibly intense program includes heavy progressive weights, lower volume/higher frequency of body parts trained, high intensity/rest-pause training, extreme stretching, a high protein diet and periodization (“blasting” and “cruising”). Here are the basics: Lower volume/higher frequency:

In most training routines you train each body part once a week doing 3-4 different exercises per muscle group. With DC Training, you only do 1-2 exercise per muscle group per day but you’re hitting each muscle group twice every 8 days. The lower volume of exercises means that your body can recover more rapidly, which in turn allows for a short turnaround between training sessions;

Exercise rotation:

The base program runs on a cycle hitting every body part 2 times every 8 days. It’s not as complicated as it sounds-you start by picking 3 exercises for each the various muscle groups like this: chest, back (width), back (thickness), delts, triceps, biceps, forearms and calves, hamstrings and quads. You do only one of those exercises per muscle group per workout but then you rotate to the next exercise in the following workout. Remember though that you’re doing each exercise 3 times to total failure in each workout so don’t fool yourself into thinking it’s easy. Here is what a sample routine might look like:

Monday: Chest, shoulders, triceps and back (width and thickness);

Wednesday: Biceps, forearms, calves, hamstrings and quads;

Friday: Chest, shoulders, triceps and back (width and thickness);

Monday: Biceps, forearms, calves, hamstrings and quads;

So you can see how every 8 days you’ve cycled through each body part twice, doing a different one of each of the 3 exercises you’ve chosen per workout. Keeping a training journal can keep you organized and help keep track of where you are in the training cycle;

High intensity/rest-pause training:

DC Training demands intensity. To begin, you do 2-5 warm-up sets (lighter weight) before the first set is performed to failure followed by 10-15 deep breaths before performing another set to failure. This is again followed by 10-15 deep breaths and then a final set to failure before moving on to the next exercise or muscle group. The goal is to explode on the uplift and descend with a controlled negative of about 6-8 seconds. You’ve got to be prepared both mentally and physically to take on Rest-Pause training though because instead of taking a one or two minute break between sets, you’re only resting for 20-30 seconds between each one;

Extreme stretching:

Stretching is an important part of the recovery process in DC Training. There are specific stretches for the chest, triceps, biceps, shoulders, back, quads, hamstrings and calves;

Diet:

The DC Training diet is very high in protein with a recommended intake of between 1.5 to 2.0 grams per pound of body weight;

Periodization:

The “blasting” phase is 6-12 weeks of high intensity, all-out training followed by a “cruising” phase of 10-14 days of maintenance training before repeating the cycle once again;

One of the nice things about DC Training is that it leaves plenty of room for customization. For example, instead of Monday-Wednesday-Friday-Monday, you could do Monday-Tuesday-Thursday-Friday but split the workout into 3 parts in order to shorten your training sessions (great if you’ve got a hectic schedule). Day 1 could include chest, shoulders and triceps. On Day 2 you could train biceps, forearms and back (width and thickness) and on Day 3 you could work calves, hamstrings and quads. This cuts your workout down to about 35 minutes including stretching but still has you hitting each body part twice in 9 days.

A lot of guys have had phenomenal results following the DC Training program. If you’re going to do it though, be prepared to really commit yourself to doing it right. DC Training requires you to push your body as far as it can go and then some-that’s why it works. To get the best results you’ve got to be prepared to give it your all and make it a really intense workout, pushing on for one more rep even when your mind and body are screaming “No!” If not, you’ll just be wasting your time.

Author: Mike Westerdal

This society is paying the price for leading a more or less sedentary life. This is a life where people do little or physical activity. This, coupled with high fat diets have spawned a nation of overweight people not to mention that there are about 350,000 deaths each year in the United States due to obesity.

In a way, we cannot blame the people themselves because society has really changed since the 1st century. In those days, people used to be extremely active because the men had to hunt and build houses and fight wars while the women had to tend the home and the till the land.

Today, people work in offices and drive there. Then their idea of work is sitting behind a desk all day. This is a very low level of activity all while feeding your body with snacks and other foods that are rich in trans fats, protein and carbohydrates. This is a sure recipe for obesity and that is what almost 40% of the US population is grappling with.

There are other reasons why people end up being obese and with body fat.stores a lot of simply fail to generate the needed metabolic combustion rates to burn most of the fats that come into the body. All the same, these people, together with this that lead a life devoid of strenuous activity end up with the same problem. One reason is genetic. There are people whose bodies cannot process food efficiently and either digests it slowly and

Exercise is a great way to combat belly fat. One great exercise is to do a 30 second run on the spot before you begin anything else. Then rapid sit-ups can follow and these are very effective in eliminating belly fat if done consistently for a number of weeks.

Author: Joe Golson

Step aerobics are practiced by millions of people. The reason for its popularity may be it is easy to access. Since it is a methods of providing the exerciser with a remarkable aerobics workout that also does not need complex equipment and nor does it need a big space. The only real requirement for Step aerobics should be a flat surface and a step. A big advantage that is gained from step aerobics is it is a low impact motion and does not result in the joints stress like other activities, such as running or jogging. When a person steps on a platform there is no shock received by the joints and it also does not require any considerable amount of coordination or athleticism.

The Step Aerobic Exercise Basics

You may be recommended a step aerobic exercise program if you joined an aerobics class. They may tell you that a step aerobic exercise program will help you reduce fat, strengthen your muscles and increase your aerobic endurance.

However, before start any new exercise program it is always important to understand what the program entails, what are the benefits and what are the concerns. Knowing Step Aerobic Exercise first may be a shortcut.

One should also have appropriate workout clothing and a good pair of sneakers, which should rather be light in weight because there is a lot of stepping to be done and the footwear should also support the arch of the foot and able to absorb shocks. Appropriate footwear is very important in spite of the fact that step aerobics is a low impact activity.

The only thing to be careful about is that the item should be strong and safe so that there is no harm sustained as a result of falling or by twisting an ankle on an unbalanced step or platform. Also, one can increase the height of the steps or even raise the platform and this should result in increased fitness skill.

The Concept

Different with some other exercises that put considerable stress on the joints of the legs, step aerobic exercise is a physical movement with smallest force placed upon the joints of the lower extremities. In fact, when it comes to strain on the joints of the leg, step aerobic exercise is similar to walking level.

Step aerobic exercise is an aerobic activity that implements a 4 to 12 inch step. Particularly, this cardiovascular exercise involves stepping up onto a raised platform at definite intervals and alternating which leg is used. This routine requires harmonization and may be synchronized with music.

The Benefits

The benefits received from step aerobic exercise would be an admirable cardiovascular workout. This is achieved through the routine that requires you to step up and down on the platform. This raising and lowering of the body involves the large muscles of the lower legs. These actions also reinforce those muscles as well as the tendons and ligaments that connect the muscles and the bones to each other.

The Safety Measures

Step aerobic exercise is same with any exercise activity there are certain precautions that should be obeyed. One such precaution is making sure that you carry out these exercise routines properly.

Proper techniques include stepping up onto the platform utilizing the entire your foot, being close to the step when stepping up and alternate the legs, doing not more than 5 consecutive step ups per leg, do not let your knee to lock and stepping up softly to and down from the step.

Other precautions include using a step that is at the proper height. This range is determined by the expertise of the step aerobic exercise fanatic with a height of 4 inches for a beginner and 12 inches for an expert.

Use The Step Aerobics Equipment

If you decide to buy your own step aerobics equipment, you should plan to spend wherever from $30 to $100 for your stepper. If you can afford to purchase a higher end model, the advantage is that these more expensive models are normally adjustable in height to accommodate different skill levels and workout intensities.

Using step aerobics equipment will help you accomplish all of these goals, and add an extra dimension to your exercise program. You can select to take part in a class that uses step aerobics equipment, or you can purchase the stepper and instructional videos and learn to do your own aerobics exercise at home.

The other excellent advantage is that step aerobics equipment is easy to use, especially if you are already familiar with aerobics routines. The steps are choreographed for music, but instead of moving side to side on the floor, you will be moving vertically by stepping up and down from the platform of your stepper. To learn more about different types of aerobics routines, please visit http://www.aerobicsroutine.net.