[Morbid Intentions]

well here we are again... a new con upcoming and a new summer before us.. IMO I was ready to start early for the summer part and then continue it on for the winter cons, (I've learned multiple cons on your agenda make it so you never break your routine lol)

anyways, I'll copy/pasta some of my old advice, show some of my new and improved workout schedule that works about 10x what the old one did, and try to help as best I can with your questions and concerns

for the noobs... I've been working cardio/weights for a good 6 years straight with no breaks or restless procrastinating... this is where I cam from
http://i43.photobuck...rianAnthony.jpg

it took about 2 years of pure 100% cardio to drop the 80lbs down to 170lbs (about 10 pants sizes)...
http://i43.photobuck...en/IMG_0246.jpg

then afterwords I slowly gained 35lbs of pure muscle weight retaining the same waist size I had @ 170lbs with a carefully planned weight training routine that I winged out myself and slowly crept up in weight to now
http://farm5.static....dd248b635_b.jpg
http://farm5.static....d52aba486_b.jpg
http://farm5.static....1bf9aa381_b.jpg




I might also like to add that I've mentioned before being "huge" isn't something that is on my agenda... so any and all weight training advice I do give should be looked at as getting heavily toned, rather than getting huge

as said before... with the pop thing.... you shouldn't cut pop out completely... because sooner or later your body will break down and binge since it's used to it and craving (a friend of mine gets headaches when he deprives his body of caffeine).... give your body little amounts here and there to keep it happy (I do the same thing with my uber craving for ice cream, on the weekends I down a lot of it along with pizza and the lot and go back to eating regular during the week)... everyone should incorporate 1 or 2 cheat days into their schedule if they are abiding by a strict food intake and workout system, that way it can be a schedule that is livable... because lets face it, we all face days where chocalte, ice cream and cake after some pizza sounds like a plan, and a person that doesn't bake cupcakes on the weekend is just an empty shell XD



I have incorporated Superpump 250 into my workout and have seen IMMENSE amounts of energy boosts... to mentally WANT to workout before I even arrive at the gym... vitamin B packed pre-workout sups are a helpful hand on a lazy day for those of us that need it

now for the new routine... I have found to not focus as much on weight and double down with speed, technique and reps... I've seen HUGE improvement over and above just pushing out a low rep maxes weight 5-7 times on 3 sets... It's a very unorthodox routine but I end up only spending about a half an hour in the gym about 3-4 days a week, but in that half an hour I pump out 5 workouts, 5 sets a piece with 12,7,5,7,12 reps one after the other in rapid succession, as soon as the 12 reps are done I pick up 10-20lbs heavier (depending on the workout) and pop out 7 more reps, drop those pick up 10-20 MORE lbs and break out 5 reps of those.. then fold back over to 7 and 12 reps going back down in the weight by 10's/20's... after the entire set I don't take a break between each workout and fire directly through to the next one on my list... rinse and repeat until all 5 workouts for the given muscle group are done

THAT being said... if your goal is to lose weight first I wouldn't bother with weight training, or even situps or pushups for that matter... the biggest misconception with the age old sit-up and crunch routine is it will tone your abdominals and burn your fat at the same time... it won't... in essence it will tone your abdominals UNDERNEATH your fatty tissue and push your fat outwards making you look fatter... so the only way around fat is cardio and eating right... at least from my experience and the results I've seen

also, @ 23 years old it's getting harder to keep the shape, but it only makes me try harder and I only see improvements the harder it gets.... if there is one thing I learned through my fitness story it's the fact that if you were ever fat in your early years, and made a complete 180 and turned out to be very fit... you will never be fat again because it becomes a phobia not to become the thing you were... so you have THAT to look forward to after major results... remember that

I would also suggest that if you start something major and feel dedicated enough to go years... you should keep a picture log of your progress, I regret not taking more, it improves your will to continue

lol, I talk too much.... post your goals, routine, questions, concerns, pictures, etc, etc, etc... you guys have more than enough time to get a model mody before next acen, SO START EARLY AND PROFIT!

This post has been edited by Morbid Intentions: 19 June 2010 - 12:23 PM

[Ris]

kay so I know I'm not as legit as you probably, but
for my weight loss things, i'm simply at an "eat healthy and exercise" sort of thing
to help me out with this, i use the "myplate" feature on livestrong.com
it's free, you can track what you eat and what kinds of fitness activities you do (whether is be weight lifting, sports, or walking)
you can put in if you want to gain/lose weight, and how mand lbs a week etc
and it'll tell you how much food to eat/stuff to do

anyway, i've been using it religiously since i moved into my apartment (i moved the end of april)
i've lost over 10 lbs which is nice because i'm not even killing myself over here with constant exercise and barely any yummy foods
yes
okay cool

i am curious about how to lose the chubby part of me without "bulking," that's what they call it, right?
hmmm xD

[XenoBlade]

Ris, on 19 June 2010 - 01:35 PM, said:

kay so I know I'm not as legit as you probably, but
for my weight loss things, i'm simply at an "eat healthy and exercise" sort of thing
to help me out with this, i use the "myplate" feature on livestrong.com
it's free, you can track what you eat and what kinds of fitness activities you do (whether is be weight lifting, sports, or walking)
you can put in if you want to gain/lose weight, and how mand lbs a week etc
and it'll tell you how much food to eat/stuff to do

anyway, i've been using it religiously since i moved into my apartment (i moved the end of april)
i've lost over 10 lbs which is nice because i'm not even killing myself over here with constant exercise and barely any yummy foods
yes
okay cool

i am curious about how to lose the chubby part of me without "bulking," that's what they call it, right?
hmmm xD

To anwser you last question, if you don't want to gain muscle mass while losing fat, if you want to lift weights, use light weights. Basically you are gonna want to be able to lift those weights 20 times easily, then taking like a quick 20-30 second break and doing it 2-3 more times.

It's when you do the average 10 rep/3 sets that you gain muscle mass, so stay away from that. You want to keep your muscles working, and avoiding hurting and breaking them, since that is how you gain bigger muscles.

[mens_pocky06]

How does one stay so motivated by themselves? I just can't seem to do it all on my own......and it's really difficult to find someone to workout with etc.

[tatterpillar]

What an invigorating post! My biggest problems were time constrictions and motivation. Although many people say they don't have time to exercise, most of them do and don't want to sacrifice an hour or so a day.

Motivation for me was really hard to get over. I tried exercising with partners and self-motivating with pictures, a reward system, etc, but nothing worked longer than a month or two, at max. I go to a local gym 5 days a week that offers a variety of classes that are fun and hugely beneficial.

I actually look forward to working out and almost feel sad on the days I don't work out! I'm a bit of a shy person and I don't go out of my way to meet people, but a workout class environment is like a community and it is easy to talk to strangers and make friends. The music played is current and of course, catchy. The instructors are highly motivating, and the other class members are welcoming (even though my coordination was pretty much awful at first). I walk out of every class smiling and feeling amazing.

Right after work on Mondays and Thursdays, I do a class called BodyPump which focuses on weight lifting and targets various muscle groups. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I either do BodyStep (step aerobics) or BodyCombat, which pulls inspiration from various martial arts (not a self-defense class). Both are excellent cardio workouts. On Saturday mornings, I do BodyAttack, which is a sports-inspired high-energy cardio workout (awesome). There are also RPM/cycling classes, and yoga-type classes.

Anyway, I swear I don't work for the people who designed these classes, but here is their website. You can see if there are classes in your area.

Eating healthy can be a problem since eating junk and fast foods is much cheaper. I drink a ton of water (sounds bland, but my body pretty much craves it all the time), but I have a small cup of coffee a day (2 creamers, 2 splenda packs) M-F and I go for cereal/Carnation breakfast drink mix w/milk, or a granola bar in the morning, salad, fruit, and whatever is available for lunch (I eat for free at the hotel where I work, so if only fried stuff is avaialable, I get soup), and dinner is anyone's guess, haha.

I'm not perfect with the food thing, but I do watch what I eat. I'll have rice or pasta if I know I'm going to do serious cardio that day. I check my portions on everything. As for cheating, I may go for a bit of dessert or whatever, like a cookie or I'll split something with a friend.

K, so there's my input. Enjoy!

[Kitsu-chan]

Honestly, I don't have much time or energy to excercise due to work. I spend 40hrs a week pushing shopping carts. My legs & arms are in great shape, but I need something to tone the rest of my upper body for the cosplays I have planned.

Can anybody reccomend something to help tone my chest & Abs? I'm not looking to bulk up, just lightly tone. I have 2 days a week off & 2hrs a day after work where I can excercise, so long routines aren't really an option.

[Emberlynn]

staying motivated has been difficult in the past. What keeps me going is a picture of a body scan of someone about my size. seeing what COULD be my insides ... coupled with watching VERY rotund shuffling about in ill fitting clothes / bad clothing choices for their size ... that I need clothes, and I don't want to make anything for myself in the size I am currently -- KEEPS me honest.

I have a very real costume I want to wear in October -- the only way I will wear it is *if* I make goal. my goal is a lofty one for Youmacon ... I may not make it -- but I'll do my best to get as close as humanly possible.

for me, I have to police my salt intake -- if it's high in salt I steer clear. If I enjoy even a small amount of something that contains salt -- I push water to help get rid of it.

I weigh myself twice a day. In the morning and at night - it keeps me honest and focused on what I'm trying to do -- it keeps the thought in my head to drink water - not soda. Instead of catching the bus just up the street, I'll walk up a couple of stops and catch it there. I have a pedometer, and my goal each day is 10k steps. I will be buying some in home work out stuff -- I have a bicycle and I go down to the lake to go riding. So far, I've lost 13 pounds and 2 1/2"

I also use sparkpeople.com -- it's a free site.

This post has been edited by Emberlynn: 19 June 2010 - 08:48 PM

[Morbid Intentions]

Kitsu-chan, on 19 June 2010 - 08:23 PM, said:

Can anybody reccomend something to help tone my chest & Abs? I'm not looking to bulk up, just lightly tone. I have 2 days a week off & 2hrs a day after work where I can excercise, so long routines aren't really an option.

I would recommend floor wiper/sweepers... out of all the abdominal excersized i do this is the most well round "full abdominal" squeezer

start with 3 sets of a very low number... then gradually work yourself up over the months

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcNGCG2L0OA[/media]

this guy does more of a stopping V... I rotate my entire torso into it and make it one solid fluid motion from one side to the other

also remember, the faster you do abdominal exercises, the better results you will see... they are one of the few muscle groups that work like that


@ Xenoblade

this will only tone her abs underneath fat cells... the only true cure to stubborn pockets of fat is cardio and eating right...

look at it like this, if I have a wall of little pretzels (abdominal muscles) behind a wall of marshmallows (fatty tissue)... it doesn't really matter if I make the pretzels huge or just slightly wake them up to get toned... you're still only going to see marshmallows

This post has been edited by Morbid Intentions: 19 June 2010 - 10:08 PM

[Foolish Humon]

I do plan on getting in shape and more fit, not so much for ACEN but just for myself. Though my problem is a bit unique. I actually need to put on a bit of weight. My goal was to get to 150 lbs, which has been going kinda good and kinda bad. I have a habit of eating small meals and sometimes I just flat out forget meals. I am about 135 lbs right now and hope to get it up to 150 or maybe 160.

After (or maybe on my way to) gaining weight I also was thinking of working out more though I havn't decided if I am going to go for a home workout and buy weights and such, or join a gym. I need to build some muscle mass!

So right now my main concern is eating more, but its hard to get in the habit (plus I don't want to gain too much weight). Wish me luck!

[Jeff]

I have to watch anime while I work out, but lately, I'm actually working out rather than saying I will work out and not doing it. I'm hoping to walk around shirtless at next years Acen

[Seph]

One thing the OP didnt mention is that "fitness" starts with diet.. THEN working out.. not working out, then diet...
DIET, and work out schedules have to be well planned to see results....


Its not just about eating stuff that"doesnt taste good" its about knowing how your body works, and what the food does to your body. There actually are "healthy...er" choices when eating out on the run(fast food)....
once you understand fats, sugars, carbs, and calories, you can better plan a diet for yourself, for your specific goals.

Ive only been working out for 4 months now, but I research each.. and every.... single.... day...
I am in constant contact with personal trainers on a daily basis...
I work out three times a week, and im on a three week rotation
http://sephphoto.com...outrotation.jpg

after mt work outs, I do HIIT(cardio bursts) for about 12 min total
(2 min warm up, 4 cardio bursts, 2 min cool down)

Starting Monday, Im going to add running every day, first thing in the morning, on an empty stomach, about 45 min at about 70% maximum heart rate...
(doing this until about aug 5th)

Im not trying to get larger, im going for tone, conditioning, and I would like to reduce my body fat down to the single digits...


This is my before photo

http://sephphoto.com/z/meb41.jpg
http://sephphoto.com/z/meb42.jpg

and 2 months later
(i actually started modeling)

http://sephphoto.com/z/me/005.jpg

http://sephphoto.com/z/me/006.jpg


edit:

And for those who want abs.. abs are made in the kitchen.. not the gym.....

This post has been edited by Seph: 20 June 2010 - 07:59 AM

[XenoBlade]

Morbid Intentions, on 19 June 2010 - 09:58 PM, said:

I would recommend floor wiper/sweepers... out of all the abdominal excersized i do this is the most well round "full abdominal" squeezer

start with 3 sets of a very low number... then gradually work yourself up over the months

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcNGCG2L0OA[/media]

this guy does more of a stopping V... I rotate my entire torso into it and make it one solid fluid motion from one side to the other

also remember, the faster you do abdominal exercises, the better results you will see... they are one of the few muscle groups that work like that


@ Xenoblade

this will only tone her abs underneath fat cells... the only true cure to stubborn pockets of fat is cardio and eating right...

look at it like this, if I have a wall of little pretzels (abdominal muscles) behind a wall of marshmallows (fatty tissue)... it doesn't really matter if I make the pretzels huge or just slightly wake them up to get toned... you're still only going to see marshmallows

Oh I know. I actually had some classes about this a whiles back. Thing is, I'm sure she knows about the eating right, but she said something about "bulking up" so I took that as the who cardio/working out part. So I put in the tidbit about working out.

Also I would like to add, cardio only does so much, to get a completely tone body and look, you have to do some weight lifting, but if the fear of gaining too much muscle (for the females) is there, then there is the method I explained. It's Diet/Cardio/and weight lifting. I know from experience. (Well did, there is something wrong with me that I can't workout without getting migraines plus more) Funny thing is, in my prime, I gained a lot of muscle mass, and lost 60 lbs. (I find that funny since muscles weigh more. lol) And I didn't really diet. I just ate a little less bad, but still ate what I wanted and toned up quite well. I'm quite determined to go to the doctor and find out what's wrong with me so I can start toning up again. Working out was a huge part of my life, it felt good, made me feel good, and I really miss it. I wants to get buffs again. lol

[Lina]

I plan on running for an hour every day on my parents' treadmill so I can try and lose the belly fat that I have.

I need my thighs to get slimmed down (even though they don't look that bad) because a lot of the pants I try on are tighter in that area even if everything else is fine. Will the running help that too?

[Emberlynn]

over all weight loss will help. how much you're able to take off your thighs will depend on genetics. I have built up thighs because I've been bike riding since 14 - (8 miles a day - one speed balloon tire (vintage) bike til I was 18) I upped my distance to 16 miles per day when I got a 10speed.

I've NEVER been smaller than a size 10 (average 12) Even when I was TINY! your thighs / glutes are the largest muscle mass in your body -- bicycling kind of isolates and works those muscles - A LOT.

and I come from a .... 'substantial' .... family. the REAL big boned kind. not the puffy person big boned kind. damn genetics.

I want to get back into my bike riding -- I'm eager to try the bike trails here.

This post has been edited by Emberlynn: 20 June 2010 - 06:48 PM

[Lina]

I'm not looking into taking a lot off. Just a little so my pants don't feel so tight in that area.

I've always been a size 0/1 and then after I graduated high school (in '08) I went up to a 3/5 and now I'm a size 7. ><

I plan on losing belly fat so I can have a flatter stomach and maybe I will be able to fit into 3s and 5s. I'm not really looking into losing weight. I'm around 125, which is perfectly ok with me since I always felt underweight. I used to be around 110 pound, but I do want to lose belly fat.

[KirbyFanOne]

I used to be under 210. But today I saw I am 213. My good friends pizza and beer are making it hard to deal with stress now a days and really wish I'd see less of them. Plus I've dived back into old soda drinking habits I cant seem to shake off. I'm quite a bit of work to be done.

[Lina]

I almost never drink soda. I have a weakness for orange soda though. Other than that, you will rarely see me drink soda. I drink usually water and juices.

I'm also cutting down on snacking because I snack a lot. I've decided that I will only eat until my stomach starts growling to help me quit snacking. Once I'm used to that I will start eating more regularly. I also plan on eating more healthy meals.

I've been so used to snacking on/eating unhealthy food because I never worried about gaining the weight because of my metabolism (Up until I graduated high school I was around 105-110 pounds.) That and when I was in high school, I had gym 5 days a week for 4 years and gym was 50 minutes (that includes getting dressed and waiting for the teacher), so I got lots of exercise. So, I decide I will do the same thing. Run on the treadmill for 50 minutes 5 days a week as soon as I get home from work.

[Lord Warhammer]

my original goal for working out is /was so I can cosplay Nappa from DBZ. granted I know I won't look like he does very quickly, but I do need to drop some pounds and loose the alcohol gut.

[Morbid Intentions]

KirbyFanOne, on 21 June 2010 - 09:08 AM, said:

I used to be under 210. But today I saw I am 213. My good friends pizza and beer are making it hard to deal with stress now a days and really wish I'd see less of them. Plus I've dived back into old soda drinking habits I cant seem to shake off. I'm quite a bit of work to be done.

a big help to forcing yourself to drink nothing but water is to find a physical job

I own a recycling company and half the time I work right down with my employees loading the bailer in 105F heat... as part of the job I pick up contracts for different factories and load everything steel, copper, metallic in bog dumpsters getting the building ready for demolition... even the walls themselves

so in a work day I USUALLY down about 2-3 gallons by the end of the day

a physical job almost garuntees you won't bother with pop or even sports drinks and other sugary drinks... because when you are working like that all you naturally want and crave is a ton of water

[KirbyFanOne]

Morbid Intentions, on 22 June 2010 - 12:48 PM, said:

a physical job almost garuntees you won't bother with pop or even sports drinks and other sugary drinks... because when you are working like that all you naturally want and crave is a ton of water

This is true. Sadly my job offers unlimited fountain access which stifles my progress and tempts me to no end.

I tell you I'd love a job where I was more physical and outside. My skin does no good from the smoke, heat, and artificial lighting.

[Lord Warhammer]

my mom found this helpful tool and best of all it's free. hope this doesn't get considered as spam since this web site is on topic.
go to sparkpeople.com
my user name on there is slade81.

[Emberlynn]

Warhammer, I'm on sparkpeople.com too. ladyofshallott is my username. I've finally hit my first milestone --- now I'm aiming for losing 20# by the end of the month. I'll even settle for 15 - but I'd like 20 more. after all ... I have that lofty goal to achieve ... the more I achieve -- the more involved I become.

[Mystline]

I need to loose weight for America;s costume. ;A;
Thank you for the advice! I will start this summer and work my very hardest! >_<
I am joining cross country this year for school, I'll join weight training when thats over.
And OP, you look AMAZING!

[Morbid Intentions]

Seph, on 20 June 2010 - 07:57 AM, said:

http://sephphoto.com/z/me/006.jpg

IMO looking at that picture I would stress to you that you should switch up your target abdominal excersizes and focus on less weight resistance... one of the key issues in toning your abs is making sure you blanket your entire abdominal range (from the bottom of your ribcage to the V area)... from the looks of it your workout routine is almost guaranteeing the final result of what I like to call "chuck lidell abs"

these are chuck lidell abs
http://i705.photobuc...uck-liddell.jpg

I would focus more on your lower abdominal area and try not to even stress the upper... that way your lower abdominals and "V" area can come out to meet your middle and upper abdominals

anyone can get abs... in fact, it's very easy... but to sculpt your abs and make key areas of your abdominals grow together in unison... it's a very time consuming and difficult process

I would also try to focus on your chest/shoulder/neck area... beleive it or not these three ares make your abdominals look like they are that much more prominent... for starters I would go into inclined bench, declined bench, regular bench, shrugs and butterflies... these workouts together should sculpt a pretty beastly upper torso to naturally go with your lower torso

these are my shoulders before I started realizing how important my upper torso was
http://i43.photobuck...en/100_1840.jpg

now here they are afterwards
http://i43.photobuck...4327EDT2010.jpg
http://i43.photobuck...857585423_1.jpg
http://i43.photobuck...754_3187900.jpg

but other than that so far so good on your part I would say, a big improvement for sure

@ iiEmaleigh

no problem for the advice and encouragement... if we don't help each other what BS that would be eh? lol

cross country is some pretty grueling stuff, especially in this weather... you should see some pretty decent results there, all I would say there is make sure you eat healthy and shy away from soft drinks and sweet foods... that way all of your hard work put into cross country will have that much more effect on your looks.... there is nothing worse than working out all day and sweating up a storm then eating up a storm afterwards and then thinking about how much you worked out during that day for pretty much nothing (not very true in retrospect but the feeling always gets me lol)

and thanks for the compliment... although I would hardly consider myself "amazing" looking xD

This post has been edited by Morbid Intentions: 23 June 2010 - 01:02 PM

[Krystal]

Found a quick way to lose 10 pounds.


Tapeworm. *_*

[Morbid Intentions]

Krystal, on 23 June 2010 - 11:17 PM, said:

Found a quick way to lose 10 pounds.


Tapeworm. *_*

the germans back in the early-mid 1900's actually had these sanitized, then purposefully implanted into them for such reasons... then they just took a deworming pill 6 months later

in all seriousness they DO retain a lot of good things as far as cleaning out the debri that could otherwise cause cancer and the like.... but as a 100% they obviously aren't that great for you on a longterm deal lol

This post has been edited by Morbid Intentions: 24 June 2010 - 07:34 AM

[GITS SAC Motoko]

I'm joining! I startred my regimen today, I haven't work out since ACEN...I need to get back in shape! Here's some of my input from personal experience: If you want abs and lose belly fat, you have to REALLY cut down on salt, it bloats you. Also, eating throughout the day really helps because it keeps your metabolism really fast...and if you eat foods that force you to burn calories to digest (Yes, that REALLY happens) like celery, and foods rich in fiber and whole grains, that helps to.

Also, you have to remember that abs are not just "the 6 pack." It includes the upper abs (6 pack), lower abs, external obliques (sides), transverse abdominous (this is under the abdominal muscles, and also really helps accent the other abdominal muscles, as it gives them support) and the lower back. If you work all of these it WILL give you the "awesome abs" everyone wants.

Here's some workouts I do for each section:

Upper abs:
Normal crunch (feet on the floor, then try them with your feet up)
a normal crunch while holding a dumbbell weight
A toe touch Where you lay down, put your legs up, and reach up and down for them

Lower abs:
leg lifts where you lie down, put your hands under butt and lift you legs and hold them
do the same thing as above, but move you legs up and down veritcally
do the same as the first one, but move your legs in a flutter kick motion and repeat.

External obliques(sides):
Side crunch where you go on your side and crunch up.
Standing rotation where you hold a dumbbell and twist left and right

Transverse abdominous:
Bridges where you lie down and support yourself up with your forearms and you toes, and while holding, suck in your abs. Try do keep this stance for 20-30 secs at first, then work your way up
You can do the same thing but instead of going on your forearms, go into a pushup position and hold it.
A half crunch (I call it that lol) put some heavy weight under your feet (I put my feet in the gap under the couch) and I do a normal crunch, but I do not go all the way down to the floor. I go up, then half down, then up and so on.

Lower back:
Back crunch where you lay on your stomach and crunch up with your back
If you want it harder lay on a chair with something (I use the table) to keep your feet from going up and do a back crunch that way.

These can all be done at home which is really nice. I do all of these exercises when I work out,and they all have given me results. I say you do each work out and do as many reps as you can then work from that number, which would be one set. I say do two sets at first for the first week, then do more as you go on.

I hope this helps anyone!!! If you have a mirror in your room, what I have done is gotten the character I want to cosplay in the outfit they are in (I did this last year with my Motoko cosplay, and will do the same technique again) and tape a picture of them on the mirror so when you look in the mirror, you are motivated to keep going and not give up. If you plateau, like I am famous for, you have to do more and harder, like more reps or more sets. Whoooooot! Let's get in shaaaaape!!!!! ^______^

[Morbid Intentions]

GITS SAC Motoko, on 27 June 2010 - 06:44 PM, said:

I'm joining! I startred my regimen today, I haven't work out since ACEN...I need to get back in shape! Here's some of my input from personal experience: If you want abs and lose belly fat, you have to REALLY cut down on salt, it bloats you. Also, eating throughout the day really helps because it keeps your metabolism really fast...and if you eat foods that force you to burn calories to digest (Yes, that REALLY happens) like celery, and foods rich in fiber and whole grains, that helps to.

Also, you have to remember that abs are not just "the 6 pack." It includes the upper abs (6 pack), lower abs, external obliques (sides), transverse abdominous (this is under the abdominal muscles, and also really helps accent the other abdominal muscles, as it gives them support) and the lower back. If you work all of these it WILL give you the "awesome abs" everyone wants.

Here's some workouts I do for each section:

Upper abs:
Normal crunch (feet on the floor, then try them with your feet up)
a normal crunch while holding a dumbbell weight
A toe touch Where you lay down, put your legs up, and reach up and down for them

Lower abs:
leg lifts where you lie down, put your hands under butt and lift you legs and hold them
do the same thing as above, but move you legs up and down veritcally
do the same as the first one, but move your legs in a flutter kick motion and repeat.

External obliques(sides):
Side crunch where you go on your side and crunch up.
Standing rotation where you hold a dumbbell and twist left and right

Transverse abdominous:
Bridges where you lie down and support yourself up with your forearms and you toes, and while holding, suck in your abs. Try do keep this stance for 20-30 secs at first, then work your way up
You can do the same thing but instead of going on your forearms, go into a pushup position and hold it.
A half crunch (I call it that lol) put some heavy weight under your feet (I put my feet in the gap under the couch) and I do a normal crunch, but I do not go all the way down to the floor. I go up, then half down, then up and so on.

Lower back:
Back crunch where you lay on your stomach and crunch up with your back
If you want it harder lay on a chair with something (I use the table) to keep your feet from going up and do a back crunch that way.

you might want to try sweepers/floor wipers out... Sweepers are a single exercise that works out ALL of these area's in a single workout, I do 120 of these every day

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1pYIrVwjqw[/media]

never touch your feet to the ground... a straight leg will work out lower abs, a bend at the knees will work your upper abs... and the more you rotate your hips with going up the more your obliques get worked... and your lower back and shoulders get worked by default

I'm up to 4 sets of 30 in this particular exercise every day... I also do 2 other abdominal exercises

This post has been edited by Morbid Intentions: 28 June 2010 - 09:55 AM

[Alkaren Hyralt]

I really want to lose weight..I used to be so skinny at all the previous acens....

But I can't really do much working out with my injuries from a car accident a year ago that really did a number on my body. :[

Anyone have some good tips on really low impact stuff I might be able do to at least try to lose weight? Jogging and such are out due to the injuries :[

[Morbid Intentions]

Alkaren Hyralt, on 28 June 2010 - 10:55 AM, said:

I really want to lose weight..I used to be so skinny at all the previous acens....

But I can't really do much working out with my injuries from a car accident a year ago that really did a number on my body. :[

Anyone have some good tips on really low impact stuff I might be able do to at least try to lose weight? Jogging and such are out due to the injuries :[

eating correctly will be the big step for you... I'd say just walking and eating "good" food in small portions about 7 times a day would be a big start

(IMO good food can be considered MANY things... anything that I consider to be real food for the most part... ice cream, chocalate, soda, etc, etc are considered "bad" food to myself)

while walking won't burn a major amount of calories it's still being active... also remember that depending on your metabolism that your body naturally burns about 1,500-3,000 calories a day just operating (breathing, pumping blood, organs working, etc, etc, etc)... so depending on your metabolism there is always a chance that you could very well burn more calories than you intake just by sitting around... if you constrict what and how much you eat however

you might want to look into swimming... even light swimming does a good job at keeping the frame fit and active

This post has been edited by Morbid Intentions: 28 June 2010 - 12:45 PM