If you want the ripped abs of a competitive bodybuilder,
without having to train for hours a day in a gym,
apply this program exactly as directed.
Six-Pack
Secrets
See Your Six-Pack
in Six Weeks
Casey Viator, 1971 AAU Mr. America, often
used the guidelines in this course.
Old-School Bodybuilders
Have Practiced These
Techniques for Years!
Do you want lean, muscularly defined abdominals –
especially your lower abs? Do you wish you could
finally discover how to get the best results from your
eating and exercising?
The following eBook commands your attention, answers your
questions, and guides you in a new, realistic direction. And, it’s FREE.
By Ellington Darden, Ph.D.
Former Director of Research for Nautilus
Sports/Medical Industries and
Author of 68 Fitness Books
Copyright © 2010. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Old-School Bodybuilders
Reveal Their Secrets!
Even if you’re a casual fan of bodybuilding, you’ll recognize many
of the champions from the sport’s Golden Age, which stretched
from 1940 to 1976. These men were known for their symmetrical,
chiseled, athletic builds – as opposed to the bloated, drug-induced
physiques of modern pro bodybuilders.
You’ll appreciate the small waists and compact, well-defined
abdominals of old-school bodybuilders such as . . .
• Steve Reeves, 1947 AAU Mr. America
• Ron Lacy, 1957 AAU Mr. America
• Jim Haislop, 1968 AAU Mr. America
• Frank Zane, 1970 NABBA Mr. Universe
• Robby Robinson, 1975 IFBB Mr. America
• Joe Means, 1976 AAU Most Muscular, Mr. America
Steve Reeves, in his prime, had a remarkably small waist – 30 inches
– which was emphasized even more by his broad shoulders. Reeves
went on to become a popular movie star with his Hercules roles in
the early 1960s.
Ron Lacy had the look of a rugged, old-school football player because
that’s what he was. His washboard abdominals were outstanding.
Jim Haislop was similar to Reeves, with his extremely wide shoulders
and a streamlined waist. I’ll never forget the workout I had with him in
Tampa in the summer of 1969 and his specialized midsection routine.
Frank Zane’s abdominals stand out in my mind as being the “best of
the bunch.” He had it all: lower abs, upper abs, obliques, and the tiein muscles – with first-class clarity. His core development, no doubt,
played a big role in his winning three Mr. Olympia titles.
Magazine covers and six-packs, left to right, top to bottom:
Steve Reeves, Ron Lacy, and Jim Haislop . . . followed by
Frank Zane, Robby Robinson, and Joe Means.
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Wisdom from the Golden Age
Robby Robinson trained frequently at the Florida State
University weight room in the early 1970s. With his wasplike waist, gigantic arms, and tissue-paper-thin skin, I knew
he was going to make it big in world of muscles.
Joe Means was on the front cover of my No. 1 ranked,
bestselling manual, The Nautilus Bodybuilding Book. He was a
believer in high-intensity training and his exercise form was
always textbook perfect, as was his superb muscularity.
You might think these old-school bodybuilders stayed
lean by almost starving themselves. That was not the case.
They knew how to PLAN their eating by having small,
frequent meals – which kept their energy levels steady
and consistent.
I’ve worked out with all the above champions and I almost
never saw any of them do crunches or sit-ups. How then
did they get their incredible abs? They focused on doing
leg raises, which worked their lower abs intensely – from
the BOTTOM UP.
Tom Wykle, a professional water
skier, trained with Dr. Darden for
six weeks. He dropped 35½
pounds of fat, built 3¾ pounds
of muscle, and trimmed 5½ inches
off his waist.
Old-school bodybuilders also accelerated both their eating
and exercising by superhydrating their systems with cold
water. Water in large amounts contributed greatly to both
leanness and strength.
For 50 years, I’ve observed and studied the practices of
advanced bodybuilders, and I’ve adapted their guidelines
to the training of other athletes. As a result, I’ve had
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much success in helping men of all ages reduce their fat,
strengthen their midsections, and sharpen their six packs.
But my techniques for whittling away those pounds and
inches around the waist and attacking and defining the
neglected lower abs are so foreign to most fitness-minded
men that many of my methods – rightly so – should be
classified as SECRETS.
The 3 SECRETS I discuss on the following pages are the
product of my decades of researching and working with
overfat and out-of-shape people – plus, bodybuilding insight
into what produces the best results in the lower-abdomen
region. Each page of this eBook, by careful deduction, is
significantly condensed.
The real secret, from a scientific perspective, is there are
more than three secrets. You’ll have to study my previous
books, visit my website – or consult with me – to obtain all
the details and learn the unabridged story.
For now, these 3 SECRETS, once understood
and applied – for as little as six weeks – will make a
recognizable difference in the muscularity of your six-pack.
SECRET #1
Exercise Your Abs from the Bottom Up.
Stack Lower-Ab Exercises into a Strength Workout
and Repeat 3 Times a Week.
Golden Agers understood the concept of stacking
exercises, as well as the importance of strength training in
reducing fat.
For this eBook, “stack” means to organize three related
exercises and perform them back-to-back, with no rest
time between the movements. In the old days, bodybuilders
used terms as super sets, tri-sets, and giant sets to describe
such techniques.
Using the stack style with similar exercises leads to a
deep burning sensation within the involved body parts.
This deep burn has proven to be exceptionally effective in
sculpting the abdominal and oblique muscles.
The Ab Coaster works your
abs from the “bottom up,” while
limiting stress to your neck, back
and shoulders.
Concerning fat removal, reduced-calorie eating alone does
produce scale weight loss. But in almost all cases some of
the weight loss comes from the muscles. Losing weight
from the muscles is a critical concern: it makes you weaker
and, as a result, your physical activities and performances
suffer. This bodily state must not occur for long-term
success, and it’s certainly not appropriate for athletes who
practice and perform multiple times each week.
The ideal condition is to lose weight only from your fat stores.
For this to occur, you have to strengthen your muscles at
the same time that you are reducing your dietary calories.
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Strength training prevents the loss of fluids from your
muscles. In fact, strength training can actually build from
1/2 to 1 pound of muscle per week. For this to happen,
however, the exercise must be done properly.
What is proper strength training? It’s certainly more than
the haphazard lifting of a barbell or the reckless use of
an exercise machine. My duties as Director of Research
for Nautilus Sports/Medical Industries for 20 years, and
my practical experience in working with hundreds of
professional athletes, allow me to boil it down to four
requirements. Strength training is most productive when
it is slow, intense, progressive, and brief. Let’s take a closer
look at each requirement.
Slow: Observe the typical lifting that goes on in most
gyms and fitness centers and you’ll see repetitions that
are performed in a fast, jerky, cheating style. Such a style
is inefficient and dangerous. Slow lifting and lowering
eliminates most of the momentum from the movement
and transfers the resistance on the targeted muscles.
The speed of movement that I recommend is
approximately 3 seconds to lift the resistance and 3
seconds to lower it. Each repetition should take 6 seconds
to perform. A controlled, deliberate repetition produces
more thorough muscular involvement – and it’s much safer.
Strength Training Defined:
Slow, Intense, Progressive, and Brief
Intense: For efficient muscle building, the exercise must
be intense. The repetitions must be continued until no
additional upward movement can be accomplished in good
form. The resulting condition is called momentary muscular
failure. Such failure stimulates a compensatory buildup in
the form of added muscle tissue, which aids the body in
coping more successfully with a similar stress in the future.
When an exercise is done to momentary muscular failure,
only one set is required for optimum growth stimulation.
The mainstream philosophy of performing multiple sets of
the same exercise is antiquated. With the right intensity,
one set to failure is all you need.
The Bent-Over Row is an intense exercise
for the upper back, especially if it is
performed smoothly with a pause in the
contracted position.
Progressive: The most efficient muscle stimulation
usually occurs when the resistance on the barbell or
machine allows you to do from 8 to 12 repetitions.
It’s important to understand, however, that you should
not stop an exercise simply because you’ve completed
12 repetitions. Always perform as many repetitions as
possible – and then attempt 1 more.You’ll be surprised
how often you can do 1 more repetition than you
anticipated. Do not hold back. Make sure each set of
repetitions is your best effort – in slow form, of course.
When you can perform 12 or more repetitions of an
exercise, make a written note on your routine card. Then,
on the following workout, increase the resistance by 3
to 5 percent. Such an increase will usually reduce your
repetitions to 8 or 9. It’s now your goal to add a repetition
each workout until 12 or more or accomplished, and the
progression is continued again and again.
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Systematic progress! That’s why more than 50 years ago,
strength training was called progressive resistance exercise.
During each new workout, a trainee attempted to increase
the number of repetitions or the amount of weight – or
both. This proven system from the past still applies today.
Brief: A strength-training routine involving slow, intense,
progressive exercise must be short in duration and
repeated no more than three times per week. Much of this
reasoning has to do with recovery ability and the fact that
it does not increase in proportion to strength. None of my
trainees perform more than 10 exercises per workout, and
no session lasts longer than 30 minutes. In fact, 20 minutes
per workout is the norm after an individual becomes more
skilled at performing the exercises.
Training on three, nonconsecutive-days per week provides
your body with needed consistency and ample recovery.
Monday-Wednesday-Friday schedules are usually preferred.
The following routine involves the Ab Coaster, which is
a unique home-exercise machine that targets the lower
abdominals. This workout requires only one set of eight
exercises. Repeat the routine three times a week,
on non-consecutive days.
Difficult Ab Exercises Made Easy
Ab Coaster: A Breakthrough in Abdominal Training
Among old-school bodybuilders, who were known
for their lower-ab strength and muscularity, the best
exercise for complete abdominal development was
the Hanging Leg Raise. The Hanging Leg Raise was
performed in the following manner:
Hang by your hands from an over-the-head horizontal bar.
Raise your feet and knees toward your hands. Lean back
slightly with your head and shoulders as your legs are lifting.
Touch your feet to the horizontal bar. Pause briefly. Lower
your feet back to the bottom position.
Hanging Leg Raise
The Ab Coaster makes this
difficult exercise possible for
anyone to perform.
If you can do 12 consecutive, slow and smooth
repetitions of the Hanging Leg Raise, you probably have
little need for this eBook. In fact, your midsection is
probably flat and your lower-abs are well defined.
The problem is that the Hanging Leg Raise is extremely
difficult for the average man to perform. Most cannot
even raise their feet to waist level and pause, much less
to the overhead bar. And, holding onto the horizontal
bar for 30 seconds or longer, takes muscular hands and
forearms, as well as supportive strength in the shoulders
and upper back.
The Ab Coaster was designed to remove much of the
difficulty of this hanging exercise, while emphasizing
the positive effects of raising the lower body. Instead of
lifting the entire weight of your legs forward and up, you
kneel on a bench that rests on a curved track. Then, with
The Ab Coaster works your
abs from the “bottom up,” while
limiting stress to your neck, back
and shoulders.
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your elbows supported on padded armrests, you glide
the bench forward and up. Such a motion works your
abs from the “bottom up,” much like the Hanging Leg
Raise – with none of the problems.
The Ab Coaster has my vote for working effectively the
often-neglected, lower-ab muscles.
What about stacking the Ab Coaster exercises? Well,
you’ve really got to experience this “below-the-navel,
inside-out-burning feeling” for yourself.
Once you get the hang of the Ab Coaster (it does take
some getting-used to), you can progressively add 5, 10,
and 15 pounds of resistance plates to the carriage . . .
to make each repetition HARDER. Harder is the name
of the game, if you want to force your body to build
stronger, better-defined, lower abdominal muscles.
There’s just never been a PRACTICAL, PROGRESSIVE
way for most men to target the lower abs – until the
arrival of the Ab Coaster.
For more information about the Ab Coaster, go to
www.AbCoasterClub.com.
Ab Coaster, Lower-Ab Routine
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Forward Lift
and up, which moves the carriage, until you fully contract
your abdominals and left obliques. Pause briefly at the
top position. Lower smoothly to the bottom. Repeat for
8 repetitions. Ease out of the machine and get ready to
perform the Right Side Lift.
Ab Coaster Forward Lift
Ab Coaster Left Side Lift
Ab Coaster Right Side Lift
Overhead Press with Barbell
Bent-Over Row with Barbell
Bench Press with Barbell
Biceps Curl with Barbell
Squat with Barbell
Ab Coaster Forward Lift (for lower abdominals):
Adjust the seat so that it faces forward. Move to the side.
Place your forearms and elbows on the arm pads and grasp
the handles lightly. Kneel on the seat and hook the front
of your feet on the back edge of the pad. Look forward
and keep your back straight. Pull your knees forward
and up, which moves the carriage, until you fully contract
your abdominals. Pause briefly at the top position. Lower
smoothly to the bottom. Repeat for 8 repetitions. Ease out
of the machine and get ready to perform the Left Side Lift.
Ab Coaster Left Side Lift (for abdominals and left
obliques): Readjust the seat. From behind, the front goes
right and the back goes left, and make sure it locks in place.
Move to the side. Place your forearms and elbows on the
arm pads. Grasp the handles lightly. Kneel on the seat and
hook the front of your feet on the back edge of the pad.
Look forward and keep your back straight. Note that your
left knee, because of the rotated position of your hips, is
slightly in front of your right knee. Pull your knees forward
Side Lift
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Ab Coaster Right Side Lift (for abdominals and right
obliques): Readjust the seat. From behind, the front goes
left and the back goes right, and make sure it locks in place.
Move to the side. Place your forearms and elbows on the
arm pads. Grasp the handles lightly. Kneel on the seat and
hook the front of your feet on the back edge of the pad.
Look forward and keep your back straight. Note that your
right knee, because of the rotated position of your hips, is
slightly in front of your left knee. Pull your knees forward
and up, which moves the carriage, until you contract fully
your abdominals and right obliques. Pause briefly at the top.
Lower smoothly to the bottom. Repeat for 8 repetitions.
Overhead Press, Bent-Over Row, Bench Press,
Biceps Curl, and Squat: Perform all of these barbell
exercises in the same manner as previously described in
the Free-Weight section.
SECRET #2
Eat a Small Meal Every 2½ Hours.
Cut Calories, but Eat More Often.
Old-school bodybuilders knew that they had to eliminate
fat throughout their physiques to get the abdominals to
emerge and become visible from the inside out. And they
also recognized that spot reduction was a myth.
If you are fat around your middle, you’re also fat
throughout the rest of your body – but in lesser amounts.
So, a reduction of 10, 15, or 20 pounds or more body fat
may be necessary for your six-pack to clearly show.
The average number of calories per day for such a middleaged man can total 4,000 or more, which is much too
many for optimum leanness.
Thus, the recommended daily calorie level in my eating
plan is approximately 1,800 . . . consumed in six meals of
400 calories or less. Such small meals keep the hormone
responsible for fat storage in check. The idea is to never
go longer than 2½ hours between meals or snacks. A
schedule like this helps you feel more satiated and less
hungry throughout your waking hours.
The Golden-Age secret is to consume a small meal, 400
calories or less, and to repeat it every 2½ hours. To
facilitate this process, it’s helpful to have available nutritious, Over the last two decades my studies have shown that
most men can adhere to the same basic foods each day for
meal-replacement shakes and protein-energy bars.
breakfast, lunch, and snacks. Men do, however, like a little
variety at the evening meal. This simplifies calorie counting
Six or more of these small meals were consumed each day by
and food preparation.
serious, old-school bodybuilders.
Try a nutritious shake as a
meal replacement.
In comparison, studies show that the typical man in
the United States eats only 2.5 meals a day. He usually
consumes a skimpy breakfast, followed by a large lunch and
an even larger dinner. In fact, his dinner is often stretched
into continuous evening and late-evening snacking, with
such foods as ice cream, peanuts, chips, cookies, a sandwich
or two, and 3 or 4 beers.
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Each day’s small meals are comprised of approximately
50-percent carbohydrates and 25-percent proteins
and 25-percent fats. Complex carbohydrates are your
recommended sources of energy. In some of the meals,
I suggest brand-name products as a guide.
After the eating plan, please pay attention to the Notes.
The Six-Pack in Six Weeks
Eating Plan
Men = 1,800 calories per day.
Breakfast = 360 calories
Lunch = 350 calories
1 plain bagel, Lender’s (refrigerated, 5 pre-sliced to
the bag), toasted (210)
Sandwich:
2 slices whole-grain bread (140);
1 tablespoon light mayonnaise (50);
3 ounces white meat chicken or turkey (120);
1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish (20);
2 tomato slices (14)
1 slice of processed Swiss cheese (70)
3/4 cup orange juice (83)
Noncaloric beverage
Noncaloric beverage
Midmorning Snack = 180 calories
1 scoop (26 grams) Metabolic Drive Complete, or
other meal replacements to equal the appropriate
calories, mixed with 6 ounces of cold water (100)
1 medium-size fruit (apple, orange, banana,
or 1-ounce raisins) (80)
Dinner = 400 calories
Choice of one of three frozen, microwave meals,
and a noncaloric beverage:
• Fire Roasted Tomato Chicken, Healthy Choice (320)
1 slice whole-grain bread (70)
• Glazed Turkey Tenderloins, Lean Cuisine Comfort
Classics (250)
2 slices whole-grain bread (140)
• Layered Lasagna with Meat Sauce, Michelina’s
Lean Gourmet (310)
1 slice whole-grain bread (70)
The tuna salad (270) below may be substituted for any
of the frozen, microwave meals. In a large bowl, mix
the following ingredients:
1
⁄2 6-ounce can chunk light tuna in water, drained (90);
1
⁄2 cup (4 ounces) whole kernel corn, canned,
no salt added (60);
1
⁄2 apple, chopped (50);
1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish (20);
1 tablespoon light mayonnaise (50)
2 slices whole-grain bread (140)
Afternoon Snack = 320 calories
Evening Snack = 180 calories
1 Metabolic Drive protein-energy bar (240)
1 scoop (26 grams) Metabolic Drive, or other mealreplacements to equal the appropriate calories,
mixed with 6 ounces of cold water (100)
1 medium-size fruit (apple, orange, banana,
or 1-ounce raisins) (80)
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1 medium-size fruit (apple, orange, banana,
or 1-ounce raisins) (80)
Notes on the Eating Plan
• Noncaloric beverages are any type of water – tap,
bottled, carbonated, or flavored – with no calories.
Other noncaloric beverages are soft drinks with
zero calories and no caffeine, and decaffeinated teas
and coffees.
Control your meal planning
with simplicity.
those suffering from some types of arthritis and cancer.
This should not be taken as an all-inclusive list. Some
individuals should follow this plan only with their
physician’s specific guidance. Consult your health-care
professional beforehand and play it safe.
• For the latest frozen, microwave meals, and for possible
substitutions – please refer to the following Web sites:
• Michelinas.com
• Healthychoice.com
• Leancuisine.com
Optimize Eating Out
• For nutrient-dense, meal-replacement shake mixes
and bars, see
• Metabolic Drive Complete (MetabolicDrive.com)
• Full Strength Nutrition (FullStrength.com)
• Myoplex Original (EAS.com)
• Request that a large pitcher of ice water be placed on
you table and drink from it freely.
• When on a reduced-calorie eating plan, you should
take one multiple vitamin with minerals tablet each
morning with breakfast. High-potency supplements
are not necessary.
• Y
our doctor should be aware that you are about to
modify your eating and exercising. Make a copy of this
eBook and carry it with you for easy referral.Your
physician will more than likely recommend a thorough
physical examination if you have not had one in the last
twelve months.
• IMPORTANT: There are a few people who should not
try this plan: children and teenagers; men with certain
types of heart, liver, or kidney disease; diabetics; and
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If you are dieting, eating out can be a trying experience. It’s
best to be prepared and proactive with these rules:
• Don’t open the menu. Menus are designed to entice you
to spend big on rich foods.
• Choose a simple green salad without croutons and
bacon bits. Add lemon or vinegar as a dressing.
• Select one or two vegetables with nothing added.
• Order a whitefish and have it baked, broiled, or steamed,
with nothing on it.
• Be very specific with your order. Double-check it to
make sure the waiter understands.
• Have black coffee or tea for dessert.
SECRET #3
Drink More Water for Greater Fat Reduction.
Accelerate Your Eating and Exercising
Results by Applying Superhydration.
Additionally, muscles are composed of more than
70-percent water. Intense muscular exercise emits
heat, which requires steady amounts of water to
keep the entire system cool and fueled. Combining
superhydration with intense exercise creates a
synergistic recipe for successful fat shrinkage.
On television you see many of the world’s best
athletes chug down their Gatorade on the
sidelines. But in spite of the millions and millions
of dollars spent on advertising, most exercise
scientists recognize that the key ingredient in
Gatorade, and other marketed “precisely balanced
carbohydrate-electrolyte beverages,” is WATER.
Maximize calorie burn by keeping the
water cold. A gallon of ice-cold (40-degrees
Fahrenheit) water requires 123 calories of heat
energy to warm it to core body temperature
(98.6 degrees Fahrenheit).
You better believe that competitive bodybuilders
get thirsty. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING, will
ever take the place of cold water. During hot,
humid practices, bodybuilders crave ice-cold
water – and lots of it – for performance purposes,
improved health, better concentration, and
more confidence.
Large amounts of cold water are vital for efficient fat shrinkage. The term
superhydration means the drinking of at least 4 quarts of ice-cold water
each day.
Superhydration will initially cause you to
visit the bathroom more often than normal.
Soon, however, your bladder will adapt and you’ll urinate less
frequently, but in larger amounts.
For you bottled water fans, buy 16-ounce bottles, refrigerate the lot, drink
freely, and count tops. Don’t stop until you’ve collected 8 tops for the day.
The traditional recommendation of 8 glasses (two quarts) per day is not
nearly enough for maximum fat shrinkage. To accelerate your results,
drink 4 quarts a day.
For those of you who have easy access to a fridge, fill a gallon container with
water. Throughout the day, continue filling your glass until you empty it.
When not consuming enough water, the body’s reaction is to retain the
water it does have. Kidney function is hindered and waste products
accumulate. The liver is then called upon to flush out impurities. As
a result, one of the liver’s main functions, metabolizing stored fat into
useable energy, is minimized.
Get clever with your hydration accounting. It will pay off in decreased
pounds and inches.
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For the office dwellers, purchase an insulated 32-ounce container with a
straw. Add a rubber band to the bottom each time you finish one.
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What to Expect?
If you want a leaner, tighter midsection and clearly defined abs – what
can you expect from adhering to my 3 SECRETS for six weeks?
Research at Sea World in Orlando, Florida, which is reported in my
book, The Bowflex Body Plan, offers some insight. In that study, called
the Hard-Body Challenge, professional water skiers progressed through
a similar program.
Their average starting body weight, height, and age were as follows:
188 pounds, 71.2 inches tall, and 27.8 years of age.
In only six weeks, each man removed an average of 23.4 pounds of fat
and trimmed 4 inches off his waist.
Each of my trainees on the Sea World water ski team, after he
finished the six-week program, had a 32-inch waist or smaller.
Since my 3-SECRET formula is comparable to the Hard-Body
Challenge, you can expect the same decreases – especially if you are of
a similar weight, height, and age. In fact, with the incorporation of the
Ab Coaster, I predict – in many cases – even better results.
The Admired 32-Inch Waist
Thirty years ago, a 32-inch waist was what every man trying to get in
shape wanted. It was a much-admired trademark of vim, vigor, and virility.
Today, a fitness-minded man still wants a 32-inch waist, but he also
strives for a six-pack abdominal formation etched upon the front of his
midsection. For the abdominal muscles to show clearly through the skin,
a man must have a very low percentage of body fat.
Since there is much emphasis on the waistline in our culture, I often
take circumference measurements of the midsection at three levels: 2
inches above the navel, at the navel, and 2 inches below the navel. I’ve
found that some men tend to lose fat first from the navel area. Others
lose it above the navel, then the navel, and finally from below the navel.
A few start from below and work upward. These three slightly different
measurements provide insight into the fat-ordering process.
Interestingly, the Sea World skiers dropped the most from the navel area:
4 inches. They went from an average of 34.675 inches before, to 30.675
inches after. At the end of the study, each of the water skiers had – not a
32-inch waist – but a 31-inch waist, as well a muscular six-pack.
© 2010
Soon you will experience the winning teamwork of . . .
(1) Bottom-Up Exercise,
(2) Small Meals Every 2½ Hours, and
(3) Superhydration.
With strict adherence to my 3 SECRETS, you will be well on your
way to achieving a rock-hard midsection, a killer six-pack, and the
body you’ve always wanted.
Make it happen!
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BONUS SECRET!
Practice the Stomach Vacuum
For a Smaller Waist.
The stomach vacuum is a Golden-Age technique that
involves an unusual contraction of the transverse
abdominis muscle, which stretches horizontally across your
midsection. I taught this contraction to more than 100
subjects who went through one of my abdominal-training
courses, and most of them got the hang of it quickly. Mr.
Olympia, Frank Zane, used a version of the stomach vacuum
in all his posing routines.
Here’s what it entails:
• Lie in bed on your back.
• Place your hands across the bottom of your rib cage and
the top of your abdominals.
• Take a normal breath and forcibly blow out as much air
as possible.
Frank Zane, Mr. Olympia, shows the
stomach vacuum and how it affects
the muscles of the midsection.
• Suck in your stomach to the maximum degree, but take
in no air during the process.You should feel a concave
formation under your rib cage.
• Try the vacuum several more times while lying down.
• Stand now and get in front of a mirror and try the
vacuum. Remove your shirt so you can see what’s
happening. At first, the vacuum is more difficult to do
standing than lying, but with a little more practice, you
should be able to master it in a standing position.
• Practice the stomach vacuum twice before breakfast,
lunch, and dinner – or six times a day – for six weeks
and your waist will be stronger and flatter.
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Fat Cells:
Losing or Shrinking?
What happens when you lose 10 pounds of body fat? “Lose”
is actually a misnomer. Biologically, the oily liquid inside the fat
cells simply metabolizes and the outer walls, the circumferences,
shrink. In other words, you never get rid of the fat cell, just the
fuel inside of it.
“Shrink” is a much better description than lose. Fat cells shrink
in size and they have the potential to inflate and deflate – again
and again and again – which explains why many people go back
and forth between fatness and leanness.
Generally, if you want a flat stomach or six-pack abs, you have
to shed fat from all over your body.Why? Because we evolved
as mobile, active creatures, who were adept at using BOTH our
lower and upper bodies.
Thus, survival was not only based on being able to move
our arms and legs vigorously, but also having a long-term
energy supply in the form of stored calories, or fat. It made
evolutionary sense for mobile people to store fat in thicker
layers around the midsection and progressively thinner levels
toward the extremities.
Today, primarily because of the abundance of high-calorie foods
and laborsaving devices, Americans are the fattest people on
the planet. By the year 2012, predictions are that 82 percent of
Americans, 25 years and older will be overweight.
Surveys reveal that the No. 1 body part both men and women
want to improve is ABDOMINALS. Both want exercise
equipment and expert instruction on how to get flat, hard,
muscular stomachs.
Now is the time to challenge yourself to decrease some of your
body fat – and to do so efficiently with proven science.
• E llington Darden graduated from Florida State University
in 1972 with a Ph.D. in Exercise Science. While at FSU, he
also completed two years of post-doctoral study in Food
and Nutrition. Afterward, for 20 years, he was Director of
Research for Nautilus Sports/Medical Industries, where
he helped to develop and popularize Nautilus strengthtraining equipment.
• In July of 1984, the American Booksellers Association ranked
The Nautilus Bodybuilding Book by Ellington as the No. 1 sports/
fitness book in the United States. Furthermore, USA Today
selected The Nautilus Diet as the most highly acclaimed fatreduction book of 1987. Since then, Ellington has authored
other bestselling manuals including 100 High-Intensity Ways to
Improve Your Bodybuilding, Living Longer Stronger, A Flat Stomach
ASAP, The New High-Intensity Training, and The New Bodybuilding
for Old-School Results. His books have been printed in seven
languages with worldwide distribution.
Ellington Darden
• E llington resides with his wife, Jeanenne, and son, Tyler, 7,
and daughter, Larah, 4, in Orlando, Florida. He manages an
interactive web site, www.drdarden.com, and continues to do
research, writing, and Intensive Coaching from his private gym.
Ellington is available for consulting at
Email: [email protected]
For more information, see www.drdarden.com.
This group of professional water skiers from Sea World
in Orlando, with Dr. Darden’s Intensive Coaching, shed
120 pounds of body fat in six weeks. To learn more of
the details, go to www.drdarden.com and review the
article, “Florida Dreaming.”
© 2010
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www.drdarden.coma
Photography of Andy McCutcheon (on pages 1, 4, 5, and 6) by Mitch Mandel/Rodale Images, from The New High-Intensity Training (2004) by Ellington Darden, Ph.D.
About Ellington