Secret Training Tip #887 - Cable Gripping Trunk Twists For a TIGHT, Powerful, Rock-Solid Core

Secret Training Tip #887 -
Cable Gripping Trunk Twists For a TIGHT, Powerful, Rock-Solid Core By Nick Nilsson

If you want a tight, strong midsection that's "show" AND "go," you'll
definitely want to add this exercise to your list. A simple "twist" to
a simple twisting exercise is all you need!


When most people think ab training, they don't think explosive rotational movements...they think crunches or sit-ups.. But YOU'RE not most people, are you!

Because you know (or at least you will in a second!) that powerful, rotational movements against resistance are the REAL key to developing a tight, strong core that not only looks great but gives you serious improvements in functional strength.

And I'm not talking "functional" like standing on a Bosu ball on one leg catching bean bags "functional." I'm talking throw harder, run faster, jump higher NOW type of "functional." Basically, the kind of functional you actually WANT.

That's where the Cable Gripping Trunk Twist exercise comes in...

This is not your standard twisting exercise where you use little light weights or even no weight at all. You are going working against resistance and eventually working your way up to substantial resistance.


WHY YOU NEED ROTATIONAL TRAINING:

First off, from an aesthetic point of view, if you want a flat stomach or tighter waist, you NEED exercises that work in with a rotational movement (assuming your bodyfat levels are low enough - direct ab training won't burn abdominal fat away).

Think of it this way...if somebody handed you some elastic bandage and told you to wrap yourself so that it made your waist smaller, how would you wrap it?

Would you loop it over your shoulder and between your legs up and down your body?

NO! You'd immediately wrap it AROUND your waist and cinch it up tight.

So now comes the question...why would your "six pack" abs (the rectus abdominus) be the muscle to work if you want a tighter waist and flat stomach? This sheet of muscle runs vertically on your body, just like throwing that elastic bandage over your shoulder and through your legs.

You need to work the muscles that wrap AROUND the waist - the transversus abdominus and the obliques (internal and external). THESE are the muscles that tighten the waist and flatten the stomach area.

It's still a good idea (if your goal is a six-pack) to keep in some specific training for the frontal ab muscles, but to really make the waist smaller and the stomach flat, rotational training is what you need.

Second, rotation is CRITICAL to pretty much ALL sports and related movements.

Look at ANY throw or strike or hit or swing or kick or punch or stride...notice any rotational component there?

The rotational muscles of the abs are the KEY to transferring force through the midsection.


HOW TO DO IT:

Naturally, if this is your first time doing a rotational exercise against resistance, start light and work up slowly. DO NOT start with explosive movements the first time you do this exercise.

That comes later. We're going to progress to it, not jump right into it.

Attach a single handle to a cable. If you've got an adjustable-height pulley, set it to about stomach level. If your cable doesn't adjust, you can use either the low or high pulley, no problem. The angle of the exercise will just be different.

Stand with your left side to the pulley. Reach across your body and grip the handle with your RIGHT hand. Now take a big step to the right to get the weight up off the stack. Your right arm will be stretched across your body. Open up your left hand and get ready to grab the cable. Rotate through your core, using your right hand to pull the cable. As the handle comes across the midline of your body, grab the cable itself with your left hand.

Now comes the cool part of this exercise...the part that makes it FAR more effective than a simple twisting exercise.

Continue to rotate around to the right but now, instead of just pulling with your right hand (the one on the handle), you will start to PUSH forward on the cable with your left hand. Keep pushing all the way through and forward as far as you can with the left hand. This pushing movement with the left hand on the cable is what will really target those rotational muscles of the core and teach them how to transfer power through your lower body to the upper body.

This version is done under control...it's a deliberate movement done with light to moderate weight. Do 5 or 6 reps on one side then switch to the other side.

You will really feel this one hitting the abs in a unique way...if you're never done rotational ab training against resistance or have never done "pushing" ab exercises, you're going to be in for a treat (if you like being pleasantly sore through the core, that is!).

The first time you do this exercise, I recommend you just stick to the moderate weight, controlled movement style of training.

Once you get more familiar with the exercise (after a few sessions), you can start getting into a more "power" based style of training.

THIS style is the one that really builds tremendous core power. If you're into any sort of athletics, this is the one to work towards using regularly...

One nice benefit I didn't mention...you do it standing up. You see, if you're an athlete, you're pretty much almost ALWAYS going to be standing up (unless you stink and fall down a lot, of course). You need to know how to exert force and develop maximum strength and power in a standing position.

Back to the instructions...

To perform the explosive version, you'll be in pretty much the same start position. But this time, instead of planting both feet and then starting to rotate, you will instead start on one foot (the one closest to the cable stack) then forcefully transfer your bodyweight in the other direction.

Think of it like you're "taking a run at it." You're going to use the momentum of your bodyweight to get the heavier weight moving then EXPLOSIVELY begin the rotation and cable grab, exactly as before.

The main difference here is that you're doing as fast and as powerfully as you can rather than with a controlled movement. You're stepping into the weight and using a forceful bodyweight throw to blast it off.

Use heavier weight for this and keep to only about 3 reps per side here. We want POWER, not endurance on this version. Do your reps on one side then switch to the other. It's a good idea to practice with a moderate weight before getting into the heavier stuff.


CONCLUSION:

If you want to develop great core strength AND/OR a flat stomach, this is an exercise that belongs in your program. I'd recommend doing 3 sets of it, at the end of your training sessions (but first in your regular ab exercises).

Even if you're strong enough and ready to do the explosive version, start with at least one set of the controlled version in order to warm-up the target area for rotational work.

To see pictures and video of this exercise in action, click here:
betterU

------------------

Nick Nilsson is Vice-President of the online personal training company BetterU, Inc. He has a degree in Physical Education and Psychology and has been inventing new training techniques for more than 18 years. Nick is the author of a number of bodybuilding eBooks including "Metabolic Surge - Rapid Fat Loss," "Muscle Explosion! 28 Days to Maximum Mass," "The Best Exercises You've Never Heard Of," "Gluteus to the Maximus - Build a Bigger Butt NOW!" and "The Best Abdominal Exercises You've Never Heard Of" all available at (betterU). He can be contacted at betteru@fitstep.com.

=====================================
Discover Free and Helpful Information
Subscribe to the monthly KieFit Journal NOW!
CLICK HERE: http://www.kiefit.com/
=====================================

Submit your Articles
Do you write articles about health, fitness, sports, nutrition etc? Feel free to send it to us. If your article meets our needs we will be willing to publish it. Email: articles[at]kiefit.com

Enjoy your healthy life!

Heidi

P.S. Tell your friends about http://www.kiefit.com

P.P.S.Please ad me to your twitter, facebook and linkedin.
http://twitter.com/KieFitDotCom
http://www.facebook.com/KieFitDotCom
http://www.linkedin.com/in/KieFitDotCom

Available Now! - Free KieFit Journal December '09 Edition " In Balance With Your Body!

Available Now! - Free KieFit Journal December '09 Edition

" In Balance With Your Body!"

Here is the December 2009 issue of KieFit Journal.
The free online publication about fitness, diet and nutritional supplements tips.

====================================
Discover Free and Helpful Information
Subscribe to the monthly KieFit Journal NOW!
CLICK HERE: http://www.kiefit.com/
=====================================

Submit your Articles
Do you write articles about health, fitness, sports, nutrition etc? Feel free to send it to us.
If your article meets our needs we will be willing to publish it. Email: articles[at]kiefit.com

Enjoy your healthy life!

Heidi

P.S. Tell your friends about http://www.kiefit.com

P.P.S.Please ad me to your twitter, facebook and linkedin.
http://twitter.com/KieFitDotCom
http://www.facebook.com/KieFitDotCom
http://www.linkedin.com/in/KieFitDotCom

Ab Exercises - The Best Ab Exercises

Ab Exercises - The Best Ab Exercises
By Vince DelMonte


When it comes to getting a solid six pack, doing the right ab exercises is crucial. You can spend hours doing needless sit-ups that aren't really going to have all that much benefit, much to your disappointment. Taking the time to choose smart ab exercises will save you not only gym time, but a great deal of frustration as well. In this article we will discuss the best lower ab exercises and the best home ab exercises as well.

The best movements for the abdominal muscles are going to be ones that reduce your overall stability. The reason for this is because this will require all your muscle tissues, even the ones deep within the core, to contract in order to maintain balance. When you perform regular sit-ups, for example, they are really only going to target the more superficial muscles; one that will still help, but not get you near the results you could be seeing.

So what ab exercises are ones that reduce your balance?

Basically, anything done on an unstable surface is going to get the job done. This would include movements such as walking across a balance beam, performing one leg squats, one arm shoulder presses, or bent over dumbbell rows standing on one leg and of course, utilizing an exercise ball for any laying abdominal movement you perform. Working on a BOSU ball and stability ball ab exercises are also excellent options. As long as you have a set of free weights and stability ball then these would qualify as your best home ab exercises as well.

By far the most effective lower ab exercises are hanging leg raises while you use your lower abs to rotate your pelvis which is the secret to performing this effectively. Lying leg raises, lying leg raises on a 45 degree incline and cable crunches are also rock hard ab exercises.

Another area you might want to venture into with your ab exercises are those that utilize heavy weights.

While this will not necessarily get you 'cut' so that all your individual muscles are showing - that takes having low levels of body fat, what weighted movements will do is help further build the muscle tissue and make your abs "pop".

The more muscle mass you have, the faster your metabolic rate will then be, so in an indirect way, that could in fact help you burn off excess body fat.

Furthermore, doing weighted movements will also increase your strength greatly, reducing the risk of injuries from any other type of exercise you may attempt. Weighted ball crunches with a stability ball on your chest is my favorite home ab exercises.

When choosing when to perform your ab exercises, if you are looking for performance, do them on a separate day from all your other work. Just like any muscle group, you want to be fresh when you do them.

If, on the other hand, you are more just doing them to help build some strength, but more to round out your exercise program, then you should be doing them at the end of your workout session. This will prevent them from fatiguing early, because they are going to be predominately used in all the other lifts you perform (heavy squats for example).

In many cases this rule can be bent though. For example, if a client comes to me and their abs are the weakest muscle group then performing them at the end of the workout makes no sense because they will be pre fatigued from the workout and you will not be able to train them as intensely so prioritizing your abs at the start of the workout can become the exception in this case.

So, next time you are creating your workout and are picking out ab exercises, keep these points in mind. Having good dedication to performing these exercises on a regular basis and then following a clean diet based around raw vegetables and proteins are the two main components to developing that six-pack you're hoping for.

About the Author:
Vince DelMonte is the author of Your Six Pack Quest found at http://www.YourSixPackQuest.com
He specializes in helping chubby guys and gals get six pack abs without gimmicks, supplements or dieting.


=====================================
Discover Free and Helpful Information
Subscribe to the monthly KieFit Journal NOW!
CLICK HERE: http://www.kiefit.com/
=====================================

Submit your Articles
Do you write articles about health, fitness, sports, nutrition etc? Feel free to send it to us. If your article meets our needs we will be willing to publish it. Email: articles[at]kiefit.com

Enjoy your healthy life!

Heidi

P.S. Tell your friends about http://www.kiefit.com

P.P.S.Please ad me to your twitter, facebook and linkedin.
http://twitter.com/KieFitDotCom
http://www.facebook.com/KieFitDotCom
http://www.linkedin.com/in/KieFitDotCom

My Practical "Lazy Cook" Recipes For Building Muscle! So Easy Even a Caveman Can Make Them...

My Practical "Lazy Cook" Recipes For Building Muscle! So Easy Even a Caveman Can Make Them...
By Nick Nilsson

Find yourself short on time to cook a good meal? I know I do! Learn my "secret"
recipes that are extremely quick and simple to make. I'll give you
my favorite muscle-building meals!

If you're like me, you sometimes find yourself short on time to cook yourself a good meal. And if you're also like me, meaning a lazy cook, sometimes the motivation to really make a grand meal is short, too!

So what do you when this happens but you still want to reach your muscle-building goals?

I've got three great "recipes" (and I use the word "recipes" in the loosest sense possible!) to share with you that will help you stay on track towards massing up.

Keep in mind, even though I'm going to inject a little humor into this list, these are examples of actual things you can prepare for yourself to help make your life easier! I just want to show you that decent nutrition doesn't have be dull as dirt or taste like it either.

**** Also it's important to note, I'm NOT a nutritionist And I don't claim to be! So
PLEASE don't make a gigantic vat of mashed potatoes then complain because
you're diabetic and your blood sugar is so high that you're sweating maple syrup.
These recipes are for "entertainment purposes only," so if you DO follow them,
personal responsibility is the keyword here! :) ****

These recipes are simple to make, don't take long to cook and are geared to my own personal skill level of cooking, which is boiling, microwaving, toasting (in a toaster, not one of them fancy toaster oven things), some basic frypan work and ripping open packages like a starving raccoon...

With these recipes, I'm not going to include salads. You're on your own with those. Personally, I eat them as often as I can (and you should too!), taking advantage of the convenient prepackaged salad bags from the store, throwing in some grape tomatoes, almonds, broccoli, carrots and whatever else is in the fridge that looks like it might go well in a salad and isn't TOO far past the date. Add some healthy dressing (on a side note, salsa is actually surprisingly good on salad) and voila! You're good to go.

Getting plenty of vegetables is also important - rather than force my personal vegetable preferences onto you (which are broccoli, snap peas, carrots, and chocolate covered almonds) just make the effort to eat vegetables as much as you can every day. Fresher and less processed is better, as is organic, but just do the best you can with that. You would have to REALLY go to town to eat TOO many vegetables so don't be shy with them.

I'm also a big fan of taking vitamin and mineral supplements because no matter how "balanced" your diet appears to be, food is so depleted of nutrients right from the start these days that you're probably not getting nearly as many nutrients as you think you are from your food.
Let me put it this way, I'd rather have "expensive urine" (many doctors seem to think this is all you'll get from taking vitamins) than a debilitating illness caused by simple vitamin and mineral deficiencies that I then have to take expensive drugs to basically just mask the symptoms of.

But I digress...

To make best use of these recipes for those short on time, Tupperware will be your best friend. Make a LOT when you DO make something and save the rest for later. It's great to make things fresh but it's also great to just sling something you made yesterday into the microwave and eat it again (and again after that, if you made a WHOLE LOT!). It'll save you from eating cereal three meals a day (not that I've ever done THAT, of course...).

Serving sizes are totally up to you. I usually eat the majority of what I make then save some for the next day, especially if it's a post-workout meal.

So let's get into those muscle building recipes...

1. Spaghetti with Cajun Meat Sauce
This is a great, protein-rich post-workout meal. Tastes great and serves 1 to 4 people, depending completely on how hungry you are and your willingness to share with others.

• 1 pound of whole wheat spaghetti (a healthier way to go)

• 1 jar of sauce that's thick enough to cover up the taste of whole wheat spaghetti (that's my own opinion, at least!)

• 1 pound of lean ground beef (I like ground sirloin for this because it's leaner)

• Some pre-packaged Cajun spices - I get big containers of these at Sam's Club but most grocery stores should have some version. This really spices up the meat sauce nicely.

First, put some water in a big pot and set the stove on high to bring it to a boil. Fill a sauce pan/fry pan about halfway up with water. I like to put the ground beef in the pan BEFORE I add the water so it doesn't splash all over the place when I dump the meat in (found THAT out the hard way, of course - the dog was happy about the meat water all over the floor but the shirt I was wearing will never be the same).

Bring the water in that pan to a boil and throw a bunch of Cajun spice in the pan with the meat. Don't be cheap with it! Stir it in and smash the meat up so it's not all clumped together.
When the spaghetti water is boiling, dump the spaghetti in. Let it boil for 9-10 minutes then drain. The meat will be boiling while the spaghetti is boiling - if the meat gets done first, drain it then cover it up. It'll keep its heat as long as it's covered.

Empty the sauce jar into the spaghetti pot and stir it up. If you're not sharing the pasta with someone who doesn't like meat, feel free to throw the meat in the spaghetti pot, too. If you ARE sharing, serve out some spaghetti into a separate big bowl THEN toss the meat in there. It'll just work out better for all concerned that way.

Serve sitting on the couch with an oven mitt under the bowl because it'll be dang hot on the bottom! And it's better NOT to wear a white shirt while you're eating it. 'Nuff said.

2. Scrambled Eggs and Oatmeal With Yogurt And Fruit
This is a great breakfast meal that will keep you from getting hungry for HOURS. The fat in the egg yolks keeps you satisfied while the thick oatmeal will keep your digestive system busy for a long time. Lots of fiber to work on!

• 6 whole eggs - not egg whites, WHOLE eggs! They're not bad for you like many people seem to think. The yolk is where most of the nutrients are. Tastes a whole lot better with yolks, too. Adjust the number of eggs to your preference.

• 1 gob of Smart Balance margarine to coat the bottom of the pan. Cooking spray will work for this as will olive oil.

• 1 dry cup of Quaker Oats - either the Old Fashioned or 1 Minute oats are fine here. Adjust the quantity of oats to your preference.

• 2 cups of water (basically, double the amount of oats you put in).

• A bunch of fruit - whatever your favorite fruit is. I find berries or grapes work best because you don't need to cut them up. Wash them before eating them.

• 1 Thing of yogurt - this is the technical term for however much yogurt you want to put in the oatmeal. If I have individually packaged yogurts, I'll just dump one of those in. If I have a bigger container, I'll scoop a pile of yogurt in until it looks like enough. You'll figure out how much you want to put in.

First, get the fruit ready. Wash it up and put it in a small bowl. Crack the eggs into a bowl/cup and scramble them. If you're talented, you can crack them with one hand and not slop them down the sides. After cracking about 30,000 eggs in my lifetime, I'm still not talented. I managed to do it once then the next time I ended up with a dripping fistful of egg and shell.

** On a side note, it IS possible to squeeze an egg with one hand and break it. A friend of mine once told me that you can't put an egg in the palm of your hand, squeeze it and break it. He said it wasn't possible (he was a physics major). So I grabbed an egg and squeezed it REALLY tight. Three seconds later, it exploded so hard the yolk popped out and flew 6 feet across the room and actually landed right in his shirt pocket!

So anyway, THAT being said, measure out a cup of oats, dump it in a good-sized bowl, then add double the amount of oats in water, e.g. 1 cup of oats, add 2 cups of water. You can adjust the water later, depending on if you like your oatmeal a little soupy (like I do) or masonry thick (like my wife does).

Nuke it for about 3 1/2 to 4 minutes. While that's going, turn on the stove and get the pan for the eggs heated up. Throw a gob of Smart Balance margarine in the pan (that's a great brand - it's actually a reasonably healthy margarine and tastes good). Olive oil works really well here, too, as does non-stick spray. With the olive oil, it's a good idea to have a spray bottle for it so it doesn't all pool up in the corner that your stove burner leans to (you know what I'm talking about).
Make sure the whole bottom surface of the egg pan gets covered with something slippery or you'll regret it later when you try to keep eggs from getting all crusted up and nasty along the sides.

Pour the beaten eggs into the pan and watch them cook. Stir them around once the bottom starts to get solid. Keep stirring and scraping the sides off to avoid the crust I mentioned above.
Your oatmeal should be done about the same time the eggs are. So put the eggs on a plate and set it aside for now.

Take your bowl of oatmeal out of the microwave then dump the yogurt in, then the fruit. Stir it all up (not the eggs, just the fruit and yogurt) and you're good to go.
This meal will keep you going for hours!

3. Meat and Taters
"Meat and potatoes" might be a cliche but for me, there's not much that works better for supporting muscle growth than a nice piece of meat (or chicken or fish) and a big bucket of potatoes. And if that sounds corny, it should, because sometimes I'll throw some corn in with the potatoes.

Let's talk about potatoes first, then I'll give the inside scoop on how to cook meat (I think I can hear my wife laughing in the background as I write about my cooking skills...).
First, grab 3 or 4 good-sized potatoes. I try to get red potatoes since they can't be stored as long as other potatoes therefore they're fresher when you get them rather than having been sitting in storage for a year.

I prefer to microwave potatoes since it's faster than boiling and they turn out really well. Wash any crud off them then slice off any questionable areas. Stick a fork or knife in them a few times to "aerate" so they don't explode in the microwave (unless you enjoy scraping your dinner off the sides).

For each potato, figure on about 3 to 5 minutes of cooking time, depending on the size of your potato and power of your microwave. You'll know they're done when you can easily stick a fork right through - just don't leave the fork in the microwave or you'll be in for a surprise.
Dump in a big bowl, mix in some margarine (or if you're on a low-fat kick, pour some ketchup in it), add some sea salt and you're set. You can also throw in can of corn (nuke it first - not the can but the corn) to spice things up.

As for the meat, if you're good with a gas or charcoal grill, more power to you. You're a better cook than I am and I don't know why you're even reading this part. If you have one of those George Foreman countertop grills, those work really well for meat (especially the ones that you can pull the grill things off and put them in the dishwasher - the ones that you can't remove are a pain in the butt to clean, so if you're going to get one, get the removeable grill version). Follow the instructions that came with the grill for the meat or chicken or fish you're cooking.

If you've got some chicken breasts that you just want to "fire and forget" rather than tend to on a grill, throw them in pan, pre-heat the oven to about 400 degrees, dump some spices on them (whatever you like), cover with tinfoil to keep the juices in, and cook for about 30 minutes or so (SET THE TIMER!). If you want to get REALLY fancy, slice up a lemon and toss a few slices on top with some black pepper.

There you have it. Meat and potatoes. Perfect for a big post-workout meal that will help you pack the pounds on.

I also like to use potatoes, corn and ground beef (or sirloin) to make "Lazy Cook" Shepherd's Pie. Microwave the potatoes and corn as above. Boil the meat as in recipe #1, then dump it all into a big bowl and stir. You'll be 5 pounds heavier by the end of the meal!

Conclusion:
As you can see, cooking tasy food for building muscle doesn't have to be hard and recipes don't have to be these complex things that take hours to make and require more than very basic cooking skills. With my recipes, if you can do a few simple things without burning yourself, that's about all the skill you need.
And if you're interested in learning some recipes for fat loss, I've got 3 excellent ones that I can share with you as well! Go back up to the top of the article and reread it. It's the same stuff...now just eat less of it...

Nick Nilsson is Vice-President of the online personal training company BetterU, Inc. He has a degree in Physical Education and Psychology and has been inventing new training techniques for more than 16 years. Nick is the author of a number of bodybuilding eBooks including "Metabolic Surge - Rapid Fat Loss," "The Best Exercises You've Never Heard Of," "Gluteus to the Maximus - Build a Bigger Butt NOW!" and "The Best Abdominal Exercises You've Never Heard Of" all available at betteru. He can be contacted at betteru@fitstep.com.

=====================================
Discover Free and Helpful Information
Subscribe to the monthly KieFit Journal NOW!
CLICK HERE: http://www.kiefit.com/
=====================================

Submit your Articles
Do you write articles about health, fitness, sports, nutrition etc? Feel free to send it to us. If your article meets our needs we will be willing to publish it. Email: articles[at]kiefit.com

Enjoy your healthy life!

Heidi

P.S. Tell your friends about http://www.kiefit.com

P.P.S.Please ad me to your twitter, facebook and linkedin.
http://twitter.com/KieFitDotCom
http://www.facebook.com/KieFitDotCom
http://www.linkedin.com/in/KieFitDotCom