How to Get a Strong Abs Without Hurting Yourself

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Core development is essential to any sport, activity or movement for that matter.  When the deep core muscles that support the spine are weak, your nervous system puts the brakes on your explosive potential as a protective mechanism. Not only that, but insufficient core stability strength will set you up for injury and limit your mobility.

Years ago, I felt that compound exercises such as the deadlift, squat, pull-up, and standing military press were sufficient to strengthen the core to the level it needed to be but my position on core training has changed substantially since then.

With the new core training techniques outlined here, you'll boost explosive power (for those in sport), strength and help flatten your midsection, reduce the chance of a back injury, and most surprisingly, you'll improve mobility.

To Flex or Not Flex

The first issue that needs to be addressed is spinal flexion. Research by Dr. McGill (an expert in the spine and core development) shows that repeated spinal flexion is detrimental to the intervertebral discs. (1) The strategy of rolling out of bed and then bending over to touch the toes with a rounded spine to stretch your back is enough to make McGill have a coronary.

For McGill, the ability to maintain lumbar lordosis (an inward curvature of the low back) while lifting and moving reigns king. When you're working out and your trainer tells you to keep an arch in your low back while pulling a deadlift, squat, etc. he's telling you to maintain lordosis.

McGill has tested many NFL players who have blown-out discs, and as long as they maintain lordosis on the field, they can continue to play. That's how important lordosis is.

A Punch in the Gut

Let's switch gears for a minute.

Imagine you're standing in line at the movies and your friend pulls his arm back and throws a punch toward your gut (hopefully you don't have friends like this).

What happens as you see the punch coming toward your midsection? The nervous system induces a reflex response to pull your ribcage down and in. This allows your abdominals to quickly induce high levels of tension.

Yep, your nervous system is forcing you to lose lordosis in order to develop maximum tension in your abdominals to protect your organs from the vicious blow. This is a necessary protective mechanism, and you should never argue with your nervous system...or your mother but that's for another blog post ;)

Therefore, even though the good doc has shown us that spinal flexion can be detrimental, I believe that some flexing of the spine is ok when training the core (i.e. Knees to Chin, Stabilty Ball Crunch, etc. that we do in our boot camp and personal training programs) however we want to focus primarily on stabilization exercises as we do and as are shown below. But how much spinal flexion is acceptable?

The Test

Try this simple exercise. First, sit up tall in your chair with your chest as high as possible. Feel the bottom of your ribcage push forward as you lift your chest.

Now, place your fingertips on your lower ribs. From here, pull your ribcage down and in until it stops. Make a note of how little your spine flexed when you did that. This is the limit of spinal flexion you should ever train. Any further flexion is detrimental to your spine and discs.

So the good news is that it only takes minimal spinal flexion to develop maximum abdominal tension.

Dying Bug with Wall Push

A core exercise you may want to try is the Dying Bug with Wall Push from Dr. Liebenson.  It's very similar to one we use called Leg Raises.

The "dying bug with a wall push" is an excellent way to teach someone to develop maximum abdominal tension without imposing unnecessary risk to the discs. Maybe you've seen a regular dying-bug exercise, but the addition of the wall push activates the lats, which are essential for core strength.



Perform two sets of 10 reps with each leg (20 reps total).

Leg Curl with Single-Leg Balance

Next up is the leg curl with a single-leg balance performed with a Swiss ball.

This exercise is terrific for building stability strength in the core and hips while activating the hamstrings. It's easy to think that the core is just a collection of muscles around your midsection. In reality, the core functions in a complex manner with the muscles above and below it.

With the dying bug exercise you activated the lats with the core. With this exercise you'll activate the outer hip muscles, glutes, and hamstrings since they help provide stability to the core.



Perform two sets of 10 reps.

Note: The entire sequence from the leg curl through the single-leg balance with each leg is one rep. Be sure to hold the single-leg balance for 4-5 seconds with each side.

The Link Between Core Stability and Mobility

A colleague of mine, Chad Waterbury down in California, tested this hypothesis on a world-champion point karate fighter who had a problematic low back and hamstrings that were tighter than guitar strings. He'd spent years stretching and getting massage and chiropractic adjustments to correct his back and hamstrings problem. Nothing worked.

First, Chad had him perform a standing toe touch test. He could barely reach past his knees. Then he had him perform just one set of the dying bug with wall push and one set of the leg curl with single-leg balance.

Chad retested his standing toe touch and he increased his range of motion by five inches! Keep in mind, this was after just one set of those two exercises. There was no additional stretching involved.

This same benefit can happen with those who have a notoriously tight rectus femoris or tensor fascia latae (TFL). If you have been impaired with overly-stiff hamstrings or quads, work on strengthening the deep core muscles. You'll be surprised how quickly they'll release once you activate the core.

Try it for yourself. Do a standing toe touch test. Then perform one set of the previous two core exercises and retest your toe touch attempt. Expect 4-5 additional inches.

Even better, this type of core training results in a permanent increase in mobility after just a few weeks of daily training. Stretching is rarely the answer to lower body stiffness. It's just a temporary Band-Aid. Usually there's a lack of stability strength at the spinal level that's causing the nervous system to lock up the muscles as a protective mechanism.

Now, let's move on to the last two exercises to complete the core training.

Stir the Pot

Start in a plank position with your elbows resting on a Swiss ball. Make circles with your elbows to activate the lats while the core has to stabilize your position. If you've never performed this exercise before, you'll be shocked by how deep you feel the muscles firing within your core.

Start with small circles for the first workout. Then focus on increasing the range of motion, or size of the circle, as you become accustomed to the exercise.

The goal with this exercise, or any core exercise, is to make it as difficult as possible. The lats and core are so closely linked that you can't really separate the two. But for the purpose of this discussion I'm mentioning them separately.



Perform two sets of 10 reps (five reps in each direction). Go slow at first.

Pallof Press

The Pallof Press is a terrific exercise to train the core muscles that resist rotation.



Perform two sets of each 10 reps per side or a 20-second hold per side.

The Program

Do the following circuit every other day.

The circuit looks like this:
Exercise                                                         Sets       Reps
1A    Dying bug with wall push                       2            10*
1B    Leg curl with single-leg balance            2            10
1C    Stir the pot                                              2            10**
1D    Pallof press hold                                    2             ***

Rest 30 seconds between exercises
* each leg
** 5 in each direction
*** 20 seconds each side

If you don't need this much core training and want to focus on increasing your lower body mobility, do the dying bug with a wall push and the leg curl with a single-leg balance every day until a normal range of motion has been restored.

Beyond Compound Exercises

Compound free-weight exercises do provide a strong stimulus for core development. However, if you're someone who needs to improve your strength and mobility, you need a more targeted approach.

Give this program a try for one month and you'll look and perform better than ever! (2)

Reference

1. McGill, S. Low Back Disorders. Human Kinetics, 2002.

2. Article thanks to Chad Waterbury, a neurophysiologist who specializes in body transformation and performance development. He trains everyone from elite athletes to weekend warriors. His knowledge of how the nervous system regulates power and muscle development is what sets him apart from the crowd. To find out more, check his website www.chadwaterbury.com.

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7 Exercises You DON'T Want To Do

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In the past, I’ve shared my top exercises for rapid fat loss and muscle gain, featuring a host of multi-joint, compound movements for your upper body (e.g. push-ups, pull-ups, rows, dips, etc.), lower body (squats, deadlifts, lunges, etc.), and core (plank holds and rotational core exercises). These “many muscle” exercises provide the biggest bang for your buck during your workouts to generate maximum results in minimal time. Even better are total body exercises like a curl to squat to press or a squat thrust variation that takes the meaning of a whole body workout to a whole new level.

But, I think we’ll switch it up a bit today and focus on the exercises you DON'T want to add to your training routine...well at least NOT on a regular basis. The following list features movements that I never use (except for the leg press as there are some exceptions)- movements that deliver less than optimal results and flat our hurt people - movements that have far greater risk than reward:

The 7 Exercises You DON'T Want To Do

1.) Abs Machine



Crunches and sit-ups only promote excessive flexion of the lumbar spine and tend to cause neck and back pain. What’s worse than crunches or sit-ups? Doing a similar movement with added weight in a machine that only trains your body in an unnatural front to back motion in a seated position!

Yes, abs machines, like crunches and sit-ups, do make your feel your abdominal muscles, but there are far better ways to accomplish this without the high risk of short and long-term injury to your spine.

Remember, the true function of your core is stabilization, both static and dynamic - to be able to maintain a neutral, straight-line position from your hips to your shoulders in all 3 planes of movement (front to back, side to side, and rotational) no matter what the external stimulus may be.

21st Century Training Upgrade: For rock hard, athletic abs focus on plank stabilization exercises like front, side, and back planks and ground based rotational core work like chops variations and upper body twists.

2.) Back Machine



Well, if I don't advocate the abs machine, how do you think I’m going to feel about the back machine? I mean this is an exercise you DON'T want to do for so a number of reasons.

First of all, people already use too much “back” on most movements because of tight hips and inactive/weak glutes. Thus, I prefer to focus more on hip extension movements that strengthen your butt rather than continually overloading the spinal erectors. Plus, adding in corrective stretching for the hip flexor complex, the hip rotators, and the hamstring complex that opens up your hips and alleviates excessive spinal flexion and compressions is literally exactly what the doctor ordered.

Second of all, just like the abs machine, this exercise trains your body in one plane of movement in a fixed path and as a results doesn’t work your key stabilizer muscles that should be worked at the same time.

Lastly, the way that most people perform this movement in such an out of control manner for speed just makes matters worse.


21st Century Training Upgrade: For a strong, stable back focus on deadlift, good morning, and hip extensions variations while simultaneously focusing on the corrective stretching and self-massage of the Lumbo-Pelvic-Hip (LPH) complex. A prone cobra, or airplane as it is sometimes called, is also a great exercise to improve spinal erector endurance while simultaneously improving scapular strength and stability.

3.) Leg Extension Machine



A colleague of mine, BJ Gaddour, had a run in with this exercise. When he first started lifting weights as a stubborn 8th grader who did whatever it took to keep pushing his training loads up, he abused this exercise like few others.

He remembers maxing out the rack at 200 lbs and doing spastic sets of 20+ reps where the whole universal machine that the leg extension apparatus was attached to would shake like an episode of soul train.

Fast forward to his senior year in college as an over-trained football player who had 4 knee surgeries under his belt by the age of 22. Not too much fun, trust him on this. Exercises like this prematurely ended his football career he believes and limited his potential to be a great, healthy player, instead of a good, but injured player.

Here’s the bottom line with this exercise - it will potentially wreak havoc on your knees! The excessive compressions on your patella will without a doubt result in the brake down of articular cartilage which will in turn result in a bunch of arthroscopic knee surgeries to remove loose bodies and eventually full blown crippling arthritis. Avoid this machine as best you can!

21st Century Training Upgrade: For strong, stable knees, focus on both knee-dominant (lunge, step-up, and single-leg squat variations) AND hip-dominant single-leg exercises (single-leg hip extension, deadlift, and good morning variations) to prevent strength imbalances between limbs AND to prevent strength imbalances between your front and back thighs and your inner and outer thighs.

4.) Fly Machine



If abused and not performed properly, this exercise can led to tears of the pec muscles and destroy your rotator cuff, so your best bet is to avoid this all together unless you are working with someone that knows what to look for and DOESN'T prescribe this exercise frequently.

Again, the use of a machine versus doing a dumbbell fly alternative eliminates the use of the key stabilizer muscles surrounding your shoulders. Furthermore, the common male desire to use maximum weight to build a chest he can be proud of typically results in overuse injuries like shoulder impingement or biceps tendonitis.

21st Century Training Upgrade: For strong, stable shoulders focus on performing an equal amount of pushing and pulling exercises. In fact, more pulling exercises initially may be a good idea if you find yourself heavily internally rotated and hunchbacked from years of focusing on your beach muscles (chest, abs, and biceps) while neglecting your rear shoulders and upper/mid muscles or through years of a lack of activity and much sitting. The best pushing exercise you can do is any push-up variation as it not only safely trains the entire front side of your body but also engages your upper back musculature in a way that the bench press does not. Furthermore, every year people die from bench pressing, but there has never been a reported death from performing a push-up!

5.) Elliptical Machine



Here's the thing - if you are really, really overweight and haven’t exercised in over a decade, then I think an elliptical has some use. But, other than that, I think it’s relatively useless. But to be honest I rarely put a client on an elliptical and would MUCH rather start them walking on a treadmill.

Yes, it is a low-impact alternative to running on a treadmill (don't start with running as it's an advanced exercise that most peoples bodies are NOT ready for), but there is very little range of motion during the movement and does not burn nearly as many calories as the machine claims it does.

Furthermore, the elliptical is not a good machine to do intervals on because it promotes excessive hyperextension of the knee. This can easily result in injury at high levels of speed and resistance.

Think about it - what’s the first machine people who are new to cardio exercise jump on? The elliptical! Why? Because it’s much easier!

If you've convinced yourself that the elliptical is a good option because you have bad knees. Try this: perform a ton of corrective stretching and self-massage on your front/inner/outer hips and thighs to improve my tissue health, and work on hip and ankle mobility to take pressure off of your knees so that you can get back to running pain-free or doing whatever it is you enjoy doing pain-free.

At the end of the day, if you can read a magazine while on an elliptical or on any piece of equipment for that matter, how much benefit do you really think you will get from this in regards to changing the way you look and feel?

21st Century Training Upgrade: For optimal results during your cardio training, you must focus on intervals. They are more effective AND efficient for your time and burn more body fat for hours and hours AFTER you finish than aerobics and also result in greater improvements in overall conditioning than long, slow cardio. If you are overweight/de-conditioned and/or have joint issues, the best place to start an interval training program is on a upright, stationary bike.

If you need to rock your cardio equipment-free and/or at home or on the road, use body weight based exercises like jumping jacks, stationary running, split jumps, etc.

Click the link below to see a bunch of cool body weight based cardio workouts you can do anywhere using the Continuous 30’s soundtrack:

Body Weight Cardio Workouts

6.) Abductor/Adductor Combo



Women all over the world seem convinced that this exercise can some how help them rid themselves of the thunder thigh/cellulite situation.

Have you ever asked: “What exercises can I do to get rid of this flab inside my leg?”

Come on now, you know that spot reduction is a myth by now, right? [Note: there is statistical significance to it but in the real world it doesn't amount to much]. Seriously, no amount of direct inner or other hip-thigh work will burn that ugly fat covering that toned musculature everyone wants to see so let it go.

So the first thing you need to do is clean up all of the junk carbs in your diet and start consuming lean proteins, healthy fats, and fruits and veggies while plugging water like a fish.

Then you need to get off this machine and get real with a total body workout!

21st Century Training Upgrade: The best exercises for your inner and outer-hip thigh will come from band-resisted hip walk variations, side plank variations, and any and all single-leg exercises, especially lateral lunges. A good lateral lunge is the Valslide Lateral Lunge that simultaneously stretches and strengthens your hip musculature.

For more Valslide exercises, check out:

Valslide Exercises

For more great resistance band exercises, check out:


Band Exercises

7.) Leg Press Machine



It never ceases to amaze me how we all look for the easy way out when it comes to working out. It’s clear why people prefer to leg press - they get to lay or sit on their behinds depending on the exact type of leg press machine being used. [Note: there are a few exceptions to this rule so its not that this exercise is completely bad however it can be dangerous is not done properly as some people will go to low and thus round their lower backs exposing their discs to a herniation or bulge.]

If you want both nice legs and a flat midsection then you need to squat! And yes, you can’t squat lying down, sorry!

But squats are tough because they require a whole body effort, an effort most people aren’t willing to put in explaining why they get sub par results form their workouts.

The leg press could very well be a major contributing cause for the rapidly increasing number of bulging and/or herniated discs among exercise enthusiasts (as mentioned above). People always use way too much weight and use poor form resulting in brutally compressive forces on the spine.

Seriously, if you are opting to leg press over squatting, then you don’t know squat, pun intended ;)

21st Century Training Upgrade: The best (and safest) exercises for your lower body are a healthy combination of double-leg and single-leg exercises using free weights and body weight based exercises. Be sure to perform an equal amount of knee-dominant lower body exercises (e.g. squats and lunges) and hip-dominant lower body exercises (e.g. deadlifts and single-leg hip extensions) to make your knees, hips, and back bulletproof. In fact, most people are very knee-dominant and could benefit to start by performing a greater number of hip-dominant movements to balance out their lower body musculature.

You’ll notice one common trend among all of these exercises listed above: they all involve MACHINES!

Get off those machines and focus on functional movements using free weights, bands, stability balls, etc. Not only will you ramp up your fat-burning and muscle-building pursuits, but more importantly you won’t end up hunchbacked in a wheel chair by the time you turn 50 ;)

Resurrect your body back to life!

Tyron

Personal Training North Vancouver Programs
http://www.MakersBody.com

Boot Camp North Vancouver Programs
http://www.ResurrectYourBodyBootCamp.com

PS - What other exercises do you see people doing in the gym that make you cringe? What other exercises do you absolutely not like? What exercises have gotten you (or people you know) hurt in the past? Please share your personal experiences by posting a comment to this blog post, thanks! Tweet This

How To Get Rid Of A Flabby, Weak Stomach...

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The Anti-Crunch Six-Pack Abs Blueprint:

Step#1 - Lose the fat that is covering your abs so that you can see them

A.) Eat to lose fat and elevate metabolism

- Drink at least 2-4 cups of water immediately upon waking and then drink at least 1-2 cups of water every 2 hours you are awake. Drink 1-2 cups of water for every 15 minutes of vigorous activity.

- Eat immediately upon waking and then every 2-4 hours after that for a total of 5-7 feedings per day (i.e. 3 meals, 2 snacks (half the size of your meals and workout nutrition))

- Focus on a wide range of organic lean proteins, natural fats, and fruit and veggies

Sample One-Day Menu:

Breakfast - Scrambled Eggs, Greens, and Turkey Sausage or Bacon

Mid-Morning Snack - Mixed Nuts and Fruit/Veggie of Choice

Lunch - Chicken, Salmon, or Shrimp Caesar Salad

Mid-Afternoon Snack - Cheese and Fruit/Veggie of Choice

Dinner - Turkey or Beef Meatballs and Spaghetti Squash

Pre-Bed Snack - Protein and Flax Shake

- Take a daily multi-vitamin for your gender, an essential fatty acid (EFA) supplement, a probiotic (good bacteria) supplements, and a vitamin D3 supplement.

- Use The Carb Reduction Blueprint: Use the following step by step process in the exact order listed to breakthrough any plateaus in your six-pack abs quest.

Step#1 - Replace all white carbs with 100% whole grain carbs and all refined sugars with natural sugars

Step#2 - Limit all whole grain starch and natural sugar consumption to within 1-2 hours post-workout or immediately upon waking for breakfast

Step#3 - Replace all starches and sugars with fruits and veggies

Step#4 - Replace all fruits with green veggies

Step#5 - Use strategic carb and calorie cycling to take your body to the next level (This is beyond the scope of this article but the success you can achieve from this strategy is powerful)

B.) Train to lose fat and elevate metabolism

- Monday, Wednesday, and Friday - Perform Total Body Circuit Strength Training

Sample Total Body Circuit Strength Workout - 20 Minutes (not including five minute warm-up and cool-down)

50-10 Interval Five Exercise Total Body Circuit - You will alternate between 50 seconds of work and 10 s of rest for each exercise in the following five-exercise circuit. Perform this 5-minute circuit up to four times for a 20-minute total body workout:

1 Hip Extensions
2 Push-up Variation
3 Single-Leg Wall Sit
4 Body Weight Rows
5 Upper Body Twist Variation

- Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday - Perform Cardio Interval Training

Sample Cardio Interval Training Workout - 20 Minutes (not including five minute warm-up and cool-down)

30-30’s - You will alternate between 30 seconds of maximum effort and 30 seconds of active recovery. You will perform this 1-minute round up to 20x for 20 total minutes. You can perform this workout on your cardio machine of choice (airdyne or spin bike, running, etc.) or by alternating between the following body weight cardio exercises for the ultimate in-home workout:

1 Stationary Running
2 Jumping Jacks Variation

Step#2 - Train your abs based on their true function: STABILIZATION

Below is a core workout that would appear in my boot camp. It involves no crunches or sit-ups by using all pillar stabilization exercises. Once you master these moves and follow everything else I previously listed above, you will have a sweet pair of rock hard abs to show for it… just wait and see!

The Power to the Pillar Workout - Tabata Style

This 20-minute total body core workout focuses entirely on pillar stabilization. The pillar collectively consists of your shoulders, hips, and core. It is your body’s powerhouse, foundational to all movement.

For each exercise below you will alternate between 20 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest. You will repeat this 30-second sequence eight times for four total minutes followed by a one minute rest and transition before moving on to the next exercise listed.

For maximum benefits, you must seek to maintain a tight pillar position during all movements by actively pulling your navel to your spine, engaging your glutes, and maintaining a straight line from the heels through the shoulders. The following coaching cues work really well:

"suck in your gut"
"tuck your butt under"
"round your lower back"
"give yourself a wedgie"
"be flat like a diving board.”

Exercise#1 - Front Pillar Variation (static or dynamic)

Exercise#2 - Left Side Pillar Variation (static or dynamic)

Exercise#3 - Right Side Pillar Variation (static or dynamic)

Exercise#4 - Back Pillar Variation (static or dynamic)

For a complete video demo of this workout, please see below:



Today is the dawn of a new age in core training and it is my sincere hope that you take this powerful information and run with it.

Resurrect your body back to life!

Tyron

http://www.ResurrectYourBodyBootCamp.com

PS. Send your comments below and let me know what you think. Different than what you normally do in the gym? Surprised crunches and sit-ups aren't the best? Let me know by clicking the comments link directly below. Tweet This

Get 6-Pack Abs Without Doing A Single Crunch or Sit-up!

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OK lets face it - most if not all people want a flat, lean midsection. But for the majority no amount of crunches or sit-ups seems to get the job done. Have you ever heard this or asked this yourself?

“I do hundreds of crunches and sit-ups a day and I still have a flabby midsection. What gives?”

Well, before I reveal your six-pack abs blueprint, let’s first debunk some very important myths about how to get six-pack abs:

Myth#1 - Weight loss is the key to seeing your abs

WRONG!

The key to seeing your abs is fat loss, not weight loss. Seems like semantics but hear me out. Your body consists of fat mass and lean body mass (water, muscle, bone, organs, etc.). You want to minimize your fat mass and maximize your lean body mass to build a roaring metabolism: one that eats away at your fat stores and builds muscle like clockwork. By improving body composition you will put yourself in the best position to obtained that oh so desired six-pack.

So if you lose 17 lbs on the scale at the expense of losing some lean muscle mass in the process you will end up slowing your metabolism, decreasing performance, and losing that good looking muscle tone. But if you lose 17 lbs on the scale and you manage to keep or gain lean muscle mass you will increase performance, see more visible definition throughout your body, and lose primarily body fat.

The scale can be misleading as there are a number of variables to account for that lead to frequent fluctuations such as hydration levels, sodium intake, and for women the menstrual cycle. If you are going to keep a scale at home DO NOT get on it everyday, every other day or even every week. It is such an anchor, particularly for women. Get off the scale and get over the numbers. The true goal is fat loss, not weight loss. Focus on clothing size reduction, digital before and after pictures, and of course the mirror for the most accurate progress tracking. Don't get me wrong the scale has its place and is important but it should not be the thing you put all your faith in.

Myth#2 - Do lots of abs work to preferentially burn off stomach fat

WRONG!

Spot reduction doesn’t work. You can’t just work the muscles of a certain area of your body and expect to have the fat in that region go away. Think about it: almost everyone does crunches but proportionately very few people perform total body workouts. So, with all of these crunches, we’d expect to see nothing but people with flat tummies and fat depots everywhere else on their body (arms, legs, etc.). But think of how many people you know and see on a regular basis whom have more than a few inches to lose in their midsection. See what I mean - spot reduction doesn’t work!

The thing is, your body loses fat in a genetically pre-determined way when there is the appropriate caloric deficit AND hormonal environment created by proper eating and training. So your best approach would be: burn as many calories during your workouts as possible by engaging your whole body each and every training session (not just your abs) so you charge up your metabolism and continue burning an elevated amount of calories AFTER your workout. Compound, multi-joint movements like squats, push-ups, lunges, etc. (or better yet, total body exercises like squat to presses) burn a lot more calories than isolation movements like crunches and sit-ups. So be sure to focus on these movements first and then if you have time, you can do some extra core work.

Myth#3 - Crunches and Sit-ups are the best exercises for your abs

WRONG!

The scientific term for your six-pack muscles are your rectus abdominis. For years now, we have been conditioned to think that the best way to work your rectus abdominis is by doing endless crunches and sit-ups since these trunk flexion exercises make the muscles you want to see in the mirror “burn.” However, the true function of the rectus abdominis is to prevent hyperextension (excessive back bending of the spine), not to flex forward over and over again. Anytime you brace your abs (think slight crunch before you get punched in the gut) and pull your navel into your spine you effectively stabilize your spine into a safe, neutral position. And the moment you relax your abs and lose that braced abs position, your back will begin to hyperextend putting you at greater risk for injury.

To create the best looking and strong midsection focus on stabilization exercises in all three planes of movement (saggital - front to back, frontal - side to side, and transverse - rotational) by using pillar exercise variations (also know as planks). Besides training the true “anti-extension” function of your rectus abdominis or "six-pack" ab muscles, these bridging/stabilization exercises also activate the key transverse abdominus muscle, or your deep abdominal stabilizer, that wraps around your spine and supports your internal organs. Wanting to reduce back pain? Then strengthen these inner ab muscles as its key to optimal posture and performance in addition to injury prevention. Just another benefit to performing pillars over primitive crunches and sit-ups that often cause unwanted neck and back pain.

Myth#4 - Do lots of long-duration cardio to burn the fat covering your abs

WRONG!

Both scientific research and real world case studies show that aerobic training for fat loss alone doesn’t work. Total body resistance training is the true foundation of any solid fat loss plan. In addition, interval training, where you alternate between bouts of maximum effort and active recovery, is scientifically proven to burn more fat AFTER the workout than ordinary exercise. However why not perform both resistance interval training and cardio interval training to combine the best of both worlds? More on this to come!

Stay tuned for my next post where I continue where I left off and reveal The Anti-Crunch Six-Pack Abs Blueprint. The step-by-step process to take to get that tight, lean midsection you desire.

Until next time…

Resurrect your body back to life!

Tyron

http://www.ResurrectYourBodyBootCamp.com

PS. Get your FREE 1-week trial to boot camp by emailing ResurrectYourBodyBootCamp@gmail.com.
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Less than 24 hours left to get your Fit Yummy Mummy Bonuses

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Hi there,

Just making sure you got my blog post a day ago about Holly Rigsby's new Fit Yummy Mummy bonus package.

This is the ultimate baby fat burning workout guide to help you loose that mummy belly and bring back the flat tummy, while getting in and out of your workouts in less than 30 minutes, three times per week.

You have less than 24 hours to grab the incredible bonus package Holly has put together to help you get back the body you want. Whether you want to get back in those skinny jeans, be able to fit into your wedding dress again, or just want to be to have the body that all the other moms envy, Fit Yummy Mummy gives you the exact roadmap to do just that.

What good is it having a great body if you have to be a slave to the gym - instead of enjoying your family? You should be able to enjoy your new body, not wasting your life away on the treadmill every day. You need short, effective workouts that allow you to get in, get out, and get on with your life.

With Fit Yummy Mummy, you'll not only reclaim your tight body and butt, tone your arms, legs, and abs, but you'll also be able to achieve balance between exercise and your optimal lifestyle because this program, unlike most workouts, requires only three short, but intense 30 minute workouts per week.

Click Fit Yummy Mummy to get your body back.

Living in Divine Health,

Tyron

P.S. Hurry, you have less than 24 hrs to claim access to the 'Closed Door' Teleseminars, 21 day motivation emails, and audio recordings. And remember, you get everything in the Fit Yummy Mummy package (including the exercise program, the nutrition program, and all the regular bonuses), PLUS the additional amazing limited-time bonuses mentioned above.

P.P.S. Try Fit Yummy Mummy for 8 weeks. If you aren't thrilled with the increased metabolism, increased fat loss, and enhanced energy from the Fit Yummy Mummy system, just let Holly know. Moms all over the country have already seen amazing results with Fit Yummy Mummy, and I guarantee it will work for you too!

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