Make Caloric Density Work For You

In today's world, it's easy to eat something small that's EXTREMELY calorie dense.  I think McDonald's gets picked on enough, so I'll use Burger King as an example.  Their Whopper has a "whopping" 670 calories per burger, and anyone who's got a stomach like mine (which is pretty much any college guy I can think of) could down three of those things before feeling full.  Guys have big stomachs, and even you women, who get full more easily, still could effortlessly consume a tuna salad wrap which, with added Mayo, could break 500 calories without trying too hard.  And who eats just the sandwich, right?  You gotta have a few extras, like coleslaw, or a ranch smothered salad, or even some fries.  Before you know it, you've broken 1000 calories in one meal, gotten very little actual nutrition, and worst of all you may not even know you did it!

So how is it possible to avoid these calorie dense meals that don't fill you up?  It's pretty simple really.  First, know your food, how many calories they contain, and assume as little as possible.  Find out tooth and nail how many calories that piece of pizza has, and limit yourself based on that.  Knowledge is power, and to succeed in dieting, you need to KNOW as much as possible about the food you eat.  No guesswork.  But we all know this, right?  What I really wanted to talk about with you today is a neat little method to ensure you stay full, and don't go overboard with caloric content.  Check this out:

Now by this point we should have a grasp on the term "caloric density."  Basically the less amount of food per calorie, the greater caloric density that food has.  Peanut butter is 2 tablespoons per 200 calories.  That's VERY dense, because two tablespoons ain't that much.  Lettuce is extremely NON calorie dense, because you can have like 10 or 12 cups of the stuff and would be hard pressed to break 100 calories.  The trick is finding the foods that AREN'T calorie dense, yet are still delicious and filling, and stacking those on top of each other for each meal.  Here's an example:

For lunch at home, I'll usually have:

1 tilapia fillet (~100 calories)

1 hard boiled egg (~80 calories)

1 whole wheat flatbread (~100 calories)

1 bag of "steam in bag" carrots (~100 calories)

1 grapefruit (~100 calories)

1 tomato (~30 calories)

1 big salad with lettuce, mushrooms, bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, cucumber slices and balsamic vinegar (<100 calories)

1/2 serving of peanuts, almonds, or cashews (~100 calories)

mmmmm... Tilapia

So that's about a 700 calorie lunch, and ladies and gentlemen, that's a LOT of food.  Keep in mind that if i were to have 1 Whopper, I would have consumed about the same number of calories, I'd have gotten almost zero nutritional value, and I'D STILL BE HUNGRY!  Plus, there's a lot more your body can do with that boatload of nutrients you give it in MY meal than all that saturated fats, sugars, and chemicals you give it in BK's meal, and therefore you'll be more likely to maintain a lean figure and feel like a million bucks.  

Another tip, try to keep your foods around whole calorie numbers.  Notice most of my meals items were 100 calories a piece.  This made the addition quite easy, and the foods more numerous.  Feel free to substitute more calorie dense HEALTHY items, but remember that once you do your plate might start to look a little empty.  

Now in terms of the actual food items chosen, I'm pretty sure I've given you enough information in all my other articles to do that on your own (do some reading if you have to, there's PLENTY to read in this blog), but just to refresh, if you're looking for low caloric density go with: lean meats (fish, chicken, turkey, even lean beef), veggies (broccoli, brussels sprouts, green beans, asparagus, carrots, corn), and fruits (grapefruits, bananas, apples, pears, oranges).  Nuts may be higher in caloric density, but don't be afraid to throw a few in there for some healthy fats (WHICH YOU NEED!), just watch the overall quantity.  They are quite satiating though, so don't worry about still being hungry.

And my final advice:  You really want to make sure you leave that dinner table full?  Drink a glass of water before the meal, and one during.  Big, full glasses.  That'll keep you topped off guaranteed, and you won't have room for any of that cheesy casserole.  

See?  It's not so hard.  Keep the foods lean, healthy and light, and you'll be eating big meals that keep you slim, trim and strong.  You'll feel like you're just shoveling the food in, but in reality you're eating the same amount, if not less than you were before.  Crazy how this stuff works, right?

Enjoy your food, eat healthy 'til you're full, and as always, GOOD LUCK!

Biggest Bloat Foods

You work hard to look good, we all know that.  You're in the gym 5 days a week, you try to watch what you eat, and so far you've been having a lot of success on your fitness journey.  And like everyone else, you're human, and every now and then you decide to skip on the diet and consume a food you love.  Why is it that every time you do so, you wake up the next morning, look in the mirror, and look like you've gained a solid 5 pounds of fat?  I'll let you in on a little secret.  You probably haven't gained an ounce of actual fat, it's just that particular food you ate playing tricks on you.  So don't despair, just know the facts.

It's called bloating, and it's not a fun sight.  No, it's not dangerous, but it can really cause someone to become very falsely upset about their weight or appearance.  It happens when your body suddenly decides to retain water, or produce internal gas based on a food you may have consumed.  Certain foods (and their respective ingredients) can produce some pretty impressive bloats, so it's always good to know what caused this rapid degradation of appearance.  Let's go over the list of some of the types of food that will cause you to blow up like a balloon, guaranteed:

Food High In Sodium:  This one's the most common of all bloating situations; you decided to splurge, had a bit of a really salty piece of steak, or a few too many potato chips, or decided to go all out on salting that corn cob last night.  Excess sodium will cause your body to retain water in all sorts of places, because water is attracted to sodium.  It's not uncommon to put on a pound or two of water weight after an extremely salty meal, even if it did happen to be low calorie.  If you don't want to blow up like a beluga whale, try to skip the salt, and watch the sodium content on nutrition labels.  If you do accidentally go a little salt crazy, don't fret, just drink a lot of water and your system will eventually cycle all that excess water weight right back out.

High Carbohydrate Foods:  Your body uses carbohydrates as a very efficient energy source by storing carbs as an accessible fuel called glycogen in your liver and muscles.  When 1 gram of glycogen is stored as energy, about 3 grams of water is stored with it.  This means that if you've been quite glycogen depleted (working very hard in the gym, or have been on a low carb diet), and you replenish your glycogen stores by consuming a good amount of carbohydrates, you can put on a lot of water weight quite quickly, and tend to look pretty bloated, or at least "bigger" for a while.  Usually this isn't as bad as sodium bloating, and most muscle heads actually want this "inflated" look as it promotes a healthier, fuller, stronger looking physique.  Don't be surprised though if the scale bumps more than it should after that big plate of pasta.

Raw Vegetables:  Now don't start worrying, vegetables are still probably the healthiest food you can consume throughout your day.  The thing is though, raw veggies have huge amounts of fiber, and can absorb quite a bit of water in your stomach.  That means they take up a lot of space, and can cause you to look like a Macy's day parade float.  Don't worry, this will pass.  Also something to be a little wary of, most fiberous veggies produce a lot of intestinal gas, which, as well as being uncomfortable and...er...embarrassing, can inflate your lower stomach to the point where those tight jeans may not fit anymore.  Seriously though, it's a small price to pay for the health benefits in those veggies.

Artificial Sweeteners:  I love artificial sweeteners, and I use them on a daily basis.  They allow people to stay on a stricter diet more efficiently because they allow someone to have a bit of a sweet tooth without any of the huge sugar consumption.  They can, however, cause bloating, because your body can't absorb and digest them.  They act like fiber and cause intestinal gas, which, you guessed it, pumps you up to snowman-like sizes.  Again though, don't worry too much about it, just know what caused it.

Desserts:  There's a whole host of reason that those big, sweet, sugary desserts can cause bloating.  They're loaded with all sorts of carbs and sweeteners that both force your body to retain water and cause gas.  Also, desserts that contain dairy can be incredibly bloating to those that are lactose intolerant (as will any dairy product.)  Let me just say this: you're guaranteed to look like a beach ball after that heaping bowl of ice cream and apple crisp.

Carbonated Drinks:  This one's a no brainer.  Carbonated drinks contain little bubbles of carbon dioxide, which when consumed escape into your stomach and blow it up like a balloon.  This can cause a lot of discomfort.  Not to mention, most carbonated drinks are loaded with sugars and other artificial sweeteners, two other super bloat-promoting substances.

Bloating is annoying, that's for sure.  Is it dangerous though?  Not usually.  It also shouldn't be a reason to get depressed about your appearance, because bloating is a temporary state.  If you bloat up, just hop back on your diet as soon as possible, keep hitting the gym, drink lots of water, and your body will clear itself out eventually (usually sooner rather than later).  And now that you know the top culprits that cause the biggest bloats, you'll be able to figure out what happened next time you look like the Michelin Man in the mirror.

Eat clean, don't stress, and as always, GOOD LUCK!

The Discarded Portions, And What You're Missing

With certain foods, it's pretty commonplace to have a little scrap left behind.  Think of that yummy corn cob, or perfectly ripe banana, or absolutely delicious watermelon.  After a few pieces of each, your plate is littered with  cobs, rinds, and peels.  We don't think much of it, and usually toss our apple cores into the woods just like anyone else.  But what exactly are you throwing away?  Did you know that in certain cases, these "inedible" portions of food actually contain many nutrients that could do your body some serious good?  In fact, some may contain tons MORE health benefits than is easily fathomed.  And you know what?  Some don't taste so bad, either.

Watermelon Rinds:  This one you might have tried before, and you'd be happy to know that your instincts were correct in trying to munch away on this green nutrient goldmine.  In fact, the watermelon rind is actually healthier than the watermelon flesh, and though while it may not taste as good, consuming watermelon rind can give you a heaping load of beta carotene, vitamin A, citrullene (an important amino acid), lypocene, and vitamin C.  Now don't confuse the rind with the dark green outer skin, the rind we're talking about is the lighter green layer between the skin and the pink flesh.  The outer skin is a little harder to stomach (though I've definitely done it on several occassions.)  Next time you have a watermelon, feel free to keep chomping for just a few more bites, just to make sure you get a little of that very healthful rind.

Banana Peels:  You know, it's really only us humans who believe we're too good for a peel.  Many primates eat the entire banana, and by doing so gain a lot more of the fruit's total health benefits.  That's right, the peel, though slightly ropey and initially unappetizing, contains all sorts of goodies that your body will absolutely love.  They're rich with fiber, both soluble and insoluble, much moreso than the fruit itself.  This fiber can assist in raising good cholesterol levels and promoting healthy digestion.  Banana peels also have a significant amount of lutein, an important antioxidant.  Banana peels also contain a very large amount of potassium, a very crucial mineral which when balanced with proper sodium intake allows the management of bodily hydration.  To make banana peels a little more appetizing, wait until the fruit is very ripe, and the peel should be both thinner and slightly sweeter.  You can also boil or cook the peel, and many Asian cultures cook bananas IN their peel, and eat them as one total meal.  Cool, right?

Corn Cob:  OK, now seriously, who eats the cob of the corn?  Actually my loyal readers, I've done so on several occassions.  If the corn is boiled well enough, the cob is most definitely soft enough to consume, and doesn't taste half bad, in my opinion at least.  As far as health benefits go, I can't seem to find many on the internet, which means I must be a little bit strange to consume the cob.  However it's common knowledge that corn cobs can be ground up and mixed into cattle feed to increase fiber, so it's safe to say that the cob is extremely rich in fiber.  I can definitely agree with this, as they fill you up EXTREMELY quickly (one of fiber's most useful attributes, besides healthy digestion).  If you want to try a bite, I suggest you try eating the small end of the cob first, as it's likely to be the softest and most easily consumed. 

Apple/Pear Cores:  Some people just go all out, and don't let a single bit of their precious fruit go to waste.  Have you ever known someone who eats apple cores, or maybe the cores of pears?  I can tell you that I don't mind eating the core of a pear, however apples tend to be a little past what I can handle.  The seeds in apples are extremely bitter (which you've probably found out if you've accidentally eaten one) which is due to the fact that they're very mildly poisonous, containing a derivative of cyanide.  Don't worry, you'd need to eat a TON of apple seeds to actually poison yourself, but it's just something to keep in mind.  Feel free to eat the core of either fruit, just know that unlike banana peels and watermelon rinds, you're not consuming any sort of normally ignored health beneficiaries.  

Mushroom Stems:  For some reason, people like to throw away the stems of portobello and white button mushrooms.  Why is that?  The stems are just as tasty as the mushroom itself, and contain all the same health benefits, such as cardiovascular system support, anti inflammatory properties, antioxidants, and large portions of vitamins such as vitamin B2, B3, B5, and minerals like selenium, copper, and potassium.  Seriously, eat these things, they're tasty and great for you!

Peach Pits:  Just kidding...don't eat these...big choking hazard.

Avacado Pits:......Seriously? .........No.

So there you have it, a little look into the forbidden parts of food.  Some things you may want to definitely try out, a few others you can keep avoiding, knowing you're not missing much.  But don't worry, no matter what, as long as you're consuming the foods associated with these normally discarded portions, you're doing your body a whole bunch of good.  Eat up, and as always...

GOOD LUCK!

References:

http://www.watermelonrind.com/why-eat-watermelon-rind.html 

http://www.livestrong.com/article/457082-what-are-the-benefits-of-eating-banana-peels/ 

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=97 

Be The BEST, Not The Thinnest

Body fat seems to be the enemy of 90% of gym-goers these days.  They don't lift to get strong, they don't run to get fast, and they most certainly do not pedal on that spinning machine to train for their next summer bike trip.  No, they lift, run, swim, bike, squat, pull, and jump to get LEAN.  They want those rippling abs, popping veins, and to fit into those size 1 jeans.  It's become an obsession, and in my opinion, it has gone too far.

Sure, there are exceptions.  Some people go to the gym for different reasons.  But those "honest to goodness" gym-goers seem to be getting scarcer and scarcer.  I have to ask, what gives?  I lift because I love lifting, and love feeling strong.  I eat healthy because I want my body to perform at top notch levels (a "champion" level, actually), and if I maintain a lean, muscular frame as a result of that, so much the better.  So many people torture themselves to eat so cleanly they're basically grazing with the cows, and run for so long that one of these days they might forget their legs on the treadmill.  All in the name of 7% body fat.  Listen, I'm about to drop some knowledge on you that might surprise you:

Some body fat is actually HEALTHY!  Anywhere between 7-15% is healthy for a male, and 10-20% is healthy for a female (by the way, body fat percentage means the total percentage of body mass you have that's not LEAN body mass.  Lean body mass is muscle, bone, and all other essential body mass.  Body fat is excess adipose tissue.)  Sure, that may seem pretty low if you're an average, slightly overweight middle aged person, but the upper end of this range is extremely achievable through regular exercise and a clean, balanced diet.  And the lower end is still EXTREMELY achievable if you're determined.  Remember, you get out what you put in.  There's no magic trick, but I've given you hundreds of tips and tricks at this point to get started.  So if you're confused, scroll through my articles for workout ideas and awesome diet advice.

But you have to ask yourself.  Is maintaining 7% body fat really what you want?  Sure, it may be nice to look shredded for a month or two, get some good pictures in, but let me tell you something, to get as ripped as this:

takes pure, unfaltering dedication.  Can you do it?  OF COURSE!  But if you ask Kane Sumabat (the guy in this picture, who is sponsored by Controlled Labs, a very successful supplement company), he'll tell you how crazy his workouts are every day, how incredibly strict his diet has to be, and what his life is like (FITNESS FITNESS and MORE FITNESS).  This is his life.  And while it's possible to get cut like him, it may not be worth it to the average individual.  And that's completely, 100% OK.  You can be at 15% body fat and look GREAT.  Heck, you can even be a little higher than that, and look darn good.  It's all about your diet, your dedication, and what you put into it.  If you eat clean and work hard, you will look good, no question about it.  NO...QUESTION...ABOUT IT.

But wait, am I overlooking some crucial advantages to fat loss?  Listen, fat loss can be extremely important.  If you are overweight, trying to lose fat is an extremely reasonable and intelligent goal.  It can help you live a much longer, healthier, more enjoyable life.  But don't forget about the other things the gym represents.  It's a place of self trial, and new challenges.

So here's what I suggest:  Don't JUST run to lose that gut, run to be the fastest you can be.  Don't just lift because you were told to by some stupid article online, lift to be a strong, powerful, impressive individual.  Set goals for yourself.  Jump higher each day, try to squat a little more, run a little faster for a little longer.  Don't think so much about the fat, or being 100% shredded, just try to be the best.  The weight will come off, you'll look amazing, and you'll BE amazing too.  So what if you're not 2% body fat.  If you can out-sprint everyone else, if you can throw more weight over your head than all those other hulking guys, if you can do more burpees in one minute than any other girl, no one will care that you're not some perfectly sculpted bodybuilder.  You're strong, you're fast, you're a BEAST.

Don't go to the gym to be the thinnest.  Go to the gym to be the best there is, was, or ever will be.

Good Luck.

Muscle Pharm COMBAT Powder *Review*

I've been using Combat powder for long enough, I believe it's time I let the world know what I think.  And if I could, I would climb to the highest mountain, and from the summit scream to all humanity just one simple phrase:...."THIS STUFF RULES!!!!"  That's right, Muscle Pharm's Combat powder really is a fantastic protein blend in so many ways, and if you're looking to change it up from your old boring, generic whey protein WITHOUT breaking the bank, I suggest you give Combat powder some serious consideration.

Why is it so great?  Well what makes Combat powder so unique is that not only does it have all sorts of high grade whey protein blends in it (hydrolized, isolate, and just plain concentrate), it ALSO has all sorts of other protein sources blended into it which your body needs to fully recover.  This stuff has egg white protein, micellar casein (a long acting protein that will feed your muscles for up to 8 hours after you're done lifting!) and a heaping load of glutamine which aids tremendously in shortening recovery time.  Listen:  training for Olympic style weightlifting means I lift every day, and lift heavy 95% of the time.  I need a protein that will bring me back up to snuff ASAP, in one night's sleep minimum.  This stuff does that.  It's got a rocking protein blend, and an AWESOME amino-acid blend as well to give your muscles basically everything necessary to rebuild for another day of heavy weights and hard reps.

How about the nutritional profile?  I can assure you that this protein is very high quality stuff with VERY high quality ingredients.  It's won "best break-out brand" and "best packaging" from bodybuilding.com, and was nominated for "best protein powder."  The nutritional profile obviously has a lot to live up to, and it's no surprise that it doesn't disappoint one bit.  Combat powder is extremely low carb, low sugar, low fat, and packed with 25 grams of protein per scoop!  Here's the nutritional information right off Muscle Pharm's website.  Take a gander:

Supplement Facts

Serving Size: 1 Scoop Approx. (33.6g)

Servings Per Container Approx.: 54

	Amount Per Serving	%DV
Vitamins & Minerals
Calories	140
Calories from Fat	15
Total Fat	1.5g	4%
Saturated Fat	1g	8%
Trans Fat	0g
Cholesterol	75mg	27%
Sodium	150mg	6%
Potassium	200mg	6%
Total Carbohydrates	5g	2%
Dietary Fiber	1g	4%
Sugars	2g	*
Protein	25g	50%
Calcium		13%
Iron		3%
Multi-Level Amino Acid Growth Matrix	33g	*

Combat Powder Proprietary Time Release System:
Micro Filtered Whey Protein Blend (Whey Protein Concentrate, Whey Protein Isolate, Whey Protein Hydrolysate, Micellar Casein, Egg White Albumen, L-Glutamine, BCAA Blend: Alanine, L-Leucine, L-Valine, L-Isoleucine, Lysine, Arginine, Glycine, Histidine, Tyrosine, Cystine, Methionine, Phenylalanine, Proline, Serine, Aspartic Acid, Threonine, Tryptophan*

Digestive Enzyme Blend
Protease, Lactase

Other ingredients
Natural and Artificial Flavors, Inulin, Sodium Chloride, Acesulfame, Potassium, Sucralose, Soy Lechtin, Potassium Citrate

* The Tryptophan in this product is naturally occurring.

*Daily Value (DV) not established

How's it taste?  DELICIOUS.  Seriously, this may be the best tasting protein powder in existence, and I'm not alone in that opinion.  Countless reviews of this product have all commented on how great this stuff tastes, and how AMAZING it is to drink compared to what ever protein they switched from last.  Before Combat, I was on "Wheybolic Extreme 60" from Amplified Muscle Performance.  Let me tell you now that this powder blows them out of the water as far as taste goes.  There are 6 awesome flavors of Combat powder:  Banana Cream, Vanilla, Chocolate Milk, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Cookies & Cream, and Triple Berry Blast.  

My personal favorite?  By far the Chocolate Peanut Butter.  I swear this stuff is like drinking a Reese's for 5 minutes straight.  It's just plain heavenly, utterly brilliant.  If you want a great tasting protein, pick up some Chocolate Peanut Butter Combat powder from Muscle Pharm.  It's as simple as that.  

How's it mix?  Again, Combat powder impresses me enormously when it comes to mixability.  In my shaker bottle, when thoroughly shaken, there's no clumping, no chunking, and no flavor imbalances.  Plus, the flavor is powerful enough in this protein so that you can mix it with more water than you'd initially believe.  I take two scoops per workout, and I mix them with about 20 oz of water.  The result?  An incredibly creamy taste that completely disguises the fact that it's mixed into water.  No more watery protein taste for me, thanks.  I'll take Combat powder.

Does it work?  Heck yeah!  Since I've been on this powder, my squat has gone up about 10-20 kg, and my clean and jerk and snatch have gone up 8 kg and 5 kg respectively.  That's a pretty big improvement in not too much time.  I feel strong on this powder, and every day I want to test it out to see if it's worked for me.  I've smashed all sorts of PR's other than my competition lifts while on this powder as well, so yes, I can safely say that Combat powder works.  

So what's it cost?  Not much.  Right now at bodybuilding.com it's for sale at $39.99 for 4lbs, an amount that will last you over a month and a half if you only take one scoop each day.  I think you'll agree, that's an absolutely amazing deal for such a high quality product, and is definitely worth more than the $70 other companies are asking for their inferior products.  On bodybuilding.com only, there's a new flavor too, called "S'mores."  Here's a link to the deal, hope it lasts a little longer for all of your sakes.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/musclepharm/combat.html

So what's the verdict?  Well, it's not surprsing that I will be ordering this stuff for as long as that online deal persists.  This protein is high quality, versatile, and feeds your body in all sorts of beneficial ways that other protein powders just plain DON'T.  Average whey protein absorbs quickly, then backs off in a rather short span of time.  Combat powder just keeps on building and building, feeding those tired muscles for 8 hours.  I don't have to be sponsored by Muscle Pharm to say that I love Combat powder and highly recommend it to anyone looking to pack on some serious strength and muscle mass. 

http://musclepharm.com/combat-powder

My Favorite Core Exercises

Have you ever wanted a rock solid midsection?  Abs that will break knuckles when punched?  Everyone does at one point or another, and I'm here to tell you that extreme core strength is quite attainable if you attempt to gain some.  The problem is, I think, that most people don't really know how to go about creating a core resembling the trunk of a tree.  They lay on the ground all day, crunching and crunching until they throw up.  Hey...GET OFF THE FLOOR FOR A SECOND and listen up.  There's quite a bit more you could be doing for your abs, especially if you're looking to get the strongest set you possibly can.

First, where is your "core"?  Well sure it involves your abdominal muscles, that plane of rectangular bricks just waiting to impress the ladies, but it also includes your obliques (on the sides), and even your upper quads and hip flexors.  And one part people often forget, it also includes your INNER abdominal wall (that's right, abs work both ways.)  To have a strong core is to be able to support yourself under the heaviest weights while maintaining good form and actually assisting the muscles required to lift said weight (like your legs).  These are all things I'm quite interested in, as should you be.  

First off, let's get one thing straight.  I'm talking about training core for strength, not definition.  You want rippling abs?  Let your diet take care of it.  Eat clean and under maintenance calories and you'll get a shredded midsection in no time flat.  Incidentally one of my favorite quotes is "train for strength, abs are made in the kitchen," (that's actually kind of a hybrid quote between some of my own analogies and Arnold Schwarzenegger's words.)  I hate to say it guys.  Crunches don't make you ripped.  Broccoli does.  Anyway, moving onward.  

Training abs for strength means high resistance, heavy loads, and intense reps.  You need to get that core used to contracting as hard as possible for as long as possible and sustaining that contraction no matter the cost or strain.  Sounds fun right?  Let's look at a few of my favorite high intensity ab contraction exercises.  

"L" chin-ups- These are my favorite by far.  They involve so many muscles I'd have a hard time counting them all, and they require extreme core strength.  I usually try to do at least 3-5 sets of these once or twice a week, after my squats.  Basically, get into chin up position, hold your legs at a 90 degree angle out in front of you (so your body looks like an "L"), and hold that angle as you complete as many chin-ups as you can.  Can't do chin/pull-ups?  No worries!  You can also do an "L" hang.  Just hang from the bar, hold your feet out in front of you, and count to ten.  Rest, then do it again.  I guarantee you'll feel a burn in this one, and it's an incredible core strength builder.  

"V"-ups- Whoa, another letter name exercise!  You've probably seen these before.  The key to these is keeping it slow and controlled.  Basically, lie flat on your back to start, with your arms overhead.  Slowly raise your feet while keeping legs straight, while at the same time raising your hands and arms to match the plane creating by your legs.  When your arms and legs are parallel, crunch toward your toes (touching them if you can), then descend back to starting position SLOWLY.  DO NOT LET YOUR FEET OR HANDS TOUCH THE GROUND.  Keep the contraction the entire exercise.  Do as many good reps as you can, take a short break, then come back for some more.  These are nuts.  

Plate/Russian Twist Balance- Want some serious pain?  Try these suckers.  Hold a plate in your hands (I'd recommend starting off with a 5lb or 10lb plate), and sit narrow-ways on a thin bench (such as a bench press or adjustable bench).  Raise your feet up and lean back so you're balancing on your butt, and hold the plate over one side of your body so it is almost touching the bench.  In a rapid but controlled and CONSTANTLY contracted motion, twist the plate across your body to the other side, ALMOST touch the bench, and repeat.  After twenty to thirty to a gazillion reps of these your core will feel like jello, I promise.  Because you're constantly contracting the core, it gets used to a heavy strain for extended periods of time, building some serious strength.  

The guy in this video taps the plate on the ground.  You CAN do that, but I believe that stopping the motion BEFORE the ground does requires a little more work on your core's part.  Up to you.

"Super Slow" Decline Sit-ups- In truth, doing any core exercise "super slow" is a great idea, as it forces your core muscles to remain firmly contracted for longer periods of time, lending itself toward great, useful strength gains.  This one is just what it sounds like. Hop on a decline bench, and start doing some damn slow sit-ups.  On the way down, stay very slow and controlled, count in your head if you have to.  Go very deep, trying to feel even your lowest abs, and DON'T let your back rest on the bench.  Start your upward movement just before your upper back touches the bench.  This means you'll need to stay quite upright, no hunching forward like you see all those other gym nothings do.  Slow and controlled, firm, contracted, and upright.  Do 15 reps per set, and you'll be burning all day.  

Want an even better burn?  Hold a plate or dumbbell over your head while you do these.  CRAZY!

This is the best video I could find in regards to FORM, but I have no idea why they call it an incline bench when it's clearly at a decline...

Front Squats-  Whaa???  Front squats?  I must've been crazy when writing this and accidentally included a leg exercise.  WRONG.  Front squats are still probably the greatest core workout I regularly do.  To front squat, you must hold the bar on the front of your deltoids, and to avoid dumping the bar in the deepest of bottom positions, you must remain as upright as possible while in the hold.  With all that weight pressing down on you, guess whose job it is to help keep you upright?  That's right!  Your core.  The heavier the squat, the more work your core does.  Try these out sparingly at first, and make sure your form is good.  I'll bet you'll see what I mean though, and quickly.

So there you have it, a few of my favorite core exercises geared toward creating massive core strength.  Do these on a consistent basis and I guarantee that when you get around to dieting down to low body fat percentage you'll have a midsection to be truly envious of.  

Keep it heavy, slow, and controlled.  Good luck!