Q: I’m an 18-year-old male. I have a little bit of belly fat. I can see my top two abs when I tense. My question is, how can I get a six pack by spring break? What do I need to do? – Will

A: A six pack by spring break? Doable! Get ready to shed excess fat and build muscle—the two keys to a “fast track” six pack.

P.S. You probably already have a six pack underneath that “little bit of belly fat.” Especially if you can see definition in the top abs. Ready to bring it forth?

Attack the Flab Around Your Midsection

1. High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). Interval cardio will burn more fat than steady state cardio (like running or cycling at a steady pace). And, you’ll build more muscle. Interval cardio consists of short bursts of high intensity exertion, followed by brief periods of “active” rest. This keeps the body off balance so it can’t adjust and hoard calories, and it also works multiple muscle groups. Best of all, not only will you burn more fat during a HIIT workout,  you’ll get EPOC, or excess post-exercise oxygen consumption. What does that mean? More calorie burn post-workout! Get the full scoop in our metabolic circuit post.

2. Eat Healthier. Skip the refined sugar (what’s that?), the fries and other junk food, and focus on maintaining a healthy, well-rounded diet. It’s important to incorporate lots of variety into your meals to make sure you get ample nutrients. We recommend eating 5-6 smaller meals throughout the day, instead of 2-3. This will enhance your metabolism, reduce unhealthy cravings, and deliver plenty of energy for your workouts. You’ll want to steer clear of carbonation, as well—soda and beer are the enemies of a washboard stomach!

3. Drink Green Tea. It’s a metabolism-booster and antioxidant with proven stomach fat-blasting benefits. Don’t like the taste? You can take Green Tea in extract form, on its own or as a compound supplement (get it at any grocery store). Read more about the benefits of green tea.

While you’re losing that little bit of excess fat, you can jump right into your ab muscle workouts! Lean muscle mass burns more calories, so your strength training will fuel your fat burn.

4 Moves for a Rock-Solid Stomach

1. Keep Your Abs Engaged. Your core region (lower back, abs and glutes) make up your “stabilizer” muscle group. This powerhouse is constantly at work when you’re doing ANY kind of workout, so take advantage of this! When you’re lifting weights, or doing anything that uses your stabilizer muscles, consciously tap into that strength—keep your abs tight and posture solid, and you’ll see big results.

2. Use Compound Movements.  When targeting your abs, compound exercises are better than isolated ones. Why not work multiple muscle groups at once? Some compound movements that work the whole ab region include Planks and the Bicycle Maneuver:

• For Planks, lie face down, forearms and toes pressed into the floor, and lift your hips up off the floor. Engage your abs, straighten your back and hold this position for as long as you can. Trust us, you’ll feel your entire ab region engaged! When you progress, you can also try a plank variation using an exercise ball.
  

• For Bicycle Maneuver, lie with your back on the floor, hands behind your head and elbows spread wide. Keeping your lower back pressed into the floor and abs contracted, crunch across the body—one elbow to the opposite knee. Alternate continuously. This will work more muscles than a standard crunch.

3. Eat Protein.  Protein will allow your body to rebuild muscle after your workouts. Great sources include lean meat, nuts, eggs, cheese and legumes. Another excellent source of protein is a protein shake, which can be one of your 5-6 daily meals. A whey or soy protein powder, when mixed with soy or skim milk, can give you roughly 20 grams of protein. Drink your protein shake at the right time for maximum results.

4. Get Plenty of Rest.  “Fast-track” doesn’t mean you need to work out every single day. If you work the same muscle group two days in a row, you’ll make it hard for your body to recover—which is when the actual muscle development takes place. If you are committed to working out every day, do cardio or active stretching on the days in between your strength training workouts. And make sure you get the right amount of sleep, too, because it’s prime muscle recovery time.

You’ve got a big goal, but it should be easy to get a six pack quickly if you follow these steps diligently. (It will require the same determination to keep that six pack when you return to school, of course!)

Get a six-pack your own way with a little push from 4-Hour Body.

More good reads:

• Are you training your core or your abs?
• Ab-blasting got you sore? How to prevent second-day soreness
• Is Final Phase Fat Loss the ticket to your six-pack?

PR: wait… I: wait… L: wait… LD: wait… I: wait… wait… Rank: wait… Traffic: wait… Price: wait… C: wait…

Image courtesy of freeimages.co.uk

Q: I regularly do weights for my upper body, but I recently had surgery for a cyst removal in my shoulder. Now I have lost all strength on that side—arm, shoulder, etc. What can I do to help this recovery to get back to doing light weights? I am 50 and find it harder as I get older. – Greg

A: Please note: I’m not a physical therapist, so I’m not prescribing exercises for specific injuries. Rather, the following are great tips for anyone starting, or restarting, a new weight training routine. When lifting, you should always be conscious of what your body can handle—that applies to everyone whether injured or not.

When injury, illness or other life events force us to shelve our fitness routine, it’s tough to get back on track. And doesn’t this setback always seem to strike right after we’ve hit a huge fitness milestone?

Ryan Sullivan, founder of the No More Bacon blog, was about 135 days into a revolutionary new weight loss regimen and he was achieving incredible successes. Then, it was discovered that he had four hernias and needed an emergency operation. He was unable to exercise for several weeks. When he recovered, he said it felt like he was back at Day One. Yet in the aftermath of this major setback, Ryan regained strength and focus, and today has lost over 100 pounds. I commend you, too, for getting back to your fitness routine after your surgery!

Ryan offers some great tips for “committing to recommit.”

Regain Muscle After Injury or Illness

It’s vital for individuals over 30 to keep up with their strength training, because aging diminishes muscle mass at a rate of 0.5-1% of loss per year. Muscle loss, or atrophy, occurs even more rapidly when illness and injury prevent you from using certain muscles.

When working to repair your health and regain muscle, take a two-pronged approach: focus on both exercise and nutrition.

Resistance Training

(These lifting exercises are for targeting the upper body. For lower body workouts, read this post.)

Compound movements are a great way to strengthen your upper body. Rather than doing a simple bicep curl, for example, choose an exercise that targets your shoulders, arms and back. Here are a few compound exercises to cover your whole upper body:

• Flys and Rows: work triceps, shoulders and core.
  • Dumbbell Bent Over Fly
  • Bent Over Barbell Row
• Overhead Presses: work shoulders, back, arms and core.
  • Dumbbell Shoulder Press
• Pullovers: work shoulders, arms and core. (When you’re stronger, advance to this.)
  • Dumbbell Pullover to Crunch

Remember: Start light and stay in tune with your body; you’ll know when you’re ready to lift heavier. I’d suggest starting with free weights instead of loading up a bar, so you can go lighter on your recovering side—or focus only on your recovering side for now.

Nutrition

Before you start lifting, you need to send ample energy to your muscles. Pre-exercise nutrition—using the right carb-to-protein mix at the right time—is key.

You should also use a protein supplement after your workout to help your muscles recover. That can be a protein shake, protein bar or combination of other healthy sources (milk, yogurt, cheese, lean meats). According to Craig Ballantyne of Turbulence Training, you really don’t need more than 20 grams of protein to get that repair ball rolling.

You should also be taking dietary supplements to fortify your health and facilitate your body’s ability to recover. By supplements, I mean crucial vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

Be Patient with Your Body

Certified Personal Trainer Skyler Meine instructs his clients to track results. But use the results to monitor your progress and tailor your program, not to get caught up in the numbers. Don’t compare your ability to anyone else’s, or to what it used to be. It will take time to get your strength back.

Be patient and kind to your body, especially when recovering from an injury. You don’t want to aggravate the injury and thus push you further away from your goals. The same goes for anyone starting a new regimen: start slow and build up your strength.

Just like a watched pot never boils… if you can learn to enjoy the journey to strength rather than obsessing over the end result, you’ll reach your goals much faster.

Keep us posted Greg!

Hardgainers Follow These Tips

How to Launch an Unshakeable Fitness Routine

Three Secrets to Staying Young

A: Sorry to hear about the auto accident. I bet you’re ready to get moving again! I’ve got a few ideas for things you can do to help with firming up, provided they feel comfortable and there is no danger of aggravating your injuries.

(Please keep in mind that I’m not a physical therapist, so I’m not prescribing exercises for specific injuries. Rather, the following are great tips for anyone starting a new body sculpting routine – if the situation permits!)

For fool-proof body firming, you’ll want to create a solid routine, one that you enjoy so much you’ll do it at least three times a week. Your routine should combine cardio and strength training, either on the same day or alternating days. It’s important to leave at least a day between strength training sessions. Your new regimen should also incorporate the right nutrition (more on that later).

Firming Up with Cardio

Simple cardio activity like cycling and brisk walking will help improve firmness and burn fat. I love both of these because they’re simple and I can really feel them working, especially when I engage my glutes, legs and core as I go. When walking I always add arm movements, such as arm circles. To do them, just extend your arms out at your sides and pump them in mini circles forward or backward. You’ll feel the burn in your shoulders and arms pretty quick!

Tone Your Arms

For more targeted toning, do sculpting and resistance exercises. Compound movements are very efficient because they work multiple muscle groups at once. Here are some of my favorites for the arms (and more!):

• Deadlift with Fly or Row: works triceps, shoulders, core and legs. Watch a demonstration at YouTube (their bosu ball is optional).
• Dumbbell Squat to Overhead Press: works shoulders, core, arms, glutes and legs. Pictures at Women’s Health Magazine
• Dumbbell Pullover to Crunch: works shoulders, core, arms. Pictures at Women’s Health Magazine
• Overhead Press: works back, shoulders and triceps. More at FitSugar. You can also add a bicep curl to this movement.

Tone Your Legs

Sculpting exercises – high repetition, low stress – can firm your legs, hips and glutes without the resistance of your whole body. Leg lifts and bicycle maneuver are two good examples (descriptions here). If you’re able to use your body weight, some no-fail resistance exercises are squats, lunges and pliés. These will really target your legs and your glutes. Read more on firming your glutes in this post, which includes an ultra-firming walking lunge series.

Compound movements like the above are wonderful, however they often involve engaging your core (back and abs) which may exacerbate some injuries. Your physician or physical therapist can weigh in here.

Body Firming Foods

While cardio and strength training can help you shape up, you can’t get a firm figure without a fat-blasting diet. That means keeping your metabolism high and eating 5-6 small healthy, balanced meals every day, starting with breakfast! Poke around this site for a wealth of info on using nutrition to shape your body.

For extra firmness, be sure to use a protein supplement after your workouts. Whether it’s a protein shake, protein bar or other healthy source (milk, yogurt, cheese, lean meats), post-workout protein will facilitate muscle recovery and growth. Muscle facilitates fat burn, helping you create firmer arms, legs and glutes in no time.

And finally, don’t forget to measure your results so you know what’s working!

Can Exercise Improve Cellulite?

Staying Young: 3 Secrets Drug Companies Don’t Want You to Discover

How to Restart Your Fitness Routine After a Setback

Well, it’s been six days and I’m pleased to report that I have not sprinted into the nearest Starbucks for an afternoon double shot with a craving for my delectable energy boosters. Nor have I sleepwalked to the pantry in the middle of the night (I don’t think) to brew a second cup.

But these uncharted, under-caffeinated waters have washed up one problem…

Since Monday, I’ve scaled back from five caffeinated beverages a day to one. This means not only am I consuming less caffeine, I’m also consuming less sugar.

What’s going to wake me up now?!

I’ve spent the last few days consulting fellow bloggers and experts for energy ideas of the non-caffeinated variety. Today at 7 a.m. I set out to test the lineup. So, do these alleged energizers out-perk caffeine?

Alleged Energizer #1: The Apple

“Have an apple,” people always tell me when they catch me grumbling about my coffee deficit. OK. Is an apple really going to amp me up better than a latte? I asked Google this question, and a prompt came up to assist my search: “Does an apple have caffeine?”

Apparently others are equally confused about the apple’s mysterious power to refresh. Now, I know apples don’t have caffeine, but why does it pack energy? Maybe it’s a boost from the natural sugars, or the fact that it’s water-rich?

Result: I noticed a perk-up. But is the apple more energizing than other fruits? (Really, people just like to prescribe apples, don’t they?) I’m not a big apple fan, so my next test: to see if I can suck the same energy out of a tomato, berry, banana, melon or avocado.

Next.

Alleged Energizer #2: Nix Starchy Carbs

This midday energy idea was courtesy of Noshtopia: skip the starchy carbs—pasta, rice, potatoes, cereal, bread—at lunch. Starch, a complex carb, takes longer for the body to digest and convert to energy. Steph says: “Eating vegetarian, or veg+carb, or veg+meat, is less work for the bod and it helps you feel lighter until dinner.”

Result: Instead of my usual turkey, tomato and lettuce sandwich, I had the same ingredients in salad form minus the bread. And? I did indeed feel lighter, and it was a refreshing change. I have a quick metabolism and didn’t quite last ’til dinner, but I’d lean on this light-lunch advice again for sure.

Alleged Energizer #3: Amino Acids

The authors of Mind & Mood Foods say certain amino acids found in protein stimulate the brain. To clear your head, they suggest milk, yogurt, cheese, lean meats, legumes, and fish/shellfish (which contain tyrosine, an amino acid that skyrockets alertness).

Doesn’t this “neurostimulant” sound perfect for those afternoons when you need to make it through one last project at work or lecture at school?

Result: I picked low-fat yogurt to get my amino acid advantage. I love yogurt but never paid attention to its energy effects or nutritional value: did you know one cup of yogurt contains 12 grams of protein and 17 grams of carbohydrates?!  Flavored yogurts tend to contain loads of sugar (or artificial sugar), so I had plain with a small swirl of jam and wheat germ to cancel out the sour. Not only did it lift my energy, but it lifted my spirits: it seemed like dessert!

Alleged Energizer #4: Water

For an energy boost, the guy behind Mark’s Daily Apple (again with the apple) proposes water. “Just 3% dehydration can compromise brain function and create feelings of fatigue,” explains Mark, who adds that water-rich fruits and veggies count, too.

Result: Aha! All week I’ve been replacing daily coffees Two, Three, Four and Five with water (as you can see, I sip out of habit) and despite the afternoon lulls, I have been more awake in the evening! Now, I need to work on adding water-packed foods (fruits, veggies, soups, shakes) to my diet.

P.S. Extra energy isn’t the only reason water rocks: it can help you wash away excess fat.

Alleged Energizer #5: Energy Bars

Big workout plans? Bring out the big guns. That’s what I did for my 25-mile bike ride this morning. (What’s that? I can’t put a mug of coffee in my bottle cage?)

I knew I’d need some serious energy, so at the recommendation of an enthusiastic grocery store shelver, I tried a PowerBar Performance Energy bar. Despite a dizzying ingredient list, I was able to pick out protein, vitamins and minerals, oats and cane juice… which means ample energy to the muscles, right?

Result: 20 minutes before my ride I had cereal and a piece of whole wheat toast. I was a slug. While I know I can partly blame the uphill-against-the-wind factor, other cyclists were whizzing by. Next time I’ll eat these slow-energy-releasers (see above) at least an hour in advance.

However, when I stopped to eat my Performance bar, I got instant energy. I felt like I was riding on a cloud for nearly two hours, and topped my record. Woo hoo!

(I’m not being paid to promote ProBar, by the way, I’m just stoked on it today. I usually go for Luna, CLIF Builders or Tiger’s Milk, which don’t deliver more than a snack’s worth of energy. If you’ve got a favorite sports energy bar or drink, please share it!)

Well, if you’ve joined the One Cup of Coffee challenge with me (bless you!), give the above five a try and tell us: do they perk you up better than caffeine?

<<One Cup, Day Two: Making Goals a Reality

How to Stop Sleeping Through Your Nightshift

IdealShape’s Simple Tips for Waking Up Energized

A: I, too, have been on a mission to get bigger buns. A few years back I started doing more cardio, and I really trimmed down—in the booty department. I was, well, bummed.

Seeking that perky ballet booty, I shifted back to resistance training to get my bum back. After a while, I noticed that I was getting a little more than I bargained for: my quads and hamstrings bulked up, too. So I refined my approach, with some success.

Here’s one glute-shaping exercise that worked wonders for me.

Walking Lunge Series

• What you need: A bit of space to move forward. I do it in the hallway or at the gym.
• How-to: Lunge forward with your right leg, making a right angle with your knee when you dip. Push up and—with your weight balanced on that right leg—lift your left leg back and squeeze the left glute. Alternate sides as you move forward. When you reach the wall, turn around and repeat. Just do as many reps as you can!
• Helpful hints: Keep a strong core and straight posture. This helps with balance, and prevents you from arching your lower back by kicking too high. The important thing is not how high you lift your leg, but squeezing your glute as you lift. You can do this exercise with your hands on your hips or with dumbbells.
• Results: This lunge series is a fabulous way to build up your booty, but I must warn you: my quads always bulk up a little, too. It seems you just can’t work your glutes without the help of some surrounding muscles!

More Ways to Perk Up Your Backside

If you like exercise DVDs, I love the workouts in Kim Kardashian’s Ultimate Butt Body Sculpt and Elle Glam Fitness’ Total Toning Workout. Both of these are fairly intense workouts (with moderations, if you’re just starting out) and they’re fun. They use a lot of front, back and side lunges, squats and pliés, and leg lifts—all of which you can do without equipment.

As always, you should be using protein after your strength training workout. It’ll help build up those glute muscles you’ve worked so hard on.

Just like you can’t lose fat in a single targeted spot, it’s never easy to isolate a single muscle without adding a little bulk to corresponding muscles. Muscle groups are designed to work together—it’s what allows the human body to be strong and efficient.

However, you can put more focus on your backside by engaging your glutes in every exercise you do (squeeeeeze!).

If, in the end, you can’t get tight glutes without a little leg bulk, remember: no one ever complains about a dancer’s legs!

Related Posts:

• 5 Ways to Get Your Rear Back in Beach Gear
• Are You Committing These Gym Sins?
• Can Exercise Really Reduce Cellulite?!

A: Sandy, I’ve been thinking about that lately, too! The weather just warmed up here in Utah and I pulled out my summer shorts—only to find they don’t look so great on me right now… Despite all the naysayers, I have found a few things that work for cellulite, including exercise, and I’ll be doing them along with you!

What Causes Cellulite?

Unfortunately, you can’t get rid of cellulite by simply shedding fat. It’s not the existence of subcutaneous fat but the way it’s distributed that causes this dimpling of the skin. According to Wikipedia, 80-90% of females have cellulite. (Guys get it, too, just not as often, and they don’t seem to care all that much).

Many dermatologists insist there’s nothing you can do about cellulite: it’s in the genes, they say. Still others claim that metabolism, hormones and stress play a part.

In the end, little has been concluded scientifically about cellulite’s causes or cures. Nonetheless, there’s plenty of advice out there for banishing it—from creams (I’ve had minimal luck), to body wraps, to massaging the skin with a boar-bristled brush (not pleasant, I’ve found, even if it does work).

If you’re lucky enough to see results from these “quick fixes,” it’s surely fleeting. Which is why I’m glad you asked about exercise.

Exercise: A Cure for Cellulite?

While experts aren’t explicitly saying that exercise gets rid of cellulite, Mayo Clinic asserts that an inactive lifestyle can cause it. They also say excess fat will make cellulite more noticeable. What I draw from that?

1. Even if you can’t control how your body distributes fat under the skin, shedding excess fat helps.
2. Firmer legs and buns can make cellulite look less apparent.

So Let’s Get Moving!

High-intensity cardio like power-walking is a great start for keeping legs trim, but to add firmness, you’ll want to start doing resistance exercises, too.

Squats, lunges, pliés and stair-climbing will firm up your inner thighs, outer thighs and glutes. These movements build muscle, which means double fat burn! For extra inner thigh toning, you can also do side leg lifts (inwards and outwards) with a resistance band or body bar.

If you’d like to start with a guided workout, one of my favorites is The Firm® Hips, Thighs and Abs DVD. It’s a quick 30 minute routine with a “Firm Box” (I just use an aerobic step) that delivers great leg and glute tone. It also has the best ab workout I’ve ever done. For those who get the tummy and “love handle” cellulite, a thorough core workout can be a godsend!

In addition to exercise, here’s what many people do to help improve tone and firmness:

• Foam rolling: If massage helps to smooth out cellulite dimples, then foam rolling surely will too. Plus, it feels much better than a bristle brush massage! Read more about foam rolling and watch a demonstration here.
• Protein: It facilitates muscle tone and development, so have a shake, bar or other protein source after every strength training workout. Get tips for maximizing protein’s benefits here.
• Supplements: Natural substances like green tea and resveratrol help the body metabolize fat more efficiently, and can be taken in supplement form. I’ve used both with very noticeable results.
• Water: Staying hydrated will preserve the skin’s elasticity, making it less likely to dimple and dent around fatty spots. So drink up!

(Many of the products I’ve mentioned, like the foam roller, exercise bands and metabolism-boosting supplements, can be found at IdealShape.)

While exercise can help reduce the appearance of cellulite (not to mention improve your health, strength and figure), remember this: The women who are considered to have the most beautiful bodies in the world have cellulite. This was revealed in an article about the dozens of layers of makeup applied to Victoria’s Secret models’ buns for a runway show. If 90% of us ladies—including the world’s top models—have cellulite and stretch marks, they can’t be that bad, right?

Healthy Appetite Suppressants: Do They Exist?

8 Warning Signs You Have a Sleeping Disorder

Are You Calculating Your Body Fat % Right?

Q: OK so I have been running 4-6 miles on the stair-master, cross-trainer or treadmill 4-5 times a week. And taking one hour classes (weight training, cycling,  kickboxing, or machines) about 4 times a week. I eat my normal diet, that hasn’t changed much, but I am a vegetarian and it is semi healthy…  with a little oil, sufficient carbs and lots of greens.

I have been doing this for the last 5 months. Initially, I lost some weight, but lately the scale says that I gained weight. I assume that could be muscle, however, my inches are no longer going down, nor does it seem like my body is losing anything anywhere anymore…

I just finished medical school (I know, I should be able to answer my own question then =) ). So my life outside of the gym consists of stress and sitting in front of the books for 14 hours studying for the boards… Obviously I was initially doing something right so my diet cannot be the sole reason. So what am I doing wrong and what should I do differently? – Megha

A: Kudos for finding the time to work out so diligently and for being determined in your goals. Don’t get discouraged! There are many factors involved in fitness. That means we’re required to try lots of things as we get to know our bodies and discover what will create optimal results for us.

Weight loss plateaus are common, too: the body is so smart that it adapts quickly in order to conserve energy. But to lose excess fat, we want it to burn energy. The key is to keep the body off balance. So while you may not be doing anything wrong, it’s probably time to switch up your routine.

Let’s first look at what you’re eating, and then we’ll point you to some great resources on this site for maximizing fitness results.

WHAT TO EAT (AND WHAT NOT TO!)

Essentially, you should be eating plentiful fruits and vegetables, calcium-rich low-fat dairy, whole grains, and—in your case, as a vegetarian—ample non-meat sources of protein. Make sure to incorporate a variety of foods in your diet. Here are some basic guidelines for the three major dietary nutrients:

Protein

Protein is fundamental for keeping—and building—lean muscle mass. It will increase your metabolism as well as make your workouts more effective, so you’ll burn more fat. (By the way, you are right to ask whether your increased weight could be muscle gain. Don’t put too much emphasis on what the scale says.) While trying to gain muscle, you should eat more than the average RDI. Whey protein and soy protein (which can be found in powder form) are great sources of protein, as are nuts and eggs. You can also time your protein and carb intake to maximize workout results.

Carbohydrates

By reducing your carbohydrate intake, your body will turn to fat for fuel and start burning it up. But don’t cut carbs completely; it’s still needed for extra energy, and you don’t want your body to go after your muscle instead. So, on the days that you do high-intensity workouts, include more carbohydrates in your diet. On your steady state cardio days, have a low carb intake. And on your days off—those all-important recovery days—skip carbs completely.

Many of your non-meat (plant) protein sources also have extra carbohydrate content (lentils, beans), which is something to be aware of. Still, these are a better source of carbs than starchy carbohydrates without any protein, such as pasta, bread and rice.

Fats

Believe it or not, you won’t want to cut fat completely out of your diet. It, too, supplies your body with needed energy. You will of course want to stick to the healthy, fat-containing foods: low-fat milk products, legumes, and oils (canola, corn, soy bean and olive). Some good sources of unsaturated fat: avocados, nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, pecans) and seeds (flax, sesame, pumpkin).

Weight Loss Villains

Avoid these ingredients in your diet:

• Sodium
• Caloric sweeteners (added sugar and artificial sweeteners)
• Saturated fat (whole milk, cheese, ice cream)
• Trans fat (cookies, crackers, chips and other commercial baked goods)

WHEN TO EAT

This is almost as important as what you eat! We recommend eating 5-6 small nutritious meals throughout the day, as opposed to 2-3 large meals. This will do three things:

1. Speed up your metabolism
2. Supply your body with ample energy throughout the day
3. Keep you from overeating. Many people only have one big meal, often at the end of the day. Starving, they overeat, and then plop down on the couch or head for bed. This is a recipe for sluggish metabolism and fat gain!

HOW MUCH TO EAT

In order to lose excess body fat, you also need to lower your caloric intake (while still meeting your body’s nutrient needs). Find a calculator that can tell you what your caloric needs are, and then subtract 300-500. Your body will turn to fat stores for energy, allowing you to burn up that excess fat throughout your body.

Remember that it’s going to be about more than eating, say, 1700 calories, if this is your target. It’s even more important to focus on eating a lower-carb diet than on lowering your caloric intake. After all, more calories in a healthier diet will always be better for you than having fewer calories, but less healthy foods. The most effective approach to losing weight would be a low calorie, low carb diet.

WHAT ARE YOU DRINKING?

Poring over the books for extended periods of time can cause lead us to caffeinated beverages and not enough water. If you’re propping your eyelids open with soda, red bull, and vanilla lattes, don’t! Caffeine is fine in moderation, and can even give your metabolism a little boost while suppressing your appetite (that’s why many weight loss supplements include a small amount). But skip the sugar, creamer and flavoring. And after your first cup or two, switch to green tea, which has caffeine plus incredible weight loss and health benefits. Or, have an apple or a protein shake for energy. And we’ll say it again: drink more water!

ARE YOU SUPPLEMENTING?

Taking a supplement is important for everyone, but critical for those trying to lose weight. Dietary supplements are an easy way to give your body the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients it needs that you can’t get from food alone. Go for a multivitamin for overall health. A metabolism booster like Green Tea Extract is good, too. Weight loss support supplements like ResveraShape can be a boon when you’re trying to lose excess fat. The right ones will combine essential nutrients with metabolism-boosting (green tea, kelp, grapefruit extract) and appetite-suppressing ingredients (resveratrol, caffeine).

KEEP A HEALTH LOG

We bet we don’t need to tell a medical school graduate this, but just in case: it’s really important to keep a daily exercise and nutrition log. Not only will this give you a clear picture of your habits and patterns, so you can see what works and what doesn’t; but it will also keep your goals in focus. Without a visible record, it’s easy to miscount how many “just this once” indulgences we give in to!

Keep a note, too, of your weight and measurements. Don’t compare them from day to day, or you won’t notice much difference, and you may get discouraged. Compare every other week, or at the end of the month, however, and you’ll see the difference.

Getting others involved in your journal is even more effective, and fun, too. Don’t believe us? Just ask weight loss bloggers Cara and Ryan, who have tracked their way to incredible results.

MASTERING THE MIND

Finally, don’t discount the role your mental state plays in weight loss. Are you getting enough sleep? Not only is adequate rest necessary for overall health and performance, but it’s also necessary if you want to get anything out of your exercise routine. It’s during sleep that your body recovers from your workouts and builds muscle. It’s also important to keep stress and depression at bay, as they can make weight management hard. Many people find that achieving balance and focus is ultimately the most important step in their weight loss journey.

MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR GYM TIME

Your weight training and resistance exercises (like stair-climbing), along with high intensity cardio (kick boxing), are great! Just make sure to progressively add resistance and repetitions, and switch up the activity type every so often. You can skip the machines, which only deliver isolated exercises, unless you are honing in on one specific area. Otherwise, compound movements that work multiple muscle groups are best. Make sure you aren’t working the same muscle group every day, or your body won’t have time to recover and progress. Steady state cardio on the bike or treadmill will allow your muscles a rest between intense training days.

For the full scoop, check out these posts:

Interval Training vs. Steady State Cardio

Which first: cardio or strength training?

So you want to build muscle, but not bulk up?

PR: wait… I: wait… L: wait… LD: wait… I: wait… wait… Rank: wait… Traffic: wait… Price: wait… C: wait…

Q: Hi, I need answers on how to get a six pack without any equipment or protein shakes or stuff like that, I’m already in great shape, I’m slim, and exercise daily, like running and push ups, I’ve tried simple sit ups daily but I never see results, if you could help me out that be great. Thanks. – Austin P.

A: Good for you for staying in such great shape, Austin! It sounds like in order to get that chiseled stomach you want, you’re ready to kick it up a notch.

What’s at the Core of Your Core Workout?

Your daily exercise—cardio and strength training—are a great combination for staying slim and strong. But while they may give you a flat stomach, they probably won’t deliver washboard abs (which you’ve probably noticed). You need to incorporate some exercises that target your entire abdominal region. Luckily, you can do this without all the bells and whistles—or equipment and protein shakes—which is exactly what you’re looking for.

COMPOUND EXERCISES. Sit-ups and crunches can be very effective ways to tone your ab muscles; but remember, these are isolated movements. Compound movements, on the other hand, will work the entire ab area. After all, you want a six pack, not a two pack! Your ab region includes these muscle groups: internal obliques, external obliques, rectus abdominals and transverse abdominals. Try to do exercises that work as many of them as possible.

If you’re already doing push-ups, you should be getting a decent ab workout from that, as long as you’re keeping your core engaged (see below). A similar, compound exercise is planks. You can also trade your sit-ups for bicycle maneuver, which works your upper and lower abdominals. Click here for descriptions of both.

PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD. In addition to working several muscle groups at once, your workouts should vary and progress. The body adapts (and “plateaus”) if you don’t change things up and continue pushing yourself to new limits. The only way to build muscle is to build intensity, demanding a little more from your body each time you work out. Add resistance or repetitions to your ab workout—as much as you can add, while still maintaining strength and proper form.

WATCH YOUR POSTURE. Speaking of form, remember to stay conscious of your posture whenever you’re doing ab work. Always keep your abs contracted, or “engaged,” and keep your back straight. This will enhance your workouts and prevent injury and soreness. In fact, you should be keeping your abs tight 24/7! Running? Lifting dumbbells? Making a sandwich? Engage your core, and you’ll see results.

What to Do When You’re Not Working Out

Now that you’ve added more core work to your fitness routine, let’s look at a few other things that will help you define those ab muscles.

Hungry? Well, that’s good! Because you need to feed your abdominal muscles if you want them to grow. Protein is a great way to fuel muscle recovery and growth after a workout. It sounds like you aren’t interested in protein shakes, so you can pig out on other great sources of protein: meat, eggs, cheese, nuts, legumes and soy milk are just a few.

For those who like piling on the protein in shake form, protein powders—whey protein, soy protein, or a shake that combines both—are excellent for building muscle. Whip up a protein shake with skim or soy milk for even more protein.

Of course, you need to eat more than protein for muscle mass: a well-rounded diet with lots of variety and whole foods is the ticket to optimal health.

Thirsty? Even better! Make sure you’re drinking tons of water throughout the day, and stay hydrated during and after your workouts. Dehydration can cause fatigue, dizziness and muscle cramps. Find out why NoMoreBacon’s Ryan Sullivan says H20 is all the rage!

Tired? Puff up your pillows and make sure you get plenty of sleep. Not only is it critical in your teenage years, but everyone trying to build muscle needs to get ample rest. After all, it’s post workout, and primarily when you’re catching ZZZs, that your body builds muscle.

Finally, a few words of wisdom (or consolation): Not everyone can get a six pack, no matter how hard they work their abs. Some people just aren’t built that way. Younger people can struggle to build muscle until they hit puberty, and women have a harder time bulking up than men. Our genes and hormones have a lot to do with it. So if you’ve tried everything and still don’t have chiseled abs, don’t push your body past what it can handle, and don’t resort to steroids. You’re still building muscle, even if you don’t get a body builder’s ab definition.

Core strength should be the real goal. Keep at it, and make your workout routine unshakable with this great pointer from IdealShape.

Blast belly fat—you may just find a six pack under there!

Muscle Gaining for the Cardio Happy

Carbs: a critical, or criminal, part of your diet?

Q: Do protein shakes increase weight loss? -Wilson T.

A: Protein shakes have been used for years by weight lifters and athletes to put on muscle mass.  Over the past few years and particularly through the encouragement of the, Body For Life, program protein shakes have become popular for people trying to lose weight and maintain muscle mass.  The key to using protein shakes with a weight loss program is making sure you aren’t adding calories to your healthy eating plan; it really should just replace one of the five to six meals you should be eating each day.

The most effective way to use protein shakes in a weight loss program is as a pre- or post-workout supplement.  Protein is essential to the recovery of muscle and if your body has protein available during or just after a workout it is better able to repair and build muscle mass.If taken before a workout the protein supplement or smoothie should maintain a 4:1 carb to protein ratio.  The carbohydrates are used as energy during the workout and the protein is used to replace the protein that is being used during the workout. If taken after a workout the protein supplement or smoothie should contain 1:1 carbs to protein.  Since your body isn’t in need of the carbs for energy after the workout you want a much more balanced shake.

Why do you want to use protein shakes to build lean muscle mass?  First things first if you are trying to lose weight you should be exercising.  Any program that doesn’t require exercise you should be running from because you will never be successful long-term.  Protein shakes help build lean muscle mass, if you are exercising, and lean muscle mass increases metabolism at a rate of 50 calories a day per pound of muscle.  So if you want to raise your metabolism by 500 calories a day you would need to put on 10 lbs. of muscle.  Now if you were able to put on 10 pounds of muscle and burned an additional 500 calories a day, every day for a week you would burn 3500 additional calories.  3500 calories is equivalent to one pound of fat.

What generally happens with most weight loss programs is that in the process of losing weight most people lose muscle.  So if we look at someone that has lost 10 lbs of muscle in the process of losing 30 lbs. Their metabolism would have decreased by 500 calories.  More often than not this is why people gain the weight back so quickly. As soon a dieter goes back to eating normally their metabolism is so low the weight come right back on.

Many diets and fitness plans targeted towards weight loss avoid a protein supplement in fear that their clients would put on or maintain weight.  Because people tend to determine the success of a fitness plan based solely upon weight loss, and how quick they can lose that weight, they will often disregard the potential health benefits of a protein supplement simply to get better numbers on the scale.  Everyone has been taught that muscle weighs more than fat. So why do you get freaked out when you are doing a workout program and losing fat, but also gaining muscle, and the scale doesn’t change? We bring this up because anyone really trying to lose weight and keep it off long-term will understand that increasing your metabolism and decreasing fat will allow you to achieve your ideal shape.