Elements of a Successful Body Transformation - The Road to Great Abs

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Greetings Sixpacknow.com visitors! My name is Philip Ricardo Jr., and I am a 33-year-old United States Marine and successful Bodybuilding champion stationed at United States Southern Command in Miami, Florida. 

Through my 15 years of military training and 12 years of competitive bodybuilding, I have learned a lot about training and nutrition and how to incorporate the best programs to optimize not only your own physical performance but your physique as well. I would like to share with you some secrets that many of the top athletes use to develop a lean, muscular physique as well as increase their energy and vitality for everyday activities.

With the New Year upon us, I am constantly asked about how to lose weight and get lean abdominals in time for Spring break or summertime. I have been stationed in San Diego, California and now in Miami Florida where most people stay body conscious year round, so as a personal trainer in these areas you have to have a formula to motivate your clients and it has to work if you plan on keeping them!  The formula for achieving a rock hard physique and showing off a flat, awe-inspiring stomach is fairly simple…it’s the application of the formula that can be stressful.  That’s why I try to keep it simple and eliminate as much of the science and guess work that is involved in total body sculpting.

Ask any trainer and they will tell you that Weight Training, Nutrition, and Cardiovascular activity are the keys to overall fitness. They should also tell you that Nutrition is the most important aspect and will make or break your goals of achieving your perfect physique.  There are many other factors, however, that you need to consider when it comes to getting lean:

1.  Stress – This includes work, environmental pollution, financial situation, relationship problems, smoking/drinking, etc.).  If you don’t have ways to control this, all of your efforts in the gym and nutrition may be in vain.  Ways to reduce stress include meditation, music, and of course exercise!

2.  Rest – If you are physically active and on a low calorie diet, you need to get at least 7 ½ -9 hours of sleep a day.  If you cant get it all at one time, try to schedule a time during the day to take a power nap…whether its for 30 minutes to 1 ½ hour (much more than that will mess up your sleeping pattern).  This is the best way to recover from physical training…if your body isn’t given the opportunity to repair itself, you are once again wasting a lot of your efforts.

3.  Heredity – Unfortunately, our parents may have dealt us a bad hand. You may be predisposed to have certain diseases, body structure, and athletic ability. Don’t despair!!! No matter what genes you have, you can still build an awesome physique in your own right…just realize that not everyone can look like Arnold Schwarzenneger, Brad Pitt, Monica Brandt, or Madonna.  Set realistic goals and you will be surprised on how great of a physique you can build.