START NOW AND GET IT TIGHT BY LABOR DAY!

WELL,  HONESTLY, IT MAY NOT TAKE THAT LONG!!


I have decided that June was going to be the month I commit to my physical training by going to the gym every day until July 1st. My reasoning for upping my training dates is to give a jump start to my conditioning. The way I see it once school starts I won’t be able to get in more than three days a week. Now that is a good schedule for me to maintain and tune up a little, but I won’t expect to make any particular gains when it comes to moving more weight, which is cool. I don't want to be strong enough to handle the possibility of going to school and working at the same time.


Enough about me, as what motivated me to make this particular post was the coincidence of a comedian Mark Markoff (who was also featured on ‘The Today Show’), who challenged himself to get six-pack abs in a month. The link is to the first episode and what you will see is that the regimen he is going on involves both diet and full body conditioning. One of the biggest ‘gotchas’ in fitness is the myth of target training for your abs. While there are a number of different exercises to work the abdominals, fat is something that comes off in an even layer over your entire body. Unless you burn the fat covering you stomach, you won’t ever develop your six-pack. Also there are exercises where the abs acts as secondary stabilizers to the primary muscle group that is being worked. One exercise that comes to mind is shoulder presses, particularly standing shoulder presses. Your entire core is engaged and is working even though the target, the shoulders is the area directly involved in moving the weight.


So in the videos of his experience you will catch glimpses of Mark doing other exercises where the stomach is not directly involved. But let’s say we don’t have access to a gym and the different weight machines to get a full body workout. Does that mean we don’t have a way to get six-pack abs?





Even though my man Ahmad is in a gym, you don’t need to have any of the machines to speed your heart and raise your aerobic intensity to do this work out. Short bursts in the back yard or up and down a flight of stairs will do just as much good for this workout. Kettle bells are not that expensive and a small investment when it comes to being able to get fit without the pressure of going to a gym. Not only do I like kettle bells but I am also a proponent of the stability ball along with exercise bands. I think for less than $200 dollars, you could outfit an efficient home gym. And if you go the used route via garage sales and thrift stores, you can cut that cost in half or come out even better.


But say you lack the motivation to purchase any equipment at all. I know that sometimes when you lack the knowledge to use it correctly, that could be a damper to the will to workout. That is why I like Zuzana’s body weight exercises.





Her workouts effectiveness is measured by the intensity that goes into the routine. The challenge is to do as many repetitions of an exercise in a set amount of time. The more you do, the more likely that a person is becoming fitter and toning their body. And because this is stuff you can do at home, there is no reason for being modest! Sometimes, it is embarrassment that keeps many from going into a gym and getting help. Doing some of the ‘pre-workout’ training at home should make a person more confident when the get ready to take that next step and have a formal workout routine where you do utilize a fitness center, if that is what feels right.


Anywho, I hope that you find some inspiration in these videos and make the commitment to better health and fitness!