Personal Development Coach

Try this ab workout with my recommended exercise ball for a workout that will blow torch your ab muscles and make you beg for mercy.

Make sure you get a full contraction with each rep on your workout to get maximum effect and deep muscle stimulation.

Most importantly remember that if you want a six pack, you need get your diet in check first or all your hard work in the gym will be in vein.

Ab Workout Guidelines

• Perform the ab workout Monday, Wednesday and Friday
• Move quickly from one exercise to the next with minimal rest
• Perform each rep in a slow and controlled manner squeezing and fully contract the abs each rep its quality not quantity that counts
• Exhale fully at peak contraction and inhale on the way down

Ab Work Set (#1)
Exercise Ball Crunches (1 x 20)
Reverse Crunches (1 x 20)
Exercise Ball Side Crunches (1 x 20)

Ab Work Set (#2)
Exercise Ball Side Crunches (1 x 20)
Reverse Crunches (1 x 20)
Exercise Ball Crunches (1 x 20)

Ab Work Set (#3)
Exercise Ball Crunches (1 x 20)
Reverse Crunches (1 x 20)
Exercise Ball Side Crunches (1 x 20)

Complete each exercise in the ab workout above in order, taking no rest between exercises until after you finish a complete set. Rest 45-60 seconds between each set.

This ab workout routine effectively works all three portions of the abs. Crunches for the upper abs, reverse cruches for the lower abs & side crunches for the obliques.

If you dont have an exercise ball, get one! Theres no better way to get a killer ab workout than with a ball. 

Trying to find the best adjustable dumbbells for your home gym and worried youre going to make a costly mistake?

Dont worry, Ive been there too it pains me to admit it but Ive wasted hundreds of bucks (probably more like $1500) trying to find the best dumbbells for my gym.

Heres the problem. With the advent of super high health club dues, and most peoples budgets shrinking, many of you are on the hunt for dumbbells and a weight bench for working out at home like me.

Each year the manufacturers dump a lot of crap on the market all claiming to be the best for P90x, the best because you can change the weights fast,  the best because theyre the cheapest

Its enough to make your head spin!

When I went shopping for a set of adjustable dumbbells for my gym I fell for some of the hype and gimmicks, emptied my wallet on more than one occasion and was always left with a feeling that I didnt get the best dumbbells for my needs.

Back then there werent any good adjustable dumbbell reviews online where someone else actually bought and tested them so I had to learn from the school of hard knocks dont be like me, learn from my mistakes.

If youre shopping for home dumbbells, these are the best adjustable dumbbell sets on the best on the market if you have any questions before you buy your set be sure to let me know by leaving a comment on the blog

Best Adjustable Dumbbells

Ironmaster Quick Lock Adjustable Dumbbells

If you’re looking for a set of adjustable dumbbells that feel as nice as the ones at the health club, the Ironmaster Adjustable Dumbbells should be on top of your shopping list — that’s why I own a pair of Quick Locks and use them in my gym.

Bowflex Adjustable Dumbbells

The selecttechs are a giant leap forward in dumbbell design from a mechanical and aesthetic viewpoint. Unlike Powerblock dumbbells, the Bowflex Selecttechs are beautiful in their design, and similar in function.

Powerblock Adjustable Dumbbells

Powerblock came up with the quick change adjustable weight system in 1991 and it’s been copied in different forms ever since. The original design still works but is a bit out dated. 

Whats the best home gym on the market? Is there a manufacturer that makes the best home gyms? The answers to these questions is, there isnt one, and no.

Let me explain what Im talking about, because its a hard question to answer without a canned response (did I hear someone say Weider?).

You see, finding the best gym for working out at home is much more difficult than finding a decent treadmill or elliptical. Why? Because, believe it or not, home gyms are complicated in their form and function, especially to the uninitiated.

Youve got multi-gyms, free weights, power rods, leverage arms, exercise bands, dumbbells, body weight resistance, gravity (oh that pesky gravity) andyou get the idea, its a lot of complicated sounding stuff to worry about.

To compound the problem of figuring out the type of gym you should get, you also need to buy the right gym to suit your exercise goals.

Confused yet? Dont worry, Ive been where youre at and I have some good news for you

Ive already done all the hard work of reviewing the best home gyms on the market and I’m going to share what I learned, with you, for free (before you get too excited and think I’m giving all my stuff away, I said I’m going to share my knowledge, not my stuff  ;^)

And now without further ado, heres my obligatory list of the

Best Home Gyms

Bodylastics I’ve always been a staunch supporter of using free weights when I workout and never thought I would consider owning exercise bands. That changed when I got the Bodylastics

TRX Home Gym My wife and I have been using our TRX for almost 3 years and counting (long before all the health clubs caught on). If you want a versatile gym for functional strength, thats compact and easy on the wallet, give the TRX a try

Ironmaster Super Bench & Quicklock Dumbbells Have I lost my freakin mind? This is the third nod for best home gym that, technically, isnt a traditional home gym. That said, this lethal combo eats up those fancy gyms and uses their bones for toothpicks

Body Solid exm1500s The 1500s is a versatile home gym that’s small and compact, yet offers tons of exercise variety with a low pulley station. From chest to legs, and back to arms – the Body Solid 1500 can handle anything you can dish out

BodyCraft Xpress Pro Easily simulate free weight exercises for core training, functional sports training and many movements that a typical gym with a fixed plane of motion cannot good ergonomics and adjustabilty to boot

The founder of the Dukan Diet, Dr. Pierre Dukan, is under fire for an ethics violation in France for his recent remarks suggesting there be an exam that 17 year old French students must pass by keeping thin.

Dr. Pierre Dukan, whose Atkins-like diet has been credited for the famous figures of Kate Middleton and Gilsele Bundchen, faces a disciplinary hearing for ”remarks, which could harm teenagers already struggling with obesity or anorexia,” according to a complaint filed Sunday by the French College of Physicians. (more)

The remarks are a breach of Frances medical ethics code and if hes found liable it could result in disciplinary action by the board.

In a second complaint, the French College of Physicians said Dukan was more focused on making money than on medicine — another ethics breach. Dukan has sold more than seven million copies of his dieting books, the BBC reported.

The report goes on to say that there are possible dangers associated with the Dukan Diet and that it sets people up to fail.

There’s a real danger to health if people stay in the restrictive [attack] phase. But the biggest danger is it sets you up to fail.

Although the Dukan Diet has been controversial, and has come under fire before, it hasnt seemed to stop people from trying it. There is a loyal following of #dukandiet chat on Twitter every couple minutes.

Have you tried the Dukan Diet? Do you think its dangerous, or is the French Medical Board just over reacting?

The core of any home gym is a weight lifting bench and a pair of adjustable dumbbells. With these two pieces of equipment you can get an effective workout without the hassles of driving to an overcrowded health club.

There are hundreds weight lifting benches on the market, and to be honest most of them a over priced garbage that arent worth $25 bucks, let alone $250 bucks.

To help you cut through all the clutter, and most importantly, help you avoid wasting your money on a weight bench that wont suit your needs, Im not reviewing every bench on the planet.

Instead, what Ive done is pick the top 3 weight lifting benches on the market and give you the reasons why these weight benches should be on the top of your shopping list.

Each weight bench listed below is a class leader in terms of build quality, adjustability, ergonomics, durability and price. If you dont see the weight bench youre shopping for on this page, dont buy it or youre wasting your money (dont say I didnt warn you)

Best Weight Lifting Benches

Ironmaster Super Bench	Ironmaster Super Bench Recommended YES Reason Best weight bench on the market with a budget friendly price. Fully adjustable, can do ab exercises, pull-ups, and dips on it, high 1000 pound rating is best in class.You can search for years and never find a better weight bench than the Super Bench. The Super Bench is fully adjustable, ultra sturdy and has add on attachments like dip handles and a pull up bar that arent even available on other weight benches. The real clincher for the Super Bench is the low price, its the best deal on the market bar none. This is the bench I own and use in my home gym. read my in-depth Iron Master Super Bench Review
Body Solid Folding Weight Bench Body Solid Folding Weight Bench	Body Solid Folding Weight Bench Recommended YES (if you need a folding weight bench otherwise get the Ironmaster) Reason Folds for easy storage, sturdy, compact size, good padding, low price, built-in wheels for easy mobility.The Body Solid Folding FID 255 is my pick for a folding home weight bench. Good for doing dumbbell exercises, the bench adjusts to 7 positions of incline with a ladder style back support and is sturdy enough for more casual users (*does not support as much weight as the Ironmaster Super Bench). As a bonus (and never buy a bench just because of it) the bench folds down flat so it can be kept almost anywhere out of sight, and pulled out when needed by rolling it on the built-in wheels.
Bayou Dumbbell Ben	Bayou Dumbbell Bench Recommended YES Reason Compact size, low price, thick padding, heavy duty vinyl, optional dumbbell stands.If you need a small, inexpensive bench for dumbbell workouts, the Bayou dumbbell bench is a good choice. Limited adjustability with two positions (flat and preacher as shown in the photo) make this bench the least versatile of the three recommended benches.

Who makes the best ellipticals for the home market? What are the best elliptical machines for in the market? The answers to these questions is, it depends on what you need out of your machine.

Let me explain precisely what I’m talking about here.

When Nordictrack in Minneapolis, MN. first invented the elliptical trainer back in the 1990’s the machines only came in one flavor, rear drive.

But over the past few years elliptical machine designs have grown to include striders, front drive machines, center drive machines, arc trainers and even elliptical bikes.

To add more variables to the mix, manufacturers are now adding in stride length control, incline ramps, articulating pedals and various other improvements that make finding the best home machine much harder than it used to be.

Confused yet? Don’t worry, I’ve been where you’re at on your elliptical shopping quest and I have some good news for you. Iv’e put together a couple of killer resources for you that explain everything you need to know about ellipticals.

Resources: Understanding Elliptical Drive Systems and my Elliptical Machine Buyers Guide

Ive already done all the hard work of reviewing and rating the best ellipticals and Im going to share what I learned with you to help you avoid making a costly mistake.

And now without further ado, heres my obligatory list of the

Best Home Elliptical Machines in the Market

LifeCore CD 400 Elliptical Best Compact Elliptical If the small footprint of this elliptical isn’t enough to justify a strong look at this machine, the CD400 packs in a long list of standard features with the two most notable being the Polar Heart Rate Compatibility and the sealed ball bearing pivot points

Schwinn A40 Elliptical Best Elliptical Under $500 As a rule I don’t like recommending elliptical machines under $500 bucks because you usually get what you pay for. If you have to go cheap the Schwinn A40 is the best budget elliptical

Livestrong LS8.0e Elliptical Best Elliptical Under $800 Livestrong has a nice machine for just a few bucks more than the Schwinn. If you’re serious about getting in shape at home, but still need to spend less than $1000 the LS8.0e Elliptical is my choice here

Sole E35 Elliptical Best Front Drive Under $1300 A big beefy flywheel, inward sloping ergonomic pedals and heart rate controlled workouts for about $1000 bucks? Yep, and you get one of the most reliable drive systems on the market to boot

Smooth CE 3.6 Elliptical Best Rear Drive Under $1300 Nine programmable workout profiles only add to the value of the CE 3.6. Toss an LCD display, ergonomic pedals and a Lifetime frame and brake warranty and you’ve got a great machine

Yowza Sanibel Elliptical Best Elliptical Under $1500 If you’re up for the challenge of a great workout and like the idea of an elliptical that will train your core just as effectively as your legs and butt, I think the Yowza Sanibel is a best buy in this price range — to be honest there’s nothing else quite like it for the money

Sole E95 Elliptical Best Elliptical Under $2000 With a lifetime warranty on the frame, 5 years on all parts and 2 full years of in home labor, you have the best elliptical machine under $2000 on the market today and a solid investment you won’t even have to give a second thought to for years to come…