Ab Workout Deconstructed
Which part of the body do my clients want to improve the most? The abdominal region is always one of the top choices. As a professional fitness trainer I often need to temper my clients’ desire for “great abs” with training that will enhance their abdominal function and well-being.
Why is it so essential to strengthen the entire core region? For our aging population, strong abdominals are critical to assist in the activities of daily living and to maintain correct gait and posture. However, people of all ages benefit from stronger abdominals, including the mother who has to carry her newborn and the high-school student who could improve his or her posture.
Here is a breakdown of the major abdominal muscles:
• Transversus Abdominis. Containing the deepest fibers of the abdominal wall, the transversus abdominis functions to compress the abdominal contents. This compression increases trunk stability and aids in maintaining proper posture.
•Internal/External Obliques.When the obliques are activated on only one side of the body, they work with muscles in the back to perform moves that involve trunkrotation or lateral flexion. One example includes reaching into a shopping cart, grabbing a heavy bag of groceries, then twisting and placing it in the trunk of a car. When the obliques on both sides of the body contract simultaneously, they aid the rectus abdominis in flexing the vertebral column and compressing the abdominal wall.
•Rectus Abdominis. This muscle group flexes and rotates the lumbar region of the vertebral column. The rectus abdominis stabilizes the pelvis during walking and increases intra-abdominal pressure.
•Erector Spinae. These are the prime movers in back extension. The erector spinae consist of three columns: the iliocostalis, the longissimus and the spinalis. The erectors help maintain posture. For example, they enable you to hold a heavy object in front of your body and stand erect at the same time.
Abdominal exercises need to be done in a variety of positions and angles to fulfill the needs of the core musculature. The core region of the body generates and transfers power to the upper and lower extremities, as well as to stabilize the pelvis and lumbar spine. An area this vital to proper health and performance needs an exercise routine that addresses all the tasks the area is called to perform in daily activities.
The standard crunch, stability ball crunch and reverse crunch are all great exercises to work the rectus abdominis. Strengthening the obliques helps stabilize the core and strengthens moves requiring trunk rotation. For golfers, tennis players and other athletes who rotate the upperbody during their sport, these exercises will improve performance and help prevent injury.
Reverse aging in the brain?
Yes, we have heard that exercise can stave off or delay dementia — but did you know that regular cardio workouts can actually reverse aging in the brain? Last week the New York Times reported that “a team from the University of Illinois’ Beckman Institute reviewed dozens of past studies and found that aerobic exercise boosts not only speed and sharpness of thought but also the volume of brain tissue.” This is a quite extraordinary finding. Exercise has so many benefits to your health and well-being and to realize that you are actually building and increasing brain size makes perfect sense.
Exercise Tip: As little as 40 minutes of brisk walking 3 times a week can have this brain-expanding effect. For an added boost, walk in the park: University of Michigan researchers, in a recent study, found that “volunteers whose course took them through a tree-filled setting performed 20 percent better on memory and attention tests than those who walked downtown.” And remember to drink water before, during, and after you workout.
Beyond the arms: Whole Body Fitness
Even if your fitness goal is to tone up your arms or just the upper body, you will want to train all the major muscles groups. If you fail to strengthen the entire body in your exercise program, it limits the amount of your lean mass. When we strength train, we are building lean body mass and decreasing body fat. Strength training increases muscle mass and helps to speed up the body’s metabolic “furnace” to burn fat at a higher rate. This allows the lean muscle to show. As part of your fitness program, strength training sessions can be done 2-3 times per week with 48hrs between sessions.
While most men feel it is their natural birthright to “pump iron”, women often tend to shy away from lifting weights or resistance training. They’re will jump on cardio machines (treadmills, stationary bikes) for 60 minutes and wonder why they don’t see definition and tone. The missing link is strength training. But for both men and women, it is important to use resistance machines, dumbbells, bands, or body weight as part of a well-balanced, whole body, fitness program.
If you are just starting to develop a fitness program for yourself or if you a “restarting” after being inactive, it is a good idea to enlist a certified personal fitness trainer to help you create an effective, efficient, and safe program to achieve your ultimate fitness goals.
