SAVE YOUR ABS

I had abs before they were cool. I had no idea how lucky I was, or why my dating prospects improved so dramatically as the weather warmed up. All I knew was that I was skinny and I wanted to be bigger. My wish came true soon enough; with a desk job and a workout programme that consisted almost entirely of lifting heavy things, the weight was easy to put on. My abs disappeared, but I enjoyed the modest strength gains more than I missed the jagged contours.




 Over time, the unholy alliance of word-processing software and an unbalanced workout programme left me with a series of injuries that made sitting easier but lifting nearly impossible: My body was, literally, molding itself to hunch over a keyboard.

So I returned to my core. Instead of a few random sets of midbody exercises at the beginning or end of my workout, core training became the centerpiece of my programme.

Meanwhile, Alwyn Cosgrove, co-owner of Results Fitness in Santa Clarita, California, was searching for solutions to the same dilemma as he designed his workouts. Cosgrove noticed that clients were coming to him in far worse shape than demographically identical clients were just a few years ago. Their posture was distorted, thanks to years of working ever-longer hours with ever-smaller technology. Even the clients who were "fit" often displayed unbalanced fitness: The strong ones lacked endurance, the ones with good endurance lacked strength, and most of them struggled with injuries related to training for one goal at the expense of all others.

The solution, Cosgrove discovered, was to spend less time in the weight room and more time on mobility, conditioning, and core training. Especially core training. You'd think that less time with the iron would mean a softer body and weaker muscles. But that's not what happened-not to me, and not to Cosgrove's clients. The focus on core training not only helped me recover from my injuries but also left me leaner and more athletic than I'd felt in a long time.

Cosgrove's training approach, and my success with it, led us to write our book, The New Rules of Lifting for Abs. Read on to learn the top body-changing benefits you'll achieve using our core-centric approach.




Burn fat without moving

Ab training is easy; core training is hard. An exercise like the crunch works a tiny amount of muscle through a minuscule range of motion. Core training works your abdominal muscles along with your lower back and draws in your glutes, hamstrings and everything in between. Even your lats are involved; the connective tissue at the bottom of your lats play a crucial role in stabilising your spine and helping transfer force between the muscles in your upper and lower body when you row, climb or pull.

Training that much muscle at once burns a lot of calories, even if you're not moving.

Here's an example: Assume a pushup position, with your arms straight. Lift your right arm and left leg simultaneously, and hold that position. Concentrate on keeping your body still-don't let your hips drop or your torso rotate. Keep holding. A little longer. Wait . . . okay, you lost it. No problem. Just repeat by lifting your left arm and right leg. And hold that. Unless you're a recreational acrobat, you're probably sweating, shaking, and wheezing like an asthmatic. Train like that for 10 minutes each time you go to the gym and it's hard not to get lean.

Build muscle where it matters

If your goal was to build your biceps, you'd target those muscles with curls. Why curls? Because you can feel your biceps contracting on each rep. Most guys use the same logic in pursuit of abs: Crunches shorten the muscles, so that must be the best way to work them. It isn't!

A study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research shows that exercises that extend your body while keeping your lower back in a safe, neutral position, work the rectus abdominis-the six-pack muscle-25 per cent harder than crunches do.

Try this: Grab a Swiss ball and assume a plank position-your toes on the floor and body straight from neck to ankles-but with your forearms on the ball. Slowly push the ball out and away. Go as far as you can while keeping your lower back completely stiff-that is, the arch in your lower back shouldn't increase or decrease. Pull the ball back and repeat. Chances are, it'll take a few workouts before you can do 10 reps with a good range of motion. And you may find yourself with sore abs a day or two afterward. But at least you'll know you're truly developing these muscles.




Win the game of life

Core training isn't the answer to every fitness question. When researchers try to correlate core stability with athletic performance, the results are underwhelming.

But good strength coaches include core training in their programmes anyway; they know it's important for back injury prevention, if nothing else.

However, when a Canadian research team looked at specific tests of fitness and longevity, they found that men who scored lowest for abdominal endurance had more than double the risk of death from any cause over the course of the study compared with those who scored highest.

Why? The same reason strength coaches stress core training, even if it's not directly linked to goals or touchdowns. Stability of your lower back depends on the endurance of the supporting muscles.

Spinal instability leads to injury. Injury can be a career killer for an athlete, and plain deadly for an older adult. Train your abs now and you'll have many more years to enjoy the benefits.


By: menshealth.intoday.in

17 IMPORTANT TRAINING AND NUTRITION QUESTIONS

What happens when ... You have sex before working out? And other common training and nutrition questions




In the world of health and fitness, old wives' tales and gym lore are oft repeated, chapter and verse, as hardcore fact. Opinions are bandied about as truth, and legend is taken as history. Health clubs are home to more speculation than the pork bellies market. And that's just the way it's always been. Until now.

We've recruited bona fide experts in the fields of exercise science and nutrition to help us answer 17 questions that have historically been ripe for speculation, guesswork and hearsay. So now, instead of listening to the advice of your training partner's friend's roommate's sister, you can be the one giving it. But one word of caution: You may find your standing among old wives seriously downgraded. So, what really happens when . . .


1) You don't wear a belt during heavy lifting? 

According to nutrition and exercise guru Chris Aceto, there are two sides to this coin. "If you don't use a belt when lifting heavy, you could possibly injure yourself because belts support the abdominal and lower back muscles -- the stabilizers of the trunk region," he says. "Paradoxically, when people start out training with a belt, they don't build those stabilizer muscles, so the risk of injury increases as the strength of other muscles increases." In other words, use a belt only to help prevent possible injury on your heavier sets, not to take the place of supporting muscles.


2) You eat too much or too little protein?

We all know that protein builds and maintains muscle (at least all m&f readers do it). So we do our best to get the right amount of protein to reach our personal fitness goals. But what happens on those days your meal schedule gets derailed?

Aceto explains: "If you eat too much protein, the excess is sent to the liver, changed to a sugar and used as fuel, stored as glycogen or stored as bodyfat. Many people don't realize that protein can be stored as fat. Conversely, if you eat too little protein, you fall into a negative nitrogen balance, meaning there aren't enough amino acids to make your muscles grow." All the more reason to keep a log of your daily nutrient intake. Try to stick to 1-1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight daily.


3) You get less than eight hours of sleep?

Sleep deprivation has reached epidemic levels in the United States. While eight hours of work, eight hours of play and eight hours of sleep used to represent the magic triangle of balance in a person's day, our current version is an isosceles, with the sleep side getting ever shorter. What does this mean to you, the dedicated trainer?

"Sleep need is an individual thing," notes m&f Science Editor Jim Stoppani, PhD. "But research supports the fact that most people require between seven and nine hours. You should strive for at least seven; otherwise you risk perturbations in your hormone levels, like growth hormone, which seven hours tend to gain more bodyfat." 


4) You don't stretch on a regular basis?

Between work, the fiancée, Sunday afternoon with the kids and your Internet addiction, you've got maybe an hour a day, four days a week, to hit the gym -- and you're not about to waste one minute of it stretching. So what's the worst that could happen?

"You'll lose flexibility and range of motion in each muscle," reports Aceto. "Consequently, you won't be able to overload the muscle through its entire range, and you'll limit your growth potential." Stretching is best done after working out to maximize flexibility and range of motion. It's never a good idea to stretch cold muscles, because it could lead to muscle pulls and tears.




5) You eat a meal (or meals) after 9:00 p.m.?

"Diet experts" often advise not to eat after 9:00 p.m. But what if you do?

"If your goal is to build muscle, you should consume a slow-digesting protein like meat or a casein product within an hour before sleeping to provide amino acids throughout the night," Stoppani advises. "Without them, muscle breakdown occurs while you sleep. As far as carbs go, some controversy exists. Many bodybuilders get good results by not eating carbs within four hours of bedtime. Others say it doesn't matter, as carbs won't make you fat if you don't take in excessive calories throughout the day."

A good rule of thumb: Try to grab a protein-rich (30 grams or so), low- to moderate-complex-carbohydrate meal about an hour before bedtime. Your muscles will thank you in the morning.


6) You try to train while you're sick?

"Studies show that exercise will generally cause an acute suppression of the immune system," states William J. Kraemer, PhD, CSCS, director of research and a professor in the department of kinesiology at The University of Connecticut, Storrs. "But with things like upper respiratory tract infections [colds], it's not going to do much damage and can even be beneficial if the exercise isn't too intense."

But what about the feverish? "If you're experiencing any flulike symptoms, you don't want to take the chance of compromising yourself and making things worse," Kraemer warns. Plus, it's not polite to sneeze on your gym partner while he's benching.


7) You train a bodypart two days in a row?

This idea is all but taboo in gym circles; the common belief is that it will surely lead to overtraining.

"We've trained people on consecutive days and have had success with it," Kraemer points out. "But the key is, the rest period following needs to compensate for the intensity of the workouts. This means between workouts, don't do any other type of activity -- just go home, eat and relax. It's also important that you vary the load on the muscles and the angle of the exercises. For example, if you were to train chest on consecutive days, you'd want to do flat benches on day one and inclines on the following day, or vice versa."

While this shouldn't be the basis of a long-term approach to your training, you could certainly incorporate it as a short-term way to shock your muscles into new growth. And make sure you consume sufficient carbs, protein and total calories.


8) You have sex before working out?

"Women weaken legs!" This infamous caveat bleated by crusty boxing trainer Mickey Goldmill to Rocky Balboa as he trained for his title shot made many a lonely lady out of athletes' wives and girlfriends. Did Mickey know what he was talking about, or did he have a few marbles knocked loose during his fighting days?

"It depends on who it's with," jokes Aceto. On a more serious note, he adds: "The idea that having sex drains you of your strength is an old wives' tale. I think it's probably a positive thing because it can help you to relax, men-tally and through the release of chemicals. When you're relaxed, you tend to perform better." Just don't make it a marathon session.


9) You lift too soon after eating?

Remember how your mom always told you to wait an hour after eating before going in the pool?

Some people believe the same warning applies to resistance training. But what really happens if you lift on a full stomach?

"For most people, nothing," Stoppani remarks. "Some people have to eat earlier, as their stomachs may be more sensitive; when you work out, blood flow is diverted away from the GI system and to the muscle, and digestion and absorption of nutrients slows. But it's more of an individual thing." Regardless of your preworkout eating habits, you need to consume some sort of protein and carbohydrate within an hour after your workout.

10) You slack off and miss a workout?

So now the job, the fianc´e and the rest of your busy life has squeezed that chest/back workout right out of your schedule. Or worse yet, all of your bodyparts took a backseat this week. Is it time to start repenting?

"Missed workouts provide you with an opportunity to rest," assures Kraemer. "A lot of guys become obsessed with getting to the gym anyway, so it can be a positive thing. The body is not going to untrain that quickly." Just how much time are we talking here? "In high-level athletes it can take two weeks," he says. "Recreational athletes won't see the effects for up to six weeks. Moreover, we've found that the longer an athlete has been training, the longer a rest period he or she should take to re-energize."


11) You get too busy and skip a meal?

Sooner or later, it happens to everyone: You're running late and you're fresh out of meal replacement bars. Major dilemma?

"If you skip a meal here or there, it's not going to suddenly put you into a catabolic state," Aceto notes. "We do have amino-acid pools that we store for just these instances. We also have glycogen reserves. But if you're trying to put on mass, you obviously don't want to make a habit of it."


12) You drink a glass of raw eggs?

Credit Rocky with propagating yet another sports-related myth. Who can forget watching the Italian Stallion in the ultimate act of athletic dedication, downing a glass full of freshly cracked eggs? And who didn't try, at least once, to emulate his gut-churning heroics? But to what end -- increased strength, energy and stamina, or food poisoning?

Although it's uncommon, you could suffer bacterial contamination. "You need to be careful with raw foods because they could contain food-borne pathogens," explains Kraemer. In fact, cooked eggs are better digested and utilized than raw. Sorry, Rock. Mickey should have told you.




13) You don't consume whey protein and simple carbs post-workout?

m&f has repeatedly heralded the importance of grabbing a quick-absorbing protein and simple-carb meal after working out. But why is this so important, and what happens if you miss it?

"We've found, as have other labs, that the initial 30 minutes to an hour after a workout is the optimal time for protein synthesis to occur," Kraemer states. The mantra "the sooner the better" clearly applies in this instance, he adds. "We actually try to get to that post-workout meal within 10 minutes after training. But sometimes people have a tough time getting a meal down that soon after working out, in which case a half-hour or even an hour is fine."

If you can't find whey or casein after your workout, go for any kind of protein. It may not be digested as efficiently, but as the sailors say, "Any port in a storm."


14) You sit in a sauna and try to "sweat off" pounds? 

It's hard to envision an image more synonymous with weight loss than that of a towel-clad health enthusiast sweating it out in a sauna. But what's really going on in there? Is some mystical metabolic process transpiring that will ultimately render the user thinner?

"No, you just lose water due to sweating for cooling the body," reports Stoppani. Don't sauna before a workout, as the majority of the water comes from the blood, so you may compromise blood flow and the pump to your muscles. A recent study did find, however, that sweating can be beneficial for your health."


15) You take a month . . . or a year . . . off from training?

A lot of the more serious (read: obsessed) trainees out there can't stomach the thought of missing one workout, let alone a month's -- or a year's -- worth. What's the worst that could happen, other than gym-withdrawal side effects?

"After a month, you'll definitely lose some muscle mass and strength, but probably not as much as you might think," Stoppani points out. "A recent study found that lifters lost little muscle and strength and gained minimal fat after six weeks off."

And what if you decide to call it quits for good -- will your muscle turn into fat? "The myth that muscle cells turn into fat derives from the fact that most guys who were bodybuilders at one time continue to eat as if they still were -- as if they still have the same metabolic requirements as someone with big muscles," Stoppani remarks. "But with smaller muscles comes a slower metabolism, and less training means less opportunity to burn calories. Hence fat begins to accumulate."


16) You lift on an empty stomach?

Once again, life gets in the way of lifting, and you miss your preworkout meal. What can you expect from your hungry body during the workout? "As far as fatigue goes, it depends on your reps and total sets," says Stoppani. "The higher your reps, the more muscle-glycogen you'll depend on to complete those reps. Without some form of dietary carbohydrate, you may fatigue earlier."

He continues: "As far as hormonal responses go, lifting without taking in carbs before the workout will lead to higher cortisol levels during and after the workout. Cortisol inhibits testosterone's anabolic effects and leads to muscle breakdown.

"Not having any protein before the workout is a double whammy as even higher cortisol levels lead to further muscle depletion. Eating protein helps to inhibit some of this breakdown, so having nothing to eat before a workout is bad for muscle gains."

In other words, carry a bar, a drink, something. Just don't hit the gym with a growling gut.




17) You work out when you're still sore?

Another old wives' tale is to stay out of the gym if your muscles still ache from your last workout. "A recent study found that when muscles were trained when still sore, no added damage occurred to those fibers," states Stoppani. "One study found that when a workout was repeated just two days later and muscles were still sore, subjects had lower cortisol levels than normal. Since low cortisol means more testosterone is available, it may actually be beneficial from time to time to train the same bodypart two days in a row -- but only rarely."

Story by: By Shawn Perine

4 Brutal Exercises That Build Extreme Core Strength

Achieve a strong core by building strength through exercises that work your muscles as a whole group, while eliminating mid-body weakness in the process.



One of the big problems I see with clients - whether it's elite athletes or "average Joes" - is poor core strength. Now, with "core training" being all the rage and everyone wanting washboard abs, how could that be? I think it has to do with a fundamental misunderstanding of what it takes to achieve a strong core.

It's common for an athlete to have a strong lower back from squatting and dead lifting, but have weak abdominals. I frequently see guys with a six-pack stomach but a weak lower back. In most of these scenarios, the lifter probably does individual exercises for the muscles comprising the core - the abdominals, the lower back, obliques, hip flexors, serratus, etc. - but may not do movements that require stability and build strength in these muscles as a whole group.

Accessory lifts, such as leg extensions, are great for toning and defining the quads, but that is not how you would build a functional, powerful lower body; if you want strong legs you would do heavy compound movements, such as squats and lunges. Similarly, body weight crunch variations are not going to build strength and power in your midsection because they don't place a significant load on all of the muscles that stabilize the core, they merely tone the abdominals.



Another problem I see with most "core" or "ab" regimens is the sheer number of reps. If you are capable of doing 100+ reps of an exercise in a single set, are you really building strength or just exercising? To build a strong back, I don't use a weight that is light enough on the T-bar row to do 100 reps, and you will never see me doing sets of 100 crunches to strengthen by abdominals. If you want a strong core, you have to do compound power movements. Here are four extreme core exercises that will put you to the test.


Weighted Plank

A basic bodyweight plank is my all-time favorite core exercise because it works every muscle in the core and it can be tailored for use by beginners up to advanced athletes. Once you can hold a static front plank for two minutes, you are ready to start adding some weight. Start with one plate and shoot for a 30-second hold, then work up from there. It's very important to keep the abdominals flexed and avoid lowering your hips, as this could strain your lower back. 


Barbell Climbs

For this movement, start with a barbell, broom stick or PVC pipe, and hold it out in front of you with your feet shoulder width for a nice solid base. Climb down hand over hand, then back up, shooting for sets of three to five. Keep your abs flexed the entire time. Like most of my favorite core exercises, there are a lot of other muscles being worked, and these 'climbs' will really tax your lats and test your grip strength. It's very important to not attempt this on a slick surface where the bar could slide out from under you, and it may be a good idea to wedge the bar in the corner and have a spotter on your first attempt.




Medicine Ball Rollouts

I like to think of these as the crazy older brother of the Ab Wheel. Start doing them from your knees and keep your back "hunched" and abs tight (see a pattern here?) as you roll the ball out and walk it back in. In addition to the abs and hip flexors, these roll-outs really work the lats, serratus, and triceps. If you're experienced on the Ab Wheel, try these from a standing position. I usually hit five Standing Roll-Outs and use an 80lb medicine ball. If you can do 10 reps from your feet, you are an absolute beast.


Spiderman Extensions

Ok, when I called these exercises extreme, maybe you rolled your eyes…but it doesn't get any more extreme than this. These are one of the hardest exercises in my arsenal and you better have a lower back of steel and abs of granite if you're going to attempt them. Start with a set of Rings or TRX straps hanging a few feet from a wall. Walk your feet up the wall until your body is tilted down and settle into a push-up position. Perform a deep push-up but as you come up, gradually extend your arms out overhead until they are in line with your body and you are perfectly straight. Fight for stability the entire time and channel your inner Peter Parker. Good luck.



Now you should have a good idea of not only how to build a strong core but also what kinds of movements are possible when there is no weak link in the middle of your body. Whether you are a football player throwing a ball, a boxer throwing a punch, or a wrestler throwing your opponent on his head, your core needs to be strong so that the power you generate from your legs and hips doesn't get lost as it travels through your upper body. Now, of course, I didn't start out being able to do any of these movements. I had to work up to them. In my next article, I will teach you my weekly core strength routine that I use with all of my athletes to prepare them to execute these extreme power movements.



By Coach Myers - muscleandstrength

The Scientific Approach to Abs Training

If we all want hard-looking abdominals, why are they so rare? I'm convincedthe answer is not that people are lazy in the gym, but rather that they don't have the information they need to effectively stimulate their abs...

For anyone interested in a muscular-looking and fit body, having a nicely structured and well-defined midsection is critical. The abdominal muscles really are special in the way they must be trained; ab training is unique because ab structure is unique. What do you need to know to get awesome abs? Keep reading. Here's a look at training abs from a scientific point of view.

Along for the Ride

You might not like to hear this, but I've got to tell you anyway: If the problem with your abs is that they're covered by a layer of fat, the best ab training in the world won't help at all. You see, everyone has the same basic abdominal muscle structure. (Of course, some people have stronger and more fit abs than others.) Effective ab training will help you strengthen these muscles and provide functional stability to your midsection, but it sure as heck won't bring out your abs. If "hidden abs" is what you're up against, you can crunch until the cows come home. The fat will simply go along for the ride and you'll never see the fruits of your labor.

However, there are two things you can do: (a) begin a good meal plan and reduce your overall bodyfat; and (b) train your abs with intelligence, intensity and efficiency. Now that that's out of the way, let's peel away the fat and take a good look at the abs.

Ab Structure & Genetics

What I'm really referring to (what we see with the naked eye) are the rectus abdominus and the external obliques. The rectus abdominus is the large abdominal muscle in the front of the torso. It is actually one muscle that is divided by four strips of connective tissue called tendinous incriptions.

These strips are believed to be protective devices that keep us from rupturing the entire length of the rectus abdominus. Also, running down the middle of the rectus abdominus, dividing it into right and left halves, is the linea alba.

These divisions determine the genetic shape of your rectus abdominus. I am often asked if you can alter your basic ab shape. I believe the answer is no--not without training anyway. Hey, some people have clear-cut blocks, others have sections that appear a bit staggered. Some have thick, protruding abs, while others are a little more flat. Thank your parents for yours, and make the best of what you've got!

Giving the waist a tapered, sleek look are the external obliques, which have fibers running diagonally down toward your groin. You work this muscle as you rotate inward on a crunch. Again, not much can be done to alter the genetic shape of these muscles.

As Dr. Berl Michel, sports chiropractor in North Palm Beach, FL, puts it, "There's nothing you can do about your abdominal shape. You've got what you've got; it's as simple as that!"

Not to fret; if your abdominal shape isn't quite what you'd like, all is not lost. Remember, few people really make the most of their ab development potential in the first place. There is much to be gained.

Also, you can strengthen, "tone," and slightly hypertrophy (add size to) these muscles. Not only does this aid in lifting and injury prevention, but when you do lose the fat over your abs, you'll expose a finely-toned midsection that is sure to attract attention.

As in most aspects of physique development, whether you've got perfect or not-so-perfect genetic shape, the key to making the most of your potential lies in effective training. Now, there are so many misconceptions about ab training that it's a good idea to define the proper biomechanics and scientific aspects of ab training by what they aren't! Here are some things to avoid:

Common Mistakes in Ab Training

Since you now have a better concept of the abdominal muscles, let's talk about some of the pitfalls you might encounter when working for that washboard stomach. Here are a few things you should know:

Hip Flexor Involvement. Probably the biggest problem you'll face when trying to train the abs is the unwanted involvement of the hip flexors. When activated, these muscles pull the pelvis and spine forward as they attempt to flex the hip; they decrease the angle (perform flexion) at that joint.

The hip flexors, anatomically and collectively termed the iliopsoas, are made up of the psoas major, psoas minor and the iliacus. Also, the rectus femoris, one of our quadriceps muscles, somewhat flexes the hip. (This is why you're a little stronger when you lean back on leg extensions.) These muscles can take over during abdominal training to such an extent that your abs are hardly working at all!

This can happen far too early during an ab exercise in people who have weak abdominal muscles relative to their hip flexors. If their hip flexors take over, they can forget about ab stimulation and fatigue. Sure, they're getting a workout--and they sure as heck feel it--but their hip flexors are doing the work! In other words, if the hip flexors are too strong for the abs, the ab muscles won't get much of a chance to assist when the hip flexors move the trunk toward the legs (essentially what the abs want to do also)!

Making this problem worse is the fact that hip flexor and abdominal movements look like the same thing. So it's important to be able to determine your relative abdominal strength in this position.

Check 'em Out. Here's a quick test you can do to check the strength of your abs compared to your hip flexors: Lie on your back with your legs down and your hands at the sides of your lower back. You'll notice a slight arch in your lower back: you'll probably be able to slide your hands under your lumbar area.

Now bring your legs overhead so that your hip angle is about 90 degrees; keep your knees straight. Here, your lower back will come in contact with the surface you're on and you won't be able to slide your hands under your lower back anymore. In this position, your hip flexors are in a poor position to be forceful and your abs are ready to be contracted.

Tighten your abs and feel your lower back on the surface. Now, very slowly, lower your legs while consciously trying to squeeze your abdominal muscles and keep your lower back down the whole way. With your hands at the sides of your lower back, you'll be able to feel when your lower back begins to arch up. At that point, stop the movement. (On average, most people can get to somewhere around 45 degrees or so.)

This little test can tell us how strong your abs are compared to your hip flexors and can give us a good working knowledge of how much you may be using your hip flexors in abdominal work.
The point where you can no longer keep your lower back down on the surface is where your hip flexors begin to kick in and pull your pelvis forward. In general, the earlier this happens in this movement (relative to the 45-degree midpoint), the weaker your abs are compared to your hip flexors. No matter where you ended up on this test, you should know how to control hip flexor involvement in abdominal training.

Contracted Antagonist. Think of your biceps and triceps, or your hamstrings and quadriceps. As you know, these are antagonistic muscle groups: the actions of one directly oppose the other. By the same token, the abdominals and lower back can be viewed as antagonists as well. After all, in order to contract or shorten one, the other usually must be lengthened.

Now you can see why when the lower back is in an arched position (a shortening of the lower back muscles), whether it's due to hip flexor involvement or any other reason, it's virtually impossible to adequately work the abs. They're forced into a lengthened position. (In fact, abdominal hernias are not all that uncommon when the lower back is violently arched.)

For example, many exercise classes still use low leg raises to "work the abs." In this position, the hip flexors are working hard, the pelvis is tilted forward, the lower back is off the floor, and the abdominals--by and large--are in a lengthened position. You tell me, can the abs contract and be strengthened in this position? The answer is no!

(However, it really is a great workout for the hip flexors!) You "feel" the abs in this exercise because they are doing some isometric work well in hip movement--they work in spinal movement. And, when this spinal movement stops, the abdominal contraction does as well.

The point is this: If you want to train abs, then just train abs, not hip flexors. In order to minimize hip flexor involvement, be careful to only create movement at the spine. When you start moving at the hip--like you do when performing regular sit-ups and leg raises--the abs are no longer primary movers and won't do much work. Read on.

Hip, Knee and Ankle Position. Since the abs are only worked well in spinal flexion, you have to be careful what you do in other areas. In particular, hip, knee, and ankle positions can create problems, when trying to train abs.

As always, keep in mind that you're trying to minimize hip involvement. How can you use joint positions to limit the unwanted use of other muscles? Here's how: If you bend your hips and knees to about a 90-degree angle, you're then better able to train your abs since the hip flexors can't contract with much force here. With you back down, your hips and knees bent, and your head slightly tilted forward, your hip flexors relax and you are in a perfect position to flex the spine.

And what about your ankles? Well, a big mistake here would be to tuck your ankles in under a stabilizing bar. This creates an anchoring effect, and your hip flexors kick in immediately.

This often happens in people who want to increase the relative intensity of their abdominal work. They do what seems right to do--they raise the angle of a slant board.

But to stay on the board they've got to anchor their feet, which brings in the hip flexors early in the movement!

Also, on a standard "sit-up board," the hips and knees are often not bent enough in this position to adequately relax the iliopsoas in the first place. Again, what results can certainly be a good workout, but not for the abs!

The Biomechanics of Ab Training

With all those common ab training mistakes, you're probably wondering how anyone can get an effective ab workout. Well, you know that rectus femoris is just one muscle, and it contracts as one muscle. You also know that the rectus abdominus contracts and shortens during spinal flexion--that is, when the spine rolls forward (chest rolling to hips, or vice versa).

Of course, in order to flex the spine, you've got to round out the lower back (lengthen it). Again, just like in the test above, the abs can only work hard when the lower back is rounded or flattened (against the floor).

Therefore, you should concentrate on keeping the lower back down, slowly rolling it down, and slowly rolling the spine forward from the chest to hips as if you are stacking one vertebra on top of another. No, you can't go very far: the human spine does not flex forward much (unless you're in an extended position to start with). But that's all the rectus abdominus really does!

Here's how you can see the spinal flexion for yourself. Do this, all the while looking at where movement is occurring:

Lie on the floor, contract your abs, flatten out your lower back and do a "crunch," concentrating on stacking one vertebra on top of another. Stop at the top of the movement (not very far).

What you've just done is forward spinal flexion, the only movement that truly trains the abs. You rolled one vertebra on top of the other to get you to the top of a crunch; you flexed your spine. Now, from there, finish a regular sit-up and stop at the top. Where did movement occur to get you there? At the hip. That's hip flexion, and the abs really have nothing to do with it.

So this spinal flexion "crunch" is the only real way to work the abs? Yep, but hold on. That crunch can also be in the form of reverse pelvis tilts, hanging crunches, and so on--as long as the movement is occurring at the spine, nowhere else.

If you find standard crunches are too demanding at first, start with your hands at your sides. You can even do a full "sit-up" and then lower yourself slowly from a crunch position (sort of like an ab "negative").

A great way to increase the relative intensity of your abdominal training would simply be to cross your arms over your chest and hold a small plate in tight to your torso. Remember, abdominal muscles, like other muscles, need change in intensity to stimulate growth now and then. Don't shy away from exercises like kneeling cable crunches, just be sure not to rotate the spine against heavy resistanceÐthat's how you get hurt!

How To Tell What You're Working. Even with this knowledge under your belt, it can still be difficult to tell what you're training during ab work. Nationally-renowned Gainesville, FL, sports physical therapist Steve Forbush, M.S., P.T., gives us this advice: "When doing ab training, if the first point of fatigue is in the lumbar area--around the kidneys--then the iliopsoas is being worked too much." At this point, you should re-evaluate your position and your movement.

Other Ab Training Tips 

1. Many people like to hold their hands behind their head when doing crunches. Unfortunately, when they begin to strain there is a tendency to yank at the head to get a bit more force. This puts extraordinary stress on the cervical vertebrae, and can be dangerous. If you can't get used to putting your hands across your chest or straight out to the sides, at least keep them near your ears (being careful not to put your head forward), or cross them in front of your chin by grabbing the back of the opposite shoulder!
2. Never hold your breath during ab training. This increases the rigidity of the spine you are trying to flex! Instead, slowly breathe out through pursed lips on the way up, and inhale slowly on the way down.
3. I honestly see no good reason to stretch the abdominal muscles. This puts the lower spine in a dangerous position, and the abs get stretched often enough throughout the day.
4. Most people understand how to activate the external obliques. Remember to slowly and easily rotate during the "crunch" to train these "waist" muscles.

So, by avoiding some of the more common ab training mistakes (like hip flexor involvement), and understanding how the abs work (spinal flexion in short movements), you'll be sure to get the most from your abdominal work, and be well on your way to those impressive looking, firm, washboard abs.

Abs &Lower Back Pain

Well-functioning abdominal muscles are an asset to anyone working hard in the gym. They help support the spine and, when contracted during a light workout, reduce the load on the lower back up to 40 percent! Also, the lower back itself is helpful in resistance training, and lifters need that slight curvature of the lumbar spine during exercises like squats and overhead lifts.
Then why do so many bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts alike have lower back pain? Although many reasons are possible, a great number of lifters experience this pain because of a strength imbalance between these two antagonists, and/or excessive lordosis. In the latter, the curvature of the lower spine is excessive, and the person appears to have a "sway-back."
If the abdominals are not well-conditioned, the lower spine is subjected to higher-than-normal pressures in an awkward position. This often results in the bulging of intervertebral discs, and the subsequent pressure on nerve roots or a ligament, causing pain. Along the same lines, a strength imbalance between the abdominals and the lower back can lead to a different kind of pain. As in the case of pregnancy or a "pot belly," the abs become stretched, and in many cases are just too weak for the back. An exaggerated arching of the lower back can occur, putting the back at risk of injury and pain. Individuals in this position often wind up in the doctor's office because of a dull, aching pain.

"With people like this," says physical therapist Steve Forbush, "they are in continual lordosis, and their back remains tight all day. They're in pain because their abs are too weak and their back never gets a break!"

Forbush says that often a wrong diagnosis of weak erectors (deep lower back muscles) is made. "Therapists who subscribe to this notion believe that back pain may stem from 'trunk' weakness. More likely, what is happening is that the person develops a weakness after the body inhibits work in that area because it's getting a pain response there."

In short, if you're having lower back pain, see a physician to identify the cause. And, don't be surprised if your doctor recommends abdominal exercises! But remember:

The key to staying out of the doctor's office is to have both a strong abdominal group and a strong lumbar group.
"We're after a good, dynamic ratio between the two. For many, the answer to back pain is in learning. Learning how to contract the abs and lower back at the same time.

This will lead to global trunk mobility, flexibility, and strength," says Forbush.

Lower Ab Training

An area of ab training that causes much confusion is the attempt to train the "lower abs." This often leads to a whole lot of people doing some pretty strange exercises in order to tighten up their lower belly (a concern many women have). Here are a few things to keep in mind:

First, don't forget that the rectus abdominus is just one muscle and it contracts as one muscle, so it'll be tricky trying to get just one part of it to do the work. I will note, however, that it may be possible to put more stress on one section of it (depending on the direction of muscle fibers).

Secondly, the "lower ab section," the part of the rectus abdominus that lies under the naval, poses a few training problems.

1. The rectus abdominus tapers down a great deal under the naval. In this area, it is a small (compared to the "upper" part), smooth sheath that is not made up of thick, muscular tissue. In other words, there's just not much there to contract.
2. Since contraction of the abs depends upon forward spinal flexion, we can see another reason why this part of the rectus abdominus is so hard to train. We have no problem flexing the spine in our upper regions, but it is very difficult to flex the spine in the lower abdominal area. This is because: (a) the pelvic girdle is in the way; and (b) the flexible lumbar vertebrae end at about the top of the hip bone, and we're now trying to move the relatively inflexible sacrum. This creates a fight for prime movers status between the hip flexors and the lower abs, one the lower abs tend to lose. "It can be very tough to work the lower abs, since the iliopsoas is so much stronger than the lower abdominals, and they fight for the pelvic tilt," says Forbush.
3. Women seem to be especially prone to lower abdominal weakness, even if they have never had a child. "After years of monthly swelling in the lower abdominal area, the muscles in this region become flaccid. It's a natural inhibitory response by the body," Forbush explains. Does all this mean that training the lower abs is helpless? No. Since your spine can flex (though only a small amount) when you roll your hips up toward you, it's possible to get the lower ab region to do more work than usual when performing an exercise like reverse crunches (a.k.a. reverse curl)--as if you are curling your buttocks up toward your torso. This can be done while hanging as well as lying on your back (with your legs well above you).
   "I really believe that the lower abs work a bit differently than the upper abs. And, the umbilicus seems to be the dividing line. With the legs out of the picture, and by bringing the pubic bone to the umbilicus, you're better able to activate the lower abs," Forbush claims.

AB-Solutely Bogus

Ready to forget about the crunches and go for the "ab machine" you see on late-night cable? It sure sounds good on the infomercial, doesn't it? Hold on! William Whiting, professor at the University of California, Northridge, found no overall physiological advantage to these machines--such as the AB Roller Plus, the ABSculptor, and AbWorks. Whiting measured the electrical activity of three abdominal muscle groups, with and without the ab contraptions. The muscles weren't any more active with the machines.

Point is, if you want great abs, you should adopt a smart diet, and use a spinal flexion movement with variety in consistent workouts. And stay away from the hype of hucksters! 

From: MD