| |
| |
|
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:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
A Champion Bodybuilder - Do You Have What It Takes? My career began in the eighties. I never found myself going to a health club, much less taking time for myself, until I was in college. Clothes and Shoes and Stretching Now that we have a trainer, our next concern is to be equipped with the proper shoes and clothes, so our training experience can be maximized. If your trying to create a great body you need to start with clothes and shoes that will make you feel good as well as look good!{The reason behind that is if you look and feel good you will tend to be in a motivated state of mind, and in this state we build consistency, this is where results come from. Who Else Wants To Build Muscle Fast? I see it all the time. Guys in the gym doing set after set of all these different exercises, and if you looked at these same people 3 months from now they have not really changed physically all that much, maybe a little more toned but nothing really noticeable. 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. How to Gain Weight and Build More Muscle! For many thin guys around the world, gaining weight without using illegal steroids has been a challenge. For thousands of lean young men, the dream is to gain weight, but no matter how much they eat they remain thin. The Importance Of Creatine In Building Lean Muscle Creatine monohydrate can rightly lay claim to being the most popular and arguably most effective bodybuilding supplement currently available. The beauty of creatine is that it is 100% natural and occurs in many foods so it's unlikely to be banned from any sports or competitions. Personal Lactate Threshold Training These are not the reasons we do Lactate Threshold Training.What is it? When muscles contract vigorously for long periods, the circulatory system begins to lose ground in delivery of oxygen (necessary for energy production). Muscle and Fitness -- The First Key To Achieving Your Goals Lets discuss what I term as Muscle and Fitness -- The First Key.In a previous article, I went through the 'Three Keys To Success' in any muscle and fitness regime that you use. Exercise The Right Way - The Deadlift 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. Get On the Ball: Core Stability Have you heard the term, focus on the core? No, we're not talking about the inside of a golf ball; we're talking about the inner muscles that make up the abdominal region, hips and lower back. Most people focus their attention on the muscles that are more visible and easy to train, such as biceps, pecs and back, however, the most important muscles that act as our foundation are often over looked. Exercise The Right Way - The Seated Row 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. The Amazing Benefits of Resistance Training When it comes to exercise, resistance training is often overlooked. Resistance training is an essential part of any fitness program and has many amazing benefits. Exercise The Right Way - The Seated 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. Glucosamine Review and Potential Benefits Something interesting happened as my triceps workouts continued in their intensity. After doing some triceps elbow extensions and numerous other elbow extension exercises, I began to feel effects of what is known as elbow tendonitis. Muscle Building Tips and Supplements: Dos and Donts Packing on Muscle mass involves a lot of dedication and care. At times, trying too hard can have its negative effects too. How To Get A Flat, Toned Stomach One of the most common fitness questions this time of year is "How can I tone my stomach for swimsuit season"? Typically, people believe that the guaranteed quick route to obtaining a rock-solid six-pack is a path packed with hundreds of sit-ups or abdominal crunches. Wrong!The reality is that even if you do crunches every day you aren't guaranteed to get the stomach you desire. Use This Quick Muscle Building Program for Fast Results Quick muscle building is the goal of every underweight guy who hits the gym and embarks on a weight training program for the first time. After all, who wants to wait years for the results?There are weight training routines designed specifically for muscle building that will have you gaining pounds of muscle mass in a short period of time. Know Your Muscle Building Exercises - The Legs 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. Exercise The Right Way - The Leg 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. Hair Removal Tips For Bodybuilders One of the most time consuming and frustrating parts of bodybuilding is not building muscles, it's removing unwanted hair.For any competing bodybuilder, hair removal is a must but it's also growing in popularity among casual bodybuilders.
|
| Article List | Index | Site Map |
|
All logos, trademarks and articles on this site are property and copyright of their respective owner(s).
The comments are property of their posters, all the rest is Copyright © 2006 CanadaSEEK.com - All Rights Reserved. |
