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Principles of Effective Abdominal
Training |
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by: Lee Beasley, MSPT
New Brunswick Staff Therapist |
With beach weather fast approaching and an ever-growing focus on the
importance of exercise, people everywhere are making concerted efforts to
look their best in the shortest possible amount of time. The abdominals
("abs" for short) is one area most of us
want to improve.
Whether you want a rippling six-pack, to look good in a bathing suit, or
just want to tone up, everyone seems to be striving for that tapered mid-section. But
we get
mixed messages from all directions about which ab workout/trend is best and many people are left
bewildered as to which avenue is the most effective to achieve their
goals. This article will help set the record straight and explain the main principles of an effective
abdominal program to get you looking and feeling great!
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There is No Quick Fix |
Weight loss and exercise fads are more popular than ever, despite some
ridiculous trends that have come and gone. We've all seen the electrical
muscle stimulation unit you apply to your stomach that will supposedly
work out for you while you sit on the couch and eat potato
chips. As you may guess, there is no evidence that this unit alone will
improve your abs significantly. If this really worked, the world would have
caught on by now and we all would have amazing abs. What about high speed
fat burners and metabolism supplements? Clinical research on these products
is still limited, as well as the research regarding any possible adverse
effects they may cause. If they do work, they certainly do not develop
muscle as their advertisement photos may lead you to believe.
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Slow
and Steady
wins the
Race |
Unfortunately, without the quick fix, we are left with diet and exercise,
the only proven methods for significant results. It is important
to understand that not everyone will be able to achieve washboard abs due to
genetic factors and individual metabolic differences. However, by having
realistic expectations and with consistent hard work, you will see
noticeable gains toward your goals in a matter of weeks.
If you are also looking for a cosmetically appealing mid section (which most
of us are),
cardiovascular exercise and diet are going to be key components to adding
muscle definition (Having good ab development will be limited visually if
the muscles are hidden underneath layers of fat). Some form of
moderate cardiovascular exercise 3 times a week for at least 20-30 minutes
is needed to significantly burn fat. In addition, a sensible diet should
be undertaken. If you have specific dietary needs or issues,
consult a dietician prior to planning your diet.
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Anatomy Overview |
When most people refer to their ab muscles, they think of “six
pack” muscles down the center of the midsection. They are actually one of
three groups of the abdominal muscles. Those cube-like six-pack muscles are
technically known as the rectus abdominis. The second group are the
obliques
(which reside in the “love-handle” region), and the third lesser known group
is the transversus abdominis, which lies deep to the other muscles and has a
critical role in stability of the lumbar spine. So keep
in mind that a good abdominal exercise program will address not only the
more cosmetic outer muscles, but will strengthen your spine stabilizers to
help reduce the risk of back injury.
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Taking the
Right Steps |
The first and most important step in working toward your goals is making
sure you are medically cleared for these types of strengthening activities.
You want to be sure that you don't have any existing cardiac or orthopedic
(back problems, etc.) problems. Either issue can be checked out by a
physician, and a physical therapist is a good resource for helping
individuals with back problems find appropriate exercises.
Once you are OK medically, the next step is to decide on specific goals
for your unique body type. A workout for a college age male striving for a
six-pack will differ from that of a 40 year-old mother of two looking to
simply tone up the midsection. Like any other muscle group, to develop
optimally, the abdominals need a recuperation period in between workouts.
Therefore, three times per week is a good frequency to begin with and
initially, perform no more than one exercise for each major section of the
abdominals.
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Building
Block Movements |
The following are two critical movement components which can be applied to
the vast majority of abdominal exercises in order to optimally strengthen
your core.
1. Pelvic tilt- Lie on your back on a flat surface, knees
bent, feet on the floor. Tense abdominals by pressing the small of the back
into floor to flatten the natural curve in the low back. If you have trouble
performing this, place hand under the curve in the lumbar spine to feel your
back pressing into it. The buttocks should not lift off the floor. Hold contraction for 3 seconds and release. Perform ten
times or until you feel confident with the movement.
Note: Do not hold your breath
while contracting- increased blood pressure may occur.
2. Pelvic Tilt Plus- - This is basically a more complete
contraction of the abdominal muscles which targets the hard-to-reach
transversus abdominis. Start out by performing a pelvic
tilt. Now draw navel toward the floor by pulling
lower abdomen inwards. You should feel a stronger, deeper contraction. Hold
for 5 seconds and perform 10 times or until you are comfortable with it. This is NOT performed by breathing in, in fact,
you should be able breathe normally while maintaining this contraction.
Note: Do not hold your breath
while contracting- increased blood pressure may occur.
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Putting
it all
Together |
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Once you have mastered the pelvic tilt separately, then tackle the pelvic
tilt plus. Don't forget to breathe. From here, you can progress to abdominal exercises
that you may be more familiar with, but start with the pelvic tilt plus and
maintain it while performing the exercise. By holding the tilt with
exercises such as crunches, you will find them
much more challenging and effective. You may find you are unable to perform
as many repetitions as you have in the past, but this is expected.
Begin with no more than 3 exercises, and make sure you can complete at
least 2 sets of 10 repetitions correctly before progressing your routine.
Increase your intensity slowly- start by adding more repetitions of your
current exercises before you start adding more challenging moves.
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Tips |
1. Holding the tilt while performing exercises is challenging,
if you can crank out 50-100 repetitions, you are probably doing something
wrong.
2. Pain DOES NOT equal gain- if it hurts (muscle soreness is
OK, pain is not), stop the exercise and seek appropriate medical attention.
3. As you become stronger, you can add more repetitions and
more challenging exercises. A physical therapist or certified personal or
athletic trainer can provide you with dynamic and challenging new movements.
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Click here to see some basic moves to get you
started
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