Abs that Rock!
by: Candice Copeland Brooks and Douglas Brooks, MS, Exercise Physiologist

It all started in elementary school when you had to see how many sit-ups you could do in a minute. And continued through high school and college when looking like a god or goddess in your swimsuit was a life or death matter. 30, 40 or even 50 has hit . . . age, gravity and inactivity have turned your "rock hard abs" into just plain flab. Where are those "Abs That Rock!"

Traditional thinking tells us that the more crunches we can do, the firmer and fitter our abdominal muscles will be. Countless crunches have been the cornerstone of fitness programs for years, but do they deserve this revered status? Can they flatten a protruding belly or remove inches of fat from around the waist? What kind of results can you expect, what is the best way to train your abs, and what equipment do you need to do it?

The bottom line is that you can't go from "Flab to Fab" simply by exercising the muscles of the abdominal region. The reason is simple. Muscle and fat are two separate entities. Your abdominal muscles help you move and bend your trunk, maintain good posture and stabilize your spine. Performing crunches or other ab exercises can strengthen and tone those muscles, but they won't remove the overlay of fat that is on top of them.

You will have to reduce your overall body fat through regular aerobic exercise (to burn calories), strength training (to tone muscles and rev up your metabolism), and by eating healthy, low-fat meals.

Once you understand what ab training can and cannot do, the question is "What should I do?" The best way to train your abs is by performing exercises with proper technique and appropriate resistance. Different types of abdominal machines and equipment are designed to help you vary resistance or intensity, and can help you use better form on some exercises. However, machines or equipment won't perform miracles. It's how you perform the exercise, with or without apparatus, that counts.

Proper Technique For Ab Training:
Putting your body in the correct position and isolating the targeted muscle groups will make your training efficient and effective. Ab strengthening should consist of exercises that make your muscles work as "movers," such as curl-ups, and exercises that make your muscles work as "stabilizers," such as push-ups or planks. Curl-ups can be performed without any equipment, or you may choose to use stability ball or an ab-roller type of machine. A stability ball will support your lower back while you curl or rotate and an ab-roller will help support your neck and upper back. Regardless, you must still work slowly, without momentum, and focus on using your abdominal muscles to lift your shoulders up. Exercises that make you keep your ab muscles pulled in tightly, such as holding in a plank position, are called stabilizers. This type of exercise can be done with no equipment, or with a machine such as the Abs Only Pro. Your focus during stabilizer exercises should be centered on maintaining good posture and body alignment by contracting the ab muscles throughout the movement.

Appropriate Resistance For Ab Training:
More is not better when it comes to ab work. If you can do 100 crunches easily, you're not using enough resistance to increase your muscle strength. This is where equipment can be handy. Changing your position on a stability ball will add resistance. So will holding weight plates or using an incline bench. When you're just starting out, your body weight will probably be enough to fatigue your muscles in about 8 to 20 repetitions. Once you can easily do 25 to 30 reps, you need to increase your overload so that you can still fatigue your muscles in 8 to 20 reps. Try different types of abdominal training machines and equipment to see what you like the best.

You can train your abs formally, by performing 2 to 3 different exercises as part of your strength workout. You can also train your abs informally, by sitting up straight and pulling in your abs while you're driving or seated at your computer (try it right now!). If you don't have time for formal ab training, try standing and tightening your ab muscles until your pelvis starts to tip up toward your ribs. Keep your ribs pulled down and hold this contraction for a few seconds. Repeat this exercise any time you're standing around at home or work.

Strong abs can be achieved in many different ways, and can help you achieve a lifetime of good posture and active living!

Recommendations:
Your Personal Trainer by Douglas Brooks
Stronger Abs and Back by Greg Brittenham
Abdominal Training by Christopher Norris

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