5 Tips to be Successful in the Transformation Contest 6

Since I am joing the Transformation Contest 6, I went over some of my 'rules' to have a successful contest. These are just 5 tips and I will share more as I make my through the contest, but they are 5 very important tips that can help you in your start of

1. Start Small/Slow - It most likely has taken you years to put that gut on, so don't expect it to come off in a few short weeks. That being said, start with small changes to your diet. Instead of soda, drink water. Instead of fries, have a salad. The point to making small changes slowly is so that you can make lifestyles changes and not just have short-term diet changes.

Start with Turbulence Training, but go light on the weights the first week! There's no need to be superman your first week back in the gym. Use a lighter weight until you are used to the program. Now I'm not telling you not to push yourself, but you don't need to such a heavy weight were you injure yourself.

2. Plenty of Water - Make sure you drink at least half your body weight (in ounces) of water a day. Staying hydrated is important for your body to recover, plus it will keep you fuller longer! I suggest giving up or limiting you soda intake. You may be drinking diet soda with zero calories, but although you aren't taking in extra calories, you are taking in extra sodium. This can lead to weight gain through water retention! During the contest I will only drink water, coffee, green tea and fat free milk.

3. Eat Plenty of Protein - I usually eat 6 meals a day and try to have a source of protein at each meal. Ideally I'd like to have a source of lean protein like chicken, beef or fish, but any protein source will do. Eggs, nuts, beans and protein shakes are also great ways to make sure you get enough protein. Why plenty of protein? Your body has to burn calories to break down the protein! I try to eat a gram of protein for every pound of body weight.

4. Eat Plenty of Fiber - Fiber helps keep you fuller longer so you will not venture off to the vending machine looking for a Snickers fix! I try to get most of my fiber by eating a vegtable at every meal.

5. Rest!! - Make sure you get plenty of sleep and make sure you give you body time to rest between workouts. A lack of sleep will not let your body recover, and you will see lesser resuls. Lack of rest between workouts can lead to overuse injuries and will also not let your body fully recover for the best results possible.

Hopefully you'll join me in the contest! It is a great investment in your self!!

=> Sign up here for the Transformation Contest 6

=> Get your trial version of Turbulence Training

Knowledge = 6 Pack Abs?

In order to achieve the goal of 6 pack abs you need to know what you are doing with your eating habits and your exercise program. If you mess up either one of those, then you most likely won't get lean and won't see your 6 pack.

That is why I think knowledge is a key part of getting 6 pack abs. With the internet there are plenty of useful places to look.

I know exactly what you are thinking:

1. "Mike, how am I supposed to find something that works and isn't a scam?"

2. "Mike most of the sites on the internet want me to pay for an ebook!"

To find information that isn't a scam is actually pretty easy. Find sites that are written by well established trainers. If you find a blog, see how many followers there are and see if the trainer posts success stories.

A lot of the sites out there do want you to buy their ebooks. So how did I get around this? Most of those sites offer FREE email news letters. In these news letters the trainers usually give away some free tips. If you read and collect these newsletters you can obtain a lot of FREE information!

Now not all sites will work for you, that's why I will subscribe to the newsletters to see if the trainers basic techniques work. After all, you are the only person with your body and you need to find out what works for you.

For example look at the bodyweight workout I got off of Workoutmuse.com. I plan to do this for my next off-day workout:

Do 3-5 Circuits and take 1-2 minutes rest between circuits:

1. Burpees - 40 sec on, 20 sec off

2. Jump Squats -- 40 sec on, 20 sec off

3. Mountain Climbers- 40 sec on, 20 sec off

4. Rolling Pushups- 40 sec on, 20 sec off

5. Burpees- 40 sec on, 20 sec off

I did this with Craig's newsletter and then subscribed to Turbulence Training and it has worked out great so far.

I am still subscribing to newsletters because I know that the body adapts pretty quickly and I am looking for a possible change of pace to Turbulence Training. When I do decide to purchase something I will review it here.

If you are looking for sites to start with, please look at the links on the right side of my blog. They all offer free newsletters so you can gain the knowledge you need to get lean and get 6 pack abs! I will also be updating my blog roll as I find good training and dieting sites.