DO YOU HAVE Aj Abs?
Take your shirts off with pride!
By: Aj DiCaprio, www.abetterbody.com

Hot August day, New York City, an outdoor café on Bleeker Street in the Village. I sat at a table by the curb with friends for an iced cappuccino when a jeep hauling 4 guys was stopped at the light just a few feet away. “Yo Aj” one called, “Look, we got Aj Abs!” standing in the jeep were four guys lifting their shirts up to expose their newly sculpted abdominal muscles all carved by my technique. This seems to be the consensus once people put 2 and 2 together that I am the Aj of Aj Abs, the shirts come up and the urge to discuss their upper body takes over. Some smack their solid abs with pride, others point out problem areas and pinch a role of stored fat with embarrassment.

The Military, The FBI, High School Athletic Teams, Men and Women of all ages and fitness levels are getting their Aj Abs. So, what is the obsession with Aj Abs, and the obsession for a washboard stomach? Good questions and ones I have asked myself. The most obvious, and by far the most popular reason is “sex appeal”. Playgirl magazine conducted a survey and found that next to a tight athletic butt, women think a defined stomach is the sexiest thing on a man. Men, in all their ignorance, think women are most concerned with, well let’s just say their “shoe size”. In fact a man, regardless of his “shoe size” wouldn’t even stand a chance of getting his pants off if the shirt came off first and exposed a pot belly or waistline over-hang. And ladies, don’t be so quick to laugh, the same rule goes for you too. However, if you tend to believe scientific logic, your abdominal muscles are the center of your body. Developed abs do more for you than just decorate your torso. They contribute to over-all strength and back stamina. The Gatorade Exercise Physiology Laboratory published a round table discussion where by doctors and personal trainers agreed that exercises emphasizing abdominal strengthening are essential to a successful athlete and can remedy the onset of lower back problems.

So, what are Aj Abs? I can’t take the credit for the name, but after working out and modeling for over 10 years, I developed certain techniques that have so dramatically defined my abdominal muscles that they have developed their own identity. Aj Abs is the sculpting process in which I teach you how to work each and every abdominal block, and each and every cut in between. When done properly in conjunction with the right eating habits, you’ll enjoy all the benefits that come with strong defined abs.

Reality Check:

In every one of my training videos, and in every article you’ll read here, there are 4 things I will always stress: Determination, Form, Focus and a lifestyle change. Too many gym members are just going through the motions and are not thinking about what they’re doing. Their head is just not there, they are thinking about everything else and disrupting the “mind muscle” connection. A positive attitude, and undying self-determination is crucial to a better body. Focus on your workout; take a break from life for that hour.

The next thing is, stop being a victim of expensive advertising that try to sell you simple and easy ways to develop abs. If they are telling you it’s simple, they are looking to “simply take your cash”. The fact is that there is no easy pill or fast solution. If there were, 60% of Americans would not be fat today. Sorry but it takes skill and education to develop and maintain a better body. Think of a baby’s first steps, once they learn how to walk they are running all over the house. So start now, rid yourself of false quick fix scams and dust collecting machines. Tune your mind into your body. The presence of mind and a positive attitude during your workouts is key when working all body parts.

Lastly, get ready for a lifestyle change. Commit to it, because even my ab workout won’t take full affect without the proper eating habits. That means that certain changes need to take place, and they should take place one at a time. You don’t have to throw life into a tailspin, gaining and maintaining a better body is a lifestyle of constant changes and improvements.



Abs for men and women, is there a difference?:

No! there is no difference between men and women training abs or any other body part. The only difference is in individual ultimate goals. Muscle is muscle and what it takes to tone, build and maintain muscle has nothing to do with gender. Social differences do apply, however there are general size and development standards that are more acceptable in men than in women. Also, men have a chemical called testosterone that affects the size, strength and over-all development of “male muscle”. However, the same exercises and techniques can and should be used by both men and women. Once your individual goal is obtained then it all about maintenance. As a rule, men do not stretch enough, and women do not “pump up enough”.

Get Started:

Speaking of stretching that is exactly what you should be before and after working out any body part. Stretching should be used a mental introduction of the body part you are about to work to your mind. You should be thinking about nothing other than that body part. In this case, abs, start by grabbing your own personal space on the gym floor or gym mat, lying face down palms flat on the floor and hands at about your nipples, SLOWLY, arch your back concentrating (buzzword “focus”) on expanding your abdominal muscles by bringing your body to almost a “u” shape, and then returning to the floor position. Do this for 10 reps about 2 sets. The opposite can be done by lying flat out on your back and arching your body up into a back bend; again, always focusing on your abs, not using your lower back. There is no need to go for a trophy when doing this for the first time. Do it slowly, little by little. Beginners should work their way up to a full stretch. If you suffer from lower back problems, as with any exercise, you should first consult your doctor or experiment with the movement. If you feel any movement or particular exercise aggravates your condition, stop!

The Right Sit-up

To use another one of my buzzwords, “Form”. Again, too many people are butchering a damn good exercise. They have all back, neck, arms, everything but abs in a traditional sit-up. That is why there are no gains and often time back and neck problems. Here is an Aj sit-up, very plane and simple. Some of these exercises are difficult to explain in writing, that is why I produced the video series to offer proper guidance and be sure that everyone is performing the exercises the correct way. OK, back flat on the floor, legs up as if you were sitting on a chair that fell backward to the floor. Cross your feet at your ankles. For beginners who might get rapidly fatigued by this position, you can flip your legs up on a bench or up against a wall. Now, here is the trick; take both arms and cross them in front of you on your chest look straight up at the ceiling. Pick a point of focus on the ceiling and look at it. This exercise should be performed in short motions pointing your chin up at that spot on the ceiling. Your head should not move, or should move very little. Do not bring your chin into your chest and lift your shoulder blades off the floor. Your abs are blocks of muscles stack on top of each other, your goal should be to fully crunch those blocks tight and release, crunch and release. The prefect sit-up is performed with precision and with very little movement. This is all abs! You can vary the sit-up by using the same technique and crunching from side to side. For this exercise, you should place the hand of the side your are working behind your head, elbow flat to the floor, with proper form, use your abs and the right side of your ab muscle to pull your body up, bringing your right elbow to your left knee. Do the same for the left side. Keep in mind, that what you are doing here, if you perform Aj Abs perfectly is building and molding your ab muscles underneath any fat or water that may be held around your waste. Don’t play the excuse that if you can not see your abs there is no need to work them. Bad, attitude and defies my mind, muscle connection. Once you fine-tune your eating habits, you will slowly but surely reveal the abs your are working on every day. Think of creating a sculpture under a tarp. When the work is finished and the final piece is revealed you’ll see the fruits of all your hard work. That is why I chose blue as the cover for the abs video because blue is a universally pleasing color to both men and women. Blue is the color of the ocean and of the sky. A blue sky, represents the promise of heaven. Most people pray for a thinner waist, and most will agree ripped abs are like heaven.

Let’s Get Funky…Squeeze and Pinch!:

Isometrics: A system of exercises in which opposing muscles are so contracted that there is little shortening but great increase in the tone of the muscle fibers involved. What do I call it? Squeeze! A word you will hear repeated throughout each video, but especially in the abs video. Properly performing, (form) my isometric exercises or squeezing the abdominal muscle to complete contraction will dramatically strengthen and carve out each abdominal block.

My particular way of performing these exercises has gotten me many crooked looks in gyms around the country until they realize the effect it has on ab development. The great thing is that most of these exercises can be done at home, in the office, sitting at your desk or in a car. This is where true “focus” comes into play. Let’s just keep it in the gym for now. Sit on a bench take a deep breath and exhale the air from your abdomen. Now flex your abs tight, really tight and “squeeze”. Repeated short burst of this movement for 20-25 reps does more for your abs than 1000 improperly performed sit-ups. The same technique can be applied to the lower, side abs or oblique muscles. Taking it even a step further you can place your fingers on the cut between your abs and concentrate on flexing only that area. Do this throughout your entire abdominal area. Remember this is how you isolate and detail each and every abdominal block. Keep this in mind, even if you have a layer of fat and water that is filling in your cuts all of these exercises should be performed with determination, proper form and compete mind-muscle focus. The ridding of the excess fat and water is what will eventually reveal your Aj Abs, and that is done with the proper eating habits. Also, keep in mind that while doing these exercises, the shape and the thickness of your abs is determined by genetics. Weighted exercises will put bulk on your abs and make them more prominent but the over-all shape is determined by genetics just like the shape of your face and the color of your eyes. Work with what god gave you, and make it the best.

Bulking the abs for definition:

Remember your abs are muscles too, however they are delicate muscles. They react to training just as any other muscle group but because of their construction, special care and precision are required. If thicker more noticeable abs is what you are after than some weight and resistance training should be a part of your ab workout. Again, the extent to which you bring this is purely a personal decision, but again men and women can perform the same exact exercises nonetheless. Women just tend to stop at a certain point where men tend to want more!

Using the same squeeze, and pinch technique I described for the isometric exercises position yourself in front of the cable pull down machine. You should use the handle to perform these exercises not the rope. Why? Because the length of the rope will not allow you to gain “the full squeeze” because it will bring your closer to the floor faster than will the handle. So now you are at the cables, put the pin in a weight comfortable for you to properly perform the exercise. Grab the handle behind your head bring it to your neck and get down on your knees, either facing toward or away from the weight rack; I personally face away. Now perform a crunch using the full range of motion up and down that I described in performing a sit-up and “the squeeze technique” explained for isometrics. This is an amazing combination. You are now applying some of the proper form techniques, yet now, adding weight to them for some bulk and definition. Ladies, don’t let the word bulk scare you! Once the abs begin to pop out, just lower the weight or lessen your time doing the weighted cable crunches. Remember you are in control. This is body sculpting at its best and you are the artist. When you feel your work of art is finished then you just maintain for the lifestyle.

The Sacrifices:

If there is one thing I can be accused of, that is being honest and telling you like it is, and I will. When you leave the gym you are not done with your workout or your new lifestyle change. What, where, when and how you eat after your workouts will make or break what you just did in the gym. Again, that art piece, would you work hard on it and then throw it in the trash? What’s the point? If you are going to do something do it right, or don’t do it. Proper eating is key. Too much has to be said about diet, and American eating habits. I can right chapters on that, and throughout my writing here with Natural Muscle I will, but remember one thing at a time. To get started, go now, and get gallons of water. Our muscles are 70% water; drink it. Drink water before, during and after your workouts. Next thing, if you are holding water and holding fat you are probably consuming way too many carbohydrates, cut em down and only eat them during the first half of the day. Make most of your meals protein, greens and some fruit. Forget about sugar, and watch your sodium intake. Turkey, chicken, fish, tuna, lean red meat, salad, stay eating natural whole foods. Friends, I am Italian, pasta and bread were an everyday occurrence when my mom cooked. Although I eat pasta on occasion, the bread is gone there is no nutritional value to bread, pasta is a source of carbohydrates and although you need that to fuel your day and your workouts pasta is not your “best” form of carbs; brown rice, and potatoes, not necessarily together is your better choice. With over 1 million hits to my web site a month and continued e-mail I think I heard every excuse, so don’t try it. If your wife, roommates or even your mom is not cooking for your better body, cook for yourself. Now I know what your thinking, “Well Aj, I don’t want to be a model or film my own videos”. Fair enough, I am not suggesting that. What I am suggesting and people as far away as Egypt have proven it, that by making a few small changes to your diet it will make big changes to your body. Trust me once you see the results and reap the benefits you won’t stop.

Aj’s quick tips and FYI:
• Don’t eat when your hungry, eat not to get hungry
• The less you eat the fatter you’ll get, your body goes into survival mode and stores food
• Naturally raise your metabolism by eating smaller healthier meals every 2-3 hours
• It takes about 1 hour of a productive workout to burn 40 grams of carbohydrates
• Read labels and ask questions
• Stay away from friends and family who are sabotaging your better body efforts
• Educate yourself, knowledge is power even in the gym

Supplements, my opinion and my choices:

Supplements, or better said, good supplements are named as such because that is exactly what they do, “supplement” or “add” to your eating plan. These products should only bridge the gap between meals and support your workouts. They should not be the foundation of your diet. There is nothing better than whole natural foods! In addition to water, there are 3 basic supplements that I found is needed to gain, and maintain lean mean muscle: Creatine, Protein and Glutamine. These are all present in certain foods that we eat, however, athletes, bodybuilders and those of us putting ourselves through a productive workout will need to supplement our diets with these products. Muscle is an amazing thing; it actually gets better, and stronger as it is broken down. That is what happens when we work it out. However, the repair process is paramount to sculpting bigger, toner and better muscles. For those of you who may not be meat eaters, creatine has been studied and proven an essential supplement to your diet. MHP makes a great time released creatine called “TRAC” I used it daily because it does not require any sugar for transport to your muscles. Remember avoid sugar.

Protein is the building block of muscle development, and again all this talk of development should not scare women, you can stop at the point where there is no more giggle! Glutamine to be very simple for now is essential to muscle repair. So those three are a must have supplements.

However, other supplements are not found in food that can help with your quest for a better body and Aj Abs. By adding cardio to your training after your workout, not before, drinking water all day, working out and eating smaller meals every 2-3 hours will have your dropping fat and water in no time. But, products like “Thermonol XS” by GEN taken in conjunction with your new lifestyle will turn your metabolism up a notch or 2 and enhance the fat burning process with out the gitters. I use it prior to photo shoots or when I can feel my body is not burning off enough stored energy. But supplements are a personal choice, I have my opinions beyond these, I only offer the techniques and the products I use to build and maintain my body. I would like to hear from you with your comments or questions about the videos or the products at my website www.abetterbody.com. Stop by and join my message boards where myself and other trainers and diet experts support my video series and the process of a better body. Your email is always welcome as well.

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