IT'S All ABOUT THOSE ABS!

Let's Talk Abdominals!

I'm absolutely loving all the feed back I'm getting from my viewers and I'm super interested in what you all are eager to learn about.  An overwhelming amount of you all have said you want to know more about ABS.  So let's start at the beginning.  What muscles make up this sexilicious body part:

The Tranverse Abdominals

Internal Obliques

External Obliques

Rectus Abdomins

**All of these muscles are responsible for facilitating specific body movements which means, YES, it is ideal to do AB workouts that challenge ALL of them.  To get the overall strength and physical beauty that you want out of your ABS, this is key.  To find great workouts that work all of these muscles, just type it into Google and you will discover at least a couple thousand :)

MY TOP 3 TIPS:

#1.  Abdominals are born and become exceedingly beautiful in the KITCHEN.

AKA. Eating a CLEAN diet.

#2.  Consuming a lot of HIGH Sodium beverages or food will help you retain unneeded water.

AKA. Making you look bloated.

#3.When you do AB workouts mix up the pace.

AKA. This activates the muscle and challenges them in different ways.

Let me go back to #1 and what I believe is not only the most important key to shining AB muscles, but it's also the most overlooked.  I can't begin to stress the importance of eating clean, at least most the time.  If you truly want to have a visable six pack, it starts in the kitchen.  You can do AB workouts everyday, but my friends, IF YOU ARE INTAKING UNNECESSARY FATS AND CARBS YOUR 6 PACK WILL NOT SHOW.  You have a layer of intramuscular fat within your abs and if that layer is more pronounced than your AB muscles, you simply will not see your hard work from the gym.

* My Story *

I used to do soooo many AB workouts in college where I played soccer at the lovely Cleveland State University.  I never had as good of ABS as I have now and that is simply because I didn't understand how getting toned ABS was a result of not just doing the workouts, but eating clean. We all have AB muscles in us somewhere, some just have more intramuscular fat on top of them then others.  I personally don't have time to always go to the gym but if I'm doing the right stuff in the kitchen I can still see improvement.  This little tidbit is something I really didn't realize until I stopped being a super competitive athlete.  I realized that I can have great ABS without being a gym junkie too!!

I hope this helps you tackle any obstacles to obtaining those toned, solid ABS!!

*Look forward to another blog focusing on my TOP AB Exercises!*

Shake it UP!

SHAKE it UP!

Let me tell you about one of my favorite healthy lifestyle ideas that keeps me not only FIT but feeling great.  I LOVE integrating veggie/fruit shakes into my everyday diet.  I find that it's a great way to make sure I'm getting all my fruits and veggies in for the day.  Having a smoothie is also a perfect way to substitute a breakfast, lunch or dinner.  This may come in handy after you had a long night or drinking alcohol or eating foods that aren't the most nutritious! My awesome mom and dad gave my husband and I the Health Master blender for Christmas a couple years ago and it's been a go to meal maker in our house ever since.  I found that this machine is great and you can make anything from shakes to dip or even soup in it :)  However, it can be a little pricey which is why I want to acknowledge that you can make a shake in a regular $40 blender too! ... it just may not last as long!

Below is the link to the blender I use :

http://www.myhealthmaster.com

I also love to add Blenditup Protein+ Smoothie Mix to my shakes.  Its 100%vegan and it uses protein from organic vegetables such as Soybean Quinoa to fuel your drink.  With just 2 scoops your smoothie is stocked up with 14 g of protein.  It also supplies you with a healthy does of Amino Acids and Vitamins.  Oh and its gluten free ! 

Check it out for yourself https://blenditup.com

Tips with making smoothies:

Keep it super healthy by putting more vegetables in it than fruits! 

Check out this website for A-Z help on making some super invigorating smoothies :)

http://drinks.seriouseats.com/2013/08/protips-smoothies-without-recipes-better-texture-ingredients-equipment-advice.html