how to get ripped abs fast, ways to lose weight by exercising, foam roller
I have always been the type of person that likes to work out and stay in shape. The one key thing that keeps me going is the fact that I know that I will gain a bunch of weight if I stop. How do I know this? I did stop a few years back and paid the price dearly. Quick lesson learned; weight is easier to keep off than it is to take off. I’m sure that I was no different than most because I was looking for a routine that would show me how to get ripped abs fast. Unfortunately, if you have a lot of stomach fat like I did, you can have very well developed abs and still not see them.
With all this exercising I was finding that my body was taking a bit of a beating. That is until I came across a new technique that changed my life and fitness forever. Welcome the foam rolling technique. Foam rolling should be a critical part of everyone’s training regime because it helps the body recover so much quicker. Let’s discuss what the foam roller does and why it is so effective.
Foam Roller Basics
If you’ve ever paid money to go and get a deep tissue (myofascial release) massage, then you have experienced a bit of what foam rolling does. Foam rolling is a form of self-myofascial release that you can perform on your own. Myofascial release is just a fancy word for stretching of tight muscle fibres to improve flexibility. Picture if you will a cylindrical foam roll with a diameter of approximately 6” and a length of 12” to 36”. This picture you have is what a foam roller looks like. Don’t let the word foam fool you, these rollers are made of rigid foam so that they are able to push into the muscle to get a release.
So you now know what a foam roller looks like and what its main purpose is. Let’s discuss how you can put this contraption to work for you to aid in workout recovery and flexibility. You can foam roll any muscle group that you can put onto the foam roller. Now before we get into the details of the actual technique used, let’s get this point out in the open. Foam rolling is not a pleasant experience. Some may even say that it hurts which in some cases, if you haven’t rolled before, it will. The more you use a foam roller though the less uncomfortable it gets because your muscles will become looser and happier.
To show how the technique works, let’s use the calf muscle as an example. The technique stays the same for all the muscle groups though. In a sitting position, place the roller under your calf muscle near your ankle. Now with as much pressure as you can take, lift your butt into the air with your arms and slowly push yourself forward, allowing the roller to move up your calf muscle. Move it up 3”-4” and then stop. Now, what you want to do is to slowly roll your leg (calf muscle) back and forth over the roller. What you are trying to find are tight muscles spots. How will you know when you find them? Let’s just say that it will feel like a bee sting (only in a good way). The important thing to do at this spot, is to stop rolling and keep the roller over top of this tight muscle for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Is it going to hurt, yes but what you will find is that the muscle will start to loosen. When it does you move on using the same rolling technique in search of more bee stings. Seems pretty basic but the results will amaze you.
The best thing to do is to systematically move over your entire body starting with your calves, on up through your butt, back shoulders and arms. There is no need to hurry things so take you time. Each time you find a tight spot, keep the roller on it. Even though you won’t believe it at the time, your body will thank you by being more flexible and more injury prone.
Although not a workout per se, once you have finished your foam rolling session, odds are that you will be sweating like you just ran a marathon. If you are, then you know that you were doing it right. When I was originally looking for ways to lose weight by exercising, I was not all that concerned about stretching and looking after my muscles. All I wanted to know was how to get ripped abs fast. Now Iknow that this was very narrow thinking because as soon as I started taking care of my muscles with the foam roller, I was able to get into the best shape of my life. You can too!
Check out my other Exercise and Weight Loss reviews here: www.loseweightbyexercising.com