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http://www.fitstep.com/ unless otherwise credited.

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Secret Training Tip #787 - Two Dumbell Ball Twists Want to learn a new ab exercise that will tighten up your waist, develop rock-solid core strength AND improve sports performance? Look no further.

Complete abdominal development cannot be achieved with crunches alone! In order to fully develop the entire core, you MUST also perform targeted rotational ab movements that incorporate resistance. A few halfhearted twists with a broomstick won't work the rotational aspect of the abs at all...it's the direct, targeted resistance that makes the difference.

The Two Dumbbell Ball Twist is an extraordinary exercise taken directly from my new eBook "The Best Abdominal Exercises You've Never Heard Of," available here:

http://www.fitstep.com/best-ab-exercises/best-ab-exercises.htm

At the end of this article, you will find a link to pictures and a demonstration video of this exercise in action.

Once you've read about it and seen how it works, be sure to give it a try the next chance you get! You'll feel the difference in tightness through your entire midsection - you'll never look at regular crunches the same again!

Why Is It So Effective?

Using only a Swiss Ball and two dumbells, you can achieve an extraordinary ab-tightening contraction around the entire midsection musculature. This exercise places a great stretch on the obliques along with great tension, forcing quick abdominal development.

How To Do It:

For this exercise, you will need two dumbells and a Swiss Ball (I will also tell you how to do the exercise on a regular flat bench in the Tricks section below). A smaller-size ball is better for this exercise though any ball will work.

Lay on your back with your knees bent and your feet fairly wide apart - you'll need a good base of support for this exercise so that you don't roll off to the side of the ball. Hold two equal-weight dumbells at arms-length directly above you. Keep them pushed together while doing this exercise (if they're separated, they'll move around more, making the exercise less efficient). Start with fairly light dumbells the first time you try this movement.

Now, keeping your head facing directly up/forwards and your hips horizontal, lower both of the dumbells slowly and under complete control down to the left. Hold your breath and tighten up your midsection as you come down to the fully-twisted position. Prepare to push hard against the ground with your left foot to maintain your balance.

Your left arm is going to bend to about 90 degrees at the elbow as you lower the dumbells to the side while your right arm should stay perfectly straight. Your upper body should stay in the same position on the ball - no rolling to the opposite side to compensate for the weight to the side. This torque is what makes the exercise so valuable. Bending your lower arm is critical to keeping your torso in the same position on the ball.

Since you're using two separate dumbells, it's going to create a very different stress on the entire abdominal area than anything you've experienced before.

When you're at the bottom, your upper left arm will be contacting the surface of the ball (don't let it rest or lose tension at this point!). Reverse the direction by simultaneously pulling with your right side abs and pushing with your left side abs. The right arm movement is similar to a rear delt lateral while the left arm movement is similar to a dumbell press.

Remember to keep the dumbells pushed together tightly! The opposing tension in the abs really puts a lot of torque across the whole area. Be very sure you're not just pushing with the bottom arm but that you're also pulling with the top arm.

Be sure not to bounce out of the bottom, but try to feel a stretch in the right side as you start the change of direction.

If you have any lower back pain issues, this exercise does put some stress on the lower back. If you do try it, go very light and take it very slowly.

Common Errors:

1. Separating the dumbells

Keep them pressed together throughout the movement. If they separate, they're harder to control and it disperses the tension on the abs.

2. Rolling around on the ball

For best results, be sure to keep yourself as stationary as possible on the ball. If you roll to the side, it takes some of the torque off the abs and it won't hit the abs as strongly.

3. Moving too quickly

This is NOT a ballistic exercise - there should be no bouncing or fast movements involved. Lower the dumbells slowly to the sides and change direction very deliberately by using muscle power, not bouncing.

Tricks:

1. Changing the arc

You can bring the dumbells down at various angles to the torso to change where the exercise hits your abs. By bringing them down higher up beside your head, you'll hit the upper areas of your obliques. By bringing them down towards your hip, you'll hit the lower areas of your obliques. Just remember to always keep your head looking straight up and set your feet wide apart for the best base of support.

2. How to use a flat bench instead

You can also do this exercise on a flat bench instead of a ball, if you don't have access to a ball or prefer a more solid surface to work on. Instead of lying flat on the bench as you normally would for a bench press, you'll be resting only your upper back on the end of the bench.

To get into this position, sit on the very end of the bench. Now move your butt off the bench and squat down in front of it. Lean back and place your upper back on the bench end. Keep your hips down and set your feet fairly wide apart.

This is the position you should maintain while doing the exercise. The bench is a more solid surface but it is just as effective for the exercise. One major difference is that there won't be any surface to contact the upper arm of the bottom arm as you lower the weight down. Keep an eye on how far down you go to the side. All the other techniques still apply.

3. When using heavier weight...

For pictures and a video demonstration of this exercise, please click on the following link:

http://www.fitstep.com/best-ab-exercises/course/newsletter.htm

Remember, this exercise is only one of 55 mind-blowing exercises available in my new ebook "The Best Abdominal Exercises You've Never Heard Of."

If you're interested in learning new ab exercises that deliver fast and powerful results (like the Two Dumbell Ball Twist above) this book is EXACTLY what you're looking for:

http://www.fitstep.com/best-ab-exercises/best-ab-exercises.htm

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Training Frequency - How Often Can You or SHOULD You Train To Maximize Your Results? How often should you train? How long do you need to rest between training sessions? How much is too much and how much is too little? The answers may surprise you and even change how you train!

One of the most basic questions in weight training is "how many times a week should I train for best results?" EVERYBODY has wondered this at some point in their training career, from the complete beginner to the most advanced professional.

The answer could very well change the way you train forever!

And the answer is simple... it depends!

Now, this is an answer that ALWAYS leads immediately to the next question... depends on what?

At this point, most instructors or training manuals will go right to the stock response of "train each bodypart twice a week" or something to that effect. It's easy to believe that this is the best answer because that generally works okay for most people. It's a safe answer.

But it's not the BEST answer. Learning what IS the best answer will help you cast out preconceived notions and determine what REALLY works best for your body.

There are a number of factors that influence how often you should train your muscles. Each single factor plays a part in how often you should train and they ALL interact with each other. I will go through the factors then give you real-world examples of how these factors come together to help you determine how often you should train.

1. Training Volume

Training volume is basically how much you are doing for each bodypart. It's the number of reps and the number of sets you are doing.

The more sets you do for a bodypart, the less frequently you should train the bodypart to give it a chance to recover. If you do fewer sets, you can train more frequently and recover from it.

2. Training Intensity

This is not the scientific definition of intensity (i.e. how close the weight you are using is to your one rep max for that exercise) but rather your effort intensity. Basically, it's how hard you're working your muscles.

The harder you push yourself in your sets, the less frequent your training should be as this will tax your recovery systems more strongly.

3. Nutrition

How much you eat and, more importantly, WHAT you eat plays a critical role in how often you can and should train. Don't think nutrition plays a big role in training frequency? Eat nothing but Pop Tarts for a week and see how often you're able to train...

The higher the quality of the food you eat and, to some degree, the more food you eat, the better you'll be able to recover and the more often you'll be able to train.

4. Recovery

When it comes to recovery, everybody is different...some people recover slowly while some recover very quickly. This difference can be heightened by outside activities and stresses to the body. For instance, a construction worker, who has a physical job, will need more recovery time than an office worker. Playing intense sports will also affect recovery ability.

Therefore, the slower your recovery rate and/or the more outside activities you do, the more time you will need between training sessions.

5. Exercise Selection

Which exercise is most demanding to the thighs and the whole body in general... a barbell squat or a leg extension? The squat, of course, because the more demanding the exercises are on a bodypart (or the whole body), the less frequently you can effectively train that bodypart.

6. Bodypart Size

The bigger the bodypart, e.g. back, thighs and chest, the more recovery time it needs. All things being equal, smaller bodyparts can be worked more frequently because they have less muscle mass that needs repair.

7. Type of Training You Do

Partials, negatives and other intensity techniques are going to affect how frequently you can effectively train a bodypart. These styles take more recovery time for the muscles and will require a decrease in training frequency.

TRAINING FREQUENCY RULES OF THUMB

These simple lists will show you the directions in which each factor will take you. All the factors interact to give you the best solution as to how often you should train.

You Can Train At a Higher Frequency If You Have:
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A better recovery rate
Good nutrition and supplementation
Lower training volume
Lower training intensity
Easier exercises
Smaller bodyparts
Fewer intensity techniques

You Should Train At a Lower Frequency If You Have:
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A slower recovery rate
Poor nutrition and supplementation
Higher training volume
Higher training intensity
Tougher exercises
Larger bodyparts
More intensity techniques

How It All Fits Together:

These are the major factors that determine optimum training frequency. Though the interaction of all these factors may seem complex, when you get right down to it, it's actually quite intuitive.

A good way to demonstrate this is by using myself as an example in different phases of training that I've been through. You will see, according to all the different factors, how I changed my training frequency and training schedules to maximize results.

You will also see that the common conceptions and "rules" that you have been told you must stick to in terms of training frequency (e.g. twice a week) are based only on simple assumptions, not on actual situations.

EXAMPLE #1 - Heavy manual labor, limited access to quality food

Because of the specific job conditions I was in at the time, I reduced the frequency of my training to three sessions per week and reduced my total training volume. I did total body workouts on each of the three days (Monday, Wednesday and Friday), using the heaviest exercises for each bodypart for 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps each (e.g. squats, bench press, bent-over rows).

I didn't push my muscles to complete failure in my training so that I didn't beat myself down too much in addition to the heavy manual labor job.

It was a simple program but very effective. It gave me enough recovery time because the volume was low and the intensity was moderate, even though the frequency for each bodypart was three times a week.

EXAMPLE #2 - In-home vacation, unlimited access to food and recovery, no demanding outside activities or work.

A number of years ago, I worked on cruise ships as a sports director. I would work 8 to 10 months straight (every single day) then have a few months completely off. During this time off, I had access to a gym, food and plenty of sleep.

To maximize results, I would dramatically increase my training volume and frequency and utilize intensity techniques regularly.

The catch? Since I was basically only eating, sleeping and training, I was able to recover from this high frequency and make excellent gains in strength and muscle mass.

As an extreme example of the frequency I was able to work with at this point, I was in the gym 6 days a week, twice a day, doing total-body workouts EVERY SINGLE TIME. This amounted to 12 total-body workouts a week, in addition to intensity techniques. The actual training volume (number of sets) in each workout was fairly low (3 or 4 sets per bodypart), which also allowed me to get results from that very high frequency.

I used a "controlled-overtraining" program similar in concept to the one that I wrote about in a previous issue of BetterU News here:

Training on the Edge - Learn How Overtraining on Purpose Can Get You Maximum Results FAST!

http://www.fitstep.com/Misc/Newsletter-archives/issue22.htm

Because I was able to recover from it, the high frequency of training worked in my favor and allowed me to get great results. But would I recommend this type of program to someone working a physical job or without optimum nutrition in quality or amount? No chance.

EXAMPLE #3 - Extremely busy work schedule, office job, meals determined by work breaks but workouts may have to be put off until the next day to accommodate overtime.

Having an office job meant that it wasn't physically demanding, allowing for good recovery. Nutrition, however, was often hit-or-miss due to busy scheduling. There were times, when work demanded, that I needed to put in hours after regular time, which forced me to push workouts back to the next day.

To maximize the results with this situation, I changed to a "one bodypart per day" training system. I would do a single bodypart in a workout, working it with high volume and high intensity. The next day I would do a different bodypart, rotating continuously through all the major bodyparts.

Because I was working only one bodypart at a time, the training frequency was very low, basically working the target bodypart once every 7 to 8 days. This, of course, would increase if I had to bump a workout back a day.

Even though I would basically "destroy" the single bodypart in its workout, this low training frequency gave my body enough time to recover and rebuild the muscle. It would take that much time for the part to recover. Also, when you work one bodypart, other bodyparts area invariably involved, allowing for indirect stimulation of the other muscles more frequently, e.g. when you bench press for the chest, the triceps are also involved.

This plan gave me the flexibility to easily change workout schedules without compromising results while allowing my less-than-perfect nutrition to still allow me to recover enough between workouts and get results.

CONCLUSION:

As you can see, optimum training frequency is nothing as simple as "work each bodypart twice a week." The give and take between a number of different factors in your life and schedule will help you determine how often you should be training and the type of training you should be doing for best results.

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How to Lose the Most Fat and Build the Most Muscle in 30 Days Get the inside scoop on how you can maximize your fat loss while building lean muscle mass in the shortest amount of time possible.

A lot can happen in 30 days…

The dream of everyone who trains is to lose maximum fat and build maximum muscle in the shortest period of time possible. While it is definitely possible to both lose fat and gain muscle at the same time, in my experience, the best results come from concentrating on one major goal at a time.

Let me put it this way: to lose fat, you need a caloric deficit. To build muscle, you need a caloric surplus. If you try to do both at the same time, you may just remain exactly where you are!

So the question before us is - how do we maximize both fat loss and muscle gain, two very much opposing goals, in only 30 days?

It's simple - we focus on both goals in the same program but not at the exact same time!

By alternating rapidly back and forth between reduced-calorie fat loss training and higher-calorie mass-oriented training, you can not only accomplish both goals at the same time, you can actually use the two opposing goals to feed on each other and send your results through the roof!

To illustrate my point, remember how quickly you gain weight when coming off a strict diet? Remember how quickly you lose weight when you start to diet and you haven't been careful about what you've been eating? That's your body rapidly adapting to a stress. One of the most powerful features of this switching back and forth is in the change itself - your body changes far quicker when you give it a powerful reason.

What is the result of this switching back and forth? Extremely rapid fat loss and extremely rapid muscle gain.

To maximize the effects of this switching, you must tailor your training, diet and supplementation towards your specific goal during that particular time. Proper manipulation of these factors will greatly enhance the body's hormonal response to this program, which is the real key to maximizing your results.

For five days, we will target everything about your training and nutrition towards fat loss.

After five days, your metabolism will be just starting to get used to the training and nutritional program you're following. Now we'll throw it a curveball and change everything!

For the next five days, you will be focusing your training, nutrition and supplementation completely on muscle building.

The body's hormonal response to this huge change in training, nutrition and supplementation is tremendous. Sensing a feast after a famine, it will greedily take in all the nutrients it can and store them in the form of glycogen (for carbs), muscle mass (for protein) and fat (to some extent). Since you will only be doing this phase for 5 days, however, fat gains will be minimal so don't be shy to eat!

It is important to note that you should eat a lot but you should eat clean - loading up on junk food will not give you the best results. You've got to provide your body with quality materials to rebuild with or you may not gain as much muscle and you may add too much fat.

After five days of this training, your metabolism will be cranking along, happily building muscle. Now we'll pull the rug out and go right back into fat-loss training for five days. Since your body is used to getting more food and your metabolism is still moving fast, switching to fat-loss training at this time will immediately result in your body burning far more fat than if you were using a conventional fat-loss program.

In 30 days, you will complete three rounds of this rapid-adaptation training. As you will soon experience, this switching back and forth between a short, targeted fat-loss program and a short, targeted muscle-building program can have a tremendous and rapid impact on bodyfat and muscle mass levels.

What does this mean for you? It means you can lose fat faster and gain muscle faster, taking FULL advantage of your body's natural reaction and rapid adaptation to massive change.

Think this program sounds good? You ain't seen nothing yet...

This particular program is my contribution to the powerful training eBook "All-Star Trainers Guide to Maximum Fat Loss and Muscle Building" from AtoZfitness.com

In this book, Lewis Wolk (the owner of AtoZFitness.com) challenged more than a dozen of the top trainers on the Internet to present their best advice on how to burn the most fat while building the most muscle in only 30 days.

You've see my program above. In addition to a very detailed explanation of how to perform my program, including a day-by-day guide and set-by-set workouts to follow, you'll also get the rapid fat-loss and muscle-building secrets of 12 of the most knowledgeable and respected trainers in the world, including Tom Venuto, Pete Sisco, David Grisaffi, Jeremy Markum, Phil Campbell, Christopher V. Guerriero and many others!

The next 30 days are going to pass by whether you get this information or not. You could stick to your conventional programs and get slow (if any) results. How would you like to make these next 30 days the most productive of your entire training career?!

Click here right now to learn more about what the "All-Star Trainers" eBook can do for you!

http://www.fitstep.com/goto/allstars-cb.htm

Yours very truly,

Nick Nilsson

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