Debunking the Top Ab Myths By Christopher Guerriero

Ab training has been done to death but it's time to take another look. Why? Because people are still training their abs wrong so all that ab training information must not be doing the right job.

Here's a list of the top Myths about Abdominal Training that you should avoid at all costs...

1 - There's no such thing as Spot Reducing - Endless crunches will not melt away the fat from your midsection. It just doesn't work that way. And despite the "burn" of high rep ab exercises, you barely burn any calories while doing those endless crunches.

Your fat burning time is best spent elsewhere on more effective "cardio" training.

2 - The Abs are a Muscle and should be trained as such. You don't need high reps and lots of sets to work your abs. This just leads to over training.

Now, abs are a more endurance oriented muscle so slightly higher reps may be more effective. However, you should keep the reps at 20 or lower and work on increasing the resistance and variety in your training.

Yes, you should be increasing the weights on ab exercises, just like your other exercises. The stronger your abs, the better they will look when the fat is stripped away.

Ever see a really thin guy with a flat stomach but no abs? In that instance, the abs haven't been trained and aren't developed enough to stand out even when the fat is stripped away.

3 - Don't train the abs more than necessary - What the heck do I mean by this? Well, your abs get a lot of indirect work from other exercises so you really won't need more than a couple of hard sets of weighted crunches to work your abs.

Your abs are a factor in exercises such as squats, dead lifts, seated or standing presses, dumbbell pullovers, pulldowns, etc.

Don't believe me?

Next time you work out, do a few hard sets of standing stiff armed pulldowns on the lat machine and tell me your abs aren't sore the next day. I did them yesterday and my abs are more sore than my back today.

If you want to develop a flat stomach with your abs visible, you need to treat your abs the same as your other muscles. And you need to strip away the fat with a proper training and nutrition program designed around total fat loss (like that found in the Living Health Audio Program), not trying to spot reduce through endless crunches.

The number of ab machines constantly coming to market is mind boggling. Especially considering that they aren't needed and won't give you the results that you want unless you begin training your abs like regular muscles rather than like a machine that needs 100 reps to get primed up..

Let's set the record straight on ab training right now and give you the real information you need so you can say no to the next infomercial ab machine and yes to actual results.

1 - Training your abs consistently and persistently will eventually give you the flat stomach or six-pack that you want.

But it's not gonna happen if your abs are covered by a layer of body fat and doing endless sets of ab exercises is not the way to rid yourself of that excess body fat - even if you buy the most expensive ab machine on the most motivating infomercial.

2 - Skip a day in between your ab training days.

Your abs are a muscle, just like your chest, lats, arms and so on. You should train your abs just like these other muscles, with progressive resistance and high intensity - then allow them to rest and recover. Never train your abs more than 3 days a week.

3 - You don't need to do hundreds or reps and feel the burn to get great abs.

To get six pack abs you need to strip off the fat, but you also need to build the abs to get them to really pop out. You can see a great 5 minute abdominal workout in The 2 Day Workout.

If the muscle isn't developed, you'll just have a flat stomach but no abs. The name of the game is progressive resistance for sets of 8 - 20 reps, just like your other muscles.

You need a proper weight lifting program, nutrition plan, and cardio program in order to rid your stomach of that stubborn layer of fat and bring your abs.
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Christopher Guerriero is Founder and CEO of The National Metabolic and Longevity Research Center, where he has devoted more than 15 years to studying people who have successfully mastered their metabolism. Christopher is the author of several books, including the world wide best-seller "Maximize Your Metabolism". Take a moment to learn about Christopher's Healthy Living Weight Loss Audio program.

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Curbing Your Carbohydrate Addiction By Christopher Guerriero

Some experts consider carbohydrate craving and addiction as something more of the body than of the mind, meaning biological factors are generally considered to be the main trigger for carb cravings.

These cravings are described as a compelling craving, or desire for carbohydrate-rich foods; an escalating, recurring need or drive for starches, snack foods, junk food, or sweets.

This is where the cycle of carbohydrates and cravings start. High-sugar, refined starch, convenience and comfort foods feed the addiction like a drug. This results in high blood sugar and insulin levels which results in more cravings. The situation also results in higher levels of serotonin - a brain chemical that acts like Prozac. People eat sweets to get the sugar 'high'.

Another contributing factor to overeating and sweet craving is stress. When we are tense, the adrenal gland produces more of the hormone cortisol. Cortisol stimulates production of a brain chemical called 'neuropeptide Y'.

This is kind of a carbohydrate craving switch. Aside from this, neuropeptide Y also makes the body hang on to the new body fat we produce. In other words, tension not only triggers carbohydrate cravings, it also makes it more difficult to lose any additional weight. Cortisol also stimulates insulin, which leads to blood sugar dips and fat storage.

It's a vicious cycle that feeds on itself, over and over.

Food is not just a biological need; there is also an emotional element to it. Something in our emotional state, particularly a negative one evokes an urge for 'comfort' food. By dealing with the issue behind the cravings, it produces emotional relief that can reduce or even eliminate the urge to overeat.

All in all, most experts agree that by eating enough wholesome foods at meals and by having a healthy afternoon snack, people can minimize their cravings for sweets.

Here are recommendations to curb carbo cravings:

1. Eat less but more often. Eat small meals or snacks containing some PROTEIN every few hours to keep blood-sugar levels steady.

Skipping meals causes blood sugar levels to drop, which leaves you yearning for processed carbohydrates and sweets for energy.

2. Be selective about the carbohydrates you eat. Avoid nutrient-stripped foods made of white flour, white rice, refined sugar and highly concentrated sweeteners. Look for foods rich in fiber such as fresh vegetables and fruits, which level off blood sugar.

3. Don't skimp on protein to 'make room' for large amounts of carbohydrates. Protein gives the body extended energy, helps balance blood sugar and keeps cravings at bay.

4. Limit your intake of alcohol, fruit juice and caffeinated drinks. These cause abrupt blood-sugar highs followed by troublesome blood-sugar lows, leaving you starved for energy.

5. Eat small portions of seasonal goodies AFTER protein-containing meals or snacks, if at all. If you eat sweets on an empty stomach, you'll experience blood-sugar lows that trigger the desire for more sweets.

6. Avoid becoming famished during shopping trips and while traveling. Carry protein-rich snacks such as nuts, hard-boiled eggs, nutrient-balanced energy bars or "vegetable greens" like those listed. These high-power foods are great when you feel your energy drop.

7. Get enough sleep. When the body and mind are well-rested, cravings for carbohydrates often vanish.

The techniques found in Maximize Your Metabolism and the diet tips found in The Living Health Weight Loss Audio emphasize using a nutritional lifestyle instead of carbohydrate as a source of energy. This avoids falling into the carbohydrate craving cycle. It also counters hunger as a possible source of sweet craving as the feeling full last longer with a protein-fat meal than a carbohydrate one.
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Christopher Guerriero is Founder and CEO of The National Metabolic and Longevity Research Center, where he has devoted more than 15 years to studying people who have successfully mastered their metabolism. Christopher is the author of several books, including the world wide best-seller "Maximize Your Metabolism".

-Anything you'd like to add which might be helpful on this topic? (Use the comments below)

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