| p>I had the pleasure of being interviewed recently | | | | ever does this right. To be honest, the majority |
| by a fitness professional from NYC, Geovanni | | | | of people cannot do this at first, but I provide |
| Derice, of The interview is below and I think | | | | some strategies in my book as to how to |
| you're going to like it...I reveal some of the | | | | progress to doing these correctly. |
| hardest hitting strategies for getting rid of body | | | | GD: What are people doing wrong when it comes |
| fat to uncover those six pack abs that everyone | | | | to developing the coveted "6 pack abs"? |
| wants. | | | | MG: Well Geo, I know this sounds funny to most |
| "GD: Welcome Mike Geary to 4everToned's | | | | people, but the MAIN thing that people are doing |
| Fitness Journal. For those who do not know you, | | | | wrong to get those 6 pack abs is...are you ready |
| please tell us a few things about yourself. | | | | for this? They spend entirely too much time |
| MG: Thanks for having me, Geo. Well, to go back | | | | focusing on training their abs! Sounds crazy, but |
| a little, I have been heavily involved in fitness and | | | | it's true. Remember, having a visible six pack of |
| sports for about 15 years now, ever since I was | | | | abs is all about getting down to a low body fat |
| a teenager. Being involved in sports in high school | | | | percentage. In order to do that, your workouts |
| got me interested in strength training and | | | | must focus on stimulating a fat burning hormonal |
| conditioning. At that point, once I started feeling | | | | environment in your body, and increasing your |
| more energetic, getting stronger, and looking | | | | metabolic rate. That just does not happen when |
| better, I was instantly hooked for life. I'm 30 now | | | | you focus too much time training a small muscle |
| and still addicted to the way living a healthy and fit | | | | group like the abs. Instead, you must use the |
| lifestyle makes me feel energetic, confident, | | | | majority of your time focusing on training the |
| strong, and youthful on a daily basis. I decided | | | | largest muscle groups of the body like the legs, |
| earlier in my 20's that I wanted to make the | | | | back, and chest. That's what stimulates your |
| commitment to help other people experience the | | | | metabolism and the fat burning hormones that will |
| excitement of being fit and getting in the best | | | | get you truly lean and sporting a sixxer! |
| shape of their lives, especially since we've reached | | | | GD: Which exercises are the top exercises that |
| an epidemic of obesity, heart disease, diabetes, | | | | people need to do if they are to get maximum |
| cancer, depression, etc. | | | | defintion with their midsection? |
| That's why I became a fitness professional. It just | | | | MG: When it comes to developing the abs |
| gives me so much satisfaction to help others, | | | | themselves, I again refer to any kinds of hanging |
| who have struggled for years to get in good | | | | abs exercises, as well as some good floor |
| shape, and show them that it can be done, and it | | | | exercises like lying leg thrusts (all described and |
| can be fun in the process. I've expanded over the | | | | illustrated in my book). However, maximum |
| years from just reaching local individuals with | | | | definition in the midsection comes from losing |
| personal training, into being able to help people all | | | | bodyfat, and the most effective exercises |
| over the globe achieve their fitness goals with the | | | | featured in my program for that goal are various |
| reach of the internet. I only hope that my passion | | | | forms of swings and snatches (unique dumbbell or |
| for fitness inspires people to take action and | | | | kettlebell exercises that almost nobody ever does |
| improve how they look and feel for life. | | | | in normal gyms), squats, deadlifts, lunges, |
| GD: Now Mike, there's so many things out there | | | | step-ups, clean & presses, mountain climbers, |
| as to what works and what does not work...if you | | | | sprinting, and other full body exercises and |
| had to pick 3 things that work time and time | | | | calisthenics. If you want great looking abs, focus |
| again to get flat abs, what would they be? | | | | on those instead of focusing so much on training |
| MG: The first and most important thing to get | | | | the abs directly! |
| control of in order to get flat abs is cleaning up | | | | GD: When it comes to diet Mike, people really |
| your diet. Exercise is important, but your diet is | | | | have tried millions of ways to get one thing...and |
| king when it comes to losing body fat so that you | | | | that is fat loss. What recommendations have you |
| can see your abs. There's so much confusion | | | | used to successfully help your clients lose fat and |
| these days about what a healthy diet that | | | | keep it off? |
| promotes fat loss really is...after all, we are | | | | MG: I have included a fully comprehensive |
| bombarded by conflicting messages in the media | | | | discussion of this topic in my book, which |
| about what is healthy and what is not, and you | | | | accounts for almost half of the book, but I'll try |
| have all of these gimmicky diet books about low | | | | to make some nice simple generalizations to get |
| carb, low fat, high protein, vegetarian, fasting, | | | | people started on the right path immediately. The |
| atkins, south beach, liquid diets, and hundreds | | | | most important thing is that your diet is as natural |
| more. There's so much conflicting info, that the | | | | and unprocessed as possible. It almost always |
| average consumer doesn't even know where to | | | | comes back to the overprocessing of food that |
| start when it comes to eating for fat loss. | | | | makes it unhealthy, and makes it totally wreck |
| The second thing that works time and time again, | | | | your metabolism and hormone balance in your |
| is to focus on the intensity of your workouts and | | | | body. For example, why eat refined grains, when |
| focus on working the body as a whole in order to | | | | you can eat whole grains. Why eat refined sugar, |
| get the best metabolic response to lose that | | | | when you can get natural sources of sugar from |
| stubborn body fat. In order to really get lean, the | | | | a high nutrient whole food like fruit. Why eat |
| workouts should have a high intensity, with short | | | | highly processed, refined, and hydrogenated |
| rest periods, working the largest muscle groups of | | | | vegetable oils (these are THE worst thing in the |
| the body, instead of trying to isolate specific small | | | | modern diet), when you can eat natural sources |
| muscles like the biceps, triceps, or calves. | | | | of healthy fats like nuts, avocados, fish, eggs, |
| For the third thing, let's talk about actually training | | | | coconut milk, organically raised meat, and so forth. |
| the abs specifically. When it comes to training the | | | | The point is to not fall for some gimmick like low |
| abs, if you want real results, I always recommend | | | | carbs, low fat, high protein, or any other |
| forgetting about the crunches and situps for the | | | | combination that has you focusing on one |
| most part. They are ok for someone that is really | | | | macronutrient vs. another. Your body needs all |
| deconditioned, but most people that already have | | | | macronutrients to thrive and obtain a variety of |
| some training under their belt need a much better | | | | vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, etc. Trying to cut |
| stimulus for their abs than crunches. Crunches are | | | | an entire food group out just works against what |
| one of the abs exercises that actually provide the | | | | your body needs. I get into much more detail on |
| least amount of resistance, and remember that | | | | this vitally important topic towards losing body fat |
| resistance is what develops and tones the | | | | for life in my book. |
| muscles. I provide a ton of great abs exercises in | | | | GD: Thank you very much Mike for sharing with |
| my book, but one of THE highest resistance | | | | us all of this great information. For more info on |
| exercises for the abs, is hanging leg raises (but | | | | Mike Geary and his internationally popular Truth |
| NOT the way you see most people at the gym | | | | about Six Pack Abs book, please be sure to visit |
| doing them). The key to doing these and actually | | | | his site below. Remember that 6-7 weeks from |
| working the hell out of your abs is to curl your | | | | now, summer will be here, and if you wait until |
| pelvis up as you raise your legs. Almost nobody | | | | then, I'm afraid to tell you, but it will be too late! |