The holidays are over, the parties have wrapped, the food has been eaten, and the spirits have been consumed. Now you’re looking at that mid-section of yours or maybe you’re standing on the scale beating yourself up because the gluttony has added a few centimeters onto your waist or numbers onto the floor bound weight measurement tool. So, in response you’ve decided to add yourself to that ever growing list of names of that ever so popular resolution – lose weight and get in shape.

Well, first of all, stop beating yourself up, because it was the holidays, and you’re supposed to enjoy them. Now that they’re over, how do you get rid of that spare tire you gave yourself as a holiday gift to find the nirvana that’s known as 6 pack abs? I will tell you this – you already have those 6 pack abs. They’re just hidden right now, and the best way to find them is NOT with an ab workout!

Oh sure, you need to incorporate ab work into your workouts regularly, but doing so will really not burn any fat. You see, the point of an ab workout is to build your core = your midsection. And by building your core, you are strengthening your body’s ability to balance and hold itself upright which in turn will allow you to have better flexibility and agility to partake in other exercises which do cause the calorie burning machine to start churning quickly. Doing 100 crunches or sit-ups regularly will accomplish the core strengthening, but in order to lose fat, you need to incorporate other elements, specifically:

Regular Resistance and Cardio Respiratory Exercise with Diet

So you’ve made the commitment and you’re motivated, but now you’re at the gym, looking at all of these machines and free weights and wondering where do I start? And like most people, you don’t quite know the correct way to go about everything so while you start off motivated, you find that the motivation quickly turns to frustration, and you wind up quitting promising that you’ll start again after that special event or vacation and before you know it, it’s the holidays again, and round and around we go. Hey, you’re not alone. We’ve all been there at one time or another. But fortunately for you, you have me to give you a little help.

I see losing weight in percentages. Meaning your overall goal means 100%, but here is how it breaks down: 75% is diet and 25% is exercise. So, what do you need to do about the diet?

1.  First is get rid of as much processed sugars as possible. My saying is “If it’s white, it ain’t right.” This means white bread, white rice, anything where either sugar or corn syrup is listed within the first 5-6 ingredients.

2.  Secondly, replace bad fats with good ones…margarine for peanut or almond butter, pork bacon or sausage with turkey bacon or sausage, cheese crackers with almonds or pistachios, etc. Incorporate lots of lean meats, fruits and veggies.

3.  More important than all of this is PORTION SIZE. While you read this, put your hand into a fist – that’s the size of your stomach. If your meal(s) or snack(s) fall beyond the size of your fist, put that portion away and eat it later. Yes, you can eat 6 – 8 times per day – in fact, I encourage it. Keep the machine fueled, but don’t weigh the machine down with a bunch of extra fuel you just don’t need at that moment.

Now for the other 25% – the exercise portion. If you’re not sure where to begin, I say begin with a class or if you can afford it, a personal trainer. I had no idea what to do in a gym as little as 10 years ago. So, upon a friend’s recommendation, I signed up for a boot camp class. Since then, I have not only learned what to do by trained professionals, I have run a marathon, competed in a body building competition and became a trained professional group and personal trainer. I’m not bragging. No, I’m simply saying that everybody has to start somewhere. So, my advice to the beginners out there is find some classes that look interesting at your gym or ask a friend what they might recommend.

Good places to start are body works and boot camp style classes, which should offer an ab workout during some portion of the class. Most gyms offer these types or similar classes. If you’re not sure of the difficulty level of the class, ask the staff at the gym or read about it on your gym’s website. Most gym classes are designed for all levels from beginners to advanced, and their website(s) should give you a quick description and difficulty level. If you’re a beginner now, stick with it, and you will become advanced.

I understand that this is a very basic overview of how to find those elusive ab muscles we all desire, and I would recommend additional research and discussions of your own, but at least now you have an idea of where to start and the murky abyss of weight loss will become a clear path. Happy 2013 – get to work!

Lando, Principal, Rocker Rags.com / Rebel Luxe, LLC

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About the Author: My name is Lando. I’m an e-commerce entrepreneur who recently became a certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor. In addition to my clients, I currently teach a boot camp style class and kickboxing for a major fitness company based here in California read more →