4 Easy Exercises for Building Washboard Abs
Building washboard abs seems like a very difficult undertaking, but, really, it’s not. Before branding it as an impossible task, take on the challenge and discover for yourself how simple it truly is.

I remember when I got started with this whole six pack abs thing; I didn’t really buy it right away. After much reading, however, I realized ANYONE who had determination and dedication can get totally ripped abs and found some good, no nonsense 6-pack abs information.

It’s a fact that targeted abs exercises can only speed things up for you. Combined with a low-fat diet and regular cardio training, targeted abs exercises will get rid of that undesirable flab and sculpt your ab muscles.

Try to get in your targeted abs exercises 3 to 4 times a week and perform cardio in between those days. Building washboard abs can be easy as pie if you follow these simple exercises:

Weighted Sit Ups

You won’t need a lot for this exercise except for small weights. You don’t have to buy dumbbells because anything that can simulate weight like a small bag of flour or two water bottles will do.

1. Lie on the ground and bring up your knees so your feet are flat on the floor.

2. Place the weights on your chest and secure them with your hands.

3. Without moving your lower body, lift your shoulders off the floor slowly.

4. Go up to a 45-degree angle and hold that position for as long as you can.

5. Go back down to the floor gradually to assume your starting position and repeat all the steps.

Full Body Crunches

Building washboard abs with full body crunches can help you get to your goal faster because it works your obliques, upper abs, and lower abs.

1. Position yourself on the floor again and begin doing your crunches.

2. Lift your legs off the ground the same time you come in for that stomach crunch.

3. Slowly lower your legs and upper body to the floor and assume your starting position.

Ball Crunches

An exercise ball will come in handy for this drill and many others so I suggest you invest in one.

1. Place the ball in the center of the room and sit on it, keeping your feet flat on the floor.

2. Roll your back against the ball without moving your feet. Stop when your thighs and upper body are parallel to the floor.

3. Perform regular crunches while keeping your balance.

4. Remember to keep those muscles tight.

5. Go back down to your original position and repeat the exercise.

Bicycle

1. Again, lie flat on the floor.

2. Put your hands behind your ears and lift your legs off the ground.

3. Begin a cycling motion with your legs, alternately bringing in each leg closer to your pelvis.

4. As your right knee comes up, twist your torso so your left elbow touches it. Then, do the same with the other side.

To guarantee a great workout, do 3 sets of each exercise at 20-25 reps per set. Remember to keep your abdominal muscles tight and drink plenty of water. You’ll soon find out that building washboard abs quickly with these 4 great exercises is easy as pie.

Rock Wants to teach YOU!

Amateur boxer, USA Boxing (Golden Gloves) Brooklyn, New York

Licensed instructor, coach, & trainer since 1994
4th Degree Black Belt – American Tae Kwon Do Association
2nd Degree Black Belt – Midwest Hapkido Federation
5 Time Nebraska State Champion
Middleweight, Light Heavy, Heavyweight & Super Heavyweight Muay Thai Champion (PKA, USMTA, ATA)
PPCT Instructor (Pressure Point Control Tactics)
SHARP Instructor (Sexual Harassment and Rape Prevention)
Civilian Advisor USMC teaching CQC (Close Quarter Combat)
(State Board Pending) Licensed Practical Nurse

3 Opportunities to train with John.  First Come First Serve..Limited Space!

1. Boxing/Kick Boxing/ Muay Thai  SMALL Group Classes

3 days a week 1 hour

Monday  Wednesday & Saturday

630 and 730pm M & W .. Saturday’s at Noon & 1pm

Cost $15 per session paid monthly EFT

CLASS LIMIT…  6 later to grow to 10 with more space.

• Introduction to gym and to the equipment.
• Warm up & Stretching
• Striking basics and bag work including heavy bag, hand held bags, speed bag, etc..
• Fundamentals of shadow boxing
• Hand wrapping
• Rope
• Core work
• Combinations
• Round work on various bags
• Balance training
• Partner drills
• Slipping techniques
• Stick work & distance training
• Footwork
• Cool down

2. ONE ON ONE (Boxing & Kickboxing)

Fee’s Are Temporarily Rolled Back 20 years to just $55/hour

Tuesdays, Thursdays at 630, 730 & 830 pm Saturday’s 8, 9 & 11am

Sorry ONLY 3 people will be able to work with Rock!

• Initial assessment (injuries, speed, flexibility, strengths, weaknesses, timing, etc)
• Plan outline for ongoing training with goal points to achieve.
• Introduction to gym and to the equipment.
• Warm up & Stretching
• Striking basics and bag work including heavy bag, hand held bags, speed bag, etc..
• Fundamentals of shadow boxing
• Hand wrapping
• Rope
• Core work
• Combinations
• Round work on various bags
• Balance training
• Partner drills
• Slipping techniques
• Stick work & distance training
• Footwork
• Cool down
• Mental imagery
• Entrance into competition if the client desires it. (Not mandatory)
• Also includes:
• Forearm and wrist conditioning for impact and strength.
• Weekly follow ups and work to be done at home.
• E-mail updates on progress.
• Fighting strategy & sparring. (When the client is ready).

1. 3. S.H.A.R.P.

(SEXUAL HARRASSMENT AND RAPE PREVENTION)

This is a 6 week course at 2 pm Saturdays for 90 minutes

Cost $150 or $25 per session!  Great Value!

10–Available Spots Per Class!

If you don’t get in this first class… Another Class will begin!

Please Call or Email me to reserve your Spot!!

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(NaturalNews) Scientists from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston have revealed results from a study outlining some of the effects of artificial sweeteners on the body. Conducted on a group of 3,000 women, the results indicated that those who drank two or more artificially-sweetened beverages a day doubled their risk of more-rapid-than-normal kidney function decline.

The study accounted for various other risk factors including the woman’s age, her blood pressure, if she smoked, and if she had any other pre-existing conditions such as heart disease or diabetes. The 11-year study evaluated the effects of all sweetened drinks on progressive kidney decline and discovered that two or more diet drinks leads to a two-fold increase in rapid kidney decline incidences.

Though study results did not show any correlation between sugar- or corn syrup-sweetened drinks and the onset of rapid kidney decline, these ingredients are implicated in causing diabetes and obesity and should not be perceived as safe merely because they did not have a direct correlation in this particular study topic.

High sodium intake was also implicated in the study as promoting progressive kidney decline. Since diet soda contains excessive amounts of sodium, higher than sugar soda, it is no surprise that diet sodas were the primary offenders in the study. However it is unclear from this particular study which ingredient plays the larger role in progressive kidney decline, the artificial sweeteners or the sodium content.

Studies on aspartame
When aspartame was first approved in the 1970s under the name “NutraSweet”, studies were submitted as supposed proof that the artificial chemical was safe. The FDA initially approved the chemical in 1974 for use in a limited number of foods based upon the studies submitted by G.D. Searle Co., the company that invented aspartame.

Following a discovery made shortly thereafter by a research psychiatrist who found that aspartic acid, a primary ingredient in aspartame, caused holes to form in the brains of mice, the FDA decided to form its own internal task force to investigate the initial claims made by the Searle Co.

What the agency discovered was a series of falsified claims, compromised study results, and missing information. The claims made in favor of aspartame were so dubious and the evidence so faulty that the FDA decreed that a grand jury should investigate Searle Co.’s claims. Unfortunately, the case failed to move forward when U.S. Attorney Thomas Sullivan and Assistant U.S. Attorney William Conlon failed to initiate any legal action. Conlon was later hired by the law firm that represented Searle Co.

Investigation revealed that aspartame had caused tumors, seizures, brain holes, and death in many of the studies. All negative findings had been altered or scrubbed from the final reports delivered to the FDA when aspartame was first reviewed.

Time and time again the question over whether aspartame is safe has led to investigations that never go anywhere. Studies are continually released in support of the chemical’s safety even though they fail to address the results of other studies that show it to be harmful.

Other artificial sweeteners
A study published in the January, 2008 issue of the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health revealed that the newer artificial sweetener, sucralose, alters gut microflora and inhibits the assimilation of dietary nutrients.

Commonly marketed as being “made from sugar”, sucralose had undergone no long-term human studies to verify its safety in humans. Like aspartame, initial studies revealed negative reactions by lab animals on whom it was tested, indicating that there could be the same potential problems in humans.

The EU Food Commission, Canadian health officials, and the U.S. FDA all rejected the initial studies submitted by McNeil Nutritionals, the marketers of sucralose, because of the negative results. However they encouraged the company to continue researching until they “got it right”. McNeil simply lowered the levels of sucralose used in their studies until an acceptable limit was found. After several tries, sucralose was finally approved.

Stevia, a safe alternative
A great many varieties of artificial sweeteners have been approved, many scandalously, despite the fact that safe, natural alternatives exist. Stevia, for instance, is a sweet herb from South America that is up to 300 times sweeter than sugar. Claiming inadequate safety research, the FDA has long refused the herb from being included on the “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) list.

Up until last year, all forms of stevia could only be sold as dietary supplements. The extract could not be labeled as a “sweetener” and it could not be included in any food items.

Once the parent companies of both Pepsi and Coca-Cola discovered how to manipulate and patent a segment of stevia, however, it suddenly became safe to use as a sweetener and is now sold on grocery store shelves in packets similar to the artificial sweeteners. The FDA reluctantly added the natural stevia extract to the GRAS list as well.

Stick with natural and unprocessed
When it comes to health, a person’s best bet is to avoid artificial sweeteners altogether. There are plenty of preferable, safe alternatives such as stevia which will allow for a little extra sweetness without all the harmful side effects.

Sources for this story include

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/a…

http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2009…

http://www.holisticmed.com/aspartame/

http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/co…

We at Personalized Fitness & Nutrition are PROUD to have been Voted by  Omaha as “Best of Omaha”!! 

WE definitely have helped more people in a greater way than all the personal trainers (no disrespect to other great trainers and friends) in Omaha.  But with 27 years experience helping people lose fat, gain strength and muscle, increasing their self esteem, athleticism and confidence as well reduce and or eliminate their visits to their chiropractors and medically helping them take personal responsibility to reduce their cholesterol, blood pressure and increase their bone density.  Not to mention helping people manage blood sugar, reduce their insulin intake as diabetics and for borderline diabetics…help them to delay or conquer diabetes completely!   Thank you to our hard working clients, fans of www.PersonalizedFitness.com and all of Omaha who voted for us and or will become a client soon!

Voted by YOU Omaha "Thank You!!"

Sold in over 200 countries, Coca-Cola® is one of the most familiar brands of beverages in the world. As Coke is flavored mostly with caramel and sugar, the latter being such a controversial ingredient, the makers of Coke have long since began using artificial sweeteners instead of sugar.

Studies continue to show that these artificial sweeteners can cause weight gain, disruption of sleep patterns, sexual dysfunction, increases in cancer, MS, Lupus, diabetes, and a list of epidemic degenerative diseases. How ironic that a product originally intended for medicine can actually make you sick.

So it is your choice after reading this Article or don’t mind the above mentioned ailments, and diseases will you continue or will you stop immediatley and share this with all your friends, family and coworkers??

1. Aspartame (phenylalanine)
Used in the majority of diet products, including Diet Coke®, Aspartame can be up to 200 times sweeter than regular (real sugar). The high levels of phenylalanine (detrimental to people with PKU disorder) and methanol in Aspartame destroys neurons and can lead to memory loss, brain tumors and cancer. Twelve ounces of Diet Coke® can contain about 200 mg of Aspartame. Aspartame is a half-billion dollar industry and is the main ingredient in Equal® and NutraSweet®

2. Acesulfame-K (acesulfame potassium) or Ace-K
An artificial sweetener used in Coca-Cola Zero®. Acesulfame-K is 150-200 times sweeter than sugar and is a potential cancer-causing agent. Similar to saccharin, Acesulfame-K enhances a beverages’ sweet taste while extending its shelf life. Acesulfame-K failed to meet FDA standards. Acesulfame-K is marketed under the brand, Sunett and is in Sweet One sweeteners.

3. Neotame (dimethylbutyl)
7,000 to 13,000 times sweeter than sugar (one quarter teaspoon of neotame contains the equivalent of 22 pounds of sugar). Neotame is relatively new and is being marketed to replace high fructose corn syrup in many Coca-Cola products. Neotame can cause ADD/ADHD and other emotional and behavioral disorders. Currently not available in individually wrapped packages.

4. Saccharin
Made from an organic petroleum molecule and can be 300 times sweeter than natural sugar. Saccharin is found in fountain Diet Coke® and should be avoided during pregnancy. Especially harmful to children, saccharin has been implicated as a carcinogen and can cause tumors in the bladder as well as cancer. Saccharin is used in Sweet and Low®

5. Cyclamate or sodium cyclamate
Found in Coke Zero and Coca-Cola Light. Banned by the FDA, cyclamate is especially harmful to the male reproductive system causing infertility and diminished testicles. Cyclamate is a carcinogen, which when combined with other harmful substances, can increase the onset of cancer. Look for this harmful sweetener in products when traveling overseas, especially in Latin America. Cyclamate is in Sugar Twin.
6. Sucralose (E955)
600 times sweeter than sugar and is found in Diet Coke. Preliminary research indicates that sucralose can cause organ damage and intestinal complications as it is removed from the blood stream by the kidneys. Sucralose has also been found to trigger migraines. Sucralose is the ingredient known as Splenda®.

7. Maltodextrin
A bulking base for most, common artificial sweeteners. A type of carbohydrate, Maltodextrin is only slightly sweet or almost flavorless. Affects people with allergies to corn or wheat. It is found in Equal, Splenda and many others.

8. Sucrose
Regular table sugar. In one can of Coke there can be over 40 grams of sugar, equivalent to eight to ten teaspoons. If you substitute water with cola beverages, you could gain 18 pounds in one year. Excessive sugar consumption can cause mood swings, nervous disorders, diabetes, heart disease and hypertension. Sugar feeds every cell including cancer cells. In Mexico, Coca-Cola is made with sugar.

9. High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS 55)
Quite possibly the single most common sweetener. High fructose corn syrup also extends the shelf life of products and is cheaper than sugar. Linked to obesity possibly due to the pervasiveness of its presence, digestion of high fructose corn syrup promotes the storage of fat in the human body. High fructose corn syrup is found Coca Cola Classic.

10. Alitame
2000 times sweeter than sugar and is not calorie free. Alitame is not approved for use in the U.S. and petitions have been withdrawn. Alitame is approved for use in Coke beverages found in Australia, Mexico, New Zealand and China. Alitame was developed by Pfizer®, and is marketed under the brand name, Aclame™.

In an article published online on January 4, 2010 in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, Robert Krikorian of the University of Cincinnati, along with his colleagues from the US and Canadian Departments of Agriculture, report that consuming blueberry juice was associated with improvements in learning and memory in individuals with age-related memory decline.

Blue Berries Great Anti-Oxidants

The trial enrolled five men and four women over the age of 70 who reported forgetfulness and memory lapses characteristic of early memory decline. Participants were given the equivalent of 2 to 2 ½ cups of a commercially available blueberry juice daily for 12 weeks. Cognitive assessments were conducted at the beginning of the study and during the final week of the trial.

At the study’s conclusion, learning and recall were improved, and depressive symptoms and glucose levels tended to be reduced. When subjects who received blueberry juice were compared with a demographically matched sample who received a placebo beverage in a companion trial, test scores for learning ability were significantly better.

Enhanced signaling and neuroprotection have been demonstrated in association with blueberry supplementation in animal studies, and phenolic compounds known as anthocyanins that occur in blueberries have been found in regions of the brain that are essential for cognitive function. Anthocyanins have insulin-like properties that improve metabolic function, which, when disturbed, appears to be a factor in neurodegeneration as well as cardiovascular diseases.

“To our knowledge, this is the first human trial assessing the potential benefit of blueberry supplementation on neurocognitive function in older adults with increased risk for dementia,” the authors announce. “Although the sample size was relatively small, effect sizes were moderate to large for both the primary and secondary analyses.”

“These preliminary memory findings are encouraging and suggest that consistent supplementation with blueberries may offer an approach to forestall or mitigate neurodegeneration,” they conclude. “This initial study establishes a basis for further human research of blueberry supplementation as a preventive intervention with respect to cognitive aging.”

MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS OF EXERCISE

Snow Snow Go Away!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do you think exercise is only good for developing a lean body, strong muscles and a strong heart?  Well, think again about Health and Fitness!  Physical activity has been shown to help with being emotionally and mentally fit also.

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While the majority of fitness research efforts focus on the physical and health benefits of exercise, there is a growing body of work demonstrating that exercise promotes wellness and mental health.  Researchers at Duke University studied people suffering from depression for 4 months and found that 60% of the participants who exercised for 30 minutes three times a week overcame their depression without using antidepressant medication.  This is the same percentage rate as for those who only used medication in their treatment for depression.

You don’t have to be suffering from a clinical or diagnosed Mental Illness to get substantial mental health benefits from exercise and fitness.  One study found that short workouts of 8 minutes in length could help lower sadness, tension and anger along with improving resistance to disease in healthy people.  Many people exercise to boost confidence along with reducing anxiety and stress, all of which contribute to psychological health and well-being.  So, exercise can be viewed as a preventative or wellness activity that may actually help prevent physical and emotional conditions.  By the way, even short bursts of activity help individuals feel better, which means that you don’t have to spend hours at the gym to gain real mental health benefits.

Judith Easton, personal training director and instructor in mindfulness meditation at Galter Life Center in Chicago, noted one reason for the feelings of well-being that are generated during and after exercise: the body’s natural release of endorphins.  These chemicals released by the brain are the body’s natural painkillers and can lead to an increase in feelings of happiness.  “Exercise leads to an increase in energy and to better sleeping patterns, which may also explain why it is so helpful to people with depression.  Low energy and poor sleep are common symptoms of depression.”

Clinical psychologist Eliezer Margoles, Ph.D. stated that feeling joyful and the pleasure of being in one’s body is very beneficial.  He urged people to “take time out, and instead of saying no to exercise say no to something else.” He also cautioned against a “punitive mindset” in which some people engage during exercise, viewing it as a task or punishment instead of a pleasure.  Instead, he recommends that you view movement as an affirmation of living and a function to maintain wellness.

Meditation and yoga, though more nontraditional, also lend themselves to using the body to achieve optimal levels of mental health.  Both “answer the need to have down time along with the need to quiet down and look within” according to Judith Easton.  This is especially important, she noted, because “in the year 2000 people absorb more information in one day than a person in the 1400s absorbed in an entire lifetime”. Easton noted that “technology, including cell phones, faxes and computers, along with the mentality of moving quicker and constantly doing things, tends to lead to people forgetting that this inward focus is necessary and vital to mental health”.  Yoga participants often say they feel more centered and calm, along with the physical benefits of stretching and building strength.

With this information, it is easy to see how exercise is not only beneficial for the body but for emotional and mental health as well.

Sow a thought and you reap an action; sow an act and you reap a habit; sow a habit and you reap a character; sow a character and you reap a destiny.
Emerson, Ralph Waldo on Destiny

Ask yourself…If 2010 was going to be MY BEST Year Yet….What would it look like?

It is time to sow thoughts for 2010..then jot them down.. later in the week I will send you more advice what to do next.

In 2010, consumers will seek out educated, experienced fitness professionals, according to the American College of Sports Medicine’s (ACSM) top fitness trends survey.

A down economy, coupled with the increase in organizations offering accreditation for fitness professionals, was credited for making this the top trend for next year.

“Consumers are more conscious of their finances than ever,” Walter Thompson, lead author of the fitness trends survey, said in a statement. “If they’re going to work with a fitness professional to improve their health, they’re going to do their homework and find someone who’s educated, experienced and certified by a reputable organization such as ACSM.”

The fourth-annual ACSM survey was based on feedback from 1,500 respondents. Some 37 potential trends were given as survey choices, with the top 20 ranked and published by ACSM.

Strength training was listed second in the rankings, which is an indicator of the increased focus on strength training for various populations, survey authors noted.

ACSM’s top 10 fitness trends for 2010 are:

1. Educated and experienced fitness professionals

2. Strength training

3. Children and obesity

4. Personal training

5. Core training

6. Special fitness programs for older adults

7. Functional fitness

8. Sport-specific training

9. Pilates

10. Group personal training

Thank you Omaha for your votes

The measure of your quality as a public person, as a citizen, is the gap between what you do and what you say.-Ramsey Clark