Best home ab workout routine

This is actually one of my personal ab workout routines. I have been doing this routine for a few months now and i have noticed a huge difference in the definition of my abs. I would recommend you try this routine, i would say 3 to 4 days a week for best results. Read more for a better explanation of how many reps and sets you should be doing.

For the most part, i do 4 sets for each exercise. I personally like to go till failure on each set. Follow this list when you are first starting out.

-Warm up (1 set) 20 reps.
-With Resistance (4 sets) 1=15 reps, 2=12 reps, 3=10 reps
-Leg Lifts (4 sets) 1=15 reps, 2=12 reps, 3=10 reps, 4=8 reps
-Roman Chairs (4 sets) 1=15 reps, 2=12 reps, 3=10 reps, 4=8 reps
-Hip raises (4 sets) 1=15 reps, 2=12 reps, 3=10 reps, 4=8 reps
-V sits (4 sets) 1=15 reps, 2=12 reps, 3=10 reps, 4=8 reps

Remember, building great abs requires exercising the entire body and proper dieting. If you are following this routine but are not putting forth the effort to eat better and exercise normally, your results will be limited.

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Great home arm workout

I recently came across this video for a great arm workout you can do from home with little equipment. All you will need is a bar bell and dumbells. I recommend adding this as your arm workout on some days. It is good to switch up your exercise routine for each body part, this will help shock the muscle and avoid a plateau.

Like i said, if you have little equipment this is a great arm workout to do from home.There are so many workouts that can be performed with just this equipment.
As for this workout, i would say for example if you work arms twice a week, exchange one of those workouts for this one. Or if you do like i do then follow this.

- One full arm day
- Biceps on chest day
- Triceps on back day

Every once in a while, follow this video for full arm day. Also on some chest days follow the video on the bicep exercises. Then obviously follow the triceps exercises on some of your back days. Be sure to mix it up, this will help in shocking the muscle for continuous growth and avoiding a plateau.

Thanks Scooby!

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Weight lifting tips for beginners

Many people often wonder how they can begin to look like the gorgeous bodies found on magazine covers. It's very important to understand that no amount of physical activity can give you your ideal body if your exercise program is not also paired with proper nutrition and adequate rest. Truth be told, proper diet and rest are every bit as important as a disciplined workout program and possibly even more important as your muscles can not really develop without lots of rest and the right amount of nutrients.

-Use free weights as often as possible
-Periodically Locate Areas Of Improvement
-Mix up your exercises
-Always Take Precautions To Avoid Injuries

If you are new to weight lifting, here are 4 tips you can use to kick start your workout program and streamline your muscle building efforts:

1. Use Free Weights As Much As Possible - Free weights are generally superior to nautilus machines because free weights target your supporting muscle groups as well as your main muscle group. In so doing, free weights allow you to become stronger and bigger much faster than nautilus machines. At the same time it's not necessary to focus solely on free weights. I do a mix of free weights and nautilus machines because my joints and basic physiology don't allow me exclusively focus on free weights.

2. Periodically Locate Areas Of Improvement - Every one's body reacts a little bit differently to a given exercise routine. Because of this, it's always a good idea to thoroughly check your physique and locate areas that need improvement. For example, after nearly 6 months of working on my chest I started to notice that my lower chest wasn't appropriately responding to the intensive training. I then had to adjust my workout accordingly to focus more on my lower chest.

3. Experiment And Mix Up Your Exercises - You never know what your best muscle building exercises are unless you experiment and mix up your exercises. Again, not every one's body responds the same to the same exercises because few people's body's are made exactly the same.

For example, I used to be extremely strong with squats but I found that my leg muscles weren't growing to my liking and quickly discovered that my lower back and hips were absorbing too much of the stress. I then switched to leg presses and hack squats because they built my leg muscles more effectively without the added stress placed on my lower back and hips.

4. Always, Always, Always Take Precautions To Avoid Injuries - Nothing can harm you and your muscle gains more severely than a serious injury. The exercises that pose the greatest risk of injury are bench press, squats, and dead lift. This doesn't mean that you should avoid these exercises altogether but rather, that you should quickly learn your weight limits, always workout with a partner, and always bring the proper equipment such as elbow and knee restraints as well as a weight belt.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ryan_Riley

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UFC 93 results

In a bout between two of the best middleweights in the world, Dan Henderson outpointed Rich Franklin on Saturday at the O2 Dublin in Ireland.

The UFC 93 main event, which was fought at 205 pounds, was a matchup that had been anticipated for years. Henderson was the last Pride champion at 183 while Franklin was the UFC’s titleholder at 185 until Anderson Silva came along.

Henderson, 38, of Temecula, Calif., turned a slip into a takedown early. On the ground, he controlled Franklin while drilling him with right hands that arguably did the most damage in the round.

“I think I had him hurt there for a little bit, but I think he had enough experience to stay calm,” Henderson said.

Franklin, 34, eventually escaped and kicked well to Henderson’s body during the exchanges that followed. For the most part, Henderson’s big right hand stayed loaded while Franklin kept him off balance with kicks and movement.

An accidental head butt sent Franklin into the second with a cut near his hairline. The former UFC middleweight champion had the more effective striking game on the feet, but Henderson took him down out of the clinch midway into the period and stayed active from the top position.

The Cincinnati native came out aggressively for the final round, but again Henderson was able to take him down.

Franklin had to get up, and he did. He was the fresher of the two fighters and pursued Henderson for the rest of the round with kicks to his body and straight lefts. An accidental eye-poke late slowed Franklin’s rally, but he still earned the period.

A close fight then went to the judges, who returned a split decision for Henderson with two 29-28 scores in his favor and one 30-27 score for Franklin.

“I felt like I definitely won the first two rounds,” said Henderson, whose victory grants him a spot opposite Michael Bisping on the upcoming season of “The Ultimate Fighter.” “Third round he did well. I probably would have gave that one to him, but 30-27 for him was a little off.”

Revenge was "Shogun" Rua's.Mauricio 'Shogun" Rua bounced back from multiple knee surgeries to defeat Mark Coleman, though it was not a quality performance for the Brazilian.

Coleman, a 44-year-old former UFC heavyweight champion who was fighting at 205 pounds for the first time, took a leg kick and a knee but finished his opening takedown attempt seconds into the fight. He punched hard to Rua’s head until Rua escaped and later executed his own takedown.

The fighters reversed position and scrambled often. As Coleman tired, Rua battered him with kicks to his legs, knees to his body and a right hand that dropped him.

Coleman looked exhausted to begin the second while Rua scored more points with kicks and punches. The former Ohio St. wrestler finished a double-leg but couldn’t keep his opponent down. On the feet, Coleman held his hands at his waist and plodded around the Octagon with his mouth open. Rua, however, fought sloppy and also seemed to run out of gas.

Despite his fatigue, Coleman continued to connect with punches and finish takedowns in the third round. Rua landed more strikes, of course, but he could not finish the fight until a late flurry floored Coleman and prompted referee Kevin Mulhall to intervene at 4:36.

“I think I deserve another one,” Coleman said. “It’s one to one. Let’s do it again, Shogun. I respect you, but I can beat you.”

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil’s Rousimar Palhares earned a unanimous decision over veteran Jeremy Horn in a middleweight bout.

Palhares, 28, tripped Horn to the mat in the opening minute. Horn, 33, gave his back while trying to roll out, which allowed Palhares to pound away on the side of his head. Eventually Horn got to his feet only to be body-locked back down to the same position, where Palhares teed off to conclude a dominating round.

Horn came to life in the second, though. Palhares lifted him high for a slam and quickly moved to his back on the ground. Horn defended, however, and eventually finished a single-leg takedown off a scramble and mounted Palhares. The Brazilian escaped, but back on the feet Horn landed a left hook before giving up another takedown.

Palhares scored a suplex to start the third. He would go on to control Horn for the rest of the period, though Horn was savvy enough to stay in the fight as Palhares slowed considerably.

All three judges called the fight 30-27 for Palhares, who said afterward that he had broken his hand in the first round.

Also at 185 pounds, Denis Kang was impressive early but lost his UFC debut to Alan Belcher. He connected with his hands before grounding Belcher, who gave up side control but eventually kicked him away and stood.

Back on the feet, Kang, a standout in Pride, continued to outbox his foe with a left hook to the body and a glancing right upstairs. A shout came from Belcher’s corner for him to “wake up,” but soon after Kang finished another takedown and worked on a kimura.

Belcher landed a good body kick in the second, but Kang had little trouble returning the fight to the mat. There, Belcher threatened with a sweep and forced a stalemate that led to a standup. That’s when Kang shot again, and Belcher sprawled perfectly, wrapped up a guillotine, pulled guard and submitted him at 4:36.

“I wish I could have been more dominating so I could come in here and call out the champion … but I think I need one or two more fights before that,” said Belcher, a 24-year-old from Biloxi, Miss., who has won four of his last five in the Octagon.

Marcus Davis and Chris Lytle fulfilled their promises to fight it out on the feet for 15 minutes in their welterweight bout.

With a singing Irish audience as background music, Lytle, 34, of Indianapolis, landed a right hand that staggered Davis in the opening 30 seconds. After recovering, however, Davis, 35, began following a strategy devised no doubt in conjunction with world-class trainer Mark DellaGrotte.

“The Irish Hand Grenade” did not stand toe-to-toe with the hard-punching Lytle. Instead, minutes into the fight it was clear that he would use his superior footwork, counterpunching and kicks.

Lytle stuck with his bombs, which did connect from time to time. He rocked Davis again early in the second period and flurried on him against the cage. Davis covered up but still took some shots on his ears before hustling away, finding his footing and planting a kick into Lytle’s body that floored him.

That kick and countless others were Davis’ answer to Lytle’s winging punches. He also made him pay with careful counterpunching, but Lytle proved capable of taking punishment and still moving forward to dish out his own.

The third round was more of the same. Lytle stalked forward while throwing the more powerful strikes while Davis countered with more technical boxing and additional kicks and knees. By the end of the fight, both men had swollen eyes and bruised bodies. Lytle’s side, in particular, was blue and welted from his opponent’s kicks.

The judges were split on the entertaining fight, scoring it 29-28 twice for Davis and once for Lytle.

by Joe Hall (joeh@sherdog.com)

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UFC 93 fight predictions

As you all may know by now, i am a huge MMA fan. With that being said, i figured i would share my predictions for the UFC 93 event that goes down tomorrow 01-17-2009. I will be predicting just two fights, one being the main event with Rich Franklin vs Dan Henderson and the other being Mark Coleman vs Mauricio Rua.

Mark Coleman VS Mauricio Rua
I'm going to have to say that although Mark Coleman looks to be in great shape, he does not stand a chance against Mauricio "shogun" Rua. Rua is a lot younger, more well rounded and i just do not see "the hammer" winning this fight. I am going to say Rua will win by submission in the first or second round.

Rich Franklin VS Dan Henderson
This could possibly be the hardest fight to call. Both fighters are very well rounded and their styles make a great match for each other. I do not see either fighter getting knocked out or submitted by the other. I am going to go with Rich Franklin taking this one by decision.

I will keep you guys posted on what the results are tomorrow as the fights air.

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How to increase your bench press

Is your bench press stuck at a plateau? The bench press is one of the best exercises for bulking up the chest. This can also be the biggest disappointment for people when they plateau and find themselves stuck at a certain weight. With that being said, ultimately your chest workout routine will not change and this will cause you to get little or no results. I have had this problem in the past and that is why I am going to explain to you a few steps to take to increase your bench press.

-The pause
-Train the triceps
-Train the shoulders
-Do not forget the back
-Legs and core

The Pause
First off, you must start to pause at the bottom. Most people are lifting up and down so fast that they are mainly using momentum for there lift. With a 2-3 second pause you will be using all strength. Make sure that you have a spotter to work with in case you need that extra push to lift. Having a spotter that helps count and lift if needed is perfect. It is better to get a little push from a spotter then to lift with momentum or just not lift the weight at all. Do as many reps as possible using this technique although if you can do more then 6, add more weight. You should be doing about 5-6 reps.

Train the triceps
Your bench press will not go up if your triceps don’t get stronger. Most people think that the bench press is just for the pectoral but it also includes the triceps. I recommend including close grip pressing motion from close-grip bench or incline bench and close grip push ups in your triceps workout. The goal is to train the triceps in the motions they need to gain strength on the bench press.

Train the shoulders
The important part of the shoulder when bench pressing is the anterior deltoids. Add front raises to your shoulder routine, make sure you stand completely still during the raises and use only your shoulders. Click here for another example of a great anterior deltoids workout that I personally love to do. I see lots of guys arching their backs and using momentum to lift the weight. Strength and muscle development comes mainly from good technique , that is why form is very important during all of these exercises.

Do not forget the back
Lets face it, most people are more focused on there front and ignore the back. Truth is, without a strong back we will not have enough strength in our back to support the movement of your chest. The only way to develop a big chest is with a big back. You should put just as much time into your back as you do on your chest to reach full potential.

Legs and core
Your legs may not seem like they have anything to do with your bench press but the fact is, you need strong legs to stabilize the weight. A big bench is about total body strength, if you focus only on the bench so results will always suffer.

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Abs without crunches

Bathing suit season is a bit far off, which means it’s the perfect time to start developing the flat, sexy tummy you swear you’ll work on every year. Even if you loathe crunches, you’ll love the following easy, no-equipment moves. Work a few of these moves into your exercise routine three times a week (easing them in minimizes soreness), and then after two weeks, do them all together in one session. Then don’t be surprised if you find yourself surfing the web for bikinis, preparing to reveal your sleek new abs surf side.

Plank pose
Balance on toes and forearms (or palms) for up to a minute, pulling belly button to spine and keeping back straight.

Standing bicycle
Stand with feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent, hands clasped behind head and elbows pointed out to sides. Straighten left leg as you lift right leg, knee bent, thigh parallel to floor. Keeping knee lifted and steady, twist torso toward right. Return to start. Repeat on other side for one rep. Do 10 reps.

Side winder
Stand with feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent, hands clasped behind head and elbows pointed out to sides. Lift right leg to side, knee bent, thigh parallel to floor. Keeping knee lifted, bend torso to right side, bringing elbow and knee toward each other. Do 10 reps; switch sides; repeat.

Seesaw
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, hands on hips. Lift right leg, knee bent, thigh parallel to floor with foot flexed. Straighten right leg, pressing heel toward floor, as you lean torso backward. Return to knee lift position and repeat five times. Switch sides and repeat.

Forward bend
Stand with feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent, arms overhead with palms facing in. Lift right leg, knee bent, thigh parallel to floor. Keeping knee lifted and arms raised, bring torso and knee toward each other as close as you can. Return to start; switch sides and repeat for one rep. Do 10 reps.

Get video of these moves in action here.

This was written by Lucy Danziger of Self.com

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Simple guide to losing belly fat

Let’s face it, belly fat is the most noticeable. This is the most common fatty area, even some reasonably thin people can agree. This is why I decided to put together this simple guide to eliminating belly fat. I will be going over

-Taking a controlled diet
-Avoid bad habits
-Exercise regularly

1. Taking a controlled diet
-Instead of eating heavy meals, eat 6 smaller meals a day
-Have your meals on a schedule
-Consume your last meal about four hours before bed(avoid eating close to bed time)
-Avoid oily foods
-Include salads in your diet
-Absolutely never skip breakfast
-No crash dieting, stick to a balanced diet

2. Avoid bad habits
Smoking, caffeine (coffee), and alcohol will increase cholesterol levels in your body. Therefor, in order to stay healthy you must eliminate these habits.

3. Exercise regularly
There are tons of exercises one can do to reduce belly fat. I recommend cardio, cardio workouts are considered the best when reducing weight. Here is a list of some exercises that I recommend.
-Walking (helps to walk on sand, fields, woodlands, etc )
-Swimming
-Crunches lying on the back with knees bent. (Now lift the shoulders from the floor. The focus here is to move your ribs towards your hips.)
-Leg raises (This will cut weight on the thighs and hips)
-Follow aerobic videos or classes

Follow this simple guide and burn that belly fat quick. I hope this will help you achieve any goals or resolutions you have for the new year.

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Best chest workout from home

Here is a great chest workout i would like to share with you all. I absolutely love this workout, it can be done from home and all you need is a set of dumbbells. This workout consists of three chest workouts and combines them into one brutal chest exercise.

Instructions
1. Push ups, make sure you are keeping good form and you are going till failure.
2. Dumbbell flies
3. Dumbbell press
I recommend doing this workout as seen in the video. Laying on the rug is important because it limits range of motion, this will help avoid injury.

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Building muscle mass for skinny guys

I know how hard it can be to be skinny and try to gain muscle mass. I was there at one point, 120 pounds and working out but gaining no size. I came across this video the other day and thought the information on it was so good that i would share it with you all. In this video, Vince Del Monte explains the main points to focus on when trying to gain muscle mass. He will explain how many calories you should take in according to your body type, what kinds of calories (carbs, protein, fats) and how many of each. Check it out.

Recap
- Your body weight x 18 = The amount of calories you should take in
- 50% calorie intake should be carbs
- 30% calorie intake should be protein
- 20% calorie intake should be fats

Carb examples: Oatmeal, brown rice, whole wheat bread, fruits, vegetables.
Protein examples: Chicken, eggs, fish, lean beef.
Fat examples: Nuts, avocado, olive oil, preferably saturated fats.

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