Abdominals

GarageGymJunkie,

How do I get washboard abs?

Jared

Hello All,

First of all welcome back to Garage Gym Talk. The question above coupled with how I get a six pack are the two most common questions I get by younger clients. To answer this question everyone first must know that to achieve these abdominals you must be under 10% Body Fat. Now that you know that go achieve it. Then once you achieve it follow these seven rules:

1. 1.      Working on the basics is something you have to do. Period!! If you don’t, none of the advanced core training techniques will be anywhere near as effective.
2. 2.      Sit ups and crunches suck as abdominal movement. Yes they do serve a purpose, but not the one you think.
3. 3.      You cannot isolate one part of your abs effectively, so instead choose compound movements for the best results.
4. 4.      You need to train your abdominal in low reps. Yes, I did say low reps. It is a muscle just like your biceps, quads, etc., etc.. Would you only train these in sets of 100s. There is a time and place for high rep sets, but every day is not it.
5. 5.      TRAIN YOUR GLUTES.
6. They do play a huge role in your abdominal, just as they play a role in attracting a mate.
7. 6.      Every exercise has its progressions for beginners to advanced. Do not just jump in and add reps or more weight, instead work thru the progressions.
8. 7.      Just like I have shown everyone with other exercises. You must train your abs with intensity.

Garage Gym Junkie

Distance Learning

Hello All,

Welcome back to Garage Gym Talk. Today I am proud to present an article by Mike Manning, who is brand new to blogging. He put together an article on a topic that I feel is important to all of the Garage Gym Nation, Training while away from home.

Travel Healthy, Travel Well

How many times have you gone on a trip only to return feeling grouchy and ill? Whether you are traveling for business or pleasure, changes in your daily routine caused by travel can adversely affect your physical and mental health. I personally enjoy doing a lot of power lifts coupled with yoga classes to keep my mind clear. It is extremely hard to do this while traveling without first doing the proper research of the area and the hotel that you are considering for your trip. Fortunately, there are several simple things you can do to reduce this stress and return home rested and healthy.

Research

Before booking a hotel you should do your due diligence in order to select the correct hotel for your budget, personality, and fitness needs. On my most recent trip to San Francisco I researched through a great hotel review site that listed all of the top San Francisco hotels in order of rank. The site allowed me to go through each hotel and by clicking on their link I received a list of amenities and reviews from people who have stayed there. This was invaluable for the trip, as you can learn wonderful things and embrace the fitness industry around you.

The travel Industry is starting to cater to the healthy living aficionado. This is a great trend for many people because it is becoming easier and easier to stay fit and live healthy on the road. The San Francisco International Airport now offers a yoga Zen room to its travelers in order to give them a way to release some of that travel stress and anxiety. Also, The Minneapolis St. Paul International airport now offers fitness walking paths too loosen the legs after a long flight. It is great to see many different industries embrace the healthy lifestyles of individuals whom try to stay fit. 

On the Road or In the Air

Traveling to and from your destination can result in some of the most physically stressful portions of any trip. Long flights that keep you seated in a small area for extended periods of time can result in aches and pains, as can a lengthy road trip. Be sure you have plenty of water with you to help you remain hydrated during the journey. This will minimize joint pain and other problems that result from dehydration. Also, take time to stretch either during layovers or by making frequent stops while driving. Finally, check out a few stretching exercises you can do in your airplane seat or in the car to help reduce the stress of travel and extended periods of inactivity.

Upon Arrival

Give yourself enough time to settle into your accommodations before meetings or other obligations begin demanding your attention, this includes taking the time to find the fitness facilities in the hotel, spending a few moments getting familiar with the new space, and organizing your luggage so that you feel at home. Then spend a short time stretching or moving through some basic yoga poses to get you re-grounded.

During Your Stay

Take steps to ensure that you get plenty of exercise and proper nutrition throughout your stay. If possible, get up early to spend some time exercising before going to meetings or setting off on a sightseeing adventure. Many communities have running trails or tracks that you can enjoy. If your hotel offers classes at the fitness center, participate in one of these, or you may be able to get a good cardio workout utilizing on-demand videos in your room.

Also make wise eating choices as much as possible. Try to keep your diet going well by eating healthy on your trip. Avoid fried foods when eating out, and if you are prone to midnight munchies, stop at a health market to stock up on nutritious options.

 Resources:

About.com - http://stress.about.com/od/travelstress/The_Stress_of_Traveling.htm

Gogobot.com (travel Reviewers) - http://www.gogobot.com/san-francisco--hotels/

Huffington Post - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/26/sfo-yoga-room-terminal-two_n_1235363.html

cnn.com - http://travel.cnn.com/sydney/visit/plane-yoga-18-exercises-healthy-flying-910157

Forbes.com -http://www.forbes.com/sites/juliewilcox/2012/04/25/yoga-for-travel/

Bio – My name is Michael Manning and I am a fitness and healthy living aficionado who has traveled all over the world. I recently began bringing my musings to the blogging world and am enjoying getting my thoughts out there. You can find my future writing at http://mikemanningmusings.blogspot.com/.