Be Lean!

Start With Cardio

Get rid of the layer of fat covering your abs first. When you lower your body fat percentage, your abs will appear more chiseled and defined. To get the abs up to shape, you'll want to do about 30 minutes of cardio work 3 or 4 times a week. Some great choices for cardio are:

Pick an exercise you actually enjoy doing. That way you'll stick to it until it becomes a habit you won't want to give up!

Eat Small, Frequent Meals

Be sure to eat small frequent meals every 3 or 4 hours. When you're trying to lose fat you may want to skip meals to reduce your caloric intake, but a better--and easier--way to cut calories is to eat smaller meals more frequently. This keeps your metabolism running high. Don't wait until you're hungry to eat! This not only leads to overeating, but you end up overeating the wrong kinds of foods.

Do carry meal replacement shakes like Zero Impact MRP in your car or at work. They are a great way to get nutrition and fill you up between meals. Our most popular meal replacement shakes are packed with wholesome and essential macro-nutrients, while our protein shakes ( Refined, WheyBlend, Substance WPI and Nectar) are low in carbs and come in delicious flavors.

Don't let your mini-meals come from the snack machine. Often these over processed choices are high in fat and calories and have little nutritional value. Opt for whole foods instead.

Do bring small containers of healthy snacks to work. Granola, raw vegetables to crunch on, even hard boiled eggs are some great choices. Try bringing a turkey sandwich on whole grain bread with some fresh crisp greens. Most brands of canned tuna in water and instant soups now come in low sodium varieties, and they fill you up without having a lot of calories.

Rule #2: Emphasize the Negative

Research has shown beyond any doubt that the eccentric or negative portion of a movement is at least as important to muscle growth as the positive or concentric phase.

By periodically placing greater emphasis on the eccentric, you'll push your muscles harder than ever before . . . and as a result, you'll stimulate new growth.

For each body part, I like to focus on negatives once every couple of weeks. The easiest way to do this is resist the weight during the negative, lowering slowly.

For instance, you can focus on the eccentric portion of the Standing Barbell Curl by raising the weight at a normal tempo (for me this is usually a 2 count) and then lowering the weight very slowly (a count of 4 or 5).

This is a high intensity technique that you shouldn't use every workout . . . doing so will likely lead to overtraining. For best results, use the technique periodically during a couple heavy sets of each body part.

Because muscles are generally stronger during the eccentric phase of the movement (muscles can resist more weight than they can lift), you can also use a spotter to allow you to use more weight during the negatives. Just have your partner help you out on the positive portion of the movement, and really blast your muscles with those heavy negatives.

Supplements for Great Abs

What About Fat Loss Supplements? Remember that effective fat loss supplements are meant to be used with an exercise program and a balanced diet. There are two different kinds of fat loss supplements: stimulant and non-stimulant.

Stimulant weight loss supplements (also known as Thermogenices) increase your metabolism so you can burn more calories when used with a sensible weight loss program. Thermogenic supplements such as SCORCH Remix can help keep up your energy, stay motivated so you can lose those love handles, and reveal your sleek abs. Only you can decide which one is best for your specific needs.

Non-stimulant weight loss supplements are great for those of you who don't want a stimulant, but want that extra edge when trying to drop fat. In addition, Glutamine helps prevent muscle loss, while keeping you leaner. Other non-stimulant weight loss supplements include Guggulbolic Extreme, Vaporize,and Xpel. The feedback on these non-stimulant fat loss supplements have been outstanding.

Stay Focused

The key element in ab training is not how many reps and sets you do, but how hard you contract your abs on each rep. Make sure your focus is on pushing your lower abs into your upper abs and vice-versa.

Contrary to popular belief, during training, your abs should NOT move like a hinge (as in the conventional sit-up). The segments of your abs really should move towards each other more like an accordion. It's this intense squeezing that tightens and shapes your abdominals.

If your abs are not burning, you're not working them!

Proteins - Do I Need Proteins During Weight Loss?

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past decade, by now you are well aware of the lean muscle-building benefits of protein. Protein provides the building blocks for muscle development, and whey-dominated protein powders in particular are virtually a "must-have" element of any serious bodybuilding or fitness nutrition program.

The days of people knocking the benefits of supplements are thankfully over. Now, even mainstream physicians and nutritionists recognize the importance of supplementing our diets. And the real-world results bodybuilding and fitness enthusiasts have achieved through intelligent supplementation speak for themselves.

Along with training and nutrition, establishing a proper supplement program is one of the three equal points of the Triangle of Physical Well-Being and Power.

The list of tried and proven supplements that support muscle growth really isn't that long: Vitamins, Anti-Oxidants, Protein Powders, especially whey and casein, and MRP formula ; Muscle Volumizers; Essential Fatty Acids; Glutamine; Insopro-R; and a handful of others. These are the supplements you need to help make your dreams of added muscle mass a reality.