Two Quick Ab Training Myths
I heard a strength coach for the Atlanta Braves once say he could tell whether an athlete had a six pack or not by looking at the type of food wrappers he had in their garbage cans. Make sense doesn’t it.
These days it’s almost impossible to avoid being bombarded with advertisements promising the latest and greatest exercise to help you get that “6-pack.” Because of this quick-fix mentality, two common myths you probably see are:
1) You can lose abdominal fat by spot reduction (performing exercises to isolate the midsection)
2) You should train your abdominals differently from other muscles in the body.
If spot reduction worked, wouldn’t everyone chew gum all day and lose face fat?
Research shows that the body will lose body fat from all over the body based on genetics, not on what exercises you perform. The other common myth is that you should train your abdominals differently than other muscle groups to, in essence, “tone” them. There is no such thing as “toning” a muscle, it either increases or decreases in size. To get that lean look that so many people want, you need to decrease overall total body fat through proper nutrition, cardiovascular activity, and strength training.
An effective abdominal training program, like one for any other muscle group, should include exercise variety. Work the following exercises into your workout routine:
Cable crunches on a Swiss ball
Push up holds on a Swiss ball
Hanging abdominal raises
Cable rotations or push up rows
For anyone with a history of low back pain – make sure you are adding in “dead bugs” and you should never feel the exercises “work” your low back. If you do, the exercise is too advanced or you are too fatigued.
Also, don’t be afraid to challenge your muscles with increased resistance. All muscles need to be worked past the point of what they are accustomed to. Accomplish this by changing exercise order, resistance, rest periods, etc.
**Remember to:
1) Always plan ahead for what you are going to eat
2) Obtain adequate amounts of protein
3) Work on your flexibility and
4) Supplement your diet with a fish oil and multivitamin
Let me know if I can help. Email me at architechsports@gmail.com God Bless,
Alan Tyson
Physical Therapist, Athletic Trainer, Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist