TURN FLAB INTO AB WITHOUT LEAVING HOME!
The idea is pretty simple. Deduct body fat, add muscle, and voila – abs. But is anything really that simple though?
The answer is YES, but NO!
If you’re too busy to go to a gym or better yet you just don’t WANT to JOIN one – then here are some tips for that (semi) lazy person who wants a set of washboard abs in the comfort of his/her home!
Number 1 on the list: DISCIPLINE!
That ten letter word that could easily be replaced with a four letter word. The power to say no to desires such as sugary or fatty foods, lazing around being comfy, sleeping late, waking up late etc. etc. etc. The list goes on when it comes to things we ought to be saying NO to. But where’s the joy in that right?
Discipline is saying NO to all the things that you might feel is good but is actually bad for your body. This will discourage bad habits and promote weight-loss and create space for a magical concept known as ROUTINE.
Number 2: ROUTINE!
Routine. The awfully repetitive task of doing the same thing, over, and over, and over again. But guess what? THAT is what will get you those abs. Abs are all about ‘repetition’ – heck all muscle building exercises are, but abs require discipline, i.e. to not eat crap and laze around. Once a routine is set with added discipline; you have the skeleton. The rest is all ‘content’ – what you add every day or do differently to build your core muscles.
Number 3: THE DREADFUL EXERCISES
Another synonym to a four letter word – EXERCISE. Now one might think there’s a hierarchy in the way you should do things and I’m here to tell you, that it’s not necessarily true. These 3 have to co-exist and you can’t have one without the other!
The fear of impending doom is usually worse than the doom itself. In other words the exercise isn’t as dreadful as you think. With discipline and routine on your side – it’s only a matter of time till you get them abs.
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Here is a summarized tale of the tape for your abdominal muscles:
Diet plan:
This does NOT mean you SHOULDN’T eat. It means you shouldn’t eat EVERYTHING.
Avoid bad eating habits such as eating late, consuming too much or too little, eating refined carbs and processed foods or drinking sugary liquids.
Eat healthy: Replace the bad eating habits with good ones. Eat often, in small quantities and in time. Consume a healthy set of proteins and complex carbs which you can get from lean cut meats, grains, fresh fruits and vegetables – oh and keep yourself hydrated at all times.
Cardio plan:
While dieting by way of eating healthy instead of not eating at all can promote weight loss; the most effective way of burning ‘fat’, is running or better yet any exercise that raises your heart rate or cardio level to the point of sweating.
Here are a few exercises you can do in the middle of your lounge everyday by giving 5 – 10 minutes to each exercise. (Another great way is interval training, giving each exercise an INTENSE go for about 30 seconds, cooling down in 5 seconds and repeating all over again!)
- Jumping jacks
- Standing in one place and simultaneously raising knees to waist level one after the next
- Imaginary skipping rope (aka jumping around)
- Like down on your back and cycle peddling (also good for abdominal muscles)
- If you don’t have a punching bag – try Shadowboxing
- Invest in a cycle
By the time you’ve done any of these you will have turned yourself into a running hose of sweat – and THAT means you’re burning fat.
Exercise Plan:
This is where the harder part comes in – the EXERCISES (which you can do in the middle of your lounge too).
- The Long-Arm Crunch
- The reverse crunch
- Janda sit-up
- The Jacknife
- The extended plank
Coming back to our initial equation: Deduct body fat, add muscle – boom, abs.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST – to have a rock solid set of abs you need PATIENCE! And for that you have the discipline and routine. Keep at it, do NOT expect immediate results. You’ve got to be relentless and once you’ve attained those ever elusive abs you KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK and watch the flab turn to ab!
