5 Flat Tummy Myths (and 3 Steps to Tight Abs)

Bathing suit season is right around the corner…are you ready?

Most people want to slim down before baring it all, so I’m here to warn you of the 5 Flat Tummy Myths that could waste your time:

Myth #1: Do extra crunches to flatten your abs.

Excessive crunches aren’t the answer for tight abs. In order to achieve a toned look you’ll have to focus on burning off the layer of fat that is covering up your tummy.

  • Tip: Don’t obsess about crunches – instead focus on fat burning.

Myth #2: Take diet pills to speed results.

I know it’s so tempting! The ads make compelling claims about the power of popping a pill, but don’t fall for it. There is no ‘magic pill’. Diet pills are more likely to burn through your pocketbook than to slim you down.

  • Tip: Don’t pop a pill – instead burn calories with intense exercise.

Myth #3: Turn to packaged diet products to boost results.

Don’t fall for the foods that are packaged as ‘diet’ or ‘weight loss’ aids. Quite often these products are packed with refined sugar and other artificial ingredients that your body doesn’t need, and certainly won’t help you attain that tight tummy.

  • Tip: Don’t eat packaged diet foods – instead stick with nutritious whole foods.

Myth #4: Avoid all carbohydrates in order to achieve tight abs.
Carbohydrates have been given a bad rap, which is unfortunate because you can (and should) eat carbs while slimming down. The key is to stick with whole grains, oatmeal and brown rice while avoiding processed and refined flours and sugars.

  • Tip: Don’t give up all carbohydrates – instead stick with wholesome carbs.

Myth #5: Starve the chub away. 

Trying to lose weight by starving yourself is not only ineffective it can also be dangerous. It may seem that severe calorie restriction would deliver the quickest weight loss, but your body is complex and by doing so you’ll disrupt your metabolism and slow your results.

  • Tip: Don’t starve yourself – instead eat small wholesome meals throughout the day.

Now that you know what not to do in order to achieve tight abs, it’s time to go over your flat tummy game plan. Here’s what you need to know in 3 simple steps:

Step One: No more junk.
The best way to do this is by purging your kitchen. Throw out the sugary, processed and fat-filled foods. Once the junk has been cleared out, don’t buy any more of it. Remember that your beach-ready abs depend on what you eat – don’t eat junk!

Step Two: Eat whole foods.
Replace the junk food in your life with plenty of the following: cooked and raw vegetables, fresh fruits, whole grains, moderate amounts of seeds and nuts, lean meats and low fat dairy. Clean eating really is that simple.

Step Three: Come train with me.
This is the most obvious step. You’re ready to get into great shape and I’m in a unique position to make that happen for you. Call or reply to this email to get started on an exercise plan that will get you those amazing abs.

Fitness Tip of the Week

monday mix fitness tip

by Bryan Harney Ellen Harmening

WHO IS THE WEIRDO SWINGING HIS FEET ON THE PULL-UP BARS… DOES THAT EVEN DO ANYTHING??

OK we have all seen that guy or girl at the gym swinging his feet from the pull-up bar, but does it really do anything??

The answer is… YES!

Pull-up feet raises are an extremely effective way to engage your core, if they are done properly! Watch this video on how to properly do hanging feet raises.

 

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Fitness Tip of the Week

monday mix fitness tip

 

How to Grip the Pullup Bar

You pretty much have 2 options on how to grip the pull-up bar. You can either have your thumbs over the top or underneath. Watch this video that explains the reason why both are ok to use.

 

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Fitness Tip of the Week

monday mix fitness tip

by Bryan Harney Ellen Harmening

5 MOST COMMON MISTAKES WHEN PERFORMING THE SQUAT

Here are the 5 most common mistakes when performing a squat

1. Feet should be slightly more than hip width apart 
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Fitness Tip of the Week

monday mix fitness tip

by Bryan Harney Ellen Harmening

3 TIPS TO ADD RESISTANCE TO YOU PUSHUPS

TRY USING A BAND.

Applying resistance to any exercise can dramatically increase your strength. When using them for your pushups sets, remember to follow these simple rules in the video below. 

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How Low Can You Go?

monday mix fitness tip

by Bryan Harney Ellen Harmening

How Low Can You Go? Perfecting the Squat and My Life Time Struggle to Get it Right!

Why are people so damn afraid of getting low on their squats? I’ll tell you why.

You need to progress into it.

I have been in athletics since I was 8. By athletics, I mean wrestling, because to me any other sport was just play time before that. I have been training and working out ever since. When wrestling at MSU in college, GO GREEN!, I still was not performing the proper squat. I was not going past my comfort zone and it was most likely due to the fact that I was adding too much weight too quickly before developing the right technique. Big NO NO! Read the rest of this entry »

Cheat Meal

Want to know my favorite cheat meal??  My daughter and I LOVE hot, spicy Indian food, so we will go all out and order way more food than two people need!  It’s fun to experiment with new flavors and dishes you can’t pronounce.  She won’t eat the naan, which is wonderful Indian bread cooked in a clay oven, but I will!

Screen Shot 2014-11-10 at 11.21.03 AM

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Fitness Tip of the Week (Nov 10)

monday mix fitness tip

by Bryan Harney Ellen Harmening

 

Check us on Facebook every Monday for our Fitness Tips of the Week “Monday Mix-Up” & subscribe to our Newsletter for FREE past and present content all week on nutritional guidance, Workouts of the Week, Fitness Tips of the Week and much, much more…

Talk soon

-Bryan & Ellen

PS. The kids are back in school! Its time for a little “ME time.” Get your butts back in shape. For less then $3.99 per month you can get boot camp style workouts to bring to your own gym. These are the proven programs that we do every day at our training facility.

Soups On!

I have a love/hate relationship with Autumn.  I love the beautiful colors of the trees and moderate temperatures that are great for doing just about anything outside. I hate it because it means that very soon, it will be dark at 4:30 in the afternoon and old man winter is just around the corner.  Here in Chicago, when winter comes, it settles in and stays for what seems like forever.  That’s when I start making soup.  Nothing beats it for versatility and warmth and nourishment.  I start with the same basic ingredients regardless of which type I’m making:

Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a big stock pot, then add chopped carrot, celery, onion and sauté for a few minutes.  Add minced garlic to taste ( I use 4/5 cloves) and cook one minute more. 

Screen Shot 2014-11-06 at 2.48.06 PM Read the rest of this entry »

Fitness Tip of the Week (Oct 27th)

monday mix fitness tip

by Bryan Harney Ellen Harmening

WHAT THE HELL ARE THOSE HEAVY MEDICINE BALLS FOR?

Have you ever been at the gym and wondered what was up with all the medicine balls? Usually, sizes can range from 10 pounds to even past 100 pounds.

“There can’t be more then 1 or 2 exercises you can do with those things.” Actually, there is more here then meets the eye. Med balls can be used for many different exercises. Read the rest of this entry »

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