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How to Get Great Abs

How to Get Great Abs | Athlete Beyond

Ready to hit the beach with a six pack? Here’s how you can get great abs:

Losing Weight


The first step to building six pack abs is to lose some belly fat. This is, of course, within reason. If you’re already pretty slim in the abdominal region, you can probably skip this step and start building muscle. Otherwise, skimming off a bit of fat is going to be necessary to see results.

Find a routine that works for you, and as always, set realistic goals. Losing weight takes time: the safest amount of weight you should be losing per week is 1-2lbs. It’s tempting to crash diet and work out excessively to try to get faster results, but not only is this method unhealthy, it’s usually not effective in the long-run. If you want to lose weight and keep it off, you’re going to need to change your lifestyle. Losing weight means cutting back on your caloric intake—usually about 500-1000 calories per day. Educate yourself on healthy eating, and start doing some cardio exercises to burn some of those calories.

Eat Smart


Getting great abs isn’t just about the killer workout regimen—it’s about eating smart. If you’re killing yourself in the gym and then hitting the drive-thru for a cheeseburger and fries afterwards, you’re doing it wrong. You need to be focusing on protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats.

Protein


Eat lots of protein. Lean protein helps you build muscle and burn body fat like no other. This is because lean protein has the highest thermogenic effect on the body, meaning your body burns more calories breaking it down.

Carbohydrates


Don’t let anyone tell you to cut carbs. You won’t be doing yourself a favor. Good carbs provide your body with healthy, natural energy, and a good helping of fiber to boot. But you have to stick to the good stuff, like healthy grains and starches. Meanwhile, stay away from the bad stuff, like pastries, white bread, and white pasta, which have been stripped of their natural fiber.

Healthy Fats


Good, healthy fats are 100% necessary to cutting unnecessary belly fat. Fats help you absorb vitamins A, D, and E; and they help lower the risk of heart disease. Reach for avocados, almonds, cashews, peanut butter, olive oil, and canola oil for a healthy serving of fat.

Work out

Now for the good stuff. You’ve probably heard that in order to get a decent rack of abs you need to do about a million boring crunches, but fret not because that’s not necessarily the case. In fact, you’re probably better off doing a variety of complex ab workouts to feel the burn and see results. Check out some different workout routines and mix it up a bit. Just remember to keep moving and push yourself to achieve maximum results. Here are some good ab workouts to try:

 

Now that you’re ready to work on those abs, stock up on some sweet workout apparel from Athlete Beyond and stay motivated!

10 Guiltless Clean-Eating Desserts

10 Guiltless Clean-Eating Desserts

You’ve taken the leap and changed your lifestyle and diet for the better, and that meant cutting out sugar. But you’re allowed to treat yourself once in a while, especially when you’ve been working hard, and it doesn’t have to mean breaking your diet! Check out these 10 guiltless clean-eating desserts:

  1. Healthy No-Cook Peanut Butter Fudge

This dreamy peanut butter fudge is thick, sweet, and loaded with delicious peanut butter. The best part? It contains no refined sugar! The substitution might sound crazy—it’s chickpeas—but they work to give the fudge its velvety texture. Check out the recipe here.

  1. Frozen Blueberry Yogurt Bites

These are becoming a bit of a classic in the clean-eating community. That may be because they’re so easy to make, and convenient to store! All you need are blueberries, Greek non-fat yogurt, and a sugar substitution of choice, and you’re golden. Just pop them in the freezer and you have a clean go-to snack whenever you get the munchies! Get the recipe here.

  1. Clean Eating Peanut Butter Cups

Yes, you read that right. If you love and desperately miss sugary sweet peanut butter cups, this recipe is for you. It’s only five ingredients!

  1. Healthy Avocado Chocolate Cookies

Avocado gives these heavenly chocolate cookies their creamy texture, so butter can stay on the bench. Meanwhile coconut sugar takes the place of refined sugar, making these cookies the answer to your sweet tooth without the cavities! 

  1. Greek Yogurt Chocolate Chip Cookies

Mmm, what’s better than good ol’ fashioned chocolate chip cookies? I think I know—chocolate chip cookies made with Greek yogurt! They’re chewy, crispy on the edges, and packed with chocolate chips. Swoon.

  1. Clean & Fudgy Dark Chocolate Frosted Brownies

These dark chocolate brownies are described as “supremely decadent.” They’re super rich, packed with tasty dark chocolate, and topped off with a sweet fudgy frosting. And they’re healthy!

  1. Wendy’s Copycat Frosty Recipe {Paleo, Clean Eating, Dairy-Free, Vegan}

You said goodbye to fast food (for good reason,) but we don’t blame you if you’ve been craving it ever since. Especially Wendy’s Frosties. Everyone loves those. This recipe tastes exactly like your childhood—minus the extra sugar! 

  1. Coconut Milk Cinnamon Ice Cream

Ice cream is actually one of the best and easiest desserts to give a clean-eating spin. This particular recipe is both vegan and gluten-free, and uses coconut milk, unsweetened almond or cashew milk, and agave or maple syrup to give it a creamy texture.

  1. Lemon Cream Bars

These lemon cream bars “taste like summer” and are creamy and light, as opposed to your average sticky, sugary lemon bars. Coconut flour and coconut oil combine here for the base, while coconut cream and some lemony goodness in the shape of juice and zest make the creamy top. 

10. Melt In Your Mouth Clean No Bake Bars

These delicious no bake bars include peanut butter, honey, coconut oil, rolled oats, dark chocolate chips, craisins, and almond extract. They’re clean AND satisfying.

Is your sweet tooth satisfied? Keep up with that awesome healthy diet, and don’t forget to hit the gym. Check out Athlete Beyond for athletic apparel you’ll look and feel great in!

5 Easy & Healthy Breakfasts

5 Easy & Healthy Breakfasts

You know what they say: breakfast is the most important meal of the day. A hearty breakfast will get your metabolism going, give you energy, and keep you feeling full, and therefore motivated, all day long. But mornings can be chaotic. Sometimes we can’t help but hit snooze a couple times. It’s tempting on those mornings to reach for a muffin or a sugary donut, but you don’t have to sacrifice a healthy diet for the sake of time.

Here are 5 easy & healthy breakfasts you can whip up in a jiffy:

  1. Greek Yogurt Parfait with Banana, Granola and Chocolate Chips 

This recipe requires only four ingredients—Greek yogurt, granola, dark chocolate chips, and one banana—all things you probably already have on hand! Greek yogurt is packed with protein, calcium, potassium, vitamin D, vitamin A, vitamin B12, riboflavin, phosphorus and niacin. All of that protein and all of those vitamins keep you feeling fuller longer, which is part of the reason this breakfast recipe is so great. On top of that, the nuts and seeds in granola will provide you with plenty of healthy fats and fiber, giving you energy that will last all day.

  1. Fried Egg and Avocado Toast 

Avocado toast has become pretty popular recently, and that’s because avocado is super good for you. Avocados are one of the few foods that contain monounsaturated fat (that’s the good kind.) These good fats can help lower cholesterol and make you feel energized. Add a fried egg for protein on top and presto. You’ll have a super easy, delicious, and healthy breakfast in all of five minutes.

  1. Cake Batter Overnight Oats 

Don’t let the “cake batter” part scare you. These little overnight oats contain chia seeds, coconut milk, and fruit of your choice (no cake batter involved.) Oh yeah, that’s right. This is a five-for-one deal! The basic recipe can make five different flavors: Strawberry Shortcake, Orange Roll, Pineapple Upside Down Cake, Kiwi Colada, and Blueberry Muffin. Since these are “overnight” oats, they’ll be ready for you to chow down on in the morning with no extra prep. They’re perfect for those hectic Mondays.

  1. Blueberry Banana Smoothie 

Smoothies are a great go-to for an easy, healthy breakfast. They’re so versatile—you can experiment with different flavor combinations and protein sources until you find your favorite. They’re pretty easy to throw together, and even easier if you prep them and stash the ingredients in your freezer so they’re ready to toss in the blender come breakfast time. This blueberry banana smoothie is relatively simple. It calls for seven ingredients, some of which you probably already have in your kitchen.

  1. 2 Minute Omelet in a Mug 

It doesn’t get much easier than this, folks. This 2 Minute Mug Omelet only takes about 2-3 minutes to throw together, and you can customize what goes in it. You just mix together the ingredients in a mug and pop it in the microwave for about one minute. Spinach and chicken sausage? Sure! Salsa and shredded cheese? Absolutely. Mushrooms and feta? Toss ‘em in.

Don’t forget: the best companion to a healthy diet is regular exercise. Check out Athlete Beyond for athletic apparel and get your workout on!

7 Fitness Tips from the Pros

Are you looking to start getting in shape, or in the process and stuck in a bit of a rut? If you need some inspiration, why not turn to the professionals? Whether you’re facing a mental block or a physical block, we have some tips to help you get through your next workout. Here are seven fitness tips from the pros:

  1. Plan

Having a plan will get you motivated, and developing a routine is essential if you want to keep up the good work. Start by making a to-do list and setting up a calendar. Create a schedule that you know you can maintain. If you know you struggle with early mornings, don’t fool yourself into trying to commit to AM workouts that will make you hate working out. That’s not a good plan. Try to mix things up and keep your routine as fresh as possible—this will help keep you motivated and on schedule.

  1. Set goals

This tip goes hand in hand with planning. Setting goals is another way to stay on track and motivated. Make your goals specific and realistic. If you’re trying to lose weight, set a number. If you’re trying to up your reps, set a number. Being vague isn’t going to get you anywhere. Just make sure your goals are attainable. If you set your goals too high, and push yourself too hard, you run the risk of injury.

  1. Understand why you’re doing it

Trainer Jonathan Angelilli stresses the importance of asking yourself, “why?”. If you’re a beginner to fitness, or even just starting a new routine, it’s important to know exactly why you’re doing it. Ask yourself, and be specific. Will a healthier lifestyle make you happier? Will you evolve as a person from this experience? These are the important questions.

  1. All or nothing is not the answer

An all-or-nothing approach to working out will only lead to injury. Pushing yourself is a good thing, but pushing yourself too hard isn’t going to get you anywhere. It’s tempting to try to rush, but you need to work at a reasonable, steady place in order to reach your goals in a healthy way.

  1. Try bribing yourself

Seriously. Research has shown that “bribing” yourself can help you stick to an exercise program. Give yourself some incentive. For each goal that you reach, treat yourself. Pick a reward that works for you, and set up a system. Just make sure it’s a healthy system.

  1. Keep a training log

Fitness trainer, Jackie Warner, keeps a fitness log to keep on top of her goals. She marks each completed training session with a smiley face to keep herself motivated. This is an especially useful tip if you struggle maintaining a schedule and reaching your goals.

  1. Make it fun

The most unanimous tip among fitness professionals is to enjoy what you’re doing! If you hate your current routine, it’s probably just not working for you. It is possible to enjoy working out, and it’s essential if you want to stick to your plan and reach your goals. Try out different routines until you figure out what works for you. Don’t settle until you find something you love.

Another great way to get motivated? Stocking up on workout gear so you can look great while you’re getting active. Check out our stylish athletic wear and get moving.