Many factors come into play when achieving any kind of body transformation, the exercises we perform, the foods we eat, the day to day activities we indulge in and the time we give our bodies to rest and recover. These components effectively build the foundations for the success you achieve. All elements work hand in hand, and we will show you exactly how to place these elements together to build a great body and most importantly a great set of abs! In essence you should view this is a bigger picture, as a puzzle, each piece fits together to create the bigger picture. The pieces in this case will be each element of the program and as we guide you through each and every aspect you will begin to collect the pieces and begin placing each one together.

The abdominals are considered to be one of the most appealing body parts we possess. A set of defined abdominals or a toned flat stomach is considered a benchmark of superior fitness. You can have great legs and arms, but if your abs are lagging behind, you just won’t feel complete. Abs not only look sexy but the complete the whole picture. So how ready are you for the ‘six pack’ challenge?

Well, you may well have already tried every abdominal exercise there is, spent many a nights crunching till the you can’t do anymore, attempted to adopt a healthier lifestyle or diet regimen, even joined a local gym in an effort to lose those excess pounds, but all to no avail, am I right? That stubborn layer of fat just won’t go!! Don’t worry, it’s happened to us all! But this is about to finally change. A change like you’ve never witnessed before, a change so great that you’ll be wanting to show off your new set of toned abs to everyone.

But how ready are you? Are you full prepared for what’s ahead? Ok, if you are prepared to make these few alterations in your lifestyle you are more than ready.

·         Change your eating habits

·         Adopt a new healthier lifestyle

·         Begin a new workout/exercise regime

·         Commit to the program

Yes? Great, so let’s begin……

There are many reasons as to why you may have purchased the Total Abs ebook to make the changes you want, maybe you’re tired of the way you look and ready more than ever to do something about it, maybe you are totally new to a challenge like this or maybe you’ve reached a plateau and just don’t know which direction to head in next, whatever the reason, you’ve certainly found the right program to make some very significant changes, not only in your body, but in your life too.

Challenges come in all shapes and sizes, and we face these challenges every day of our lives. Sometimes we succeed in our challenges and other times we fail miserably. But, have you ever thought to question the reason as to why you don’t succeed? In one word “knowledge”, knowing how to perform a task or make a decision is the key to any success. It’s similar to learning to drive, on your first lesson you don’t really have a clue, but after weeks with an instructor, effectively you’ve been given the knowledge to succeed the challenge! The Total Abs Program is no different. To succeed the challenge the underpinning knowledge must first be digested thoroughly before implementing all aspects and making your first step on the road to a better body.

To really make real changes in your body you have to make sacrifices. Whether it’s driving past McDonalds next time as opposed to walking in the door and ordering a BigMac and Fries or staying at the gym those extra few minutes instead of leaving early because you want to get home to watch some reality tv show that you just can’t afford to miss. These are sacrifices you will face and only you can be the one to make the decision, not us. Knowing the bad habits from the good will be the factor that determines your individual success. We want you to look in the mirror in weeks from now with a smile about the reflection you see and say “I did it!” The feeling of accomplishment and the benefits of a greater body and feeling of well being are far greater than anything you could imagine. But this accomplishment will only come from sheer determination, commitment and sacrifice. Failure to make the changes required will results in little or no success and instead of looking in the mirror with pride you’ll stare with only one thought “I gave up”. So which is it to be? The new you or the same you? I think we have an idea of your answer!

If you’re ready, let’s get to work!

The best way to start the journey is to take a ‘before’ picture of how you are now, in another 6 weeks time you’ll take another and you’ll begin a succession of progress photos to capture your journey. The changes you will see in the photos will motivate you to keep striving and pushing harder and harder.

Unfortunately many people often start their journey with precision focus and commitment, but somewhere along the way they take an alternative route and let us assure you, once you’re off course, it’s damn hard to get back on track! Stick to the fundamentals and the “knowledge” and you’ll make the right turns.

Subconsciously we all have habits in our day to day lives that we never even think twice about. We most definitely have habits when it comes to eating. And it’s such habits that can make or break us! Long term success relies heavily on eliminating bad habits and creating good ones. However, creating new habits is never easy. But let us assure you once you’ve put them into practice, they just get easier and easier. Opting for a breast of chicken as opposed to a Kentucky Fried will become second nature and you’ll adjust just as quickly as you dropped the bad habit. To make things simple you have to provide your body with food that will nourish it and dispose of those, which will contaminate it, it’s that simple. When you make a change, your body reacts, it notices this and reacts with a multitude of benefits.

Nutrition and supplementation accounts for as much as 70% of the equation when sculpting abdominals and creating a leaner physique. You’ve probably heard the saying “Abs are made in the kitchen, not in the gym” This couldn’t be more true. Knowing exactly which foods stimulate the body and those that in effect destroy it is something that we will help teach you. The importance of correct nutrition is without doubt the core of this program and the more you learn about correct eating and balancing the more “knowledge” you will have learned, which will of course help you succeed the challenge. The key is basically to know which foods will feed your muscles and which will starve the fat. Good eating habits become part of a new lifestyle and it’s this new lifestyle, which will determine your overall success. Lets take a look at the key ingredients to form your nutrition program.

What is protein? Protein is the building block for muscle, imagine a brick house, you can’t build that house without the bricks, right? Well the same goes for your body, you can’t build lean muscles without protein in sufficient quantities. Every single meal you consume from now on will contain some form of quality protein. Generally the best sources come from, chicken, turkey, fish, beef, egg whites, soy beans and whey protein shakes and bars. Protein also contains essential amino acids, which work together to help you build leaner, stronger muscles.

There are two types of carbohydrates, which usually causes some confusion. The first is ‘Complex carbs’ also known as ‘slow glycemic carbs’ or ‘fat loss carbs.’ These carbs provide the body with a constant release of energy to help you train and exercise effectively. The very best sources are Brown Rice, whole grain pastas, sweet potatoes/yams, fresh vegetables and salads. The other type are ‘simple carbs’, refined sugars like sodas, fruits, sweets, juices, white flour based products like breads, bagels, rices and pastas. These carbs are converted quickly to blood sugar by your body as soon as you’ve digested them. These carbs provide quick energy as opposed to the ‘slow carbs’ which provide longer lasting energy. Usually your energy plummets rapidly with ‘simple carbs’. It’s these carbs that no longer have a future in your nutrition plan. Because of their sudden and dramatic effect, their response on the fat loss process is a negative one. When you feel the crash effects of consuming simple carbs and your energy begins to decrease this is where the problem begins to occur. You’ll start to feel hungry very quickly and this is the sign that your body is calling for more blood sugar and more food. This is great if you want to put on weight and bulk up, but not if you’re looking to lean out and chisel those abs!

In more detail we can look at the best and worst sources of carbohydrates by looking at the Glycemic Index. Link

Fat is very much a double-edged sword. We have two types, Saturated (Bad) and Unsaturated, known also as essential fatty acids (Good). Some people believe, that to live a healthy life, fat should be completely eliminated from your diet, not true. We actually need to feed our body with some fat to help it function properly. Lets begin with saturated fats, found in, chips, fries, candy, sweets, desserts, etc. These fats are just not required in your diet. They will do nothing but hinder results. A treat here and there is fine, but any of the above consumed regularly will limit your progress without question. On the other hand unsaturated fats found in, salmon, trout, etc. are extremely good for you. These essential fatty acids contain omega 3 and 6 oils, which can only be consumed in food, your body cannot make these acids. And, without these omega oils your body will be unable to maximize the fat loss process. Many people when beginning a new diet often start by eating primarily low fat foods and within days they feel exhausted, irritable and even dizzy, and this is a sign that the body is craving essential fatty acids (Unsaturated fats). You may not feel like eating fish day in day out, so it’s essential to purchase a good oil like, sunflower oil, flaxseed, safflower, soybean or canola oil.

Vitamins are either water-soluble or fat-soluble. Water-soluble vitamins include vitamin B and C and are generally not stored in the body for more than a few hours, so their intake is very important. Fat soluble vitamins include A, D, E and K. These longer lasting vitamins will provide extended stimulus and will strongly decrease the chance of developing deficiencies.

We all lose water very single minute of the day, when we walk, when we eat, and when we sleep. During warmer weather we lose even more. Our body relies heavily on water and without it we would not survive. It produces energy, keeps us hydrated, regulates our body temperature, detoxifies our body and helps with numerous other functions. Do you often get headaches? feel irritable? low in energy or weak? If you answered yes, then your problem could very well stem from lack of water. So how much water do we need to maintain a healthy balance? You should ideally replenish your system with water every two hours, keep a bottle of water with you at all times. A good way of checking your bodies hydration is to look at the color of your urine. Drink enough water to keep the color light yellow or clear. A golden/ dark yellow coloring is a sign you’re low on fluids and require replenishment. If you drink alcohol you should significantly increase water consumption as alcohol causes the body to lose even more water, replenishment is essential to dispose of the toxins found in alcohol.

Any successful nutrition program requires some consumption of quality, scientifically proven supplements. They will improve your overall health, performance and results experienced. But which ones will benefit me you ask? There are many good supplements available currently, however there are plenty of bad ones too. Choosing the right ones will not only save you money, but determine quality benefits. Depending on your fitness goals there are 5 supplements you should consider. For those wishing to add lean muscle, lose body fat and define their abdominal muscles a quality Whey Protein supplement is essential. As mentioned earlier protein is the building block for muscle and without out it you will see deterioration in your body. You’ll find it hard to consume sufficient quantities from natural products like fish, poultry and egg whites every day so a protein supplement will help meet your targets. Approximately 40-50% of your protein consumption may come from supplementation. The second supplement is a thermogenic formula (fat burning supplement), although not essential this supplement will certainly increase the fat burning process quite considerably. Some fat burning pills have gained much media attention lately for the wrong reasons. You may have heard of the ingredient Epherdine or Ephedra. These two stimulants have caused some very negative side effects amongst users and in recent months the pharmacutical companies have acted on this and launched new ephedra free supplements with no difference in the strength and potency of the product. Our advice would be to stick to the Ephedra free fat burners. Xenadrine EFX, Hydrxycut or Lean System 7 are the best choices. The third supplement is Glutamine. Glutamine is a must for anyone looking to significantly increase muscle size and maintain muscularity. Glutamine acts as a recovery agent for your muscles. After a heavy and intense workout, glutamine supplies in your body are significantly reduced and just one teaspoon will help replenish you stores. This is a great product to ensure no muscle deterioration is experienced.

For those wishing to add a little weight and extra muscle, Creatine is another great supplement. Creatine is found naturally in our bodies and is responsible for providing essential muscle growth. Our bodies cannot produce sufficient quantities of creatine all day, every day to significantly increase muscle size, so supplementation is very beneficial. The last product is Green Tea, this is not so much a supplement, but a natural product, very similar to normal tea. In recent years scientists have studied the benefits of green tea and have made the conclusion that it significantly speeds up the rate at which body fat is burned. Not only is this a great drink, but its very cheap too, next time you’re in the local health store be sure to purchase some.

So those are the key ingredients that should form part of your new nutrition program (apart from simple carbs and saturated fats). These all need to be consumed in sufficient quantities to provide your body with the nourishment it requires.

So here’s the vitally important part, how many meals and what sized portions should I be consuming? Most people tend to consume too much in less meals, the aim of our program is to stimulate the metabolism and in essence speed it up. A faster running, metabolism generates quicker fat loss as opposed to a slower one, so 5-6 smaller sized portions throughout the day is the general rule of thumb. Now, you don’t need to count calories, you just need to make sure that your meals are adequately sized with a good serving of protein in each and a side consumption of slow carbs. You should aim to eat every 2-3 hours. Now, this may be impossible for most everyday working people, so again the importance of a protein meal replacement shake is essential, it’s quick, easy and good for you! You may look at the above and think, I only eat two meals a day, five or six will turn me into the cookie monster! Not true, smaller sized balanced meals are much better for you than two larger ones, this breakdown will keep the metabolism running which in turn means you losing body fat as you eat!

But, remember you can’t eat well unless you stock up the cupboards with the foods which will nourish your body. Forget the junk foods and get those protein rich, slow carb and saturated fat foods in!

I’m sure you are fully aware by now that to get in the best shape possible you cannot afford to sit back and dig in to McDonalds, pizzas, ice cream, popcorn, candy, cakes and the like. You know that to be successful with the program things must change and this require a little effort and dedication on your part. To make the changes you have to stand up to your cravings and say ‘no’. Once you’ve turned the corner and waved goodbye to the foods mentioned above you’re well on your way to success. Once results are witnessed you’ll know exactly why the right foods are the core factor of the SixPackNow Program. To begin with you should allow yourself a four hour window once a week where you can indulge in a little cheating and enjoy some of the foods you love, but be careful and don’t over do it!

Now we’ve laid down the fundamentals for your new nutrition plan, now comes the part where it’s times to burn those stubborn fat layers. Working out for some people is a bit of a drag, especially when the results just don’t seem to be coming. But have you ever thought why you’re not seeing the results? More than likely it’s because you’re just not pushing yourself. You should never expect exercise to be easy, if it is then you’re doing something wrong. So what’s an effective cardio workout to burn those stubborn fat cells? HIIT or High Intensity Interval Training as its known is just a little different than your typical hour long, ineffective and boring cardio session on the stationery bike or treadmill. In fact a HIIT session can be fit into a 30 minute session and burn twice, if not three times the amount of fat than an hour long low intensity jog would, and it’s been proven. HIIT can be performed with or without cardio machines. It’s a form of exercise where you do a short burst and then a high burst of intensity, followed by a brief rest period to catch your breath. Not only will a HIIT session speed up your metabolism, but it keeps the metabolic rate increased for hours afterwards. But, you have to push yourself with these workouts, you can do an hour long, non-exhaustive workout if you prefer, but you won’t reap the benefits that a HIIT session can offer. Lets take a look at a typical HIIT session and how it works. Lets take for instance a workout on the stationery bike (remember you can use a rower, elliptical, treadmill, skipping rope, or go out on a jog or run). You should start off with two minutes of low intensity cycling just to warm those legs up and get that blood circulating. After two minutes have elapsed, its time to crank up the intensity and push hard for a full two minutes, after those two minutes have elapsed, it’s time to slow things back down again for a minute to catch your breath. After that minute, it’s time again to switch things up again to full throttle for a full two minutes. Basically this cycle repeats until 25-30 minutes have elapsed. One minute – low intensity, two minutes – maximum intensity. If you’re new to cardio, don’t even attempt a thirty minute session, you won’t even last ten! Just taker it easy to begin with, working up to a good twenty-five to thirty minutes after a few weeks. Incorporate these HIIT sessions to any form of cardio and try to switch things around as much as possible with various equipment. Remember these sessions will be exhaustive and require a great deal of inner strength to make it work effectively.

The timing of you cardio sessions is vitally important for maximum results. The best time of all is without doubt first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. The idea here is to burn body fat, not your last meal, so it must be stressed that cardio should always be performed on an empty stomach, which means no carb. foods within 2 hours of a session. Scientific research has shown that if you eat right before a workout, you burn less fat, where as a cardio session performed in the morning will burn three times as much. Not only does a good morning session wake you up, but it sets you up for the rest of the day. Once you make the exercise part of your lifestyle, it will feel more natural to do, than not to, you just have to push yourself that little bit further a make a new exciting step forward to a better body. To stimulate fat loss even further with a HIIT session we suggest supplementing with a thermogenic fat burner 30 minutes before performing you workout. The rate at which fat is burned during the workout will be dramatically increased.

It’s a fact that resistance placed on all muscle groups such as the biceps, triceps, chest, legs and shoulders will actually benefit your abdominals. A good balanced weight-training program will actually burn fat cells, speed up the metabolic rate and of course create a well-proportioned physique. You can have great biceps, a chiselled chest and toned legs, but if you don’t have the abs to compliment them, somehow you will just look incomplete. Weight training is a great all round body conditioner. We strongly encourage all trainees to incorporate a weight training program atleast three times weekly. Beginners and Intermediate trainees are encouraged to embark on our 12 Week Lean Muscle Plan

We receive so many emails from men and women with the same question “I’ve been working my abs out for ages, but just can’t get a six pack, why not?” Unfortunately no matter how many times we tell people they still continue with pointless high rep ab workouts in the hope that their abs will magically spring out of their bellies like Jack-in-a-box! It is scientifically proven that abdominal exercises alone will not burn body fat or create a flat stomach. Abdominal exercising just does not have the intensity of a cardio workout, it’s only importance is, that it strengthens and builds the abdominal wall. There is only one way, and one way only to build your abs and lose body fat, and that’s a good clean diet, an effective weights/resistance program, a good abdominal workout and just enough cardio. If you have a large amount of body fat covering your abdominals there is quite honestly no point in really working the abdominals at this point in time. The main priority should be to burn this layer first and foremost. But remember, you can’t just lose fat from your stomach, without losing it from your thighs, arms and face. There is no such thing as spot reduction. As you’ll discover later on in the abdominal exercise pages, there are three main areas of the abdominal wall, the upper abs, lower abs and side obliques. The objective of the SixPackNow Program is to work each of these areas, once per week, briefly, but intensely, just like any other muscle group, they require precision training and rest (36-48 hours). Most people are not aware that the abs should be hit from all directions, they usually just concentrate on crunches and sit-ups, which although effective, will not work the entire midsection. If you want a stomach to be proud of, then you’ll need to target those areas with each specific workout. More is explained on the abdominal exercise pages a little later.

Some days it’s almost impossible to find enough energy to climb out of bed, let alone get to the gym. One of the biggest reasons most people never see a fitness program right through to the end is just a lack of motivation. So what can I do to motivate myself you may ask? Here are eight great reasons to help you stick things out.

1. Get a training partner. Someone who can push you that little bit further can make all the difference.

2. Focus on your goal in hand and keep focused until you achieve it.

3. Take photos to monitor your progress. The results will spur you on.

4. Measure your body fat levels with a Fat Caliper or similar every two weeks. The gradual depreciation of your fat will encourage you even more.

5. Mix things up. Change your diet, exercises and workout regimes every four weeks. 6. Keep things fresh, the new stimulus will trigger new results!

7. Challenge yourself. And set yourself targets. Make yourself work harder, the results will be fantastic.

8. Think of the end product. What you’ll look like and how you’ll feel in weeks from now.

It’s going to be tough the first few weeks of the program, some things will be so new, you’ll have to workout out even if you don’t feel like doing so. You’ve got to push the barriers and keep thinking of the change you’re about to make.

So there it is, the key principles of the SixPackNow Program. Each element we’ve mentioned above is a piece that makes up the jigsaw puzzle. If you leave one piece out, the puzzle will not be complete. It’s the same for the program. You should by now be ready to make some important new changes in your life.  Now you can see how each piece of the jigsaw is put together, it’s your turn. By reviewing all the information provided in this Introduction, in your Personalized Plan to follow and the information throughout the site you a ready to make your start. You now need to apply all the fundamentals of the program and begin the preparation of your very own program, making sure you implement each of the training principles we’ve mentioned. Make notes, fill in a journal to track your progress, write down this weeks shopping list, print off the training sheets and get ready to begin your plan with all engines blazing! Be sure you have carefully read all the information and ensure all your questions are answered. Set yourself targets for the coming week, what days you’ll train, what times you’ll eat and how long you’ll rest. Ensure you have some basic equipment to begin your plan (either a gym membership or a basic bench with dumbbells and barbell) Cardio wise, you can either use a stationery bike, treadmill, skipping rope, rower or elliptical machine, or if you live close to hilly areas – go for a run!

Just as important is to have some form of back up plan, just in case work or social commitments cause an unscheduled side track from the program. Ensure you always have water and some form of protein snack to hand just in case something may arise. Careful planning and preparation are crucial aspects of any training program and will not only help keep track of your progress, but will give you the ability to carefully scrutinize aspects which may or may not be working. Remember to keep positive throughout, a positive mental attitude will bring out your very best. Dedication, commitment and sheer determination will the create abs you've always wanted. Apply the program, apply the diet and apply the exercise, in return a great new body is in the making and day one has just begun.