| |
| |
|
Muscle Building Information |
|
|
|
Ab Sculpting Exercise - One Of The Most Productive Exercises For Your Abs That Is Hardly Ever Used
Before I talk about one of the most productive and forgotten Ab Development exercises ever developed, you will need to know how your abdominal muscles actually work. I know for a fact, if I don't offer some pretty convincing evidence, it will be very difficult for you to believe such a claim so here is where a little education will go a long way to prove my point. Your abdominal muscles are really one big muscle called the Rectus Abdominus. You do not have upper, mid and lower abs unless you have some genetic anomaly. This is really critical to understand because the long muscle fibers in the abdominal muscles start at ribcage and ends at the pubic region. So, when you contract your muscles during a curl-up or crunch, the two ends of the muscle fibers move toward each other. It is impossible for the lower portion of the Rectus Abdominus (abs) to function without equally "firing off" all the other muscle fibers in the abs. Once the muscle relaxes and allows its two ends to move apart and reach its original stretched position, you will complete the full range-of-motion of an abdominal exercise, I am not forgetting the external and internal Obliques because they are directly and indirectly involved while performing any abdominal movement so it's really not necessary to hammer out your Obliques regularly. In fact, since the only thing a muscle can do is shrink and grow (atrophy or hypertrophy), you probably will not want to overly develop the Obliques because it will create a thicker looking waistline. That means the key to creating great-developed abs is to use exercises that fully contract the abdominal muscle until it is fatigued and that will take the muscle through it's full range-of-motion, just like any other muscle you build in your body. Remember though, you will not see your abs if they are hidden under a layer of fat and you cannot spot reduce the fat from waistline by training your abs for hours on end. Simply doing hours of abdominal exercises may develop your abs but you will still carry that layer of fat around your body if you aren't burning the appropriate amount of calories. If you are trying to lose body fat, there are much bigger and better exercises than abdominal exercises for burning calories and body fat. Now that you know how the abdominal muscle works, it's time to discover, "The most forgotten productive exercise for your Abs." Reintroducing, TADA - The Sit Up. Wait! Don't go yet. It's really, really important for you to know how to properly perform a Sit Up. If you perform the Sit Up like you did in Gym Class, you are reducing the Sit Up's effectiveness by almost 50% and you could cause some serious low back pain for yourself. I know; if a personal trainer or non free-thinking exercise physiologist is reading this section right now they are going to tell me I am crazy for recommending Sit Ups. Here again, it is important to understand the rules behind Abdominal-development and the Sit Up exercise really qualifies as a very effective movement. Remember, when the abdominal muscle is working, "Two ends of the muscle fibers must move toward each other and be able to fully contract". Does the Sternum and Pubic area move toward each other when performing Sit Ups? Does the Abdominal Muscle bend and stretch the spine in its full range of motion in a Sit Up? Does the abdominal muscles reach full extension to full flexion? - YES, if you perform the exercise correctly! So, why does the sit up exercise get such a bad rap? Primarily because the old style Sit Ups you performed incorrectly in gym class put too much stress on the lower back and hip flexors. But, do you know what is really crazy about that logic? If more muscles than one are involved, it is called a compound or multi-joint movement. You won't hear me saying compound movements are bad. Are these supposed experts trying to get people to actually believe that compound movements are great for every muscle except the abdominal muscles? If I remember correctly, didn't these same exercise physiologists claim squats and Deadlifts put too much strain on your knees and back and that we all needed to stop doing those exercises too? Just a few years later, most of the experts are now eating their words, aren't they? Description of Exercise - Here is the appropriate way to perform an effective Sit Up. Lay flat on your back with a rolled up towel under your lower back. Bend your knees about 45° with heels on the floor and keep your toes pointing up. Do not anchor your feet. Spread the knees apart approximately 6-8 inches to prevent the hip flexors from contributing too much to the exercise. Next, extend your arms between your legs and keep your hands between your legs throughout the movement because it will help keep you in the proper position. Now, exhale and lift your shoulders off the ground, keeping your neck in a neutral position. Concentrate on trying to force the lower portion of your ribcage into your knees by curling the spine upward into the sit up position. (DO NOT CURL YOUR NECK). Slowly lower yourself back down to the starting position by uncurling your spine and you are finished with the repetition when you feel the rolled up towel supporting your lower back again. Notice how both ends of the abdominal muscle fully contract together and are stretched through its full range of motion. When you perform a Sit Up with proper biomechanics, your next crunch exercise will pale by comparison. (c) 2003 - 2004 Randall T. Gartman ABOUT THE AUTHOR Randall Gartman, "Certified Personal Trainer and NLP Practitioner," is author of "eMpowering Physical Mastery" and "eMpowering Pain-Free Living - Life Without Obesity." To learn more about his books and to sign up for more FREE tips like these, visit his site at http://www.stopbeingoverweight.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Build-Muscle - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Welcome Back Everyone! Ah summer time, it's one of my favorite seasons and it has everything to do with free time, sun and surf. Activities like volleyball, tennis, soccer, swimming, surfing, sprinting after curious children, playing frisbee with the dog, walking a mile to get a frozen yogurt or to find that lost flipper on the beach take precedence. Back Exercises For Beginning Bodybuilders From a bodybuilder's perspective one of the most important body areas is the back. Not only can it be visually impressive but a strong back is essential for intensive training and day to day living. Are You Too Old to Pump Iron? Are you too old for weight lifting? Will weight lifting help you stay and look younger? The answer to the first question is no and to the second is a resounding yes. Weight lifting will help both men and women stay fit and supple and might even help you look younger. Exercise The Right Way - The Standing Calf Raise Other articles in this series looked at a number of exercises, mainly from the perspective of developing a comprehensive muscle building program. Sometimes we take things for granted, especially when it comes to performing the basic exercises that constitute the core of most bodybuiders' training regimes. Exercise The Right Way - The Wrist Extension Other articles in this series looked at a number of exercises, mainly from the perspective of developing a comprehensive muscle building program. Sometimes we take things for granted, especially when it comes to performing the basic exercises that constitute the core of most bodybuilders' training regimes. They Dont Know Squat! There seems to be much confusion amongst trainers and trainees as to whether squats should be performed all the way down or just half way. In most gyms today, a common instruction during squats, deadlifts, and lunges (as taught by many personal training organizations) is not to allow the knees to travel beyond the toes. 4 Secrets to A Flat Stomach Do you want a flat stomach? I don't know a person who doesn't!People spend millions, if not billions of dollars, each year in the quest for a flat stomach. Right now there are about 200 or more ab exercise devices out there. Know Your Muscle Building Exercises - The Chest Every bodybuilder and weight trainer will have his or her favorite exercises for each body part. That's how it should be - as you progress through the various stages of learning you'll understand what works best for you. Preliminary Isometric Tension Improves the Effectiveness of Dynamic Work by up to 20% Are you looking for a simple and effective way to increase your strength? This article will show you how to incorporate isometrics into your training regime to increase the strength of your favorite lifts.Soviet research, dating back to the sixties of the 20th century, points out that isometric training preceding dynamic work may increase its effectiveness by up to 20%. Muscle Gain Visualization Tips Visualization can play an important part in gaining weight and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Gaining weight can be difficult for many people who don't use their minds to help in the process. Overcoming Fears And Unproductive Thinking You might sometimes wonder whether your dedication and sacrifice will pay off as your intended goals. There isn't a person on earth who wants to invest their time, effort, and money into something that eventually will result in a disappointment. Celebrity Personal Trainers Personal Trainer to the Stars!!Celebrity Personal Trainers!!Who are these amazing personal trainers that train the stars, professional athletes, celebrities, rock musicians, and the rest of the rich and famous?Well, being a personal trainer and a perfectionist, I did some research to find out who they are and how one becomes a personal trainer to the stars. The research I uncovered about these so-called celebrity personal trainers that charge fees of $300+ per hour for their expertise indicates that, like the rest of the personal training industry, there are no requirements of any sort to become a celebrity trainer. Successful Body Building Routine There are some major key parts to a successful body building routine. I will go over a routine that was created by a personal trainer for me, and it worked wonderfully. Debunking the Top Ab Myths Ab training has been done to death but it's time to take another look. Why? Because people are still training their abs wrong so all that ab training information must not be doing the right job. Gain Weight Fast With These Ten Powerful Tips! Part -2 By the time you finish reading this you will have the basics down to eating to gain weight fast!If You want to gain weight fast you have to eat right to gain weight! So here we will focus on this crucial yet misunderstood element to gain weight.Gaining weight fast takes much more than just eating though. What Causes Muscle Growth? In order for muscles to grow, three things are required: 1. Stimulus - exercise is needed to make the muscles work, use energy and cause microscopic damage to the fibers. Whats Your Body Type? Yep, there are more than ones body types. I'm sure you've noticed it too. Know Your Muscle Building Exercises - The Shoulders Every bodybuilder and weight trainer will have his or her favorite exercises for each body part. That's how it should be - as you progress through the various stages of learning you'll understand what works best for you. Moving From Beginner To Intermediate Level Bodybuilding By now you've made significant progress in your bodybuilding career. For the past three to six months you've learnt how to perform the core lifting exercises in a technically correct manner. Exercise The Right Way - The Machine Shoulder Press Other articles in this series looked at a number of exercises, mainly from the perspective of developing a comprehensive muscle building program. Sometimes we take things for granted, especially when it comes to performing the basic exercises that constitute the core of most bodybuilders' training regimes.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
