How To: Getting Awesome Abs

Ok, so the question that both men and women ask me most often is " What do I need to do to get really great abs?". Well, first you have to watch TV at about 2am and you are going to need a credit card, impaired judgement and.... Actually that is not true at all but we have all been there:)

There are two essential elements to great abs that don't involve crunches or equipment at all and there are a clean healthy diet and cardio. When your body fat is in a healthy range there will not be excess fat covering in abdominal muscles so then you can see the definition in your abs. Eating well and doing cardio are great ways to get your body fat in a healthy range. Then adding strength training, including ab exercises, to your workout routine will strengthen the muscles and ,bonus, keep your body fat percentage within a healthy range.

The third element to great abs is actually strengthening the muscles in the core. This can be done with pilates exercises, yoga as well as traditional abdominal moves. Stay tuned for a Dorm Room Workout Series abdominal video for some exercise ideas.

Accessory Analysis!

In Accessory Analysis I'll review my favorite , or as the case may be not so favorite, pieces of fitness equipment! I actually ask for these things for Christmas and most of them are taking up what very little storage space I have in my apartment. Thus, Fit4College blog readers one, me not having to trip over medicine balls in order to turn off the TV, zero.

Recession savvy eats!

So, I consider myself an optimist and I have been trying to find a silver lining to the, cue foreboding music, recession. Well, I think I have found it. Eating out less and cooking more meals at home. I know I know, at first this seemed like a major bummer to me too, but after a Bravo marathon of Top Chef I was ready to take on the kitchen.

When you are cooking for yourself at home you're in charge of the ingredients you're using and that can lead to cooking and subsequently eating healthier meals. This is a great thing for staying in shape since foods in many restaurants are served in huge portions and cooked with lots of oil and butter. (Yes Bloomin' Onion I am talking to you). One of my favorite resources for cooking at home is CookingLight.com since the recipes on the site are all "lightened" versions of everyone's favorite meals. These recipes taste great and vary from pot stickers to cheesecakes. My favorite is the "Manicotti Made Easy". It's super nutritious, tastes great and is cheap to make and lasts for a few days. So if you're looking for a good way to save some money and eat healthy meals check out CookingLight.com.

Dorm Room Workout Series

So as part of this blog, I'll be posting some videos as part of a Dorm Room workout series. These videos will contain tips, exercises and workout routines that are specifically geared to working out as a college student. That means small on space and small on budget. (In reality these tips are great for those that are out of college as well, because working out in your living room saves time and is convenient and saving money is great for things like shoes and, oh yeah, rent.) So be sure to check out the videos to get some workout ideas.