The Secret to Six Pack Abs: Get Shredded Abs in 60 min/week

If you are serious about uncovering those abs, flattening your stomach, and shedding serious body fat--- diet is going to be your best friend or your worst enemy. 80%-90% of getting lean, ripped abs is about your diet.

This is the diet that is going to get you there.

Download your nearly comprehensive food guide which will shock your taste buds and fill your stomach. If you have any questions about foods that aren't listed, post your questions in the comments section and I'll let you know.

But before you ask, keep this in mind: If it's not on the list or if you have to second guess if you should eat it, you probably shouldn't.

This is your nearly comprehensive food guide as you shock your taste buds and fill your stomach for the next 30 days.

In essence...

What to Eat

1. Vegetables
2. Lean Proteins
3. A little fruit
4. Nuts and Seeds
5. Beans

When in doubt, buy one ingredient food items to avoid all of the additives and preservatives that are going to slow or halt your progress. One of my favorite quotes from Jillian Michaels is that if it doesn’t come from the earth or have a mother, don’t eat it.

What to avoid

1. Dairy
2. Grains and Wheat
3. Alcohol
4. Fake sugars and excess sugar

Now that we have your net calorie goal set, we need a means of tracking your consumption so that you can stick to your goal. Download Lose It! or My Fitness Pal, create a free account, and start tracking. The more information you have about your eating, sleep, hydration, and level of activity, the better we can track your progress, breakdown your plateaus, and make modifications based on your goals.

http://loseit.com/

https://www.myfitnesspal.com/

Calculating your RMR (Resting Metabolic Rate)

Multiply your weight in pounds by 10 kcals (calories). This will be the number that we use for your resting metabolic rate.

If your goal is to achieve super leanness to get event ready in 30 days, subtract 10% of that number per day and take aim. This is going to be your number to hit for how many calories you should be consuming each day.

Example:

So if your current body weight is 200 pounds, your estimated resting metabolism would be 2,000 calories per day. 2,000 cals x .10% = 200.... so your daily calorie goal will be 1,800 per day.

Keep in mind that most popular diets out there ask you to dramatically reduce your calories down to 50% or even less of your calculated BMR. We are keeping it at 10 net per day, to provide safe and effective rates for fat loss. for more info on this process, check out the get shredded diet, listed in the references section at the end of the course.

What most people don't realize is that six pack abs is not about depriving yourself of food to emaciate yourself. It is about focusing on eating a ton of quality calories and lowering your sugar intake.

Most people stop working toward having great abs because they feel like they are starving all the time, but that doesn't have to be the case. You may get to a point where you need to eat a calorie deficit to drop that extra 1-2% body fat, toward the end of your goals. Otherwise, you should be loading up on healthy, great tasting, nutrient dense foods.

Low Frequency: Intermittent Fasting (IF)

I’ve been doing a lot of research on intermittent fasting and the benefits it provides on getting and maintaining a lean physique. With any lifestyle eating plan, I make sure that I can test it effectively on myself before I recommend it to any friend or client.

I was really skeptical initially because of my high propensity to get low blood sugar and crash. If you can make it past the first 2-3 days, you are golden.

I have been testing intermittent fasting now for about 8 weeks and the results have been nothing short of awesome. In that time I have dropped 2-3 percent bodyfat, and I haven’t been this lean since I was eating like a rabbit and running 20+ miles per week, my freshmen year of college.

The benefits of IF are that you don’t have to worry about eating all the time, and that the meals you get to eat are HUGE! Your post-training meals are especially massive and loaded with a ton of great foods and nutrients. Also, eating only twice a day makes it really easy to use and accommodating for busy schedules during the day.

The downsides are that if you are used to eating at a high frequency, the changing of habit may be rough at first. Also, there is a growing amount of research that IF has a lot of benefits for fat loss, muscle gain, and weight loss, but no more so than a higher frequency eating schedule.

At the end of the day, you should go with what eating pattern fits your schedule and habits better, whether it be high frequency or low frequency/IF.

What is Intermittent Fasting?

Intermittent fasting is an eating protocol that is still in its infancy as far as testing and benefits go, but there is a growing amount of information available that intermittent fasting can be really beneficial to weight and fat loss.

There are several different versions of intermittent fasting, but for the sake of simplicity we are going to focus on one protocol, commonly known as the leangains protocol.

Popularized by Martin Berkhan, the leangains protocol requires men to fast 16 hours and women to fast for 14 hours every 24 hour period. This leaves the guys with an 8 hour time period during the day, and women a 10 hour period to get in their 2 meals.

Eat 50% of your calories immediately after your workout and make sure it is a protein dense meal, and consume your other 50% during your other meal of the day. An easy way to make sure you get your fasting horus in is to eat dinner between 7pm and 8 pm so that you can eat between 9 am and 12 noon the following day.

The same rules for WHAT you are eating apply hear, the schedule of your eating is the only thing that changes.

Proven Benefits to IF Protocols

Major universities across the globe (from the University of California and Virginia to the University of Leuven) have been researching the physiological and hormonal responses and benefits of IF protocols and here is what they are finding…

• Fasting elevates the natural production of growth hormone in the body (great for losing fat, and essential for building muscle.
• IF improved insulin sensitivity in test subjects, making their bodies more nutrient efficient in using food for fuel as opposed to storing it quickly (as fat or glycogen) after consumption.
• Exercising in a fasted state accelerates fat loss
• Increasing time between meals can improve brain health and brain function.
• Participants in IF showed increased blood sugar stability and regulation.

Keep in mind, I’m not saying that this protocol is the end all be all to your fat loss goals. There is a significant amount of research out there that has found IF beneficial for fat and weight loss. There’s also a ton of information available that indicates that IF is no more beneficial for fat loss than a high frequency eating schedule.

To restate, the choice is up to you. Give both high frequency meals (4-8 daily) and IF a try and see what works best for you, your body, and your schedule.

How to construct an ideal plate of food for getting six pack abs.This is going to serve as a template for your macronutrient recommendations to insure that you are getting the right amount of calories from the right places. Getting six pack abs and keeping them is all about diet, and making sure that you are giving your body the fuel necessary so that it will start recruiting fat cells as its primary source of energy. Take a look at the attached document.

This quick-start recipe guide will get you well on your way to losing body-fat and carving out your six pack abs.

I have found that one of the best ways to put all of my favorite recipes together is through Pinterest. Pinterest has allowed me to research and gather all of the best, clean-eating recipes to get six pack abs. If you are really into cooking and have the time to do so, it would be well worth your while to take a look at my recipe board. This will give you some great ideas for how you can make healthy eating enjoyable.

How to Cut Your Shopping time in Half

Make a List of Weekly Food Items

I keep a list of typical weekly food items on a notepad on my phone so that I always have a quick reference of what I need at any given time. To prevent overstocking of the same items though, make sure you read the next section below. This will also get you in the habit of only going to the aisles that you absolutely need to go to. It can be so easy to get distracted in the market, especially if you are shopping on an empty stomach.

Check the House before you Go Out the Door

This should go without saying, but I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone to the grocery and bought duplicates of things that I’ve already have. Don’t be wasteful, overstock, and then let good food go bad.

Check all of your cabinets, drawers, shelves, fridge, and freezer before you go out the door. This will keep you from overbuying items that you already have.

Limit yourself to 1 day/week for Shopping

One thing I know about myself is that I take way too many trips to the grocery store. Given, my average trip only lasts about 10 minutes, you can save a ton of time if you bulk shop one day out of the week. Think about all the drive time, lines, and hassle that you are going to eliminate if you stick to shopping one day per week?

Stick to the Perimeter

If you do happen to have the time to venture out into the grocery store, stick to the perimeter. The deeper you get into the aisles, the more cluttered they are with dairy, sugars, starches, preservatives, and all of that bad junk that is going to hide your muscles, make you gain weight, and throw of you hormones and metabolism.

Fresh or Frozen?

A lot of people ask me if they should buy fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables. This is almost always asked under the guise that fresh is always better for you than frozen.

Honestly, a lot of arguments can be made either way for fresh being the best, or how frozen vegetables are able to retain all their vital nutrients without the worry of going bad.

For fat loss purposes, go with whatever is more convenient for you. I love buying giant bags of cheap, frozen, stir fry vegetables or vegetable medleys to use for dinner and lunches throughout the week. I don’t have to worry about them going bad, they are really affordable, and really easy to heat up in the microwave or steam.

Cooking Hacks to Prepare Incredible Food and Save Time

Let me start by saying that if you enjoy cooking and have the time, that is wonderful! If you don’t have the time or don’t like cooking, pay very close attention to the following section.

We are going to make sure that by the end of it, you are 400% better at making food than before. You will be saving time too because most of the work that you will be doing is ‘meal prep,’ while exercising the unique art of non-cooking.

Crock Pots: The art of Not-Doing

First thing is first, go buy a cheap, big crockpot or slow cooker. You won’t regret it. I just bought a great one at Target for 24.99, and it cooks 6-7 pounds of food at a time. I prepare more than 90% of all my weekly proteins (chicken, pork, turkey, beef, fish, etc.) in the slow cooker.

Why you ask? I save myself at LEAST 5-6 hours per week in roasting, baking, cooking, and sweating it out in the kitchen when using the crockpot. Not only that, but with a little coaching, you can create 4 star restaurant quality meats with the flick of a switch. It is seriously that easy. Keep reading to get your non-cooking directions.

How to Use Your Crockpot

The key to using your crockpot is to make sure that your protein of choice is cooked thoroughly at the right temperature. If you are skeptical about using a crockpot for the first time and want to double check that it is doing its job properly, take a food thermometer and stick it in your protein periodically to make sure its internal temperature gets to 140 degrees. This is the optimal temperature to bring a meat to in order to make sure it is cooked thoroughly.

I could list out the suggested cook times of each kind of protein in all of their forms (pork, beef, chicken, fish, steak, shoulder, roast, tenderloin, etc., etc.) but all crockpots cook just a little bit differently (either faster or slower).

That being said, here are some rules of thumb to keep it simple.

• Buy a big crock pot. I recommend 5-7 quarts to get you through the week.
• Use the LOW setting when using your slow cooker.
• On the low setting, most meats will require 8 hours to cook through.
• Set you choice meat in the crockpot on low, overnight, and it will be ready when you wake up.

I’ve had too many friends and clients that are timid that they are going to ruin or burn a meal in a crock pot. Don’t be afraid to buy and use one! You’ll save tons of time, and they are so easy to use. When in doubt, get on Google and search “healthy crock pot recipes” for ideas and further cooking instructions.

Batch Prep 1 Day per Week

Take one day out of your week to shop, store, chop, clean, and cook your food for the week. If you don’t already have a good, large tupperware set, go get one. They make storing, portioning, and transporting food so much easier.

What typically takes the longest when preparing healthy meals is cooking meat and chopping and cooking vegetables. If the hard parts are already out of the way, all you have to do is throw it together and spice it up a little to change the flavor and theme of your meals.

Seasonings and Sauces: Making Bland Taste like Bacon

What’s the point of eating healthy if it doesn’t taste great? You are going to be so much likely to fall off the fat loss bandwagon if your vegetables and meals taste like dirt, earth, and bland than if they taste savory and wonderful.

The best part about this section is that it doesn’t take years of cooking school, experience, and hours of experimentation to make your bland plates taste like 4 star restaurant meals. All it takes is about $20-$40, knowing what kind of flavors you like, and a quick trip to the spice and seasonings aisle in the grocery store.

It’s time to stock up on all the long-lasting, flavorful essentials that are going to make your meals rock and your taste-buds smile. There are tons of great premixed seasonings from companies like McKormicks in the seasonings section of your grocery store. Pick up a 5-6 of the ones that sound good to you and throw them in the cart. They are typically only about $2-$4 a piece and they are going to last you a while.

Here is a list of some of the real food approved, seasonings and sauces that I like to use to make normal vegetables and foods taste like bacon!

1. Pink salt
2. Sea salt
3. Black pepper
4. Garlic powder and garlic salt
5. Onion powder
6. Curry powder
7. Crushed red pepper
8. Sea Salt
9. Himalayan rock salt or pink salt
10. Black pepper
11. McKormick's Montreal Chicken Seasoning
12. Kickin' Chicken by Weber
13. Roasted Garlic Herb by Weber
14. Siracha chili sauce or paste
15. Gluten free soy sauce
16. Barbeque seasoning
17. Basil
18. Rosemary
19. Poultry seasoning
20. Old bay
21. Cinnamon
22. Chinese 5 spice
23. Balsamic vinegar
24. Red wine vinegar
25. Raspberry vinegar
26. Salsas and Pico de gallo (great for cooking with proteins in your crockpot, and they make great salad dressings)

I would be kidding you and myself if I expected you to completely drop eating out while you were on this program. The harsh reality is that you are going to have more of a challenge getting six pack abs if you are eating out. I choose to eat all of my meals BEFORE I go out to eat with my friends and am "that guy" at the table who is just drinking water and making friendly conversation.

Some of you may have jobs or lives that require you to eat out or pack snacks with you as you go throughout your day. In that case, I have attached some documents with some tips and techniques that you can use to eat healthy on the go.

Enhance Your Diet, Don’t Combat It

The funny thing about athletes are that they use their sport as an excuse to eat poorly, and eat everything in sight. Then there are the non-athlete weekend warriors that work hard in the gym Monday through Friday, but go bananas on their diet and drinking From Friday night to Sunday.

Only to return to slaving away in the gym to make up for the previous weekend and prepare for the next. You can probably see how either of these scenarios could be considered conflicting.

The problem here is in the perspective of what eating and training are. Many look at fitness as a way to make up for their dietary mistakes, the same way that people use diets and detoxes to make up for their overeating, drinking, and other bad or unhealthy eating decisions.

The reality is, the two should compliment each other. Your training during this program and the way you are going to be eating are going to work together to enhance the way your body looks, feels, and performs. By eating cleaning and training properly you are going to lose fat, tone up, and get stronger.

Remember that diet is 80%-90% of the battle, but exercise is going to get you to that 100% and make you look phenomenal. Your diet will enhance your training, you don’t have to use training to combat your diet.

How to Train

Safety First

Safety is the first priority in everything that we do. If you don’t have a safe and healthy foundation to train on, you could get injured, get knocked off course, and foil getting to your goals.

Wherever you workout (at home, in the gym, on the go) make sure you are in a safe area with enough space to workout. Propper clothing a shoes are absolutely essential in protecting the body without inhibiting the body’s range of motion.

Time: Less is More

If I didn’t stress this enough earlier, my goal isn’t to make your entire life about working out and fitness. If I wanted you to do that I would have told you to go join a fitness cult. Just kidding!

Before I digress, I want you to know that my goal is for fitness to enhance your life, not take it over. There are so many other important things in life outside of fitness: friends, family, vacations, work, hobbies, girlfriends, boyfriends, excursions, sleep, music, sports, dance, and making memories and experiences with the people in your life that matter.

I’m providing you an integrative nutrition and workout experience that will enhance your progress toward your goals, and that will save you time for the things in life that matter. Therefore, we will be performing workouts using the minimum effective time, to see the maximal amount of results.

Using the most effective methods in the minimal amount of time to maximize your results. That’s going to be our goal in getting you lean and mean in the next 30 days and beyond.

Intensity: Unleash the Beast Within the Beauty

This is the key that most of my clients and friends hate hearing, because it implies some hard work, hard breathing, and breaking a sweat. I’m hearing more and more that the majority of people are opting for shorter, high intensity workouts vs. longer workouts at a low to moderate intensity.

Although the former method can feel like ‘death while training’ at times, experts are discovering that through hard testing and concrete data that the metabolic benefits of shorter, high intensity workouts outweigh that of low intensity, steady-state cardio and some of the old strength training regimens.

The intensity that you bring to your workouts is going to dictate the results of the body that you want. I’ll be frank with you here. You know yourself well enough at this point that you could place yourself in one of two categories, or if you don’t, you are going to find out soon.

1) The Underachiever: Characterized by lack of enthusiasm, effort, and general liking of physical activity. Prone to not pushing themselves, and have trouble seeing results at all (if ever) because of their lack of enjoyment and staying consistent with anything. For you, effort in anything, especially exercise, is pain.

2) Go Hard or Go Home: Which can most of the time end up as “Go hard and go to the hospital.” These folks love pushing their limits, love the challenge, endorphins, adrenaline rush, and sweat. Can push it too hard and suffer injuries for extended periods of time because working out for them is life.

See what the problem is here? Most of us are sitting in extremes, and few view exercise with moderation. I want to help bring you it toward the middle, so that you can enjoy exercise but that it won’t overtake the rest of your life.

The Circuit Solution

The crux of your new, custom fitness plan is built on the foundation of circuit training. Circuit training will provide you all of the strength and toning benefits that typical strength programs provide, with the added benefit of the cardiovascular boost. In short, throwing your strength exercises into a circuit to save time and ramp up your cardiovascular intensity will make your burn significantly higher during and after your workout.

How many sets and reps should you be doing?

Since this happens to be one of the most underrated questions when it comes to training, I thought that I would break it down for you. There are benefits to training in a variety of rep ranges, and your body is going to respond best to giving it plenty of variety. That way, you will continue to progress in developing your abdominals and losing body fat.

Your body is an incredibly smart and efficient machine. If you give it the same stimulus for long enough, it will stalemate and progress will be difficult. If you give your body a variety of different exercises in different rep ranges, your musculature will continue to transform and develop in the way that you want it to.

So many of us focus on the work that we are doing in the gym that we tend to neglect the amount of time that we should be resting between sets and circuits. Your body NEEDS rest so that you can perform each of your sets and rounds to completion. Rest is absolutely necessary for recovery and muscle growth.

In this lecture I have given you some recommendations for how much time you should be resting based on your level of experience, from beginners to seasoned fitness people.

Now, constructing your own workouts may sound intimidating to you, but don't worry. I simplified this process to make it as easy and stress free as possible for you to do.

Here's how to make your own workouts in less 3-5 minutes...

First: Choose Your Exercises for Your Circuit

Example Template:

1. Select a Pushing exercise for Chest, Tricep, and/or Shoulder Exercise (note: a lot of pushing movements that use the chest and tricep muscles will also incorporate the shoulders.
2. Select a Lower Body Exercise for Your Quadriceps: Squats, squat jumps, jump squats, and box jumps
3. Select a Core Exercise
4. Select a Pulling Exercise for Your Biceps and Back
5. Select a Lower body Exercise for your posterior leg muscles: Dead lifts, step ups, lunges, lunge jumps, box hop-overs.

Here is another example template that you will see in the workouts...

1. Select a pushing exercise or shoulder exercise
2. Select a lower body exercise for quadriceps
3. Select a core exercise
4. Select a lower body for your posterior leg muscles
5. Select an upper body pulling exercise
   

You will notice in the example workout videos that sometimes I like to change up the format. So if you want to change your workout format for yourself, keep these simple principles in mind

• Doing two upper body or lower body exercises back-to-back in a circuit can be difficult. If you feel like that is going to be too hard, alternate upper body exercises with lower body movements and core exercises, and vice versa. This will give one region of your body some time to recover, while the other region is working. In one of my workout videos, I have push-ups at the beginning of the workout and rows at the end, so I may take a short rest at the end of the circuit before I go back to push-ups.
• I noted this above, but it is great to keep in mind: Most pushing movements for your chest and triceps also incorporate your shoulder muscles

Second: Choose whether you will do each exercise for time, or a certain number of repetitions

1. For Time: If you choose to do each exercise for a certain period of time during your circuit, download an interval timer for your phone or computer, or set one on your watch for 40-45 seconds of work. There are tons of great interval timers for free in the Android and apple application stores. I recommend using the timed format if you are working out at home because it is great for body weight exercises.
2. For Reps: Select one of the rep ranges in the previous section, based on your goals. This method is great for your in-gym workouts because you can select the weight amounts that are appropriate for your rep ranges.

Third: Choose Your Number of Rounds (number of times that you will perform your circuit).

Perform your circuit 4-5 times, resting as mentioned in the last section. Your ultimate goal for each workout is to rest as little as possible (only as much as you need) between each exercise and each round of your circuit. This will make sure your heart rate stays elevated and that your muscles are in constant motion and tension, which will maximize your burn and after-burn from your workout.

Congratulations! You now know how to create your own awesome and effective total body workouts!

This is the exact formula that I use for myself and my clients to build 90% of my body weight circuits. It will make sure that you work your major muscle groups with no equipment necessary. This will maximize fat burn, calorie burn, and muscle development. Keep in mind, the intensity of these workouts should be high.

You should be sweating and breathing hard while you are performing these, or you will be doing yourself a great disservice in getting 6 pack abs.

Here I have included a template that will teach you exactly how to construct your own HIIT workouts. These will dramatically increase your fat loss in a minimal amount of time. Keep in mind, there is a reason they are called "high intensity." You are going to have to work hard to reap the plethora of benefits that this style of workout will provide.

In case you are on a time crunch to get ready for a particular event, whether is be a wedding, vacation, holiday, or simply beach and pool season, this is the exercise template that will get you there.

It would be my preference and recommendation that you take your time with ingesting and applying this program to your life so that you can get six pack abs and keep them. I do however understand that there are going to be those times where you want to drop that last 1-3% body fat (and few pounds) on an abbreviated schedule.

See attached for how to get shredded and event ready in 30 days.

This is an excellent total body workout that uses a minimal amount of equipment. Keep in mind that you can use the modifications from the exercise instructionals to custom fit this workout for your skill and ability level.

Why not workout outside to get the benefits of vitamin D and fresh air? Here are some effective exercise basics that will elevate your heart rate and help you build lean, fat-burning muscle mass.

A little more challenging than the total body madness #1 workout. This is another effective workout using a combination of major muscle group exercises that will work you out from your shoulders to your calves.

Ready for the next level in intensity? This total body workout is designed for those of you who are a little more experienced in exercise, but can be modified for anyone. Take a look at the example exercises listed in the lectures below and make modifications as necessary.

This is one of my favorite total body workouts that I use every time that I travel. It is a great way to elevate your heart rate, build muscle, burn fat, and save time while you are enjoying your vacation or business trip.

Barbell Chest Press

• Lay your back flat on the bench and plant your feet firmly on the floor, with your heel under your knees.
• Place yourself under the bar so that the bar is just directly at or just above your nipple line.
• Grip the bar at about shoulder width apart or just wider than shoulder width.
• With your palms facing up while gripping the bar, rotate your palms up toward the ceiling.
• Dismount the bar from the rack by pressing up.
• Lower the bar until your elbows are about at a 90 degree angle, right at or slightly above your nipple line.
• Drive your heels into the ground, and press the bar up toward the ceiling to fully extend your arms.

This should be performed similarly to the barbell chest press. Here are the differences.

Dumbbell Chest Press

• Setup: Sit down on the bench, resting your dumbbells on your thighs.
• Roll back slowly on the bench so that your back is flat, and rest the dumbbells on your chest and the fronts of your shoulders.
• Rotate your elbows out slowly and under control, while you press your dumbbells toward the ceiling to fully extend your arms.
• Make sure that the interior dumbbell heads are facing each other
• Bend both of your elbows to about a 90 degree angle, then press each dumbbell back up toward the ceiling, so that your fists are directly above your shoulders.

There are a few different shoulder exercises that I use in order to maximize the effectiveness and aesthetic of my shoulder muscles. They are all included in this video, in order...

1. Shoulder V Front Raise
2. Reverse Shoulder Fly
3. Dumbbell Shoulder Press

Technique and Form

• Stand straight up with your knees slightly bent, holding a dumbbell in each hand, along your side.
• With your arms slightly bent, bring your dumbbells out in front of you so that your arms form a V shape with your torso. Your arms should be slightly wider than shoulder width apart.
• Raise the dumbbells with your thumbs toward the ceiling, and stop the dumbbell when the head closest to your thumb gets to shoulder level.
• Slowly lower the dumbbell to the starting position.

Technique and form.

• Bend your knees slightly and bend over so that your chest is just out over your knees.
• Hold your dumbbells with your arms relaxed so that your arms are perpendicular to the ground.
• With your elbows slightly bent, raise your dumbbells outward and up so that your hands become level with your shoulders.
• Lower your dumbbells to the starting position.

Here are some different push-up variations to employ in your training.

Technique for push-ups

• Keep your back straight.
• Place the heel of your palms just at or slightly above your nipple line.
• Hand placement is just at or a little wider than shoulder width apart, concentrating your weight in the heel of your palm.
• Make sure that your chest is the first part of your body to touch the ground.
• Lower your chest to the ground by bending your elbows, either backwards toward your waist (advanced) or outward at a near 90 degree angle with your torso (intermediate).
• If you cannot lower your chest to the ground in either a push-up or modified push-up setup, go as low as you can comfortably.
• Press your upper body off of the ground until your arms are fully extended.

Similar principles to regular or modified push-ups.

• Back straight.
• Hand placement is just at or a little wider than shoulder width apart, concentrating your weight in the heel of your palm.
• Make sure your chest hits the ground, not your stomach.Or if you cannot go to the ground, go as low as you comfortably can.

The most effective exercises for six pack abs are...

1. Plank based exercises
2. Anti-rotational exercises

Both of these exercises maximize the amount of muscle fibers used by your abdominal muscles and low back. These are the best types of exercises for flattening your stomach, sculpting your abs, and improving your posture.

How to Complete a Proper Barbell Row

• Start this movement standing straight up with your feet shoulder width apart. Grip the bar underhand so that your palms are facing out, at about shoulder width apart.
• Bend over slightly, bending at the knees, and keeping your back straight.
• Bend your elbows and pull the bar toward your torso, so that the middle of the barbell comes between your belly button and sternum.
• Lower the bar to fully extend your arms.

The great thing about rowing is that you don't need fancy dumbbells or barbells to do it (I just used them for making these videos). You can use gallon water jugs, backpacks loaded with books, sand bags, or even cinder blocks if you want to do these exercises at home.

How to Complete a Proper 1 arm bent-over row

• Start this position with one knee and the same side hand positioned comfortably on a bench.
• Your other foot can be placed behind your hips, stable, and on the ground with your weight in your toes. That same side hand is holding your dumbbell off of the floor, beside the bench.
• To set up the movement, straighten your back straight, and make sure your back and shoulders are parallel to the ground.
• Bend at your elbow to pull your dumbbell up toward your chest, and slowly lower it back to the starting position.

How to Complete a Proper 1 arm bent-over row

• Start this position with one knee and the same side hand positioned comfortably on a bench.
• Your other foot can be placed behind your hips, stable, and on the ground with your weight in your toes. That same side hand is holding your dumbbell off of the floor, beside the bench.
• To set up the movement, straighten your back straight, and make sure your back and shoulders are parallel to the ground.
• Bend at your elbow to pull your dumbbell up toward your chest, and slowly lower it back to the starting position.

Technique and Form

• Bend your knees slightly and bend over so that your chest is just out over your knees.
• Hold your dumbbells with your arms relaxed so that your arms are perpendicular to the ground.
• With your elbows slightly bent, raise your dumbbells outward and back toward your hips so that your lats are engaged on the contraction portion of the fly.
• Lower your dumbbells to the starting position.

How to Complete a Proper Table Row

• Lay with your back flat on the floor and make sure that the bar or table is at a distance off of the ground so that you can fully extend your arms, through the motion of your row.
• Grip the bar with an underhand grip.
• While keeping a flat back with your heels on the ground, and your legs straight out, bend your elbows and pull your chest toward the bar or table.
• In a controlled manner, lower yourself so that your arms are fully extended, and repeat the exercise.
• This movement is perfect for sturdy tables and desks, for working out at home or when you are traveling.

Form and Technique

• Start by hanging from the bar with your arms at about shoulder width apart, or slightly wider than shoulder width.
• Starting position: To setup for your pull-up, retract and depress your shoulders as if you were trying to tuck your shoulder blades into your back pocket.
• Now you are ready to perform a pull-up.
• While keeping your shoulders down and retracted, pull your chin above the bar or as close to the bar as you can get.
• Lower yourself to the starting position.

Form and Technique

• Start by hanging from the bar with your arms at about shoulder width apart, so that your palms are facing pack toward you.
• Starting position: To setup for your chin-up, retract and depress your shoulders as if you were trying to tuck your shoulder blades into your back pocket.
• Now you are ready to perform a chin-up.
• While keeping your shoulders down and retracted, pull your chin above the bar or as close to the bar as you can get.
• Lower yourself to the starting position.