Reposted from Natalie Jill Fitness... Great questions answered by fitness guru, Natalie Jill. Maybe you will want to check out her website for future articles! www.nataliejillfitness.com
Natalie Jill writes:
Here are some of the top questions and my answers:
Are abs really made in the kitchen?
It depends. Here is the deal with abs. Nutrition plays a huge role with almost everybody that has abs. This is because if you EAT more than you are burning in a day, you will store fat and have a layer over those abs.
If you are an athlete, train at a super high intensity, etc. the nutrition becomes slightly less critical as you are burning lots of calories
and your metabolism works efficiently so that you will have a flat belly due to your hard training. This is why you will see ultra fit people or athletes get away with eating whatever they want and still having abs.
and your metabolism works efficiently so that you will have a flat belly due to your hard training. This is why you will see ultra fit people or athletes get away with eating whatever they want and still having abs.
For example, I used to eat a super strict diet and would do long sessions of cardio to get those abs to come out of hiding. As soon as I went off my “diet” they would disappear.
Now, due to my high intensity workouts, I am not nearly as regimented or strict with my diet, but I have abs all the time. I also have to mention that I can’t remember the last time I did long slow cardio at the gym either.
It is nice to have abs without the hours of slow cardio and watching every bite. The KEY is to train at a super high intensity so that my metabolism is always on fire.
Is cardio important for abs?
Again, this depends. You have to get rid of the layer of fat for your abs to show. If you choose to do that through cardio it can be done but it is not necessary to log hours a day on the treadmill or spin bike.
Training with INTENSITY is more efficient and changes the body much quicker. So if you are looking to make a change quickly, you need to UP THE INTENSITY.
If you are competitive runner, triathlete, etc., what I am saying about cardio really doesn’t apply to you. What I am talking about is all the people at the gym leaning on the elliptical, walking on the treadmill, or slowly pedaling away on the exercise bike, all while reading or chatting on their cell phones for an hour or two a day. That is NOT the intensity I am talking about.
That may bring the abs out of hiding a little while, but inevitably most people don’t have 1-2 hours a day to spend on the treadmill. If you want to get a flat belly in no time, focus on sprinting, plyos, competitive swimming or running, or other activities along those lines. I give those a thumbs up!
IF you have a C-section can you get abs back?
OF course. Now there is not a whole lot you can do to reverse the c-section, BUT you can dramatically change the appearance by developing the muscles in that area and losing overall body fat via your diet and training so the appearance will drastically change. Read this c-section to bikini ready storyHERE.Can I get abs after having a baby?
YES. It may be harder, it may take a bit longer but YES, YOU CAN!
In case you didn’t know, I am mother, so I know what is is like to deal with excess baby weight and over coming that to get abs. I put a lot of that info together with co-author Ingrid Romero for myBody after Baby Program. Ingrid Romero had TWINS and she has her abs again.
If you have loose skin what can you do?
Skin can be challenging, believe me, I know. I have abs, but downward dog is just NOT a flattering exercise after having a baby. The skin is not as elastic as we age and pregnancy does seem to stretch/change the skin around the mid to lower stomach.
Even if the skin isn’t as tight as it used to be, you CAN still develop those muscles and you CAN lose overall body fat and that will drastically change the appearance of your stomach.
Do stretchmarks ever go away naturally? Or does there have to be a cosmetic procedure?
Most stretchmarks will fad over time. Unfortunately exercising and diet will not change appearance of stretch marks. What you can do is make sure you drink plenty of water and keep the skin moisturized from the outside as well.
Maderma ointment can help as well, but just make sure you apply it several times per day.
What is the BEST exercise for Abs?
I am a big fan of PLANKS. Here is the reason: they are GREAT for your lower back (when done with correct form) and they are AMAZING for CORE development. Planks are challenging to do, and there are lots of ways to progress the exercise and make it harder.
Doing planks gives you a stronger CORE which will improve your functional training with EVERY thing you do. They are also challenging, require a lot of energy and you DO burn calories doing planks as it is a full body exercise.
So plank away!
Work up to 2 minutes and then start progressing the exercise. Start by lifting 1-arm at a time. Then 1-arm and the opposite leg. Anything to make you unstable or that requires more balance is a GOOD thing. If you can hold a plank for a long time you are on the right track!
Are you a fan of crunches?
No, not after what I learned about when I was dealing with my back pain. Now before you tell me “you are no longer following me” I 
am going to admit and share with you that YES, two years ago, if you had asked me how to get abs, I would have saidCRUNCH AWAY, as that is what I had been doing.
am going to admit and share with you that YES, two years ago, if you had asked me how to get abs, I would have saidCRUNCH AWAY, as that is what I had been doing.
But I was wrong. Yes, I had a great “6 pack” with those crunches but I also had a terrible time with back pain and hip problems and I had a very dramatic anterior pelvic tilt which was further made worse by lots of ‘crunches’.
I have since corrected my anterior pelvic tilt by changing my training and one of the first things I was told was to take the crunches out of my workouts. Not just minimize them, but completely out.
Through this experience, most of what I had suggested in the past has now has changed, so READ THIS.To learn more about my current ab program that is 100% crunch free, take a look at the shredded abs program.
Doesn’t eating fat make you fat? Why do you suggest fat on your programs?
Listen up, eating fat does NOT make you fat. Diets suggesting fat free eating are based on old research and it has been dis-proven. Obesity rates have gone through the roof since the low fat diet became popular for so many years. SUGAR, PROCESSED FOODS, and ARTIFICIAL FAKE FOODS are a primary cause of obesity and many health problems. Eating fat does NOT make you fat. Lack of activity and eating unhealthy processed foods do 
Is there a supplement or pill that targets belly fat.
UMMMM NO! I call BS on the ads that say their “magic pill” melts belly fat. Hard work, intensity, and proper nutrition are the ONLY “magic pills” that really work!
What is the quickest way to lose weight and get a flat belly? Your abs questions answered!
The ONLY way to lose belly fat and KEEP it off is to do it the healthy way. You have to work at it and BE CONSISTENT!
I can tell you that switching from a processed food diet to a clean and natural one (like my jump start program) will help you lose about 5 lbs week one and 2 lbs each week to follow. The reason you lose about 5 lbs week one is because you lose excess water and bloat in ADDITION to body fat. By making that your LIFESTYLE, you should lose about 2 lbs of fat each week to follow until you hit your healthy weight. Doing it properly means that you will experience realistic and long lasting RESULTS!
There are a few exceptions to this rule. If you have a LOT to lose, and you are currently inactive and your diet is poor then you typically CAN lose weight a bit faster. Along those same lines, if you only have 10 pounds to lose, you won’t lose 5lbs the first week.
How do I get rid of the “pooch”?
Usually the pooch is from one of a few things.
1. It can be overall body fat- that needs to be lost through intensity in training and diet
2. It could be BLOAT from an allergen. Keep a log to see if it is more distended due to certain foods like dairy or wheat.
3. It could be an anterior pelvic tilt which is common with females. That makes it LOOK like you have a pooch but can actually be a lower back issue
4. It could be extra skin.. that is less likely and usually only the case after losing a lot of weight.
2. It could be BLOAT from an allergen. Keep a log to see if it is more distended due to certain foods like dairy or wheat.
3. It could be an anterior pelvic tilt which is common with females. That makes it LOOK like you have a pooch but can actually be a lower back issue
4. It could be extra skin.. that is less likely and usually only the case after losing a lot of weight.
So, figure out first which one of those things is the cause and then address it from there. IF it is is the pelvic tilt, the 12 week super shred and my newest DVD Rev4 DOES address that in there. If it is the fat loss or the allergen reduction you may like my jump start programs which address both of those things
So there you have it! I hope this helps give you some quality information so now you can go get that flat belly that you have always wanted!
Excuses or Solutions…YOU Decide!
Thanks for reposting this great article judi..
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