Next, do not waste your money on those infomercial contraptions that promise 'great abs in just minutes a day' or 'great abs without effort' or any other promise that sounds too good to be true. The only thing to believe about those infomercials is that not a single one of well paid actors and models in them got their perfect bodies by using those worthless devices. Most of products you see are poorly designed and often do not even target abdominal muscles, instead focusing on hip flexor muscles. All you need for an effective abdominal workout is enough space for a mat on floor and proper instruction. Throw in an inexpensive stability ball and you can add a whole new dimension and challenge to your workouts.

Finally, reality is that for vast majority of us, 'six pack' is already there. Unfortunately for that same vast majority, our body fat levels do not allow it to be seen. Despite what ads and infomercials will tell you, it is not possible to spot reduce amount of fat covering certain areas of your body, no matter how many crunches, side bends, or repetitions with some silly device you do. By themselves, exercises targeting these muscles will make muscles themselves stronger, but do little, if anything, to shrink layer of body fat covering them. The key to achieving that lower level of body fat is through a program of healthy, balanced nutrition, combined with moderate aerobic exercise and basic resistance training that targets all of major muscle groups in your body, in addition to your ‘abs’. So, next time you catch yourself watching those late night infomercials, realize that is actually how those actors got those perfect bodies, and not by using those worthless products they are trying to get you to waste your money on.

Dave Soucy, Fitness Consultant and Certified Personal Trainer, is the owner of Perfect Fit, LLC.

Overtrained and Strained. Pushing your body to a point that it no longer recovers from workouts. Signs of overtraining can be sleepless nights, an unusually cranky personality, and losing muscle size. A change of workout is usually needed but first preceded with a period of rest so that body can recover. Following a periodization program will help prevent this.

Periodization Program. This program cycles light with heavy training days. This will help body recover faster and also provide an ever-changing training program to prevent body from adapting to workout and preventing growth.

Split Program. A bodybuilding training program that splits workouts up to one or two bodyparts per training session. This can be further broken down into 2 workouts per day. This is called a double split. It can be a 4,5, or 6 day a week program. This is a very advanced training program and can lead to overtraining from not enough rest between training sessions.

Superset. Working two opposing muscle groups in one set. An example would be doing a set of bicep curls and then immediately follow that with tricep pressdowns.

Forced Reps. This involves doing a set to failure and then having your training partner help you with additional reps.

The Pump. A tight warm somewhat burning sensation in a muscle that is from by being worked through manipulation. Can be from using a barbell, dumbbell, exercise machine, or some other means.

PumpOut. Generally, a set of 12 to 15 repetitions added at end of a bodypart workout. This is done to force additional blood into working muscle and deepen “pump” feeling.

Melon Knockers. Lying triceps extensions. The name came from bar being just above head at bottom of movement.

Gabby Haynes. Also called “all mouth”. This fellow bodybuilder can be quite irritating by disturbing other bodybuilders talking to them constantly. This person generally has no regards to other bodybuilders and will talk to them at anytime, even during a hard concentrated set. A common quote used around this bodybuilder is “where is switch to turn it off!”.

Lifting Belt. A leather or nylon belt that is 4 to 6 inches wide. It is usually worn when doing heavy leg workouts even though I seen lifters use them when doing wrist curls. They help support mid torso.

Tourniquet pants. A lifter who wears a bleached out pair of gray sweat pants that have severely shunken in laundry.

Squat Rack. An apparatus used in gym for safety. Most are designed to accommodate all heights with adjustable pins. Leg squats, bench presses, and other lifts can be done using a Squat Rack.

Lightbulb Man. This is describing a male bodybuilder who only works chest and arm muscles.

Rip Up. Can also be called cutting up or lean out. Shedding body fat by aerobic training and diet to show muscularity.

Melon Sized. Sometimes used to describe a pair of large and defined deltoid muscles.

Striated and shredded. A term used to describe a muscle distinguished from other smooth muscle by transverse striations of fibers.

Peeing Nitro. A condition of urinating excess nitrogen from consuming too much protein.

Carbed Up. A process of eating slow burning carbohydrates and drinking water three hours before a workout. This will provide fuel for energy for anaerobic training.

Quarter Barrel Sized. Sometimes used to describe a bodybuilder with unusually large leg muscles. Especially if out of proportion to rest of body.

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The author, Kevin Doberstein is a Certified Fitness Trainer who also owns http://medfordskatepark.tripod.com/mainstreetgym/ Main Street Gym in north central Wisconsin. You can check out his web site

http://www.nature-boy-bodybuilding.com/ Nature Boy Bodybuilding and his Nature Boy Bodybuilding Blog http://thor-body-building.tripod.com/natureboyblog/. Natural bodybuilding is main focus of this blog. Bodybuilding nutrition and fitness articles. Workout exercise programs.

References:

Joe Weider 1981, Bodybuilder, Weider Approach.

Kevin Doberstein is a Certified Fitness Trainer living in northern Wisconsin. He has been a natural bodybuilder for 25 years.Nature Boy, Your Natural Bodybuilding web source. Forever for the cause of Natural Bodybuilding and Fitness.