The Best Way To Train Your Abs

No one wants to do 1,000 crunches a day to have abs like Beyonce. 

I used to do this thing called "Thousand Thursdays" where I would literally do a variety of 1,000 different abdominal exercises. Insane, right? I mean, I did have the best abs I've ever had, but this was highly ineffective towards actually reaching the goals of having abs like Beyonce. Here's Why. 

Long sets of abdominal exercises are not optimal if you want six pack abs. It's basic physiology: muscles grow better on heavy, medium-repetition (about 8-12) sets. Would you train your chest using 4 sets of 200 repetitions? I thought so. Abdominal muscles are no different, and they need to grow if you want them to show.

But let's say you can do 12 crunches. Do you stop there (since sets of 8-12 work best)? Of course not. You need to make the crunches harder by increasing the weight you lift every repetition. But how? By positioning your arms differently. Following are 3 arm positions you can use with all abdominal exercises to make them harder and more effective at building six pack abs.

1. Arms along your sides. Can't get any easier.

2. Arms crossed across your chest. Intermediate
difficulty.

3. Hands behind your head.

4. Arms overhead. Can't get any harder
without adding external weights.

5. Arms crossed across your chest, with some external resistance (a plate or a heavy book, for example).

So, keeping with the crunch example, once you hit 12 repetitions with your arms along your sides, start your next set with your arms crossed across your chest.

Again, once you can do 12 repetitions with your arms crossed across your chest, start your next abdominal exercise set with your arms overhead.

Once your can do 12 repetitions with your arms overhead, you'll want to use some form of external weight (dumbbell, plate, dictionary, etc.). You can hold it across your chest (some people feel more comfortable that way) or at arm's length, overhead. The same principle also applies to all abdominal exercises: when you hit 12 repetitions, increase the difficulty by changing your arm's position.

Next time you're about to start a set of 200 crunches, try crossing your arms across your chest. See how many repetitions you can perform this way, and how the burn in your abdominals feel. Then drop me a line at my website below.

If you need a program that focuses on building abdominal strength and toning, click this link to see some amazing results. Or click here for additional programs that will help you get to your goal. 

I can't wait to hear about your results. 

Get To Your Goals Faster

It's happened to all of us at one point in time, we set a goal and fall short of reaching it. Perhaps it's because we didn't set the right goal? Or maybe we did't plan out the right steps. Or possibly we didn't have enough time, money, or motivation to actually succeed. But what if I told you actually reaching goals was only hard because we weren't:
1. Being Consistent
2. Following The Right Routine
3. Staying Accountable
4. Finding What Works For Your Schedule
5. Setting Realistic Goals
6. Not Asking For Help When We Need It
7. Unmotivated
8. Not Patient / Rushing The Results
9. Staying Positive

These nine steps are why most people fail miserably or are a winning success. Staying consistent on all these steps will allow you to reach your goals more effectively and see results longterm. So stay positive, stay focused, stay realistic and keep moving forward! YOU GOT THIS!

How to Stay Consistent When Setting New Goals

Being consistent is by far one of the most important and crucial keys to your success. Without constant, consistent effort toward anything you set out to do, chances are, you will fall short and become discouraged. 

I don't want you to be discouraged; I WANT TO HELP!

In staying consistent toward any goal you set, you must:

1. Set A Specific Goal. You are much more likely to achieve something if you not only envision the end goal, but make it very specific. Write it down! Keep it close to you can see your goal throughout the day. Even speak your goals out-loud to yourself in the morning to solidify what exactly it is that you are striving for everyday. 

2. Set Realistic Goals and Make Change Slowly. Often times we either set goals that are too big, or are intimidated by big goals we feel are impossible to achieve. Keep in mind; anything is possible as long as you have the right plan of action in place. The right plan of action will consist of making smaller, more frequent changes over a long period of time which will get you a little closer to that big goal day by day. 

3. Hold Yourself Accountable or Find Someone Who Will.  Accountability could be another one of the biggest reasons why it either takes us "forever" to reach our goal, or why we reach the goal the first time. You have to be able to recognize what it will take to reach your goal, and stay on track daily. If you are not self-motivated and able to set appropriate boundaries for yourself, then finding the right person for the job will be required. Sometimes the right person is a family member or a close friend, but I would usually advice against this. Most of the time, the people closest to us like to enable our bad habits, especially if they used to partake in those bad habits with us. You need constant support, encouragement and motivation from the right person, and seeking the help of a qualified coach may be the most important part of your success. 

4. Set Boundaries. Regardless if you seek the help of a coach or are able to do it on your own, being able to set boundaries for yourself keeps your momentum moving in the right direction. Setting boundaries will consist of eliminating anything that will hinder your progress, limiting interaction with people that tempt you into bad habits, making sure your environment (home and work space) is a place that motivates and inspires your success, and learning how to say no to temptation. 

5. Be Able To Adapt To Change. Our life is an ever changing world of possibilities, that is usually completely out of our control. The one thing we can control, however, is our mind and how we adapt to the changes in our environment. Knowing that nothing will ever be perfect, and by learning to adapt and learn from failures, will are better equip us for the journey ahead. Remember; it is ok to make mistakes, to not be perfect, and to fail, as long as you learn from your failures and keep in consistent pursuit of your goals!

Hopefully these strategies will help you stay more consistent at reaching your goals. If you enjoy this content, follow me on my social media outlets to stay up to date with my daily motivation: