Day 20:Active Recovery

Today, you’ll be performing your active recovery workout. Again, this is not a rest day—you’ll take tomorrow off. Today, you’ll perform 20 minutes of cardio and the abs moves that will best support your physique. I have recommended hanging leg raises and kneeling cable crunches for today’s abs training, but you can make changes to this based on your needs.

In fact you can: 1) Change up the moves; 2) Increase sets and reps; 3) Add more moves to your abs training; or, 4) Skip abs training altogether if that’s a strength of your physique and you want to give these muscles a break today. Regardless, I do want you to perform 20 minutes of moderate-paced cardio to help you recover for next week’s training.

When it comes to abs training, I want to offer my thoughts: I keep my abs training moderate in volume. I generally include two moves, and I train my abs at the end of my weight-training work throughout the week. I perform abs work 5 days a week. For my 8-Week Fat-loss Figure Trainer, I have left abs off your Wednesday (Day 3) training in favor of adding it to your Saturday (Day 6) Active Rest workout.

Then, when it comes to individual moves, I choose two exercises that work the abs in different ways. I like to use one that works the abs from the top of the six-pack. Good examples include floor crunches, ball crunches, and kneeling cable crunches. I also like to include one that activates the lower portion of your abs. Good examples of this include bench leg raises, bench knee-ins, and hanging leg raises.

I’ve also included a few twisting moves on my program to help bring in your obliques—the muscles just to the sides of your six-pack. You can emphasize more or less twisting elements in your abs training based on how your obliques look.

Some exercises, such V-sit-ups work both the lower and upper abs at the same time. You can include these if you want to hit your rectus abdominis (six-pack) from the top and the bottom at the same time. I haven’t added this move to my recommendations, but feel to include it you need more core work than I’ve recommended.

CYDNEY SAYS: Don’t forget the importance of stretching, rolling and even massage as part of your active recovery. I strongly recommend getting a massage if you can afford it. It’s well worth the cost if you know a quality masseuse. And your Active Rest days are a great time to get a massage as this will help work out stuff in your muscles and prepare you for your workout on your next weight-training day.

Clean Burn

CLEAN BURN® You’ll also take Clean Burn just before whole-food meals to help support fat burning. Clean Burn contains a powerful combination of ingredients that work to attack fat loss through multiple physiological processes. These include mobilizing fat from storage, boosting metabolism, and increasing thermogenesis. Ingredients include green tea extract, capsicum fruit, Gymnema sylvestre extract, and chromium complex. For best results, you should take 3 doses of 2 capsules every day while following my nutrition program to help maximize fat loss while maintaining lean muscle. CYDNEY SAYS: Be as rigorous with your weight-loss supplements as you are with your training and nutrition. They all work together to help you get the most from your 8-week Fat-loss Figure Trainer.