The Truth about Six Pack Abs - Part 1

Six Pack Abs! Don't we all want them! This is perhaps the number one fitness goal that most people have. We don't care about how many miles we can run or how strong we can be, we just want six pack abs! Period.

If you are like the rest of us, that simply means 'trimming' the fat off your belly by doing regular crunches and some cardio exercises. Have you ever heard yourself say "The rest of my body is fine, just have to lose two to three inches off my stomach."?

In fact this is what most first time gym goers want. That's their number one fitness goal.

Are they way off! There is no such thing as spot reduction. You cannot, I repeat, cannot reduce fat off one part of the body. The only way to do that is through surgery. You have no control over the fat burning process. Get this straight first.

Another misconception is that if I do a hundred, two hundred or five hundred crunches a day, I will get six pack abs. Wrong! Doing this will definitely give you solid, strong abs. No doubt about that, but you will never be able to see them because they will be covered in layers of fat!

The only way to get six pack abs is to lower your body fat to below 10 percent. That's it. That's the magic secret. There is no other way. No miracle ab cruncher machines, sauna belt or pills will do it. These are all fake. Don't waste your time and money on them.

You now know the secret. Its simple. Just lower your body fat to below 10% and you will have six pack abs.

However to do this in a healthy way requires dedication, willpower and effort. In the next part of this series I will try to guide you through the process so that within 6 months you too can have six packs! I did it, so can you!

Where are You Aiming?

We all have our goals and targets. We accomplish some of them and then aim higher. We then set our sights on new targets.

One question you must ask yourself is 'Where am I aiming?'.

Have you set your aim only on your target? Will you be happy with a 90% or 110% hit? You may overshoot or undershoot your target in a matter of speaking. Will that satisfy you?

Simply put, aim much further than what you will be satisfied with. For example if you want to reach the moon, aim for the stars. Even if you miss the stars, you will have at least reached the moon! If your aim is earning more money, why set your sights on a million bucks? Make your target 2, 3 or even 5 million!

That way, in case you do fail in reaching your target, you will still end up smiling.

In life we do not always get what we want, but that shouldn't stop you from asking more! Who knows, you might get it and even if you don't, you will still end up the winner.

Ten seconds of Lifeflash

Take a minute out of your busy schedule and just head over to your desk or sit on your bed. Just stay there for a moment. Now you have exactly 10 seconds. Close your eyes and in those 10 seconds recall your life in a flashback. Your whole life, till this very moment.

Remember you have exactly 10 seconds, no less no more! At the end of the 10 seconds, remember to open your eyes. You have to go through your whole life in those 10 seconds.

Go ahead, do it now!

Done? Okay, what were the images you saw in those 10 seconds? Were they happy images or sad ones? Was there sound in those images? Were most of the images centred around you or did they involve other people? Were they of success or failure? What was it about those moments which made you flashback to them?

These are the moments which have defined your life. They were the moments which you will always remember. Where you are today and where you will be tomorrow, will be defined by such moments.

Our 10 second life flashback reveals a great deal about how we have lived our life so far. It also offers an insight on how we want to live it in the future.

A Child Gives Birth to a Mother

The other day I saw this stone figure of a child and mother at a highway junction. Below it was written "A Child Gives Birth to a Mother".

Brought a smile to my face!

If you think about it, a child really does give birth to a mother. How many of you actually thought it that way? I am sure almost none of you. We are so used to our traditional thinking that we do not even bother to think any other way.

How many situations can we turn around if we only change our viewpoint? Who knows the problem you might be currently facing might actually be an opportunity in disguise? Perhaps all that is needed is for you to change your view?

When faced with any difficult situation we always ask God 'Why me?'. Do we ever think 'Why not me?'. Maybe it is his way of making you stronger and better. If you look back at all the difficult portions of your life, doesn't it seem that you are now more able because of those situations?

Every moment of our life is a gift or a curse. Its how we view it which makes the difference.

Parasites

A Parasite is an organism which lives in a close relationship with another organism, its host, pretending to be useful but eventually causes the host harm. A parasite is dependent on its host for its survival.

Did you know that people can be parasites too? Parasitic people are those who habitually take advantage of others without making any useful return. They attach themselves to you, ostensibly pretending to do you good but all the time draining you of your life force.

How do you identify such people? These people have a way with words. They tell you that they cannot live without you and incase they do anything bad, it was only because they meant well. They did it for you. They pretend that they are doing whatever they can for your benefit but the reality is something else. They do it only for themselves. They know that without you they will just fade away. They pretend to be doing everything for your good but in reality its only for their own good. The sad part is they are aware of what they are doing but still continue to do so.

You will find these type of people in your personal and professional lives. Ever notice how some people always seem to leave you worse off, no matter what you do? Interacting with these people someone somehow seems to drain you. It may be the way they talk or behave. These people simply feed off your energy to fill their own.

In professional life, have you ever had a boss or colleague who does the same? He will boost you up, get good work done from you and in the end will take credit for all your work. Ever happened? When you confront them, they will sincerely apologise that it just happened and they did not mean it. They did it for your good only and next time they will make sure you get the credit. However these are just words, you know it never happens. Next time again they will do the same because that's the way they get their energy, their value.

These people will try to find your weaknesses and will exploit them for their own benefit. They will manipulate you in any way possible, just to fulfill their needs. If they want something, they will not hesitate to lie, deceit and manipulate you.

These kind of people drain your energy to fill their own. They literally feed off you. The more you allow them to do this, the stronger and bolder will they get. Ultimately you will be left a shadow of your former self.

Beware of parasitic people. They will destroy you in the end.

Success with Sporting Legends

Yesterday, I was watching the finals of the Australian Open 2009 between Rafael Nadal (World No.1) and Roger Federer (World No.2). It was an exciting match full of amazing tennis.

While I was watching the match, a thought struck me. Here are two great players with immense talent battling it out for glory. Is it just talent that got them here or is it something beyond that. What makes them rise to the top of their profession? What makes us call them 'Sports Legends'. Is it just winning a few titles or are there some qualities which all sporting legends practice which makes them who they are?

Despite being on top of their sport, these guys never stop learning. They know their own weaknesses and work hard to improve upon them. They take full advantage of their strengths and use it with deadly skill. They know their 'turf' inside out. What they do off the field is as important as what they do on the field. They study their opponents and know their opponents strengths and weaknesses. 

Just mere talent is not enough. They take talent and with consistent practice, they sharpen their skills to a razors edge. They play with the best and demand only the best. They always set the bar a notch higher. They are extremely focused around their chosen sport and on their skills. When you take talent and focus on it with determination, practice and dedication, it becomes like a laser cutting through anything that might stand it its way.

If you observe any sporting event, you will observe that behind all great players there is a team of dedicated and brilliant people. Like yesterday, when Nadal completed the winning shot, he immediately ran to his coach and team members. He knows that without them, it would be impossible to be where he is. Take a look at Formula 1 races, without a really good pit crew, do you actually think Michael Schumacher could reach where he did?

The other day I heard something equally interesting. Michael Jordan was once shooting for a commercial where he was required to miss the hoop. He had to retake 9 times! He had perfected his shooting skills so much, that he did not miss the shot 8 times even though he was required to do so deliberately! How did he do that? Through continuous practice and improving himself daily.

Is there a lesson which we as individuals or Companies can learn here? Just having skills or a great product will not take you to the top. You need to know your field, your competitors, your own as well as your competitors strengths and weaknesses. You need to constantly keep learning and improving yourself or your Company. You need to set the bar really high, to reach that height. You need to play with the best in order to compete with the best. Get a great team if you really want to reach the top. This will give you leverage which will make you achieve more than you can alone. See the Top Companies in this world, you will always see a good team leading these Companies to their greatness.

Perfect your skills or product to such an extent that you can compete with the best in the world. Once you do, keep observing, learning and improving so that you go higher and higher, until there is no one left to challenge you. Even when you reach that spot, don't get complacent. Keep on your guard and stay on top! Mary Pierce still gets up at 5 am and hits the treadmill at 5:30 every morning! Michael Phelps still trains 6-8 hours a day, even though he is probably the best swimmer ever!

Observing and following sporting legends habits can ensure you reach your best.