How to Get 6 Pack Abs Like the Celebs (Part 7) - Cardio and Motivation
In this article - the last part of a series revealing techniques you can use to get toned 6-pack abs like the celebs - I will discuss the importance of including cardiovascular training in your exercise program.
No matter what your overall goals are, cardio training is important to everyone.
I will also reveal a secret I use to keep myself motivated on my goals if I start to lose focus.
Importance Of Cardiovascular Exercise Cardiovascular exercise has so many benefits that its inclusion in any exercise routine is crucial.
A healthy respiratory system allows you to exercise for longer and with a higher intensity than you would have been able to otherwise.
However another point to keep in mind while training to develop abdominal muscles, is that it's important to keep your body fat (BMI) within a healthy range for your body structure.
Even if you are doing everything else right - you are watching what you eat, you have created an effective exercise program which you are completing regularly, etc - and you are still not seeing the results you deserve, you may be wondering what you are doing wrong.
In this case, you most likely have at least the beginnings of a very prominent and strong mid-section, but it is covered with a layer of fat.
What this means is that you may only need to strip away the excess body fat to expose the underlying quality.
For this reason it is important to include a cardiovascular session regularly in your workouts - to work on reducing fat and letting those abs show through.
This is the process known as shredding in weight lifting circles - cutting away the excess fat to expose the muscular development underneath.
Spot Reduction Another issue that needs to be addressed in connection with body fat, is the idea of spot reduction.
Spot reduction is a myth that is now widely disproven as it does not help you to lose body fat.
The idea stems from the belief that it is possible to remove fat from a specific body part by performing a high number of repetitions.
For example if you do 100 sit-ups, your body will burn fat from your stomach area to fuel the workout.
Great stuff! Or it would be if it worked.
Research has shown that fat is removed from all areas of the body if it is required for energy.
It is not selected to be burnt solely from the area you are exercising.
A far better way to burn off those extra calories and excess fat reserves is to perform effective cardiovascular exercise like jogging, cycling, rowing or swimming - which are all great for burning off excess calories.
Why Do Some People Lose Focus? The main reason many people have for giving up on a workout program is that they lose focus of why they started in the first place.
This is why it's a good idea to have a goal - an image you want to attain or a situation you want to be in in the future.
This is why I always recommend that when someone starts a new workout program, they create a mental image and write it down.
This image could be of you walking along a crowded beach and your newly acquired "athletic looking" build being the number one head turner there, or it could be helping new people in the gym by telling them how you achieved your goal and created your very own body beautiful.
Whatever the image, find what works for you and write it down on the first page of your workout log.
Or better still, pin it to your wall in a place where you will see it frequently.
If you ever start to feel your concentration starting to slip, simply remind yourself of your goal by reading that note to yourself.
I think you'll often find that this puts your focus right back where it belongs and puts you back on the road to success.
No matter what your overall goals are, cardio training is important to everyone.
I will also reveal a secret I use to keep myself motivated on my goals if I start to lose focus.
Importance Of Cardiovascular Exercise Cardiovascular exercise has so many benefits that its inclusion in any exercise routine is crucial.
A healthy respiratory system allows you to exercise for longer and with a higher intensity than you would have been able to otherwise.
However another point to keep in mind while training to develop abdominal muscles, is that it's important to keep your body fat (BMI) within a healthy range for your body structure.
Even if you are doing everything else right - you are watching what you eat, you have created an effective exercise program which you are completing regularly, etc - and you are still not seeing the results you deserve, you may be wondering what you are doing wrong.
In this case, you most likely have at least the beginnings of a very prominent and strong mid-section, but it is covered with a layer of fat.
What this means is that you may only need to strip away the excess body fat to expose the underlying quality.
For this reason it is important to include a cardiovascular session regularly in your workouts - to work on reducing fat and letting those abs show through.
This is the process known as shredding in weight lifting circles - cutting away the excess fat to expose the muscular development underneath.
Spot Reduction Another issue that needs to be addressed in connection with body fat, is the idea of spot reduction.
Spot reduction is a myth that is now widely disproven as it does not help you to lose body fat.
The idea stems from the belief that it is possible to remove fat from a specific body part by performing a high number of repetitions.
For example if you do 100 sit-ups, your body will burn fat from your stomach area to fuel the workout.
Great stuff! Or it would be if it worked.
Research has shown that fat is removed from all areas of the body if it is required for energy.
It is not selected to be burnt solely from the area you are exercising.
A far better way to burn off those extra calories and excess fat reserves is to perform effective cardiovascular exercise like jogging, cycling, rowing or swimming - which are all great for burning off excess calories.
Why Do Some People Lose Focus? The main reason many people have for giving up on a workout program is that they lose focus of why they started in the first place.
This is why it's a good idea to have a goal - an image you want to attain or a situation you want to be in in the future.
This is why I always recommend that when someone starts a new workout program, they create a mental image and write it down.
This image could be of you walking along a crowded beach and your newly acquired "athletic looking" build being the number one head turner there, or it could be helping new people in the gym by telling them how you achieved your goal and created your very own body beautiful.
Whatever the image, find what works for you and write it down on the first page of your workout log.
Or better still, pin it to your wall in a place where you will see it frequently.
If you ever start to feel your concentration starting to slip, simply remind yourself of your goal by reading that note to yourself.
I think you'll often find that this puts your focus right back where it belongs and puts you back on the road to success.