I get this question all the time...."How do I get ripped Abs aka the proverbial "Six Pack"." My answer is generally the same thing. 1. Abs and Calves are somewhat genetic 2. Through Diet and Function of use. Now while this may seem like utter poppycock, flibberty gibberty or just plain BUNK!! However, it is not.
What spring-boarded a nation into action was founded on the back of the likes of Jack LaLanne, Jane Fonda and Richard Simmons. We want to be fit. We want to look good for both ourselves and for others. Now I am of the opinion that if you are attempting to improve yourself for others, then you should be address other issues besides just "fitness". However, if you are trying to promote a good example to others ( ie. family, friends and john q public ) thru healthy living and staying fit 'till you decide to help fertilize the garden then I'm all in.
So what is the magic combo?? Crunches till you cry? Military sit-ups? Eating 800 calories a day? My response to those are NO , NO and H E ( double tooth pick ) NO!
The core is made up of 3 parts - the rectus abdominis, the abdominal wall and the lumbar erectors. Think of a corset. Your own personal corset helps protect the spine from compressive forces. PS..trunk flexion causes psoas activation which increases the shearing forces to spine. Hmmmm....that doesn't seem like a great idea. When you train the core/trunk/hip carriage properly you get a cooperative effort before any action even takes place, this in-turn helps with proper movement and proper motion through said movements. If not then....injury is bound to occur eventually.
Perfect example. Crunches strengthen the rectus abdominis but put undo shearing forces against the lumbar vertebrae. A better idea would be to train the function of the "corset" thru trunk stabilization, functional movements. :-) Now that's not to say that you can't do crunches because you can, its probably just better to incorporate them once some strength has been established to decrease you chances. OR maybe even just try a completely different approach through things like pushups, planks, squats, single ( single and double leg) or inchworms.
The diet part, well....cleaner is better. Bio-available food is best, but healthy is a good place to start. The biggest part of diet (btw I dislike that word is....fuel works better for me) is being able to stay consistent. Eat for a lifestyle and a lifetime, not ONLY for that cruise and the bikini. Once you learn and teach your body to utilize the good stuff, then maybe the bad stuff won't seem so yummy after all.
2 comments:
Great post Sam. I lost touch with my abs after my second baby, he was almost 10lbs and it's a good thing is is an awesome kid because he destroyed my tummy, LOL! I work my core hard these days, you can't tell from looking at me, but I know that I have strong muscles in there somewhere :-)
I really like this post Sam. I struggled all the time with fueling my body properly. It is not easy when you are constantly fighting yourself but I am getting there. Thanks for reminding me that it will help my core!
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