Hello everyone. Today’s article is a guest post from Ab-Solutely Fit.

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The human animal is definitely an interesting one. It’s an animal that truly wants to be able to show off to the fullest and for most modern day humans that’s going to be having the best body, period.

Male or female, there’s just something exciting about showing off a nice body and causing jealousy in other people.

It’s not like it’s a bad thing at all if you step out of your house and people can’t wait to comment on your hard work at the gym.

But what if you’re at the beginning and you need some specific help? After all, there are so many myths about abs that it can be hard to really figure out what you’re supposed to be paying attention to and what you’re supposed to ignore.

You just need to make sure that you build a plan that is based on sound research rather than all of the myths about abs. So, what’s your action plan?

1. Diet Starts Today – No Excuses!

One of the biggest myths is that diet really doesn’t play a role into creating the physique that you want. That’s just not true.

If your diet currently exists off a lot of fast food runs and trips to the grocery store that include candy, soda, and chips…guess what? You’re not going to chisel out those abs anytime soon.

Is it about a “balanced” diet then? Perhaps, but we like to be specific. A ketogenic diet and strength training go hand in hand.

This is a diet that’s about precision, so you will want to track your food and ensure that you are also keep your carbohydrates low and of a certain quality.

The days of refined carbohydrates like cakes, cookies, pies, donuts and the like are behind you.

If you want to build solid abs, you’re going to need good sources of protein — eggs, beef, poultry, and fish. Plant sources are okay but animal sources are much more complete from start to finish.

2. Train Hard!

A lot of the exercise-related myths surrounding the glorious abdominals rely on spot training.

There’s just no such thing. If you ultimately want to get the body you want, you’re going to need to focus on the whole thing.

Your body moves together as a system. You need to ensure that the system in question moves in a certain way.

It’s going to be up to you to make sure that you design a workout program that you can live with. If you really want a short cut to a great body overall, you can’t go wrong with strength training.

We like a circuit that focuses on dead lifts, cleans, snatch lifts, squats (with weight) and plenty of curls and flies.

You’re going to want a great chest to go with those great abs, right? Absolutely. Hitting the gym and focusing on your workout is going to be the key.

3. Rest Up!

Just as it’s important to make sure that you get your exercise in, you’re also going to want to get the right amount of rest.

Wearing yourself out at the gym can actually backfire on you. The body raises a hormone called cortisol, also known as the stress hormone.

When you’re under that type of stress, your muscles don’t grow. The body is focused on a lot of other things besides muscle growth! So you have to make sure that you get rest.

We’re talking about the basics: 8-10 good hours of sleep in a very dark room along with lots of down time. Stress ruins your progress, just like poor eating does.

However, if you put all of these points together, you’re going to have a basic blueprint for finally getting the body you’ve always wanted – abs and all!

It’s been over a year since I last did a product review article. Today I’ve finally got my act together and completed a new product review. The product I reviewed is The Beginners Guide To Muscle Building by Shannon Clarke and I have broken the review down into the following sections.
- Product Overview.
- Good Points.
- Bad Points.
- Overall Rating.

PRODUCT OVERVIEW

The Beginners Guide To Muscle Building contains 16 chapters and 110 pages. However, the information covered can be grouped into 4 main sections:
- Introduction.
- Exercise.
- Diet.
- Lifestyle
- Action Plan & Further Reading.

1) Introduction:

The first 4 chapters and 48 pages focus on an introduction to all things related to building muscle. The very first section introduces the author Shannon Clarke. For those who don’t know, Shannon is a fitness expert and AFLCA certified personal trainer who holds a degree in Exercise Science. She is a published author who also contributes to some of the largest fitness sites on the Internet including Bodybuilding.com and Askmen.com. In terms of muscle building she most definitely knows her stuff.

Shannon begins the main part of the ebook by discussing some of the common reasons people fail when trying to build muscle and some of the popular misconceptions associated with this type of training. After this she discusses what you need before you start working out and then provides a pretty comprehensive overview of the basic weight lifting principles and terms. In this section Shannon covers sets, reps, rest period between sets, the different types of lifts, periodisation, avoiding injuries and more.

2) Exercise:

The next 8 chapters and 27 pages discuss a number of muscle building exercises and options. In these chapters Shannon covers exercises for the main muscle groups – chest, abs, arm, leg, shoulder and back. For each body part she provides some basic exercises with recommended sets and reps and also some specific training tips for the particular body parts.

After this, Shannon takes a look at working out from home and then covers cardiovascular exercise. She covers the pros and cons of home workouts and outlines some of the equipment you will need if you choose to workout from home instead of joining a gym. Shannon then discusses the different types of cardio training and how you can implement cardio into your workout.

3) Diet:

The next 2 chapters and 16 pages cover meals and supplements. Shannon begins the meals section by focussing on the amount of calories you need to be eating and then goes on to discuss carbohydrates, protein and dietary fats in more detail. In the supplements section Shannon discusses how to avoid over hyped supplements and how to determine which ones are actually worth your money.

4) Lifestyle:

The next chapter and 4 pages look at how lifestyle factors such as alcohol, smoking, stress and sleep affect your muscle building progress. Shannon also provides some positive lifestyle choices you can make to overcome these negative habits.

5) Action Plan:

The final chapter and 11 pages provide you with an action plan and some further reading. The action plan brings together all the information in The Beginners Guide To Muscle Building and provides you with some daily exercise and diet plans. The further reading section then links you to a number of useful resources such as exercise databases, calorie calculators and healthy recipes.

GOOD POINTS

1) Key Terms:

From a beginner’s point of view the best part of The Beginners Guide To Muscle Building is the introduction to key terms. When I first started weightlifting I didn’t know the difference between a set and a rep. I couldn’t tell you if someone was performing a compound or isolation movement. It took me months to learn all the different terms and I would have really benefited from something that told me exactly what each term meant right from the beginning.

2) Training The Different Body Parts:

Another thing that The Beginners Guide To Muscle Building does well is explain exactly how to work each of your muscle groups. When I first started weight lifting I just wanted to build muscle. I didn’t know that you had to train your different body parts in different ways. I also didn’t know how to train them in different ways beyond what the trainer had shown me. In fact during my first few months at the gym I only learnt new exercises when I asked one of the trainers for a new program. If I had something like this ebook from the start it would have been brilliant because I would have understood what I was doing right away instead of blindly following an exercise program.

3) Fitness Misconceptions:

Another thing I really liked about The Beginners Guide To Muscle Building is that it gives you the truth behind some of the common fitness misconceptions. There’s a lot of bad information floating around in the gym from both trainers and regular gym goers. However, when you are first starting out you take it as gospel because after all these guys are in the gym all the time. Why wouldn’t they know their stuff? When you get a little bit of experience you realise that some people at the gym simply love the sound of their own voices and may not actually have the best advice. This part of the ebook gives you that information even if you don’t have the experience and saves you wasting a lot of time listening to bad, ill-informed advice.

4) Supplements:

One of the first things I did after joining the gym was head down to the shops and buy a weight gain supplement. It contained a ridiculous amount of calories and promised that I would gain a lot of muscle very quickly. When I looked at the ingredients I saw that it was mainly sugar but since I didn’t know any better I continued to take it. Luckily I only made this mistake once but I know a lot of people who consistently waste their money on well marketed, ineffective supplements. This section of The Beginners Guide To Muscle Building tells you what ingredients to look out for when buying supplements. If I had read this when I was a beginner I would have never invested in that sugar filled weight gain powder and this section could save other beginners from wasting their hard earned cash when it comes to buying supplements.

BAD POINTS

1) Diet Section:

The diet section of The Beginners Guide To Muscle Building is a lot lighter than the exercise section. Whilst it does give a good introduction to carbohydrates, proteins and dietary fats it doesn’t really cover vitamins or minerals at all. In fact the only mention that vitamins and minerals do get is in the form of supplements.

2) Lifestyle Section:

The lifestyle section is even lighter than the diet section and to be honest feels like a bit of a bolt on. Whilst they are all valid points, I think they need a lot more meat. Two short paragraphs on why smoking is bad are not going to motivate many people to quit.

OVERALL RATING

8/10

It’s kind of strange reviewing The Beginner’s Guide To Building Muscle as I’ve been weightlifting for over 10 years. With my current knowledge, there’s very little this ebook would teach me. However, if I had read it before my first ever gym session then it would have been a massive help and I highly recommend beginners get a copy.

Whilst the diet section could do with a little fleshing out and the lifestyle section probably doesn’t even need to be included, the introduction and exercise sections are fantastic. They help give you a basic understanding of weightlifting and building muscle that normally takes months to develop. Overall, The Beginner’s Guide To Building Muscle is a must read for beginners.

A few days ago I discussed 9 fun family exercise ideas you could try this Christmas. However, sometimes it is just too cold or too icy to go outside. In fact sometimes you just don’t fancy the cold and would prefer to stay inside.

If that happens don’t worry – you can still fit in some exercise. Whilst a gym and open spaces certainly give you more options when it comes to exercise, they are not essential. Today I am going to be proving that point by listing 12 weightless workouts you can perform within the comfort of your own home. You don’t need any equipment for these workouts – just you and your bodyweight.

1) BRIDGE

The bridge is a great stretch for your lower back. It can improve posture and help to relieve lower back pain associated with poor posture and sitting on a chair for too long. To perform the bridge watch the video and follow the instructions below.

Video:

Instructions:
- Lie flat on your back with your legs and arms outstretched.
- Bend your arms and legs so that your hands and feet are flat on the floor.
- Push up with your arms and legs and arch your back.
- Hold for 30 seconds.

2) BOX SPLITS

The box splits are a stretch most guys probably think are reserved for girls. However, there are plenty of advantages of doing box splits for guys as well. They increase your range of motion, reduce your chances of injury when playing sports and much more. To perform box splits watch the video and follow the instructions below. If you are struggling use the cushion trick in the video:

Video:

Instructions:
- Stand with your legs as wide as they can go without becoming uncomfortable or causing you to lose your balance.
- Place your hands on the floor.
- Slowly widen your legs even further. This will feel slightly uncomfortable as you are pushing your legs past their normal range of motion. However, if it starts to feel painful stop immediately.
- Hold for 30 seconds.

3) HAMSTRING STRETCH

The hamstring stretch is another great way to improve your functional flexibility for sports. It also helps with day to day things such as putting on your shoes and socks (it’s much easier to do this when you can touch your toes without bending your legs). To perform the hamstring stretch watch the video and follow the instructions below:

Video:

Instructions:
- Sit with your legs straight out in front of you.
- Try to touch your toes with your hands whilst keeping your legs straight.
- If you cannot do this, touch as far down your legs as possible whilst keeping them straight.
- If you can do this, try to touch your head to your knees whilst keeping your legs straight.
- Hold for 30 seconds.

4) SHOULDER STRETCH

The shoulder stretch improves the flexibility of your chest and shoulders. To perform the shoulder stretch watch the video and follow the instructions below:

Video:

Instructions:
- Whilst standing place one arm horizontally across your chest.
- Hook this arm with your other arm and pull it towards your chest.
- Hold for 30 seconds.
- Repeat with your second arm.

5) TRICEP STRETCH

The tricep stretch is a great stretch for both your upper back and your triceps. To perform the tricep stretch watch the video (exercise 1a) and follow the instructions below:

Video:

Instructions:
- Whilst standing place one arm behind your head and bend your elbow so that your hand is touching your upper back.
- Push down on your elbow with your other arm.
- This will feel slightly uncomfortable as you are pushing your tricep and shoulder past their normal range of motion. However, if it starts to feel painful stop immediately.
- Hold for 30 seconds.
- Repeat with your second arm.

6) GOMUKHASANA ARMS

This strange sounding stretch is one of the best I have ever come across. It improves the flexibility of your arms, shoulders and upper back. To perform gomukhasana arms watch the video and follow the instructions below. If you are struggling use a belt, strap or towel as shown in the video:

Video:

Instructions:
- Whilst standing place one arm behind your head and bend your elbow so that your hand is touching your upper back.
- Place your other arm behind your lower back and bend your elbow so that your hand is also touching your upper back.
- Try to touch your hands together.
- Hold for 30 seconds.
- Repeat with your arms the other way around.

7) PRESS UPS

Press ups are an old but effective weightless workout that can strengthen your chest and triceps. To perform press ups watch the video and follow the instructions below:

Video:

Instructions:
- Lie flat on your stomach, place your hands parallel to your chest and straighten your legs out behind you.
- Raise your body off the floor and support your weight with your feet and hands.
- Keep your body straight and slowly bend your elbows until your nose touches the floor.
- Slowly extend your arms and raise your body back to the starting position.
- Repeat for as many repetitions as possible and try increase your reps each time you do press ups.

8) CHIN UPS

Chin ups are another old but very useful way to strengthen your biceps and upper back. To perform a chin up you will need a chin up bar. Once you have the chin up bar watch the video and follow the instructions below:

Video:

Instructions:
- Grab the chin up bar with your palms facing towards you.
- Bend your knees so that your feet are off the ground and hang from the chin up bar.
- Slowly bend your elbows and arms and raise your chin above the bar.
- Slowly extend your elbows and arms and lower yourself down to the starting position.
- Repeat for as many repetitions as possible and try to increase your reps each time you do chin ups.

9) DIPS

Dips are a great weightless workout for your triceps. Simply grab a chair and you are good to go. To perform dips watch the video and follow the instructions below. If you want to really up the intensity use 2 chairs as shown at the end of the video:

Video:

Instructions:
- Sit on the floor with a chair behind you and your legs out straight in front of you.
- Place your hands on the chair with your palms facing down.
- Extend your arms and your legs so that your bum and legs are raised off the ground.
- Slowly bend your elbows and lower your body whilst still keeping your bum and legs off the ground.
- Straighten your elbows and raise your body back to the starting position.
- Repeat for as many repetitions as possible and try to increase your reps each time you do dips.

10) HAND STAND SHOULDER PRESS

This one is probably the most difficult exercise on the list but it is well worth it as it gives your shoulders a brilliant workout. To perform the hand stand shoulder press watch the video and follow the instructions below:

Video:

Instructions:
- Perform a hand stand against a wall with your back against the wall.
- Get as close to the wall as possible and try to keep your back and legs straight.
- Bend your elbows and lower your body until just before your head touches the floor.
- Extend your arms and raise your body back to the starting position.
-Repeat for as many repetitions as possible and try to increase your reps each time you do hand stand shoulder presses.

11) SQUATS

Squatting is usually a resistance exercise but if you increase the reps it still gives your legs a perfectly good weightless workout. To perform squats watch the video and follow the instructions below. If you are struggling use the chair trick from the video to get started:

Video:

Instructions:
- Stand up straight with your arms out in front of you and your feet parallel to your shoulders.
- Slowly bend your legs whilst keeping your upper body straight until your knees and bum are parallel.
- Slowly extend your legs and return to the starting position.
- Repeat for as many repetitions as possible and try to increase your reps each time you do squats.

12) PLANKS

Planks are a very underrated abdominal exercise. To perform planks watch the video and follow the instructions below:

Video:

Instructions:
- Lie flat on your stomach, bend your elbows and place your forearms beside your chest.
- Raise your body off the floor and support your weight with your feet and forearms.
- Keep your body straight and hold for as long as possible. Try to increase the time you hold this for each time you do planks.

SUMMARY

If you are not a fan of cold weather then I hope these weightless workouts have helped give you an exercise plan you can use. If you do each of these 12 exercises on a daily basis you will be able to improve your strength and flexibility over the festive period without ever leaving your house.

Now I want to hear from you guys. Do you prefer working out from home or do you brave the outdoors? Do you have any additional weightless workouts that you would like to suggest? Let me know by leaving a comment.

Hello everyone.  Today’s guest post comes from Predator Nutrition – Europe’s number 1 Sports Supplements and Bodybuilding Supplements Site.

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1. Safe Weight Training
A careful, informed approach to weight training keeps it safe. Weight training needs to be challenging, but requires an individual to assess realistically their current fitness and strength. Positions, exercises and weights that cause extension of muscles and joints beyond their natural range should be avoided.

2. Correct Technique
Many injuries can be avoided by correct technique. The back needs to be kept straight, with knees and elbows kept in line to offer maximum support. The head should be kept still, with the neck under control and there should be no discomfort in the shoulder joints throughout their range of movement.

3. Diet
A good training diet should contain a maximum of 25% fat, with saturated fat and carbohydrates kept to a minimum. Those wishing to gain muscle bulk should be certain to eat enough, concentrating on poultry, fish and plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables.

4. Bodybuilding supplements
So-called “bodybuilding” supplements are dietary supplements commonly used by those involved in weight training. Weight trainers often use a form of protein powder, which contains amino acids, the essential building blocks for muscle growth. Protein powder is designed for consumption instead of a meal or immediately pre- or post-exercise; the underlying theory being that it provides ample protein for effective muscle growth and repair. Although studies have revealed that some weight trainers may need protein powder supplements, the amount required is dependent on the individual’s physiology and the type / duration of the exercise. Health experts have criticised protein supplements as being unnecessary for most weight trainers as adequate protein is provided by a balanced diet. With the body only capable of metabolising 9g of protein per hour, excessive daily intake of protein powder supplements may induce weight gain, kidney problems, osteoporosis and diarrhea.

5. Building Muscle Effectively
All muscle groups need to be exercised 2-3 times per week. Weights need to be increased to allow for increased strength and exercise should be continued until failure, for effective growth.

6. When to Eat?
The timing of eating according to the length and intensity of exercise sessions is vital for effective weight training. Prior to exercise, about 20g of protein, such as skimmed milk is recommended. Within ½ hour of a tough workout, have 20g of protein accompanied by the same quantity of carbohydrate, more if the exercise has been intense and lengthy. Carbohydrates prevent muscle protein from breaking down and replace glycogen reserves.

7. Rest and Recovery
A “rest” week, involving half the usual exercise regime, taken once a month, allows the muscle building process of progressive overload, muscle damage, repair and new growth to occur.

8. Vary Workout Intensity
If weight loss or muscle gain “plateaus” after several months of weight training, varying lifting exercises and their intensity / repetitions can “kick start” a stale weight training programme.

9. Change Workout Schedule
Body rhythms vary widely and may affect weight training results. Cortisol, a hormone that degrades muscle is at its highest level in the morning for most people and optimum results are often obtained from exercising in the afternoon.

10. Relaxation and Sleep
Neither of these should be underrated, as stress hormones can lead to the degrading of muscle tissue and the accumulation of fat.

*****

If you enjoyed this article and want to learn more about weight training you should check out Muscle Gaining Secrets.  In this ebook Jason Ferrugia shares the diet and training strategies he has used to pack on muscle and establish himself as a muscle building expert:

Hello everyone.  Today’s article is a guest post from Rose Shapas who runs the Denmark based online fitness store – Bodyman.  The store contains a wide range of health and fitness clothing, supplements and other training aids.

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A lot of people have a misconception between strength training and bodybuilding; this misconception can arise because of many reasons, the main of which is not enough awareness about fitness and bodybuilding. But nevertheless, it is very important to clear the misconception because once you set to engage in a strictly healthy lifestyle, you need to know the different between the two so that you can decide which is best for you.

Strength training, or styrketræning, as the name implies, focuses primarily on building your strength and stamina which relates basically to building power in your body steadily while bodybuilding focuses primarily on building muscles for show or for sport. Strength training is also a sport but it has more than one motive behind it. Strength training, also called power lifting focuses only on building power and stamina so that these men and women can lift heavy objects and move them around. They don’t really care about how their bodies look, whether they become bigger or not and whether they gain more muscles or not.

Some people may even distinguish between power lifting and strength training as power lifting being only to lift heavy objects and strength training being as something more; to build stamina and strength in our bodies for purposes more that lifting heavy objects. Additionally, strength training can help to increase your health and fitness levels, to lose fat and to gain optimum health and to gain an amazing body.

Bodybuilding on the other hand, focuses primarily on building a larger body composed of proportioned muscles. Bodybuilder’s lives compose of working out like crazy and having huge appetites as well. For some bodybuilder’s, their diet and general health may become a question mark if they don’t follow tips for building their muscles properly. It is very important for bodybuilders to include healthy items in their diet even if they are focused on gaining muscular weight.

Some people also believe that strength training is the root to bodybuilding as bodybuilders are also strength trainers in a way and that is true. But strength training tends to be more slow rep and heavier weights are required and it conditions the muscles to accept more weight and demand more from them. Strength training, therefore, is better for athletes and sports people for better strength and stamina rather than for bodybuilders.

There is a lot of debate as well on the issue that there is not much of a difference between strength training and bodybuilding but this is true only to a certain extent. Usually, when people start on their fitness regimes, strength training and bodybuilding will seem the same thing and your body will respond the same way to both strength training and bodybuilding. As you go along, your fitness trainer can advise you which way you need to go, focus on strength training and workout according to that or focus on bodybuilding and focus on bodybuilding workouts only. This decision is crucial to make because over time, your body will accept whatever workout routine you consider and this will impact your physique and fitness level over the passage of time. So if you have begun to think along the lines of serious fitness levels, maybe this is the time to make yourself aware between the differences of strength training and bodybuilding.

Hello everyone. As regular readers of Free Fitness Tips will know I have recently trialled Slendertone System-Abs for Men for a full six weeks.  Today I am going to be providing an in-depth review of  Slendertone System-Abs for Men and confirming whether it does really work.

I am going to be breaking this review down into the following sections:

• 1) PRODUCT OVERVIEW:- This section will discuss how Slendertone System-Abs for Men tones your abdominal muscles.

• 2) EASE OF USE:- This section will discuss how easy it is to get started with Slendertone System-Abs for Men.

• 3) HOW IT FEELS:- This section will discuss how Slendertone System-Abs for Men feels when you use it.

• 4) GOOD POINTS:- This section will provide a list of good points about Slendertone System-Abs for Men.

• 5) BAD POINTS:- This section will provide a list of bad points about Slendertone System-Abs for Men.

• 6) DOES IT WORK?:- This section will answer the key question…”Does Slendertone System-Abs for Men really work?”

• 7) OVERALL RATING:- This section will give Slendertone System-Abs for Men an overall score out of 10.

1) PRODUCT OVERVIEW

Slendertone System-Abs for Men is an electronic abdominal toning belt.  According to the product information Slendertone System-Abs for Men uses the only clinically proven electronic muscle stimulation (EMS) toning technology to exercise all of the abdominal muscles (not just those under the belt).  EMS works by sending signals between the pads of the belt.  These signals switch on the nerves that control your abdominal muscles causing them to contract and relax rhythmically.  EMS technology has been used in hospitals and by physiotherapists for over 50 years to rehabilitate and strengthen muscles.

2) EASE OF USE

Slendertone System-Abs for Men is very easy to use.  When using it for the first time you need to charge the battery for 3 hours which can be done by plugging the power unit into a mains socket.  Once it is fully charged you then plug the power unit into the belt.  Next you unfold the belt and stick the three adhesive pads that come in the box over the three silver studs on the Slendertone System-Abs belt.  Once all this is done the belt is ready to use.

Using the belt is very simple.  You wrap it around your stomach in between your waist bone and your ribs (covering your belly button), securing it with the velcro strap.  Once the belt is securely wrapped around your stomach you then turn the power unit on and select how long you want the toning session to last (you can choose 20 minutes, 25 minutes, 30 minutes or 40 minutes).  After you have chosen the duration of your session it begins at the lowest intensity of 1 and you can manually increase it to the maximum intensity of 99.

Overall, Slendertone System-Abs for Men is one of the easiest, simplest fitness products I have ever used.  Once it has been charged and the adhesive pads are attached it takes less than a minute to put the belt on and start a toning session.  The battery life is fantastic too.  After charging the power unit for the first time I only had to charge it once more during the entire six week period.

3) HOW IT FEELS

Using Slendertone System-Abs for Men is quite an odd sensation.  On the lower settings it feels like very strong tickling.  On the higher settings it is a similar sensation but much stronger and a lot less comfortable.  It is less like tickling and more like your stomach is being forced to contract very tightly.  I would even go as far as saying that the highest settings are almost painful in the first few weeks.  However, I found that your stomach does adjust to these higher settings after the first few weeks.

Overall, whilst Slendertone System-Abs for Men is never comfortable on the highest settings you do get used to it and it does become bearable.

4) GOOD POINTS

1) You can Multi Task:- One of the best things about Slendertone System-Abs for Men is that you can do other things whilst wearing it.  You can walk around the house, watch TV or even go for a bike ride or jog whilst wearing the belt.  This gives Slendertone System-Abs for Men a great advantage over other stomach toning exercises because they normally have to be performed in isolation.

2) It does Strengthen and Tone your Abdominal Muscles:- After using Slendertone System-Abs for Men for six weeks my abs definitely did feel firmer, stronger and more toned.

3) It does not feel like Exercise:- This one may sound quite lazy but using Slendertone System-Abs for Men does not feel like exercise.  You simply strap it on, select the duration and intensity, then let the belt do its thing.

5) BAD POINTS

1) It does not Burn Body Fat:- The biggest disappointment I can see people having with Slendertone System-Abs for Men is that it does not burn body fat.  In defence of Slendertone, they never make any claims that their product will do this.  They promise stronger, firmer abs and they do deliver on this promise.  However, even if you have the strongest, most toned abdominal muscles in the world you are never going to see them unless you burn enough body fat to make them visible.  Unfortunately, achieving this is very difficult.  You need to clean up your diet and do more cardiovascular exercise.  In my opinion, burning enough body fat to make your abdominal muscles visible is a lot harder than getting them toned enough to form a six pack.

2) It is Expensive:- There are a number of different Slendertone ab belts available for men but at the time of writing even the cheapest version costs £69.99.  The belt I used in this review – Slendertone System-Abs for Men – costs £119.99 and there is another more powerful version – Slendertone System-Plus for Men – which costs £139.99.  On top of this there is also the cost of purchasing replacement adhesive pads.  They need to be replaced every six weeks and each set of replacement pads comes in at £11.99.  So even if you go with the cheapest model, purchasing a Slendertone ab belt is quite a significant investment.

6) DOES IT WORK?

I will begin this section with my ‘before’ and ‘after’ photos which can be viewed below.

1) Centre Abs Photo ‘Before’ (left) and ‘After’ (right) completing the Slendertone 6 Week Plan

2) Left Side Abs Photo ‘Before’ (left) and ‘After’ (right) completing the Slendertone 6 Week Plan

3) Right Side Abs Photo ‘Before’ (left) and ‘After’ (right) completing the Slendertone 6 Week Plan

As you can see from the photos there is a visibile improvement in the appearance of my abs over the six weeks.  Whilst using Slendertone System-Abs for Men has definitely had a positive effect, the improvement is also down to me following a pretty strict diet and exercise routine over the six week period.

As I said above, Slendertone System-Abs for Men does strengthen and tone your abdominal muscles so technically it does work.  However, to ensure that your abdominal muscles are visible you also need to burn enough body fat and Slendertone System-Abs for Men will not do that for you.  It certainly helps build your abdominal muscles but it is not a substitute for diet and exercise.

Based on other Slendertone reviews that I have read, I think a lot of people expect to use the belt for a few weeks and then have a nice set of six pack abs at the end of it without any additional effort.  The truth is that you still have to do the hard work by watching what you eat and maintaining a regular exercise routine.  Otherwise you will not see any difference in the appearance of your abdominal muscles, even if they have got firmer and stronger.

7) OVERALL RATING

7/10

Slendertone System-Abs for Men is a great alternative product for strengthening and toning your abdominal muscles.  It is also very convenient and easy to use.  The reason I have not given it a higher score is that it will not burn body fat and therefore will not give you six pack abs on its own.  However, if you eat a clean, healthy diet and exercise regularly Slendertone System-Abs for Men is definitely worth considering.

Hello everyone. Today I am going to be posting my feedback on the final week of the Slendertone 6 Week Plan.  I actually finished last Sunday (4th July 2010) but I have been too busy to do this final post until now.  So read on to find out how I got on…

Feedback on the Slendertone System-Abs Belt

This week I stuck to the following intensity levels on Slendertone System-Abs:
- Monday (Day 1):- 65.
- Tuesday (Day 2):- 75.
- Wednesday (Day 3):- 85.
- Thursday (Day 4):- 85.
- Friday (Day 5):- 90.

Overall, I found Monday to Thursday OK.  I could feel the belt working my abs but it was not too strong for me.  However, setting 90 on Friday was really tough and my muscles were quite sore on Saturday morning.

Feedback on my Exercise Routine

Since it was my final week on the Slendertone 6 Week Plan I really stepped up my cardio this week.  I did my normal three day weights routine and also did 20 minutes cardio at the end of each session.  On top of this I did two intense 40 minute runs on the treadmill.  Overall, this was probably my best week in terms of cardio.

Feedback on my Diet

Just like with my exercise routine, since this was my final week of using the Slendertone System Abs belt I tightened up my diet even more.  I cut out my pre-gym meal and also all the fruit that I normally snack on.  On top of this I cut out all carbohydrates from my diet apart from the ones I would have at breakfast.  So for breakfast I would have either oatmeal and fresh fruit or poached eggs on a whole grain bagel.  For lunch I would have a homemade chicken salad.  Then for tea I would have tuna with steamed vegetables, some chopped tomatoes and herbs.  On the Sunday I did a full fast and did not eat any food.  Whilst it was tough, I did manage to completely stick to this rigid diet and in the process reduced my overall caloric intake for the week.

Feedback on the appearance of my Abs

Since it was my final week of the Slendertone 6 Week Plan I have taken some new ‘after’ photos.  You can view the ‘before’ photos in this post and the ‘after’ photos are below…

1) Centre Abs Photo after completing the Slendertone 6 Week Plan

2) Left Side Abs Photo after completing the Slendertone 6 Week Plan

3) Right Side Abs Photo after completing the Slendertone 6 Week Plan

Overall, I think the appearance of my abs has improved over the last 6 weeks.  They also feel a lot stronger and firmer than they did before I started using Slendertone System Abs.  Whilst there is still room for further improvement I definitely feel there has been a positive change.

Summary

Overall, I do think Slendertone System Abs has helped tone my stomach muscles over the last 6 weeks.  Unfortunately, the belt does not help you burn body fat and personally I have found this to be the hardest part of the 6 week trial.  Whilst I have managed to shed some fat from my stomach it has been very difficult to get rid of it all, even with the reduced caloric intake and increased cardio levels.  This is not a criticism of Slendertone System Abs itself as the product does not claim to burn body fat.  However, in order for your toned abdominal muscles to be visible you need to get rid of this stomach fat.  If you can manage that then Slendertone System Abs can be a great tool for helping you get six pack abs.  Just be aware that the belt will not burn the fat for you.

I am going to be posting a full Slendertone System Abs review in the next few days.  In the meantime if anyone has any experience with the Slendertone 6 Week Plan or Slendertone System Abs in general I would love to hear how you found it…

Hello everyone.  As regular readers of Free Fitness Tips will probably know I have been participating in the Slendertone 6 Week Plan.  I am now almost at the end of the 6 weeks but have still not fully explained the exercise routines that are part of the plan (despite numerous promises that I would do this in previous posts).  So today I am finally going to discuss these exercise routines in greater detail.

INTRODUCTION

As I discussed in my initial post on the Slendertone 6 Week Plan, it consists of two main parts:
- 1) Five Weekly Slendertone System-Abs Toning Sessions.
- 2) Three 30 Minute Exercise Sessions.

These three 30 minute exercise sessions are actually two different workout plans that are alternated three times a week over the 6 week period as follows:
- 1) Week 1:- Plan 1, Plan 2, Plan 1.
- 2) Week 2:- Plan 2, Plan 1, Plan 2.
- 3) Week 3:- Plan 1, Plan 2, Plan 1.
- 4) Week 4:- Plan 2, Plan 1, Plan 2.
- 5) Week 5:- Plan 1, Plan 2, Plan 1.
- 6) Week 6:- Plan 2, Plan 1, Plan 2.

Each workout plan is basically a 30 minute circuit training routine that can be performed within the comfort of your own home.  Below I will be discussing each plan in greater detail.

WORKOUT PLAN 1

Workout plan 1 consists of 11 exercises in total each of which is explained below:

1) Skipping (1 Minute):- This exercise can be performed with or without a rope.  If you do not have a rope simply replicate the skipping motion with your body.

2) Step Ups (2 Minutes Total – 1 Minute on the Left Leg, 1 Minute on the Right Leg):- Use your staircase and step up two steps then down two steps.  Lead with your left leg for one minute and then lead with your right leg for a further minute.

3) Half Jacks (1 Minute):- To begin step to the right and place your weight on your right leg.  As you do this raise both arms sideways so that they are parallel to the floor.  Then return to your starting position and repeat the same motion but stepping to the left.  Continue performing half jacks for one minute alternating between your left and right side.

4) Leg Curls (1 Minute):- To begin step to the right, moving your left foot behind your right foot.  Then step to the right again moving your right foot back to the normal standing position.  After this curl your left leg towards your buttock and remain balanced on your right leg.  Then return your left leg to the ground and step to the left, moving your right foot behind your left foot.  After this step to the left again moving your left foot back to the normal starting position.  Then curl your right leg towards your buttock and remain balanced on your left leg.  Continue performing leg curls for one minute alternating between left and right leg curls.

5) Knee and Kick Combo (10 Minutes):- To begin raise your right knee towards your stomach, taking your right leg off the ground and balancing on your left leg.  Then extend your right leg from the knee in a kicking motion.  After this bend your right leg and return it to the ground.  Then repeat the same motion with your left leg and balance on your right leg.  Continue performing this combo for 10 minutes alternating between left and right knee and kick combos.

6) Wide Squats (3 Minutes):- To begin stand with your feet slightly wider than your hips and have your knees in line with your toes.  Then bend your knees and lower yourself into a squatting position, keeping your back as straight as possible.  After this slowly return to a standing position, tightening your abdominals and gluteals as you come up.  Continue performing this squatting motion for three minutes.

7) Seated Reverse Flyes (3 Minutes):- For this exercise you will need a chair and two food tins (beans, peas, soup etc).  To begin sit in the chair and hold the food tins.  Then lean forward and stretch your arms towards the floor with your palms facing inwards.  After this slowly lift your arms to the sides, keeping them as straight as possible on the way up.  Once you reach shoulder height nip the shoulder blades together and slowly return them to the starting position.  Continue performing flyes for three minutes.

8) Press Ups (1.5 Minutes):- To begin get on all fours with your hands directly beneath your shoulder and your fingers pointing forwards.  Then straighten your legs and bring your knees off the ground so that your hands and feet are fully supporting your body.  After this bend your elbows and lower your body towards the ground, stopping once your nose touches the ground.  Then straighten your elbows and return your upper body to the starting position.  Continue performing press ups for one and a half minutes.

9) Chest Press (1.5 Minutes):- For this exercise you will need two food tins.  To begin lie on the floor with your knees bent, your feet flat and a food tin in each hand.  Then place your elbows on the floor at chest level with your knuckles pointing towards the ceiling.  After this push towards the food tins towards the ceiling, keeping your hands parallel to your chest.  Stop just before the food tins touch and then slowly lower your elbows back towards the ground.  Continue performing chest presses for one and a half minutes.

10) Lateral Lift (3 Minutes):- For this exercise you will need two food tins.  To begin stand with your feet at hip width and hold a food tin in each hand, keeping your arms by your sides.  Then slowly raise your arms to shoulder height, keeping them straight but avoiding locking the elbows.  After this slowly lower your arms back down to your sides.  Continue performing lateral lifts for three minutes.

11) Lunges (3 Minutes):- To begin stand with your feet at hip width with your right foot forward and your left foot back.  Keep your hands by your side or placed firmly on your hips.  Then lift the heel of your left foot slightly off the ground and lower your body down by bending your knees.  When your left knee reaches a right angle stop bending and raise yourself back up to the starting position.  After this place your left foot forward and your right foot back.  Repeat the same motion with your right leg.  Continue performing lunges for three minutes.

WORKOUT PLAN 2

Workout plan 2 consists of 11 exercises in total each of which is explained below:

1) Jabs (2.5 Minutes):- To begin the jabs stand in a normal position and do a quick punch with your left arm whilst slightly twisting your torso.  Repeat this motion with your right arm.  Continue jabbing for two and a half minutes.

2) Half Jacks (2.5 Minute):- Same exercise as the half jacks described in workout plan 1.  Continue performing half jacks for two and a half minutes alternating between your left and right side.

3) Skipping Combo (5 Minutes):- This exercise can be performed with or without a rope.  If you do not have a rope simply replicate the skipping motion with your body.  To begin raise your left heel to your left buttock.  Then raise your right heel to your right buttock.  Repeat this motion eight times.  After this skip forward eight steps and then skip back eight steps.  Repeat this motion eight times.  Then do eight skips on the spot.  After this start at the beginning of the cycle and raise your left heel to your left buttock.  Continue performing this skipping combo for five minutes.

4) Grapevine/Kneelift (1 Minute):- To begin step to the right with your right leg, keeping your left foot behind your right foot.  Then lift your left knee towards your stomach and lower it back down.  After this step to the left with your left leg, keeping your right foot behind your left foot.  Then lift your right knee towards your stomach and lower it back down.  Continue performing this motion for one minute alternating between your left and right legs.

5) March and Kick Combo (5 Minutes):- To begin march on the spot three times and do a front kick with your left leg.  Then march on the spot another three times and do a front kick with your right leg.  After this repeat the above motion with side kicks instead of front kicks.  Then repeat the above motion with back kicks instead of side kicks.  Continue performing these march and kick combos for five minutes.

6) Easywalk & Wide Squat (2 Minutes):- To begin take one step forwards and one step backwards.  Then perform a wide squat (as described in workout plan 1).  Continue performing this combo for two minutes.

7) Bicep Curl (3 Minutes):- For this exercise you will need two food tins.  To begin stand with your feet at shoulder width with your arms by your sides, holding a  food tin in each hand.  Make sure you keep your elbows tight to your side at all times.  Then curl your left hand towards your bicep by bending your elbow.  Once it is fully flexed slowly lower your left hand back towards your side.  Then repeat this motion with your right hand.  Continue performing bicep curls for three minutes.

8) Tricep Dip (3 Minutes):- For this exercise you will need a chair which is placd against a wall.  To begin have your back to the chair and place your hands behind you to touch the edge furthest away from the wall.  Then straighten your legs in front of you whilst keeping your body raised off the ground so that it is fully supported by your hands and feet.  Slowly bend your elbows and lower your body until your buttocks are just above the ground.  Once you reach this position slowly straighten your elbows to return to the starting position.  Continue performing tricep dips for three minutes.

9) Wide Squats (3 Minutes):- Same exercise as the wide squats described in workout plan 1.  Continue performing wide squats for three minutes alternating between your left and right side.

10) Chest Flyes (3 Minutes):- For this exercise you will need two food tins.  To begin lie on your back with a food tin in each hand.  Then stretch your arms above your chest and keep your palms facing inwards.  After this slowly lower your arms till they are almost touching the floor.  Then slowly raise them back to the starting position above your chest.  Continue performing chest flyes for three minutes.

11) Back Extension (3 Minutes):- To begin lie on your stomach and place your hands behind your back.  Then raise your upper back off the floor but make sure you do not overarch your lower back.  Hold this position for a second then return to the starting position.  Continue performing back extensions for three minutes.

SUMMARY

Overall, the Slendertone 6 Week Plan workouts provide you with an effective, quick, full body workout that can be performed with minimal equipment in your own home.  Whilst this has obvious benefits I personally prefer working out at the gym.  However, if you are a fan of bodyweight training you might want to give them a try for yourself.

I will be back tomorrow with my final week 6 update on the Slendertone 6 Week Plan.  If you do decide to give the above workout plans a try be sure to let me know what you think by leaving a comment on this post.

Hello everyone.  I have now completed the penultimate week of the Slendertone 6 Week Plan and am back wit a weekly update on how it went.

Feedback on the Slendertone System-Abs Belt

This week I stuck to the following intensity levels on Slendertone System-Abs:
- Monday (Day 1):- 60.
- Tuesday (Day 2):- 65.
- Wednesday (Day 3):- 75.
- Thursday (Day 4):- 75.
- Friday (Day 5):- 85.

As with the previous two weeks I also ensured that I did a focussed abdominal workout on top of the five Slendertone sessions.  I noticed this week just how much I have got used to the feeling of Slendertone System Abs.  Between Monday and Thursday I noticed the belt much less whilst wearing it.  However, when I reached Friday and increased the intensity level to 85 (the highest I have been) it was a different story.  This setting really squeezed my abs tight and I could feel every pulse that the belt made.

Feedback on my Exercise Routine

For the last two weeks my exercise routine has been really solid.  This week it was still very good but not quite up to the standards I achieved in weeks 3 and 4. I managed to do my usual three day weights routine but only managed one treadmill session (for the last 2 weeks I have been doing two).  Whilst I was dissapointed not to have done as much cardio it was still a productive week.  I managed four good workouts and overall I was happy with this.

Feedback on my Diet

My diet was similar to my exercise routine this week – good but not as impressive as previous weeks.  Between Monday and Friday I ate my usual healthy options of breakfast (oatmeal and fresh fruit or poached eggs on a whole grain bagel), lunch (a homemade beef or chicken salad), a pre-gym meal (tuna, steamed vegetables and herbs) and tea (a hot meat dish with lots of fibre rich vegetables with fruit for snacks.

However, I was working for my friend at the weekend which meant I was was rarely in the house.  Because of this I had to grab food on the go and in a lot of cases there were no healthy options available.  Overall, it was still a good week despite the slight dip in the quality of the food I ate on Saturday and Sunday.  I still managed to eat some healthy foods over the weekend when I got the opportunity and between Monday and Friday my diet was almost immaculate.

Feedback on the appearance of my Abs

My stomach does look a lot tighter than it did before I started using Slendertone System Abs and overall I think my abdominal muscles have become quite strong and toned.  However, there is still some fat covering my stomach which I really need to lose before I start seeing some proper definition.  So overall like most weeks I am going to say the appearance of my abs has improved but they are not perfect.

Summary

After completing five of the six weeks it is now crunch time.  As I mentioned above I really need to lose some more fat from my stomach area to bring out the definition.  Next week I am going to be really strict with myself by cutting down on calories, cutting down on carbohydrates and increasing the amount of cardio I am doing even further.  My plan is to cut out my pre-gym meal (which should reduce my overall calories), stop snacking on fruit (which should cut out some calories and also drop my carbohydrate intake significantly) and do at least 20 minutes cardio per day (40 minutes plus on none weight lifting days).  Hopefully, this reduction in calories consumed and increase in calories burned during the final week will strip the final layer of fat from my stomach and reveal the definition underneath.

Hey everyone.  I have now finished week 4 of the Slendertone 6 Week Plan so thought I would check in with a weekly update on how I am getting on.

Feedback on the Slendertone System-Abs Belt

This week I stuck to the following intensity levels on Slendertone System-Abs:
- Monday (Day 1):- 55.
- Tuesday (Day 2):- 60.
- Wednesday (Day 3):- 70.
- Thursday (Day 4):- 70.
- Friday (Day 5):- 80.

I also did a specific abdominal workout during the week.  Overall, this week was not quite as tough on my abs as week 3.  However, I could still feel the belt working – especially when I reached level 80 intensity.

Feedback on my Exercise Routine

After completing a solid exercise routine during week 3 I followed up with another strong exercise performance this week.  I got to the gym five times and in the process completed my full weights routine whilst also covering some serious miles on the treadmill.  I again managed to do over an hour’s jogging which helped me burn a considerable amount of calories.

Feedback on my Diet

This week my diet was very good.  I went out for a pub dinner with my friends on Thursday night but the rest of the week I stuck to healthy, natural foods.  For breakfast I had either oatmeal with fresh fruit or a whole grain bagel with poached eggs.  Then for lunch I had a homemade meat salad.  Before going to the gym I would have tuna with steamed vegetables.  Then for tea I would have a meat and vegetable dish making sure that it contained lots of high fibre vegetables.  For snacks I would stick to fresh fruits such as apples, bananas and oranges.

Feedback on the appearance of my Abs

Overall this has been a very positive week.  My diet has been good, my exercise routine has been solid and I have increased my intensity levels on Slendertone System Abs.  Thankfully this is improving the appearance of my abs.  I can see the fat coming off and they are looking ever so slightly more toned.  My abs are still not perfect but they are a lot better than when I started using Slendertone System Abs.

Summary

This was the second consecutive week where I saw an improvement in the appearance of my abs.  For the final two weeks of the Slendertone 6 Week Plan I am planning to do more of the same as it seems to be a winning combination.  Hopefully, this will allow me to build on the improvements I have noticed and give me an impressive set of abs by the end of week 6.