This time of year is funny.  At my gym in Dallas, GA, we get a big push in January for the resolutioners (yes, I made up that word).  Then it dies down about 6 weeks later.  Then when Spring starts creeping up, we get another big push.  The question of the day is, “how can I get a six-pack without living in the gym?”.  After all, with better weather approaching, I can’t blame them.

Well, I’m gonna’ bring da house wit’ da things yo’ self needs to strut the six-pizzle.

That abrupt sentence was due to Method Man playing in the background.  I better mute the Ipod for a little while… my apologies.

Here’s the deal.  There’s a little bit of a difference between losing some fat, and then getting down to the point where you start chiseling six pack abs.  It takes advanced measures.

The Acceptance of the Challenge Ahead

First, accept that it will be challenging and difficult, as well as that it will take some tweaking.  There is no magic pill, nor any “negative calorie” food (don’t even get me started).  The truth is that you can certainly sculpt your waist line in a short amount of time with the right intensity and focus.  But that’s the first big step – accepting that there is no easy way and no miracle.

Prepare the Attack

If you’re still with me, let’s start preparing.  First of all, check your environment both at work and at home.  Is there any junk food hanging around?  Throw it away or donate it.  Are there fruits, vegetables and other unprocessed foods you can use for fuel for the challenging workouts ahead?  If not, go to the store.  I mean go to the store right now.  Don’t even read the rest of this before you have your groceries (aka six pack fuel).

What’s Your Plan?

Now, plan your eating strategy.  Do you have an office party next week?  Figure out a plan to either win against it (is it a restaurant where you can order something sensible like grilled chicken and veggies?) or skip it.  You’re either in or out with the six pack plan.

Take the Workout Log, Beat the Workout Log

Now make sure you have a structured metabolic resistance training program in place, ready to go.  Take the structured program log with you to the gym and be prepared to take notes on every single rep.  Your job is to beat 1-2 records at each workout.  Don’t skip any workouts – plan on working out 3-4 days a week.  As a matter of fact, pencil in your workouts right now

Save Time and Use Metabolic Ab Finishers

Finish each workout with a Metabolic Ab Finisher.  Say what?  Yes, a Metabolic Ab Finisher.  It’s a metabolic finisher combined with the most effective ab exercises on Earth (as well as other planets, too – trust me, I’ve googled it).  We are talking about the staples like a variety of Planks including the On/Off Plank, Stability Ball Jackknifes, as well as some crazy ones like Climbing Burpees and Spiderman Pullups.

To sum it up, you will use metabolically demanding exercises and ab exercises in a strategic combination.  This will help you burn more calories, elevate your metabolic rate, torch belly fat and most importantly, save you time.  Remember, you asked for a plan so that you wouldn’t have to live in the gym.

Pour Awesome Sauce on Your Six Pack Plan

I honestly don’t know what that means, but here is a good place to plug in some more strategies to covet the chiseled abs.  Certainly stay active on your non-workout days.  If you’re advanced, you can do some bodyweight cardio, as long as it doesn’t impede on your efforts of your workouts.  The idea is stay active, not over-train and injure yourself.

Log your food intake and take notes of every single success.  In other words, if you ate an apple and some almonds 43 minutes before your workout and you nailed your workout beating previous bests and feeling great, you will want to remember that.  It will also come in handy when you need to start chiseling again (like after Christmas and Grandma’s sugar cookies – yeah, I saw that).

Did a week go by and you felt your pants get a little looser?  Awesome.  By writing what you consumed and what you did, you now have a blueprint of what works for you.  Do you need a resource?  Go to www.fitday.com and record your intake there.

Lastly, tell the world (or at least your family and friends) of your plans.  Trust me, this will take you out of your comfort zone, but it works.  When they see you reaching for that bagel in the morning meeting, they will put you in your place.  You will appreciate that when you strut your six pack at the beach 7 weeks later.

“Everything you do is either moving you closer to or farther away from your goals.” – Alwyn Cosgrove.

Repeat that quote to yourself throughout the day.  This will keep you in check.

The Six Pack Blueprint Summary

This last part you will want to print out.  It’s the summary of your blueprint to your six pack abs.  Alright, here we go:

1) Prepare the environment (eliminate the junk) and have a nutrition plan in place ready to rock before you even get started

2) Use a structured metabolic resistance training program and use a workout log (beat 1-2 records at every workout) and work out 3-4 days per week.

3) Use metabolic ab finishers to increase your caloric burn and chisel your six pack in less time

4) Pour awesome sauce on your blueprint by staying active and keeping a good track of what is working

Let’s rock it,

Mike Whitfield

Certified Turbulence Trainer

While you are working so hard at maintaining a balanced, nutrient dense, whole foods nutrition plan, you will also need to follow a well designed ab training program. This will increase the size and improve the tone and shape of those abs while you shed the fat.

When it comes to ab training, like everything else in life, balance is imperative to optimal results. The abdominals are muscles just like any other and need to be worked as such. You don’t need daily ab workouts; you simply need to train them like any other muscle group. Two to three core workouts per week, performed with intensity and perfected form will have those muscles at their peak.

It should be noted that of course, as always, these exercises should be done with full focus, appropriate intensity and proper form. Make sure you keep the entire core tight and engaged, while breathing through the exercise.

Strap Fallout for Six Pack Abs

This exercise uses the TRX, however it can still be done if you don’t own one. The swing-set at the nearest playground will provide a similar suspension. Simply use the seats of two swings, one for each hand and perform the exercise as follows.

1)     Begin in a kneeling position with hands firmly on the straps (or swing seats).

2)     Keep the core tight and your body in a straight line.

3)     Lean forward as you extend your arms out and in front of your body, keeping the abs tight as you go.

4)     Contract the abs to bring the body back into the starting position, making sure your body remains in a straight line as you do so.

Hanging Leg Raise

This exercise can be done using either a chin up bar or the Captain’s Chair at your gym. If you’re outside you can do these at the playground using the monkey bars or even a tree branch assuming it’s strong enough to hold your weight.

1)     Begin by hanging from supportive bars with arms fully extended, pelvis tilted slightly and legs hanging straight down.

2)     Keeping the core tight, bring the knees up to the chest in one controlled movement. Do not use momentum and avoid a swinging motion.

3)     Return legs to starting position with control and continue for 12 to 15 reps.

4)     To increase the difficulty, keep the legs straight while lifting and raise to a minimum of 90 degrees.

Band Alphabet Abs

1)     Attach an exercise band or tube to a post, tree trunk, or anything solid and stable enough to support a pulling motion using a light to medium tension.

2)     Keep arms straight out in front of you at chest height and maintain a tight, engaged core.

3)     Remain in that position as you draw the alphabet. Complete the entire alphabet and repeat on the opposite side.

T Stab Push Up

1)     Begin the exercise from a standard push up position.

2)     Perform a push up and as the push up is completed, extend the right arm and rotate the entire body to the right, while keeping the arm extended.

3)     Keep the core tight and engaged throughout the entire rep and return to starting position. Repeat on the left side, starting with another push up.

Side Plank

1)     Begin by lying on your side with the upper body propped up with support from the forearm. The elbow should be directly under the shoulder.

2)     Keeping the core tight, bridge the body up using strength from the abdominals to maintain the body in a solid, straight line.

3)     Hold this position for as long as possible while not allowing the hips to sag or drop. Repeat on the opposite side.

Kettlebell Windmill

1)     Clean and press a kettlebell overhead with the right arm.

2)     While maintaining the kettlebell in a locked out position, push the hips back and out in the direction of the kettlebell.

3)     Keep the feet placed at a 45-degree angle from the working arm while the resting arm is placed behind the back.

4)     Lower the upper body as far as possible while maintaining proper posture.

5)     Pause and hold the movement and slowly return to the starting position.

6)     Continue for prescribed number of reps before performing on opposite side.

Renegade Row

1)     Dumbbells or kettlebells can be used for this exercise. Begin in a standard push up position, with hands placed on handles of kettlebells or bars of dumbbells for support.

2)     Keeping the core tight, bring the right arm up to the side of the rib cage in a rowing position without rotating the body.

3)     Return the dumbbell or kettlebell to the starting position and repeat on the left side.

4)     Continue for the prescribed number of reps.

These are some of the best exercises to add in to your workout program if you hope to add some size, definition and shape to your six-pack. If you perform these exercises two to three times a week, not only will you see improvements in your appearance, you’ll also increase your strength and improve the function of those muscles as well.

Combining these with a balanced, nutritious diet is your answer to a lean, sexy midsection.

But people fell for them.  People were looking for that “secret” to carve out the stomach and show off that lean midsection.  I’m glad I never got any of those silly things that don’t work.  However, I do question my birthday present when I was 6.  My older sister gave me a toaster and said it was a bath toy.  I never used it, but I don’t see how that would be fun.  That’s a whole new article.

I will say that there is one “gadget” that was unique at one point, but it has become more and more popular.  It’s the ab wheel.  When ab wheel rollouts are done right, you actually work your abs very well.  It’s one my favorite ab exercises, along with the cross-body mountain climbers.  It’s really no longer “unique”, because you see more and more of them in gyms, including hotel fitness centers.

Today, I do have some unusual ab exercises that you can put into your core program that will help you sculpt your abs.  They are a great way to add some variety to your ab exercises.  We all know that variety can lead to consistency, right?  But before I show you these exercises, you must promise me that you understand that nutrition is the biggest key to 6 pack abs.  If you agree, you can read on.  If not, you can go read some silly magazine promising you the best abs in the world with lots of cardio and crunches.  Here lies the truth.  I sound like a preacher, and that’s kinda awesome.

Why These Unique Ab Exercises are Effective

Crunches only work a small portion of your abs, and they also can put unnecessary strain on your neck and back.  For time invested, it’s not even close to being worth it.

In order to work your abs effectively, you must work the entire abdominal wall, as well as incorporate stabilization.  Hhhmmm, this is getting a little “sciency”.  Let’s go with this.  Do these unique ab exercises for a 6 pack and eat whole, natural foods.  The end.

Seriously, these unique exercises will carve out your 6 pack much better than sit-ups or crunches.  Enjoy…

The Ab Exercises

Alligator Crawl – Assume the close-grip pushup position.  Keeping your abs tight and embraced, as well as keeping your arms close to your sides, crawl like an alligator.  As you lift your left arm, you will lift your left foot and vice versa.  Some things are better with video:

=> www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zVNx5IO628

Decline Spiderman Pushups – The Spiderman pushup is pretty much a staple with my advanced clients.  They are a great way to work the core. But to make that move even harder, you can perform a decline Spiderman pushup.  Set yourself up as if you’re doing a decline pushup, with your feet on a medium platform or bench.  As you descend into the pushup position, bend your left leg, aiming your left knee towards your left hand.  Return to the starting position and do the same with your right side.  Again, seeing is believing:

=> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxK_nv63QtQ

Stir-the-Pot – This is quickly becoming another one of my favorites.  Put your arms on the stability ball as if you’re going to perform a stability ball plank.  Maintaining a straight line with your body, “stir” the ball to the left and repeat with the other side.  It’s real important that you keep your abs embraced and don’t let your hips sag.

=> www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRgHuJhvA_8

Superman Pushup – The Superman pushup is when you perform a basic pushup, then extend one arm directly out in front of you, and then return to the starting position.  You then repeat that with the other arm.  You can watch the video below, but you have to promise not to laugh at the goofiness.

=> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akEB7PTovjc

Burpee/Spiderman Pushup Combo – Let’s get a little crazy.  This is a total body ab exercise.  This is a fairly new one I’ve been experimenting with myself and one of my advanced clients.  It will help sculpt that 6 pack as well as rev up your metabolism.  Good times.  You perform a burpee, but once you drop down into the pushup position, you perform two Spiderman pushups rather than one basic pushup.  Who is sadistic enough to come up with that?

Mike Whitfield <= This guy.

See it here

=> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Evldbig1KKI

1-Arm Incline DB Chest Press – It’s not so unusual to do a 1-arm chest press, the unusual part is how hard it works your abs.  The idea is to lift heavy.  Try this dandy one with 6-8 reps.  Perform a 1-arm db incline chest press, with the arm that’s not working on your abs (so you can feel them getting shredded and working hard… duh).

=> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dWp2U-7gag

Inchworm – Don’t let something that looks so simple fool you.  The inchworm can have your abs smoked within seconds. Bending over with your hands in front and on the floor, simply inch your way forward with your hands until you’re in a pushup position.  Then, bring your feet in while your hands are on the floor and you raise your body like an inchworm.  I’m not good at describing this, so here is another video:

=> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBgNMUolYuA

So, there are some unusual, yet effective ab exercises that you can put into your 6 pack ab toolbox.  Ha – what a cool sentence that was.

Finish Strong,

Mike (Mikey) Whitfield

Certified Turbulence Trainer

You see, I had started working out for the typical teenage boy reasons. I wanted to get big muscles to impress girls, and I wanted to get bigger, stronger, and faster for soccer and hockey.

My first ab workouts were done at the local YMCA after a few of my friends and I snuck in one night.  We were those kids who went from machine to machine, not knowing what we were doing, and annoying – and probably intimidating – all of the regular customers.

And for that, I apologize, and to make it up to you, I’m going to share some really great ab workouts after I tell you about the abdominal exercises to avoid.

After causing havoc at the YMCA, I started lifting weights in my parent’s basement after purchasing a traditional York barbell machine weight set. Every other night, when I was 16 years old, I would go downstairs and do a full body workout routine followed by 100 crunches.

I did that because that is what the workout booklet told me to do.

Eventually, after buying a few fitness magazines and reading about the ab workouts of pro bodybuilders and fitness models, I started adding sets and reps of different ab exercises to the list.  Soon I was doing hundreds of crunches, bicycle crunches, side crunches, and even sit-ups.

And while these exercises made my abs burn, nothing changed in the mirror. Well, at least not in terms of my abs. The weight machine exercises were helping pack on some muscle – in addition to the manual labor done at my after school job, and because of my teenage hormones.

Eventually I came to the decision that ab crunches and sit-ups were not helping me achieve my goals.  By that time, I was in college and had access to a fully equipped, state-of-the-art gym. Plus, the Stability Ball had made its entrance into the fitness world.

So at this time, I was doing ab workouts that used stability ball crunches, Russian twists, and decline situps, and while my abs were sore, sometimes my back was sore too.

Some Abs Exercises Can Be Dangerous

The problem with this approach and these ab exercises is that they are all potentially dangerous for your low back. Each of these abs exercises puts your spine in flexion or rotation, and research has shown that rotation and flexion are the exact movements that cause herniated discs in your low back. Ouch.

I was shocked to find this out, but as soon as I did, I removed these from your workouts. They should be used rarely, if ever, and the great news is that you don’t need these exercises if you want to build six pack abs or have great ab workouts.

So if you find your back stiff and sore, you need to stop those exercises immediately. As mentioned, one day I stopped doing all of these ab exercises in my workouts.

They weren’t helping or making a difference for my six pack abs, but they were hurting my back. So they had to go. In reality, as long as you are keeping the fat off with interval training, metabolic resistance workouts, and diet, you’re going to have sexy abs. You don’t need to do 30 minute ab workouts.

However, you do need to do certain ab exercises to protect your back and improve your performance in sports, lifting, and every day tasks. (Great abs even help in the bedroom.)

So here’s what you need to do now. If you’re a beginner, you MUST throw away all of the crunches and sit-ups that you are doing, and you’re going to switch over to stabilization exercises like planks, side planks, and this cool little exercise called “The Bird Dog”.

These movements will help you build up abdominal endurance – and a nice flat stomach – so that you are ready for advanced ab exercises.

When you are at that point, you’ll want to use “anti-extension” and “anti-rotation” exercises like stability ball rollouts, TRX fallouts, stability ball “stir the pot” movements, and many more that I’m going to share with you in an advanced ab workouts article.

Get started with the TT for Abs DVD workouts here

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Certified Turbulence Trainer

But first, if you’ve been doing ab exercises like crunches and situps and still not getting the results you deserve, than don’t be disappointed any longer. There are a lot of reasons why you don’t want to do situps, bicycle crunches, or other traditional ab exercises.

Reason #1 – Situps and ab crunches are bad ab exercises for your back

It isn’t your fault if you’ve been doing ab exercises that are bad for your back, because so many mainstream articles and uninformed fitness experts have said that crunches are good.

But scientific research has found that both crunches and situps, and other exercises that cause your low back to flex and your spine to round can cause disk herniations, one of the most painful back problems of all.

You must avoid all ab exercises that cause you to flex your spine and round your back. In addition, you must avoid rounding your back when you pick weights off the floor – or even when you bend down to pick up a pencil.

Always keep your abs braced and back flat, and bend at your knees to get low to the ground. Bracing your abs simply means flexing them as if someone was about to punch you in the stomach. That’s how you want to be set to do your abs exercises too.

So stop doing those bad abs exercises and switch to safe and effective ab movements like planks, side planks, and stability ball planks.

Reason #2 – Situps and crunches are bad ab exercises for your neck

Recently a personal trainer stopped me at a fitness seminar and said, “My clients complain of neck pain when they do crunches and situps, so what should I do?”

I was shocked that a trainer at this advanced fitness seminar would still be using these ridiculous movements, so I said to him, “Whoa, you need to stop doing those exercises.

There are so many other and better total body ab movements.” With his beginner clients he needs to start with the ab plank movements, and a great mid-level intensity ab exercise is the stability ball jackknife.

But the truth is that most trainers spend far too much time having their clients do boring, dangerous, and ineffective ab exercises down on the floor. Be careful when making your ab workout choices.

Reason #3 – Most ab exercises get NO results

I’ve been training clients since the mid-1990′s and I’ve yet to see anyone who has ever gotten flat, six-pack abs from crunches. From the University gym where I started training my first fat loss clients and athletes, all the way to the gyms I’ve visited in Europe, Australia, Eastern Europe, and Central America, too many people are wasting their time with crunches. It’s really disappointing. Time to stop the insanity.

Most abs exercises are useless. You’d be much better off doing interval training to burn belly fat.  That’s why the Turbulence Training for Abs workouts use both interval training and metabolic resistance training workouts to help you burn fat and work your abs at the same time. You don’t need traditional ab exercises if you want to get a flat stomach.

Reason #4 – Doing old-school abs exercise training is gross and boring

When you do situps, crunches, and other boring abs exercises lying down on the floor, it is almost always gross and dirty. If you are using a mat, it will be covered in germs.  It’s even worse if you are doing crunches on a hotel room carpet that hasn’t been properly cleaned in ages. You don’t even want to know what dirt on that floor.

So switch it up and move to total body ab exercises that don’t require you to lie on your back on a dirty floor or mat, and you should also switch to stability ball ab exercises. It’s much easier to clean a ball than to clean a carpet.

Reason #5 – Abs exercises won’t burn belly fat

It takes over 22,000 crunches to burn 3500 calories (one pound) of fat. What a scary statistic when it comes to losing belly fat and getting flat sexy abs. Clearly crunches are not a good use of your time.

Here’s what you need to do instead. Change over to the total body ab exercises I’ve mentioned and described in this article, and get the free Turbulence Training for Abs workout report that gives you 3 TT ab circuits and video demonstrations of the best abs exercises.

cardio. Discover the crunch free belly fat burning workouts using bodyweight

abs exercises and interval training to lose stomach fat, burn calories, and

get 6-pack abs.

5 Six Pack Ab Workout Myths: Why Hundreds of Crunches and Situps Are the WORST Fat Burning Program to Lose Stomach Fat, Flatten Your Abs, and Give You Six Pack Abs

By Craig Ballantyne, Men’s Health Magazine Home Fitness Expert, Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist, and Author of Turbulence Training for Six Pack Abs

Even my dog has six pack abs, according to my vet!

Myth #1 – You Have to Do Hundreds of Crunches and Sit ups To Lose Belly Fat and Get Flat Abs

If you rely on boring, back-breaking abdominal crunches and sit-ups to burn belly fat, you’ll never lose the ugly belly fat covering your abs. To get more fat burning results in less workout time, use fat burning interval training and total-body abdominal exercises instead.

Myth #2 – In Just Four Easy Payments of $29.99, You Can Buy a Miracle-Working Six Pack Ab Machine From a Late-Night informercial

Ha! I wish one of those abdominal exercise contraptions worked half as good as the so-called “experts” say, but infomercial gadgets don’t burn belly fat or flatten your abs (they only burn your money and flatten your wallet!).

Myth #3 – You Have to do Ab Workouts Everyday to Get Six Pack Abs

Not true! In fact, one of the secrets of top fat loss trainers is to drop boring, repetitive ab exercises and replace them with total-body abdominal exercises you only need to do for a few minutes three times per week.

Myth #4 – You Have to Do Cardio in the Fat Burning Zone Everyday to Burn Belly Fat

Long, slow boring cardio in the fat burning “Zone” is not the best way to lose ugly belly fat. In fact, in a recent study, subjects did 40 minutes of slow cardio three times per week for 15 weeks but didn’t lose a single inch of stomach fat. However, only 20 minutes of interval training helped subjects spot reduce their belly fat.

Myth #5 – You Can’t Get Six Pack Abs at Home. You Have to Use Expensive, Fancy Ab Machines at a Gym

Research shows that most abdominal machines in gyms are extremely DANGEROUS for your low back! But you can do simple, safe, and effective abdominal bodyweight exercises and interval training at home to flatten your stomach.

Who Else Wants to Burn Belly Fat and Work Your Abs in the Comfort of Your Own Home with these All NEW & Exclusive Turbulence Training Workouts

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And the best part is that you can download all of these belly fat burning workouts from the Internet in just minutes and start using these fat burning techniques today!

Give Me Just 45 Minutes, 3 Days A Week And I Will Show You How To Transform Your Body, Sculpt Your Abs, Burn Belly Fat, And Have Fun In The Process!