The Best Six Pack Ab Workout - How to Increase Your Strength, Endurance, & Lose Belly Fat

The Best Six Pack Ab Workout - How to Increase Your Strength, Endurance, & Lose Belly Fat

When training to develop the all elusive six pack, it can be hard to figure out which ab workouts are the best. If you have been training for a while, you'll notice that most of the ab workouts you'll find on the internet are just regular old, boring abdominal targeting exercises. Pretty useless stuff if you want a ripped midsection.

If you know anything about my training philosophy, you'll know that I don't teach people to train the abs directly to lose belly fat. I recomMend a more total body approach that focuses on using compound moveMents and building a positive metabolic response using unique workout methods.

Here is a total body workout that will help you build your endurance, build up your strength, and torch your belly fat. The exercises you will use in this circuit are: back squats, power shrugs, plyo step-ups, depth jumps, jump squats, vertical jumps, and reverse crunches.

Exercise Descriptions:

Back Squats:

- Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, toes slightly turned out.

- Keep the abdominals tight.

- Slowly descend until the upper legs are parallel to the floor.

- Maintain an upright position and avoid leaning forward.

- Push back into the start position.

85% of one rep max for 8 reps

Power Shrugs: (from the floor)

- Using a barbell, keep your head up, chest up, and hips down.

- Lift with your legs from the floor to the knees.

- At the knees, explosively accelerate the bar up into a shrug while trying to "jump" up off the ground with a shrug at the top.

- Be sure to keep your arms straight through the enTire exercise to prevent your arms from pulling the weight up instead of driving with the legs.

- Drop the weight to the floor after the shrug and repeat the lift from the ground.

4 sets of 8 reps

Plyo Step-Ups

- With one foot on a box or bench, drive into the bench with your lead foot and jump into the Air.

- While in the Air, switch feet and have the opposite foot land on the bench.

- Repeat this sequence rapidly trying to jump as high as you possibly can each time.

4 sets of 10 jumps each leg

Depth Jumps:

- Set up one high box about two feet away from a lower box.

- Step off the high box and as soon as your feet touch the ground, explosively jump straight up onto the lower box.

4 sets of 10 jumps

Jump Squats:

- Using a weight that is about 15-20% of your one rep max for the back squat.

- Dip into the squat position and jump as high as possible.

- Be sure to land under control with your knees bent. Be sure to land on the balls of your feet.

15-20% of one rep max for 10 reps

Vertical Jumps:

- From the standing position, jump as high as you can in the Air.

Jump as many times as you can in 15 seconds.

Here's the workout:

(You will complete this circuit two times with a:60 second rest between exercises)

1. Back Squat - 85% max - 8 reps

2. Power Shrug - 85% max - 8 reps

3. Jump Squat - 15-20% max - 10 reps

4. Depth Jumps - 10 reps

5. Vertical Jumps - As many as you can in15 seconds

6. Plyo Step-Ups - 10 reps

7. Reverse Crunches - 20 reps

I know that this circuit is not your typical ab workout and the exercises presented here are probably not what you are used to. It may be hard to believe that you can develop six pack abs without doing your regular abdominal targeting exercises, but with this total body approach, you will train your enTire body, boost your metabolism, and torch the stubborn belly fat that is covering up your hidden six pack.

You can defeat your stubborn belly fat and crappy genetics by not following the herd and training smarter and not repping yourself into oblivion doing useless crunches and sit-ups.

Here's to your new six pack!

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Workouts to Jump Higher - Learn How to Jump Higher

You are going to find a lot of workouts to jump higher.  The truth is, depending upon what level of fitness you are in already, you will have initial gains with any program simply because you are doing something different than what your body is accustomed to doing.  To be successful at any program you will have to dedicate time and consistent effort to it.  Learning how to jump higher is not any different.  I am going to give you a workout to jump higher that really works, and I will even tell you why it works.

First let's go ahead and start with the why it works.  Effective workouts to jump higher are built around 3 key principles: total body moveMents, change of direction, and stretch reflex. 

• Total body moveMents are just as they suggest, moveMents that incorporate the whole body. Jumping is a whole body moveMent, so why waste your time doing hamstring curls, a single joint movement.  It is not specific enough to increase your vertical leap and jump higher.
• Constant change of direction in your exercises is important because jumping is the perfect example of a change of direction.  You will be changing from a forward motion to an upward acceleration in a very short period of time.  Which brings us to the final point.
• Stretch reflex is the body's way of transitioning from slowing down to speeding up.  The only way to train a stretch reflex is to train Fast with minimal amount of time on the ground.  The best training method to achieve this is plyometric training.  Plyometrics is simply quick jumping movements.

Now for the workout.  I will only give a brief idea of the exercise description because it seems everybody tends to call the exercise something different.  Here is a workout to jump higher that has repeatedly worked for my clients.  Exercises to increase vertical leap require high intensity and effort as well as short duration.  So, don't expect a workout to jump higher to last very long.

1. Jump squat (3 x 8): A jump squat is a combination of a quick squat that finishes with a jump.
2. Scissor jump (3 x 8 each side): With your feet sTAGgered in a lunge position, jump as high as you can.  While in the Air switch your feet and repeat.
3. Ice skaters (3 x 8 each side): Start with your left foot and jump to the right as far as you can with only your left foot.  Land on the right foot and jump to the left.  Spend as little time in transitioning between each jump.  This is actually a hop (but who cares about semantics?)
4. Repeated Broad Jump (3 x 4): Jump as high and as far as you can 4x quickly.  Turn around and do it again.  Make sure you are doing this one on a moderately soft surface such as grass.  Never do this one on concrete (ouch! Can you say shin splints?)

The secret to a good workout to jump higher is that the exercises must be completed quickly with maximum effort.  That is why good jumping programs work.  The transition between one jump to the next must involve minimal amount of time on the ground.  The longer you spend on the ground, the less effective the exercise becomes.  Remember the critical components of a good workout to jump higher and you will be well on your way to dunking over that rival of yours in no time.  Now is the time to start that program you have been looking at.  Train Fast! Increase Vertical!

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Brazil Butt Lift - New Beachbody Workout - Techniques That Have Shaped Supermodels Butts

Beachbody is coming out with a new home DVD workout that focuses solely on your butt. The workout is a natural way to give you a beautiful butt lift. No surgery here just specially designed workout moves to work your muscles and make them tight and fit. This new workout is called 'Brazil Butt Lift'. The program is taught by Leandro Carvalho, and if anyone has the resume to teach such a workout program it is this guy.

Leandro Carvalho, a native Brazilian, has sculpted some of Brazil's finest supermodels and lingerie models back sides with his Brazil Butt Lift techniques. Carvalho personally trained Victoria Secret model Alessandra Ambrosio, who is known for her excellent buttocks. He currently has a fitness club in New York City where he personally trains many models, celebrities and people just like you and me. On top of that he has teamed up with Beachbody to bring these amazing techniques, via DVD, to any American ready to take the challenge.

Although Brazilian Butt Lift is primarily focused for the ladies it is still going to be an extremely effective workout program for Men.

What is Brazil Butt Lift going to look like?

Recently Leandro released a 5 minute buttocks focused workout including 5 workouts you can start doing right now. If his DVD release is bound to be these types of moves, but ramped up to the next level. All these workouts are specifically designed to target different muscles in your butt.

1. The Plie - An exercise in which you stand with your feet and knees about shoulder width, drop your tailbone down into a plie squat, squat as low as you can go, hold for 2 seconds then slowly return.

2. The Touchdown - A move in which you stand with your feet shoulder width apart, squat down until your knees are bent in a 90 degree angle, then reach one foot back into a deep reverse squat. Repeat the exercise using your other leg.

3. Explosive Lunge - Lunge into the standard lunge position, but instead of slowly returning to your feet and switching legs you will explode upward, jumping into the Air, switch legs midAir and return to the lunge position. Then repeat.

4. Single Leg Squat with Towel - Stand with both feet together, place your arms at your sides with your right foot on top of a small folded towel. Shift your weight to your left foot, bend your left knee up to a 90 degree angle, or as much as you can, slide your right foot to the side on the towel and hold for 4 seconds. Slowly bring your right leg back to your left then repeat the exercise for 30 seconds then switch legs.

5. Squat with Kickback - Sit back into a squat and keep your weight on your heels, then lift your right leg straight behind you, keep your hips pointing forward while extending arms. Repeat using other leg.

Those few workouts are just a sample of what Brazilian Butt Lift is going to be like. If you want to get a butt like a supermodel, this is going to be the workout for you.

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Even the Best Garbage Disposal Clogs Up Sometimes - What Do You Do?

Virtually Every Garbage Disposal Clogs Up At Some Point
Garbage disposals can be a great tool in your kitchen if used properly. They make cleaning up after dinner and rinsing dishes off a breeze. But they are all somewhat prone to getting clogged if some basic guidelines aren't followed.

The Best Garbage Disposal

People often wonder what is the best garbage disposal to get to avoid these problems. Without going into a full blown garbage disposal review, a good plan is to choose a model with the highest horsepower rating your budget allows. And make sure the model you select has a way to manually turn the shaft if it gets stopped up.

It Makes A Difference How You Use It

No matter what kind of garbage disposal you have, how you use it has more to do with how well it works than what brand or model it is. Even the best garbage disposal clogs up sometimes, especially if it gets a lot of heavy use.

Remember To Always Turn The Faucet On First

So how should you use your garbage disposal? The first rule is to always turn the faucet on when you are using a garbage disposal and let it run for several seconds after you turn the disposal off. Remember, everything that you put in the garbage disposal goes right into your plumbing system so it takes a little water to wash it down the pipes.

Take It Easy

Another tip is that it is not a good idea to try to put too many large pieces of Food through the disposal. I've seen garbage disposal clogs caused by someone trying to grind big pieces of carrots. All of the drain piping under the sink was full of grated carrot.

Asking For Problems

It is certainly tempting to just dump everything into the big hole in the sink and flip the switch, but that is asking for trouble. I actually know of one situation where a guy was dropping eggshells down his disposal. He must have eaten a lot of eggs because the crushed up shells coated the inside of his kitchen drain pipe and finally stopped it up enTirely. The enTire drain pipe wound up having to be replaced.

Put The Big Chunks Somewhere Else

Hopefully that story shows how important it is to be careful how you use your garbage disposal. Put bigger scraps and trimmings in either the trash or a compost pile and use the disposal for the small stuff that would otherwise get rinsed down the drain. Your drain pipes will be better for it.

Garbage Disposal Clogs

Sometimes even if you have followed all of these guidelines the garbage disposal clogs up anyway. No problem, it's pretty simple to learn how to unclog a garbage disposal. There are just a couple of basic steps to follow.

Does The Motor Need To Be Reset?

First, find out if the motor is jammed. If you flip the switch and the disposal just hums, it is most likely locked up. If the power stays on to the disposal this usually results in the motor cutting off, so lots of garbage disposals have a reset button (usually on the bottom). Turn the switch off, wait a few seconds and push the reset button.

Find For The Wrench Hole

The next step is to unjam the disposal. Most garbage disposals have an opening in the bottom that allows you to insert an "Allen Wrench" into the bottom of the shaft and manually turn the shaft to free it up. Sometimes the wrench is included with the disposal. If not a standard "Allen" wrench will get the Job done.

How To Unclog A Garbage Disposal With A Wrench

Make sure the power switch is off before going to the next step! If you're not sure, or if you have an Air switch, turn off the breaker serving the disposal. Turn the faucet on and stick the wrench into the bottom of the shaft. The opening for this should be in the middle of the bottom of the garbage disposal. Now turn the wrench back and forth a couple of times until you can turn the wrench all the way around freely.

The Broomstick Method

If your disposal has no hole for a wrench at the bottom you can always try using a broomstick. Take about a 2 foot long piece of broom stick, stick it in the top of the disposal and pretend you are stirring a big pot of stew while bearing down on the stick. While not nearly as effective as the wrench method, on some models it's your only choice.

I Thought I Left My Rings On The Counter

Once you've got the shaft turning, turn the switch back on. The disposal should drain now. If not, or if you weren't able to get the shaft unstuck, there may be something (hopefully not an expensive ring) causing the jam. Making sure the switch is off, look down inside the disposal. It will probably help to use a flashlight. If you can see anything inside, try to get it out with a pAir of needle nose pliers.

The Last Option

If you can tell there is something inside but it won't come out with the pliers it may require removing the disposal. If the shaft won't turn at all, then the next step is learning how to unclog a garbage disposal.

Removing A Garbage Disposal

The key to removing a garbage disposal is to not get in too big a hurry. The drain connection usually attaches to the disposal with a clamp that just needs to be unFastened, so take this apart first. If the sink bowl is backed up and full of water make sure you have a bowl ready to catch the water.

Disconnect The Garbage Disposal From The Sink

Once the drain is disconnected remove the mounting assembly that connects the disposal to the sink. This will be either a big nut, a bracket held in place with screws or, on Insinkerator disposals, a clamp ring that twists down. Once you have this loose you should be able to remove the disposal from the sink, take the rubber splash shield off and peek inside.

Remove The Foreign Object And Reassemble Everything

Now you can get whatever is jamming the blades out and then, before you put everything back together, turn the switch on for a minute and make sure the blade spins now. If it spins freely now, put it all back together. Be careful and get all of the gaskets back where they go and then test everything for leaks. Try the switch a few times to make sure it works and put everything back in the cabinet.

That's How Easy It Is To Unclog A Garbage Disposal

You now know how to unclog a garbage disposal. If your garbage disposal is working fine right now you may be thinking "so what?". The odds are that sometime you will need this information. When the day comes to fix your garbage disposal, review this article and it will be a piece of cake.

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