How to get a six-pack in four weeks.......................

     

             How to get a six-pack in four weeks

So you've been at the gym, doing crunches like it's high school gym class all over again, and the results have been—well, disappointing. Sound familiar? That's because when it comes to ab exercises, crunches are pretty basic, boring stuff. But you're not a beginner, and your workouts should never be boring.
The solution? It's time to push your abs to exhaustion—and fight the flab—with new ab exercises that are anything but routine. And it's not just a six-pack you'll get: Maintain strong abs, and you’ll help prevent back pain, boost your agility, and increase your flexibility, says Tom Holland, exercise physiologist and author of Beat The Gym: Personal Trainer Secrets Without the Personal Trainer.....

                                           (Diet)

Use Learney’s 10 simple nutritional tenets to supercharge your core musculature. “Employ these dietary changes and you’ll spark up your metabolic rate and get your mid-section functioning correctly,” he says.
1. Avoid refined and processed foods wherever possible.
2. Try to eat six times a day – around every three hours. 3. With every meal, use a portion of protein as your base. Think eggs, fish, chicken, and other lean meats.
4. Between meals snack on nuts, seeds, avocado, olives, or small bags of snap peas.
5. For breakfast and your second meal, make sure you get some starchy carbs – oatmeal, rye, or sprouted bread – and a piece of fruit.
6. For lunch, sweet or regular potato, brown rice and quinoa are all excellent options.
7. For your evening meal, try to get some veg – but avoid root veg and any starchy carbs.
8. Drink lots of water.
9.avoid alchoal.....

                                         The workout

Complete three circuits of the six exercises below four times a week (Learney suggests Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday or Saturday) for four weeks. On two of your non-workout days, complete 45 minutes of uphill treadmill walking (not running).

1. Overhead bench squats

Why? “This exercise has a high metabolic output as multiple joints are used. It fires the midsection through stabilising the weight above the head while simultaneously lengthening the midsection.”

 
How? With a suitably weighted bar held above your head, position yourself in front of a bench. Keeping the bar in line with the midline of the body sit back onto the bench, keeping your chest high and head up. The bar will want to move forward – as you sit back onto the bench try to move it further back. Stand and repeat.
Sets 3-4
Reps 20-30
Rest 30 seconds

Abdominal Hold

This is the sort of move that looks so wonky, you sure hope your roommate doesn't catch you doing it — unless she also gets to see you look stellar in a bathing suit, in which case she just may pull up a chair.

        Do it:

• Sit tall on the edge of a sturdy chair (or step with four risers) and place your hands on the edge with your fingers pointing toward your knees.
• Tighten your abs and bring your toes 2 to 4 inches off the floor. Lift your butt off the chair.
• Hold this position for as long as you can — aim for 5 to 10 seconds.
• Lower yourself down and repeat.
• Continue this exercise for 1 minute.

2.The Hundred

 

A machine- (and accessory-) free Pilates move that afterwards always makes me think 1) "Uh, we sure sounded like we're doing Lamaze," and 2) "Wow."

         Do it:

• Sit tall on the mat with your knees bent by your chest and your hands at your sides.
• Lie down with your knees bent and your palms facing down.
• Exhale and raise your head and shoulders off the mat.
• Vigorously pump your arms 6 inches up and down, reaching with your fingertips.
• Inhale for 5 pumps, then exhale for 5 pumps. Be sure to curl your chin in toward your chest.
• Do 100 pumps, or 10 full breaths.
• Try to keep your lower back pressed in toward the floor and keep your lower abs pulled in toward your spine. You should keep your abs engaged this way throughout the workout.

     3.Opposite Arm and Leg Raise

 

Done during my workout warm-up, this move makes me feel longer, steadier, and seriously balanced. Thanks, core!
Do it:

• Begin on all fours, aligning your knees under your hips and your wrists under your shoulders.
• Raise your left arm to shoulder height and your left leg to hip height.
• Hold for 2 counts, reaching forward with your fingers and back with your heels.
• Repeat this exercise on the opposite side.
• Do 15 to 20 reps, alternating sides.
• For a bigger challenge, touch your opposite elbow to your knee as you pull your arm and leg in.

4.The Single-Leg Stretch

The top of my abs burns at first when I do this move consistently, and after a few days my whole six-pack feels engaged. Nice.

• Lie back in the center of your mat with your knees bent. Lift your head and shoulders and curl your chin in toward your chest.
• Inhale as you draw your left knee in toward your chest, placing your left hand on your ankle and your right hand on your knee.
• Lift your right leg about 45 degrees off the floor.
• Switch legs, extending your left leg while hugging your right leg to your chest.
• Switch hand positions each time your switch legs, placing your right hand on your right ankle and your left hand on your right knee.
• Do between 5 and 10 reps for each side. 

5.The Cobra

 

After doing a series of regular crunches and other lying-down exercises, getting into cobra pose is a welcome change. It always makes me feel like I'm lengthening the front of my rib cage, too, which is a sweet reward.
Do it:

• Lie facedown on the floor with your palms near your chest.
• Lift your head, shoulders, and chest off the floor, pulling your shoulder blades down and together.
• Hold for 2 counts and then lower back down. Repeat 8 to 10 times.
• For a more difficult exercise, try lifting your thighs and hips off the floor.