Flat abs in four weeks

When it comes to your middle, it’s basically all about the stuff you can pinch (fat) and the stuff that can cinch (muscle). We’ve brought together the top research on how to burn the former and firm the latter in one radically simple plan. You’ll get the flat belly you’ve been crunching for in four fast weeks. Minus the crunches.

Getting strong, sleek abs takes the right mix of exercises that work together to tone the entire area. And no one knows better which formula works than Michele Olson, Ph.D., a professor of exercise physiology at Auburn University at Montgomery.

You can trust her: Over the past 25 years, Olson has studied countless abs exercises in a lab using electromyography (EMG) technology to measure the amount of muscle activated by each. The resulting superworkout she crafted exclusively for Shape includes the all-stars—moves that scored off the charts for firming the most muscle fibers per rep.

The best part? Instead of cranking out dozens of crunches, we’re about to make-under your ab routine. For the first two weeks, do two to three circuits of the first four moves; together they hit all four ab muscle groups. “You’ll reach your goal faster if your workout builds on intensity and total reps done over time,” Olson explains. These moves get a little harder and the reps get higher for week three, plus there’s an exercise added in. Same for week four, except this time you’ll add two more moves to your session. By that week, expect two to three circuits of seven moves with the max challenge and reps. No sweat—you’ll be ready.

But regardless of how tight your ab muscles are, they can't erase belly fat that lies above (subcutaneous) or below them (visceral fat). Those you'll have to burn off—and according to Olson's research, the best belly fat-melting method is Tabata intervals. Maximum-effort cardio intervals raise your level of adrenaline, the fight-or-flight hormone that's the secret sauce to burning fat.

How it works: 
Toning: Do the toning moves ahead in order for the indicated number of reps and sets three days a week on alternate days. Pay close attention to how the exercises and weight of the dumbbells required progress each week. In week four, when the abs routine is most challenging, do it just twice a week. 

Tabata drills: Do Olson's Tabata-inspired cardio workout three times a week: Start with 10 minutes of moderately hard, steady-state cardio of your choice, then do a four-minute round. Complete that steady cardio-and-Tabata combo three times. That's 42 minutes total. In week four, do the Tabata drills just twice a week.

1. Bodyweight Single-Leg Stretch

2. Forearm Spider Plank

 3. Balance Chop

4. Sit-Back Twist

5. Double-Leg Stretch

6. Spider Plank

7. Half Boat

8. Side Plank with Twist

9. Quarter Squat Crunch

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trump speech after syria's attack

President Donald Trump on Thursday night ordered an attack on the Syrian regime, following the Syrian government’s use of chemical weapons. The president spoke to reporters shortly after the strike, which hit a Syrian airbase reportedly linked to the chemical weapons attack. What follows are Trump’s full comments.



My fellow Americans, on Tuesday, Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad launched a horrible chemical weapons attack on innocent civilians using a deadly nerve agent. Assad choked out the lives of helpless men, women, and children. It was a slow and brutal death for so many — even beautiful babies were cruelly murdered in this very barbaric attack. No child of God should ever suffer such horror.

Tonight I ordered a targeted military strike on the airfield in Syria from where the chemical attack was launched. It is in this vital national security interest of the United States: to prevent and deter the spread and use of deadly chemical weapons.

There can be no dispute that Syria used banned chemical weapons, violated its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention, and ignored the urging of the UN Security Council. Years of previous attempts at changing Assad’s behavior have all failed and failed very dramatically. As a result, the refugee crisis continues to deepen and the region continues to destabilize, threatening the United States and its allies.

Tonight I call on all civilized nations to join us in seeking to end the slaughter and bloodshed in Syria, and also to end terrorism of all kinds and all types. We ask for God’s wisdom as we face the challenge of our very troubled world. We pray for the lives of the wounded and for the souls of those who have passed. And we hope that as long as America stands for justice, then peace and harmony will in the end prevail. Good night, and God bless America and the entire world. Thank you.

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10 Countries With The Most Beautiful Women

We come across countless quotes saying that beauty lies within a person, it lies in the eyes of person looking at beauty. it is actually in the soul and so on. Yet we insist that beautiful are things that seem appealing to the eyes. Here is a list of  top 10 countries in the world which are said to have the most beautiful women. Let’s take a look:

10 Countries With The Most Beautiful Women

10. Philippines

The Philippines people are well known for their good attitude and sweetness but there is another side to this country. It has the most wins in the “Big Four International Beauty Pageants”. See the top 10 list of most beautiful Filipina female stars.

9. Britain

Countries With The Most Beautiful Women 

Helen Flanagan – The most beautiful British woman.

British women of today are a mix of different cultures which is why they come in various skin tones and looks. They are educated, well mannered and to top it all- beautiful. Checkout the list of 10 most beautiful British women.

8. United States of America/Canada

Countries With The Most Beautiful Women 

Eugenie Bouchard – Hottest Canadian Tennis Player.

American women are fun, independent and they know how to take care of themselves. Out on the streets of Miami, NY and Los Angeles you will see many beautiful women who know how to care for themselves because of the advancements in science and technology. We will take Canadian and American women on the same level. Have a look at top ten most beautiful women in Canada.

7. Netherlands (Dutch Women)

Countries With The Most Beautiful Women 

Doutzen Kroes – The Most Beautiful Dutch Woman.

With an average height of 5’7” and blonde hair, Dutch woman deserve to be at the 7th place in the list of countries with the most beautiful women of the world. Checkout the list of Top 10 Hottest Victoria’s Secret Models.

6. Italy

Countries With The Most Beautiful Women 

Most Beautiful Italian Model Cristina Chiabotto.

When you talk about classy beauties, you talk about Italian women who are up to date in fashion, style and makeup. Mostly brown-eyed, they know how to carry themselves. See also; 10 Most Beautiful Italian Women.

5. Venezuela

Countries With The Most Beautiful Women 

Norelys Rodriguez – The Venezuelan Beauty.

Ladies from this country have the most crowns from international beauty contests and their tall, slim bodies always make it to the top contestants each year.

4. Russia

Countries With The Most Beautiful Women 

Hottest Russian Model Irina Shayk.

Have you seen the Attorney General of Russia? That should give you an idea of the beauty in the country. Russian women possess a mix of western and eastern features in the form of high cheekbones, broad and tall bodies with blonde hair. See the list of Top 10 Most Beautiful Fashion Models.

3. Ukraine

Countries With The Most Beautiful Women 

Beautiful Ukrainian Woman Ani Lorak.

While Ukraine and Russia are essentially the same, we see that women of Ukraine are prettier than those from Russia. (Our bigger vote is still for their Attorney General though!) Checkout the list of Ukraine’s 10 most beautiful women.

2. Brazil

Countries With The Most Beautiful Women 

Adriana Lima – The Most Beautiful Brazilian women.

Brazilian women are known for their interest in socialization and tradition. Knowing how to carry themselves, they play a major role in the festivals that place in the country each year. The country holds the finest women of the world. See the list of 10 Beautiful Brunettes in The World.

1. Turkey

Meryem Uzerli Sexiest Turkish Woman

Meryem Uzerli – The Sexiest Turkish Woman.

Turkey makes the top of our list when it comes to beautiful women and why shouldn’t it? They are photogenic with beautiful figures and carry themselves around with a grandeur that can only be linked to the kings and queens of the Turkish history. If you have a doubt, follow Turkish soaps and operas on TV!

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Bum and thigh exercises

Beat cellulite and tone up your bum with a routine that slims your thighs and adds definition to your figure.

Women are pre-disposed to lay down fat on their lower body for fertility. The good news is, this fat is not as dangerous for your health as fat around your middle, and the even better news is there are plenty of great exercises to help reduce it.

The following exercises, combined with your cardiovascular workouts, will help lift your bottom, slim your hips and tone and define your thighs.

Weighted Glute Bridge

Reps: 3 sets of 10

Lay flat on your back with your feet firmly on the floor. Grab a 5k cylinder weight and hold it with both hands across your stomach.

Squeeze tightly and you raise your body upward, contracting the buttock as you hold your body straight.

Hold for two seconds, then release back down.

Repeat with three reps of ten.

Walking Lunge

Reps: 10 steps

Take a big step forward and bend both your knees to 90°, keeping your body upright and feet pointing forward.

Push off your back foot and bring it in front of you to go into the next lunge. Walk forwards with each lunge.

Lateral Lunge

Reps: 8 each side

Stand with your feet together and dumbbells in front of you. Take a big step to the side and lower onto your leading knee with your torso upright.

Keep your knees in line with your feet. Push back to the start and repeat to the other side.

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Best exercises to lose belly fat !!!!

Some fat areas do tend to metabolise easier than others. Fat around your tummy, for example, can be easier to shift than fat around your hips and thighs. The only way to get rid of it, though, is to do lots of cardiovascular, calorie burning exercise and to eat a sensible, well-balanced diet mixed with these following moves.

These super-effective moves are designed to help you look good and beat belly fat. These moves will lengthen and strengthen your body, improve your posture, and help you shed excess body fat.

‘Do these exercises three to five times a week in addition to fast walking or running three times a week,’ advises top personal trainer Caroline Sandry (carolinesandry.com). ‘They should only take around 20 minutes, so if you have time you can add them on to the end of your cardio session, or do them as a stand-alone routine.

Pilates 100

Keep your stomach flat and your spine in neutral throughout. Start with 50
breaths and build up.

Reps: 100 beats  Sets: 1

Lie on your back with your arms by your sides, contract your abdominals and bring both knees up to a right angle.

Exhale and lift your head, shoulders and arms off the floor.

Straighten your legs and start to beat your arms up and down as if pressing on heavy springs.

Inhale for five arm beats and exhale for five arm beats, keeping your abdominals contracted throughout and your back in contact with the floor.

Pilates Criss-Cross

Keep your stomach flat throughout and move in a controlled manner – don’t let your hips rock.

Reps: 12 slow reps followed by 12 fast Sets: 1

Lie on your back and bring your knees up to a right angle above your hips.

Place your fingers behind your ears, keep your elbows wide and lift your head off the floor.

Exhale and peel your left shoulder across towards your right hip as you extend your left leg out.

Inhale back to the centre and exhale as you repeat the move in the opposite direction.

Oblique Roll Back

This exercise is not suitable if you have a back or disc problem. Turn your eyes to where you want to go to help engage the correct muscles, and draw your belly button in throughout. Don’t let your back flatten – keep its natural curve.

Reps: 10 times each side Sets: 2

Sit up tall with your knees bent and gently squeezed together with your arms out in front of you.

Exhale, draw your navel to your spine and roll backwards, bringing your lower ribs towards your hips.

Twist to the right and, as you turn, sweep your right arm back, finishing with it behind you at shoulder height.

Inhale and return to the beginning before repeating on your left.

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Tummy toning exercises for women

Not only does regularly exercising your stomach give it a toned appearance, but it can improve your posture, too. Good standing and seated posture can help reduce back pain and the risk of injury. A strong stomach and waist can also help when doing other sports and activities, such as running. When these muscles become tired, our overall technique can suffer, affecting performance and increasing risk of injury.

How to do it

Completing these two or three times a week, combined with full-body workouts and sensible eating, will give you a more toned stomach and waist.

Beginner: 2 x 8 reps

Intermediate: 3 x 10 reps

Advanced: 4 x 10 reps

Kit you'll need

Pillow or cushion

Water bottle

Kayaker

Areas trained: stomach, waist

Technique:

Lie on your back with hips and knees bent, feet on the floor and hands above hips with arms straight.

Crunch up, then twist your torso to the right and make an oval shape with your arms, performing a kayaking rowing action.

Return to the centre and repeat on the left.

 Leg twists
Areas trained: stomach, waist

Technique:

Lie on your back with a cushion between your feet, upper body propped up by elbows.

Lift your legs to around 45 degrees, tightening your stomach. This is the start position.

Keeping the upper body still, rotate your legs to the left, then to the right.

V sit-ups

Areas trained: stomach

Technique:

Lie on your back with legs extended.

Slowly sit up, bringing knees to elbows. This is the starting position.

Slowly lower your upper body and extend your legs, keeping feet and upper body off the floor.

Return to the start and repeat.

Side plank with weight

Areas trained: waist, core

Technique:

Lie on your right side with your body in a straight line supported by your right forearm, holding a bottle in your left hand resting on your thigh.

Lower your hip until it's almost on the floor then return to a straight line.

Side pulses

Areas trained: waist

Technique:

Hold a large water bottle in your left hand.

Lean to your left, sliding the water bottle down your thigh.

Lift your upper body a few inches back towards the centre then lower again, pulsing your body as you repeat.

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Swiss ball exercises for women

Shape up at home with this speedy Swiss Ball routine. Follow the sets and reps alongside each exercise for an easy way to tone up from the comfort of your own home. It's a great little workout to add to your morning routine for toned abs and shapely legs.

Swiss ball knee-tuck

Area trained:

Stomach

Technique:

 Start with your hands on the floor and feet resting on top of the ball.

 Keeping your upper body still and core engaged, pull the knees in towards the chest then pause for a count of one.

 Use your abdominals to slowly return to the start position before repeating.


Beginner: 3 x 10 reps

Intermediate: 4 x 10 reps

Advanced: 5 x 10 reps

Swiss ball hamstring curl



Areas trained:

Back of thighs and bottom

Technique:

 Start lying on your back, feet up on a Swiss ball.

 Raise your hips as high as you can towards the ceiling, then bend the knees and curl the ball towards you.

 Slowly return to the start position before repeating.



Beginner: 3 x 10 reps

Intermediate: 4 x 10 reps

Advanced: 5 x 10 reps

Overhead oblique twists


Area trained:

Sides of waist

Technique:

 Start by lying on your side on a Swiss ball with your feet resting against the wall, hands clasped together over your head.

 While keeping your body side on, crunch up.

 Lower back down and repeat.

Beginner: 3 x 10 reps each side

Intermediate: 4 x 10 reps each side

Advanced: 5 x 10 reps each side

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Post pregnancy weight loss

Get yourself back into shape the safe way with these post pregnancy weight loss tips

Congratulations! The hard part is over and you finally have your new baby… trouble is, you may well be left with a new baby belly, too. It can be tempting to dive straight back into exercise after giving birth, but wait. It’s important not to start any form of intense activity until a satisfactory postnatal check-up has been completed – usually around six weeks after delivery. The recovery process is vital, to ensure that the uterus has retracted back into the pelvis, bleeding has ceased and stitches have healed. It is important to listen to your body during this time and ease back into exercise gently. Remember that the body has been through many complex and amazing changes over the past nine months – so take it easy on yourself!

When you feel up to it, start with some very gentle exercise, including some pelvic floor exercises and short walks with your new baby. After your six-week check-up, if your doctor agrees, move on to the following training plan.

Your diet is an important part of your post-pregnancy program. But don't be tempted to embark on a diet whilst breastfeeding. It's important to follow a sensible balanced diet which supplies your body with the nutrients it needs post-baby. Try these top tips and our handy eating plan to get your on track.

The golden rules

1 Balance your hormones with zinc (red meat, nuts and seeds, egg yolks and oats) and vitamin B6 (broccoli and bananas).

2 Detoxify your body from chemicals by not smoking, limiting alcohol and caffeine intake and eating organic.

3 Stay stress-free. Try meditating, a hot bath or yoga.

4 Maintain a healthy weight, keeping your BMI between 20-25.

5 Maintain your blood sugar balance with low Glycaemic Load (GL) foods. Avoid refined and sugary carbohydrates.

5 Aid digestion with fibrous foods such as fruit and vegetables, whole grains and beans.

7 Get lots of folic acid in your diet with green vegetables, beans and pulses.

8 Support your immune system with prebiotics like onions, garlic and rye and probiotics like live

9 Eat a range of essential fats found in nuts and oily fish to reduce any inflammation

Try this healthy eating plan to whittle down your post-pregnancy bod.

Breakfast
- Omelette with a slice of wholegrain toast
-Berry smoothie made with natural yoghurt a handful of berries and 2 tablespoons of mixed nuts and seeds
- Porridge with unsweetened rice or coconut milk, 1 tablespoons of flaxseeds and half a teaspoon of cinnamon

Lunch
-Grilled chicken served with a big garden salad
-Baked sweet potato with cottage cheese, served with a generous helping of colourful vegetables and a knob of butter
- Lentil salad made with quinoa, tomatoes, spinach and a handful of your favourite herbs

Dinner
-Steamed wild salmon with sweet mashed potato on a bed of sautéed green leafy vegetables
-Beef stir-fry served with brown rice
-Tuscan bean soup made with cannellini beans, brown pasta, one tin of chopped tomatoes, onions, vegetable stock and seasoning

Snacks
-Small pot of natural yoghurt served with a sprinkling of pumpkin or sunflower seeds
-2 oatcakes with hummus
-Banana with a small handful of nuts
-Fruit salad topped with seeds

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Team Pants and Bra hit the streets of London

A team of runners sporting their underwear took to the streets of the capital to encourage the public to join TeamPB at this year’s Virgin London Marathon in April.

The runners, who wore retro 1970s Y-fronts, Georgian corsets and bright sequinned bras sprinted through central London this morning, encouraging fellow runners to join TeamPB for the Virgin London Marathon.

TeamPB, which brings together The Prostate Cancer Charity and Breast Cancer Care, is inviting its runners to proudly wear pants and bras on race day to represent the two cancers they are raising funds for.

Today the team wore an eclectic mix of underwear from throughout the ages as they ran through Westminster, across Tower Bridge and down the final stretch of The Mall. Sporting 1920s frilly pantalets, Madonna-style conical bras and cosy long johns, TeamPB hopes to inspire people to take up the challenge on race day to create the next big moment in underwear history – the biggest team possible running in their pants and bras!

More than 640 people have so far pledged to take on the 26.2mile route across the capital for TeamPB, to support people affected by breast and prostate cancer and raise more than £1 million for the challenge.

 Amanda Mealing, star of BBC1’s Holby City and Sky1’s Strike Back, is on the team, and she’ll be joined by Smooth Radio presenter and former host of Top of the Pops Mark Goodier, former contestant of BBC1’s ‘The Apprentice’ in 2011 Felicity Jackson, and television presenter Amanda Hamilton.

 
The two charities – which are working to improve the lives of the 750,000 people living with the most common cancers in men and women in the UK – were chosen as the first joint official charities of Virgin London Marathon to raise awareness of these diseases, as well as vital funds for support services and research.

People who won their Virgin London Marathon place in the ballot earlier this year can still be part of TeamPB whether they wish to wear their underwear or not, by signing up at http://teampb.org.uk/join-teampb/                                                                            

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How to get ski fit

Avoid first-day muscle freeze with Ski Fit Camp, a circuit-style ski class that will leave you nimble, energised and ache-free.

The ski season is well and truly here, and we bet you’re feeling excited yet nervous about heading to the mountains after a whole year off!

To combat this, Chill Factor, in Manchester, has launched Ski Fit Camp, the perfect pre-ski training regime to get your body ready for your trip.

Starting at 7.15pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, the one-hour, circuit-style classes will help ski enthusiasts to build their strength with a series of ski-specific exercises, that will strengthen the relevant muscle groups needed for a strong and healthy body. We can’t promise you ache-free muscles after your first day of your holiday, but we can say you’ll be utterly prepared for anything Val D’Isère might throw your way!

Each class will cost £8 per session or £40 for a block booking of six sessions. See www.chillfactore.com

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