Eating Around Steady State Cardio
If you’re someone who is including some steady state cardio into the mix as you move through your 8 pack ab workout routine, you might come to ask what nutritional protocol you should be following after these workout sessions.
You know that after an intense weight lifting workout or an interval sprint training session you do require protein and carbs in order to promote optimal recovery and ensure you feel your best at all times.
But, what about something lower in intensity? What’s the deal there?
Let’s have a look at what you need to know.
Consider The Duration
The very first thing that you need to take into account is what the duration of that cardio session is. Are you just going for 20-30 minutes or are you looking at doing a 60 minute plus workout?
The longer the workout, the more energy you’re going to be burning up which means the more depleted your body will be.
While it’s true that for the most part the body can use fat as a fuel source for lower intensity cardio training, you are still burning calories and if the deficit gets too high because your overall calorie intake is too low, this can cause problems.
In addition to that, if you’re not eating anything long before you do the cardio and waiting too long to eat afterwards, you could risk losing lean muscle mass, especially if you’re already on the very lean side.
Consider Your Overall Diet Strategy
The second thing that you should be doing is thinking about your overall diet strategy. Are you on a very low carb diet? How high is that calorie intake?
If you’re either taking in very few carbs or very few calories, eating around the cardio, regardless of the form will become more important.
Too low of a calorie intake does increase the chances your metabolism slows down significantly and adding long duration workouts to this is only going to make the matter worse.
Consider Your Preferences
Finally, you need to think about your preferences. Do you feel better eating before that cardio or eating after? Do you notice that if you don’t eat after you get runaway hunger a short while later and just want to binge?
If so, it’s time to eat up. Remember that it’s the total calorie balance that you achieve at the end of the day that’s going to most determine whether you lose fat or not, so don’t think it matters too much how long you wait to eat.
As long as you account for the calories and adjust other places in your day, eating at this time isn’t going to be an issue.
So there you have the top things to remember about eating around moderate intensity cardio. It’s definitely not a must but in many cases it does make sense to do so.
Jump Start Your Progress With This One Technique
If you’ve been going about your 8 pack ab workout program and have been seeing so-so results, you might be wondering what you’re doing wrong and whether or not there’s something that you can change to improve the results that you’re getting.
If you’re going to be putting in a high level of effort in your program plan, it’s going to be imperative that you are seeing the results to show for it – or, your motivation is going to fly out the window.
So what happens when you’re just dragging along, slowly seeing some progress but feeling really unmotivated?
It’s time to implement one particular technique that can take your progress and push it up to the next level.
That technique?
A break.
As surprising as it may seem, stopping everything – your workouts and your diet may just be the best thing to do in order to move forward. Let’s look at why.
Metabolic Recharging
The very first reason why this may just be the thing that could take your progress up to the next level is because it will help to recharge your metabolism so that you’re burning calories faster than ever.
Any time you’re on a reduced calorie diet plan, your metabolic rate is naturally going to slow down. This means fewer and fewer calories are burned each day, making it harder and harder to see continual fat loss taking place.
By stopping your diet and eating more calories again, especially carbohydrate calories, you’re going to boost your metabolism as it no longer feels like a famine is taking place.
This way, when you do get back onto your fat loss diet plan, results will resume at an accelerated pace.
Reviving Your Mental State
Moving on, the next reason to consider taking a break from it all is simply to revive your mental state. Pushing hard each day in the gym along with fighting hunger and temptation on a diet plan does take a lot of mental energy.
Just like any other system in your body, eventually it’s going to become worn out and need to be recharged. A quick break can help do this.
One week off and you’ll likely find yourself antsy to get going again, a good indication that you’re ready to really attack your progress hard and see some much faster progress occurring.
Fostering Full Recovery
Finally, the last reason to consider a complete break from your program for a week is to foster a full recover. While a few days off each week will definitely help you recover, over time the training stress will continue to build.
As it builds and builds, the body may become more and more inflamed, taking away from how lean you look.
Many people will often notice that they look far leaner after taking a break for a week, which comes as a welcomed surprise as they often would have thought the opposite would occur.
As long as you keep your diet in check and don’t go overboard, fat gain during this time is highly unlikely.
So next time your progress seems to be stalling, consider stopping what you’re doing, kicking your feet up, and having that bowl of oatmeal that you’ve skipped over for one too many mornings. It may just do the trick to get you on a path to faster success.
Worst Ab Moves For Your Back
As you go about your 8 pack ab workout program, it’s important that you not only consider which exercises are going to bring you the best results possible, but also which exercises could potentially put you at risk for lower back pain.
Back pain is something that many people do deal with at some point or another as they go throughout their workout routine and it’s only going to make it harder and harder to keep up with your other exercises.
By taking a look at the worst moves for your lower back, you’re going to ensure that you are able to continue to move forward and keep up with your workout for a long time to come.
Here are the three to really be aware of.
Lying Leg Raises
The first of the ab exercises that you really must take caution against are lying leg raises. These are thought to be a very good movement for the lower abs, which they are, but the downside is that if you perform them and don’t make sure that you are keeping your lower back pressed into the floor at all times, you’re going to seriously risk suffering strain in the lower back region.
As the legs pass through the forty five degree mark, if that lower back lifts up, there will be direct pressure placed on the low back vertebra.
If you’re going to do this movement, place your hands under your lower back at first to ensure there is constant pressure against them.
Plank
The plank is the next exercise that you need to be extra aware about. This exercise is actually one of the top ab moves to be doing regularly so don’t let this deter you from including it, but do let it enforce the fact that you absolutely must use proper form while doing it.
This is also the exercise that so many people do move out of poor form with, so something that you need to really be on the lookout for.
The entire time you’re doing the plank, make absolutely sure that you are keeping the spinal column in proper alignment by squeezing the abs. Try and perform the exercise facing a mirror as well so you can really see whether or not you’re moving out of position.
Ball Roll-Outs
Finally, the last ab exercise to be careful of is the ball roll-out. Again, this is a good exercise to be adding to your routine so don’t let it’s place on this list stop you, but do make absolutely sure that you are performing it correctly.
As you move through the ball roll-out, be sure that you are only going as far as you can comfortably go as when you try and push too far, that’s when you’re going to notice that pain starts to develop in the low back region.
Go as far out as you can and then move directly back in again.
So there you have the primary things that you should consider as you go about your ab workout program. Add these exercises in but be very careful as you do.
Weight Ab Moves Versus Exercise Ball Ab Moves
As you go about your 8 pack ab workout routine, one thing you might start to question is whether you should be adding weighted abdominal exercises into your workout routine or whether you should be adding ball moves instead.
While both of these exercise forms can be great for helping you achieve results with your 8 pack ab program, is one going to bring about better results than the other?
Is one going to get you to that end goal you have set faster and more efficiently?
Let’s have a quick peak at some of the main differences to note about the two variations of movements.
Weighted Ab Exercises
First let’s consider weighted ab exercises. The nice thing about these is that if you are looking to make your abs ‘pop’, these are the way to do it. Since they are going to have you working against a higher level of resistance, you may see some slight muscle size growth, over and above what you’d get if you used an exercise ball instead.
This size growth is going to make the grooves between the ab muscles deeper and more defined, so this can help you get that shredded look if that’s what you’re after.
On the negative side of things though, this size growth can cause your abdominal region to look wider, so if you’re more about developing a svelte waistline than having sheer ab definition, they may not be the best idea to use.
Finally, weighted ab exercises will also be superior for helping to bring out more abdominal strength, so if performance is a concern, they’re excellent in that regard as well.
Ball Ab Exercises
Moving along, ab exercises on the ball are next to consider. These are great for working the muscles that lie deep within the abdominal core because as you place yourself on the exercise ball and move through the crunch motion, you’re going to require extra support and stability. Those inner ab muscles will start to contract, making this a very involved exercise overall.
Secondly, ab exercises on the ball also offer a very wide degree of variability in terms of exercise options, so for curing boredom and preventing a plateau, they really can’t be beat.
Finally, ab exercises on the ball have a slightly lower risk of injury when performed correctly compared to weighted ab work since you don’t have that extra resistance working on the body.
So there you have some of the pros and cons about weighted versus abdominal ball exercises. Both exercise variations can be included as part of your overall workout plan and help you see success. But, if you do have one specific goal you’re after such as muscle strength or improved agility, then you’ll definitely want to be putting more of your exercise selection focus on one type of movement over the other to see superior results.
The Best Fruits For 8 Pack Abs
As you go about your 8 pack ab workout and diet plan, one food that often gets questioned with regards to whether it’s a good addition to your plan or not is fruit. Are fruits going to help you see 8 pack ab results or are they going to take away from your progress because they’re just too high in sugar?
The answer to this depends partially on the fruit in question. Certain fruits are higher in simple sugars and will cause more of a blood glucose response than others.
When seeking 8 pack abs, that blood glucose response is what you should be looking to avoid.
Let’s go over the best fruits for 8 pack abs so that you can come to understand which should be included in your diet plan.
Blackberries
Topping the list of great fruits to be eating are blackberries. These are relatively low in calories at around 62 per cup and are also loaded with dietary fiber. They also contain a powerful set of antioxidants that will help protect against free radical damage.
Any time you’re performing an intense workout program, you will be at a slightly higher risk for experiencing free radical damage, so prevention against this is important.
Apples
Second, apples are next up on the list. Apples have a certain compound known as pectin, which earns top marks for suppressing your appetite. Eat these along with a little protein or healthy fats as a quick snack and you should calm your hunger pains for a few more hours.
Apples are also relatively low in calories at about 90 per medium sized apple.
Raspberries
Raspberries are the next must-have fruit on your list. This berry is a fiber all-star and is a fruit that is lowest in sugars. Raspberries will have very little, if any, influence on your blood glucose levels, so eating them with your meals won’t cause additional hunger like some higher sugar fruits such as bananas would.
Raspberries aren’t quite as sweet as some of the other fruits, so if you are going to sweeten them, use a non-calorie sweetener rather than regular sugar.
Blueberries
Finally, the last fruit that you should consider adding to your 8 pack ab diet plan is blueberries. Blueberries are excellent for their antioxidant potential as well, rated as one of the ‘superfoods’ that you could be eating.
At around 50 calories per half cup, they’re easy to toss into oatmeal, yogurt, smoothies, or just to eat on their own as a sweet treat after your dinner meal.
So there you have some of the best fruits to satisfy your sweet tooth with, boost your nutrition, and stay on track with your 8 pack ab diet plan. The main fruits that you will want to think twice about eating include bananas, dried fruits such as raisins, grapes, as well as pineapples. While these are still healthy foods, they may make it harder to control your calorie intake and hunger, which is a must when trying to get 8 pack abs.
Metabolism Boosting Myths And Truths
If there’s one thing that you should be doing as you go about your workout and diet program, it’s everything possible to boost your metabolism. Maintaining a higher metabolic rate 24 hours a day is really going to help out with the fat loss process because it will ensure that you’re creating the calorie deficit required for fat loss to take place.
That said, there are many myths out there surrounding what is going to boost your metabolism and what won’t.
Let’s have a look at a few of these myths so that you can set the record straight once and for all.
Myth: Eating Frequently Throughout The Day
The first metabolic myth to know about is the myth that states that by eating frequently throughout the day you’ll supercharge your metabolism and burn more calories 24/7. While eating more frequently throughout the day is a very good idea as it is going to help you maintain your blood sugar levels better, doing so, provided you would eat the same number of calories as you would with fewer meals per day, isn’t going to boost your metabolism any higher than if you didn’t.
Truth: Weight Lifting
One thing that will boost your metabolism however is weight lifting. If you’re involved in weight lifting multiple times per week, this will certainly help to increase your total daily calorie burn through both the metabolic effects this form of exercise has on you as well as due to the increase in lean muscle mass experienced.
Weight lifting is a terrific fat burning activity that you absolutely must be making use of.
Myth: Cardio Training
On the other hand, cardio training won’t boost your metabolism all that much to speak of. While interval training will have slight effects for a few hours, steady state cardio training does very little. Essentially, your resting metabolic rate will return back to base line as soon as the cardio training is completed.
Truth: Eating More Protein
Another truth about what will boost your metabolism is eating a higher protein diet. Consuming more protein in the diet will give you a higher thermic effect of food, which can really stack up in your favor as far as fat loss goes.
Aim for at least one gram per pound of body weight – no less to see positive benefits.
Myth: Fat Burners
Finally, the last myth about what will boost your metabolism is with regards to all those fat burners on the market. Fat burners may provide a very slight boost, but it’s really nothing to get too overly excited about.
Don’t bank on being able to eat more calories just because you’re including one of these in your diet plan.
So there you have the myths and truths about what boosts your metabolism and what doesn’t. Make sure that you’re keeping these points in mind as you go about your program.
The Dangers Of Too Low Body Fat
As you go about your 8 pack ab workout and diet plan, one of the things that you must be most focused on in order to see results is getting your body fat levels down lower. A low body fat percentage is the primary thing that is going to determine whether or not you are able to see the 8 pack ab definition showing through.
But at the same time, it’s important to note that trying to take this too far could in fact become detrimental to your health.
Each and every one of us does require so much body fat in order to stay alive and healthy, so dipping down to levels lower than this and trying to sustain them for a lengthy period of time is only going to cause problems.
Let’s have a look at what some of the dangers are of having too low of a body fat percentage.
Loss Of Reproductive Function
The first issue with having body fat levels that are too low is that it could mean the end of your reproductive capabilities for the time being. Women will start to lose their menstrual cycle while males may become impotent.
What’s more is that it’s not abnormal at all to see the loss of libido as well as your body fat levels reach very low proportions.
Insufficient Organ Cushioning
Second, another problem with your body fat levels approaching too low of a range is that you may not have sufficient cushioning over your organs to protect them from damage. Keep in mind that your body fat is going to provide protection from any sort of physical blow you encounter and help to keep the vital areas of your body safe.
Without enough fat, should you be stricken, larger problems could result.
Hormonal Problems
Hormonal problems are also highly likely in those who are suffering from extremely low body fat levels. Those who are going beyond essential body fat ranges (12% for females and 5% for males) are going to find that their skin is dry, their hair is lackluster, they don’t have the normal amount of energy they typically do and muscle building may also be higher due to lower testosterone levels.
Your body needs a certain amount of body fat to be able to generate all the important hormones in the body so when your body fat is taken far too low, normal functioning will not be occurring.
This will influence almost every element of your well-being.
No Long Term Energy Storage
Finally, the last problem with taking your body fat levels too low is that you’ll have no long term storage. This means that should you go for a lengthy period of time without food, you’re much more likely to suffer negative effects such as extreme hunger, shakiness, light-headedness, and if a true famine was taking place, starvation.
Those who have very low body fat levels often find that they get hungry very quickly after eating a meal, even if the meal itself contained sufficient calories.
This is simply the body’s way to protect itself and try and get you to consume more calories to bring the body fat level up to a healthier range.
So there you have the primary problems with taking your body fat level too low. It really is important that you are considering your health in your quest to get 8 pack abs. If you are showing very negative side effects as the weight loss process takes place, then it may just be time to consider adjusting your goals slightly so that you feel well and look good at the same time. Some people are simply not cut out to have 8 pack abs and maintain them, so if you’re one of those people, you’ll feel like you’re always facing an uphill battle if you proceed to try and reach this goal.
How Heavy Is Heavy Enough?
As you read about various fitness and workout tips while striving to reach the goal to get 8 pack abs, you might often hear the advice, ‘lift heavy’.
But, you rarely hear a definition of ‘heavy’. How heavy is heavy enough? That’s the question that many people want to know.
Let’s give you a little insight into the concept of heavy lifting so that you can get it straight in your mind what is heavy enough to bring about the results that you’re after.
Your Rep Range
The very first thing that you must always keep in mind is that the amount of weight that you do lift is going to be strictly dependant on how many reps you are to perform.
If you are lifting in the higher rep range, your weight is automatically going to be lighter than if you’re lifting in the lower rep range. If you fail to adjust the weight to account for this, you are going to miss out on the results that you should be getting.
Furthermore, for the most optimal results from your program, you’re likely going to want to keep the rep ranges somewhere between 5-10 reps.
Going beyond the 10 rep range is going to be classified as ‘lighter’ weight regardless of how much you’re lifting simply because of the nature of the protocol.
Maximum Muscle Recruitment
Second, keep in mind that the primary goal for all the sets that you’re going to complete is to achieve maximum muscle recruitment. This is only going to happen if you are lifting a heavy enough weight.
If you’re not challenging yourself and lifting lighter, you’re only going to get partial muscle recruitment, which just isn’t going to bring about the gains in strength that you’re hoping for.
When you feel as though your entire muscle is contracting hard and you’re really struggling to hoist that weight, that’s when you know that you’re getting full muscle fiber recruitment.
Pushing Too Far
Finally, the last thing that you must take note of in terms of how much weight you should be lifting is what is considered pushing too far. If at any point during the exercise you do start to see your form slip or you are unable to complete the entire range of motion, you definitely do need to lighten your load.
Pushing too far is just as detrimental as not pushing enough, so make sure that you take this into account and get yourself on track to using just the right amount of intensity.
So there you have the primary things to keep in mind with regards to how much weight you should lift. Getting this correct is going to be at the cornerstone of you seeing good results, so make sure that you don’t overlook it.
The Top Oblique Moves To Get 8 Pack Abs
As you go about your 8 pack ab workout program, one variety of exercises you must not overlook are the obliques. The obliques are often forgotten about because they don’t form that exact ‘8 pack look’ but what you must remember is that by working the obliques, you’ll often call other muscle groups into play that will move you closer to 8 pack ab status as well.
Furthermore, strong obliques will give you that cut up look along the sides of the body that definitely adds to your appeal.
So which exercises will be a must for the obliques? Let’s go over the main ones that you need to note.
Decline Twists
The first of the oblique exercises to add into the program is the decline twist. For this one, hold a weighted plate across your chest and then slowly lean downwards onto the bench, twisting as you go.
Pause at the bottom and then rise up to the top again, making sure to continue on with the twisting action. Be sure not to rush this exercise at all as that will significantly reduce the amount of stress and tension on those oblique muscles.
The Bicycle
Second, the bicycle is another great exercise that you’ll want to be adding into the program plan. The bicycle is not only going to work the obliques, but also the front and lower abs as well.
Furthermore, it’ll give you a very high degree of muscular endurance as long as you are sure to keep the legs slightly elevated off the floor at all times as you go about the exercise.
Lying Leg Circles
Lying leg circles are the next exercise that you should be adding into the mix. With these, you’ll want to get down flat on your back and then lift the legs up off the floor.
From there, lower the legs downwards but move them in a circular fashion rather than straight up and down. This is what will ensure that you do hit the oblique muscles and not just the front and lower abs like you do with the traditional lying leg raise.
The Plank With Leg Crunch
Finally, the last of the top oblique moves that you’ll want to be sure you’re adding into your workout plan is the plank with a leg crunch.
The plank itself is one of the best moves for anyone who wants to get 8 pack abs and with the leg crunch added in there, it simply cannot be beat.
To perform this one you’ll get down into the plank position and then once you’ve found your balance, you’ll simply crunch the leg up to the side of the body, pausing once it’s maximally contracted.
Note that this is a much more intense movement, so do expect to struggle slightly to maintain good form.
From there, lower the leg back down so that you’re in the full plank again and then switch legs and repeat.
So there you have some of the top oblique must have moves to add into your 8 pack ab workout program. Be sure that you’re considering all of these and finding a place for them in your own workout approach.
Cardio Machines Versus The Outdoors: Which Is More Effective?
If you’re just getting started with a workout program to help get 8 pack abs, you’re going to be adding some cardio training into the mix. As you go about doing this though, you might come to wonder whether you should be doing your cardio on the cardio machines indoors, or whether you would be better off taking it outdoors or into a group fitness class such as a boot camp.
Both have their pros and cons so it’s important to weigh each one and determine which is going to be best for you.
Let’s have a look at the cardio machines versus the outdoors debate.
Cardio Machines
First you have to take into account cardio machines. The nice thing about cardio machines is that they’re highly controllable so that you can get the exact workout you’re looking for.
If you’re doing interval training for example, you can simply adjust the speed to suit your preferences, going faster or slower as needed.
This is also going to make tracking your stats easier as well. For example, if you’re trying to boost the speed in which you run, a treadmill will easily allow you to get an accurate readout of how fast you’re going.
With the outdoors, there’s no real way of knowing this precisely, so you’d have to go by feel of the movement.
Another advantage of cardio machines is that they aren’t weather limiting. You can use them rain or shine, wind or snow. Nothing will get in the way of your session except you.
Finally, cardio machines can be slightly easier on the joints as well. This is especially the case if you choose to use elliptical trainers or the bike since they are both very low impact activities.
Treadmills are also cushioned, so that will be easier on the joints than pounding the pavement.
The Outdoors
Moving on, next it’s time to look at the outdoors as an option. The biggest advantage here is cost and boredom. Most people will find that doing their cardio outdoors is less boring than slaving away on some piece of machinery.
Likewise, the outdoors is absolutely free. While joining a group fitness class will not be (however these are often offered at reduced prices), you simply have to lace up your shoes and go when you’re doing a run outside.
So if budget is a consideration of yours, this is all the reason to give the outdoors some strong consideration.
With the cardio machines, you’ll either have to invest in the machine yourself or you’d have to purchase a gym membership to use it there.
So there you have the primary things that you should keep in mind when it comes to selecting your best cardio method with your 8 pack ab workout program. The most important thing will be that you always do it, so that’s what you must make sure you consider.
