FABULOUS ABS

THE COVETED WASHBOARD

Somehow it is thought by many people that the more abdominal exercises you do, the flatter your stomach will become. And, if you do enough "AB" work, you'll aquire that Coveted Washboard Look. Yes, strengthening the abs is important, but the way to a chisled midsection takes more than just doing crunches.

SPOT REDUCING

As in most areas of the body, the abdominal region has a layer of fat tissue covering the muscle tissue. The thicker the layer of fat is, the harder it is to see your abdominal muscles, no matter how well developed they may be.

Fat and muscle are two completely different tissues. Fat does not turn into muscle by doing strengthening exercises. Many people still believe that doing abdominal exercises (such as crunches) will reduce or magically melt off the excess fat around their midsection. This common misconception is known as Spot Reducing.

Spot reducing is a myth. When fat loss occurs, it comes off from all over the body, not just one targeted area. In order to lose that excess body fat, a combination approach of a low fat diet, strength training for ALL the major muscle groups (not just the abdominals), and cardiovascular activity needs to be incorporated.

CORE STRENGTH

Strengthening the muscles of the CORE (the abdominals and the back)is AB-solutely necessary for several reasons. Strong abdominals help support the low back and stabilize the pelvis during everyday activities. CORE strength is essential for good posture as well as helping to keep your stomach from protruding furthur. But what strength work won't do is miraculously melt the fat off of your midsection. Getting rid of body fat, which is what is necessary to achieve that chisled "washboard" look, can only be done through a combination of a low fat diet, cardiovascular exercise, and total body strength training. That look will not be accomplished by just doing zillions of crunches. Doing zillions of crunches will definately strengthen your abdominals, but crunches alone will not get rid of the fat covering your midsection.

MUSCLES OF THE CORE

ABDOMINALS

"Front Pockets" these muscles are the outer most layer forming a V when viewed from the front. They originate [O] at the anteriorlateral (front-side) portions of the lower eight ribs by interdigitating (interlocking) with the serratus anterior muscle on the side of the ribs. The lower and middle attachments insert [I] into the aponeurosis (thin tendon) and crest of the ilium and actually become the inguinal ligament.

"Back Pockets" Located beneath the external obliques are the internal obliques. These fibers are shaped like an inverted V [/\]. The muscles arise from [O] the inguinal ligament, iliac crest (top of pelvis), and lumbar fascia to travel upward and toward the center of the body. The internal obliques attach to the lower three ribs and insert into an aponeurosis (thin tendon) that reinforces the connective sheath around the rectus abdominis.

These muscles extend all the way around the sides to the lower back, similiar to a corset. They are involved in spinal rotation, and also assist in flexion and lateral flexion of the spine. The obliques are very active during bearing down or straining with the breath held: e.g. lifting a heavy object, coughing, or singing. Together with the transversus they form a "rectus sheath" (made up of thin tendons - aponeurosis) that protects the abdominal area during bearing down activities.

Located inside the "rectus sheath" (formed by the thin tendons - aponeurosis - of the obliques and the transversus), the rectus abdominis is a flat band: long, and strap-like called a fusiform muscle. It orginates [O] at the pubic bone and extends up to insert [I] into the cartilage of the 5, 6, and 7 ribs, and the xiphoid process of the sternum. The "linea alba" (meaning white line) is the tendon that splits the rectus down the center. Tendonous inscriptions are what give that coverted washboard look on some individuals.

As a fusiform muscle, the rectus is not designed for production of large force or stabilization. The rectus functions to flex the spine (as in a crunch exercise), and to return the torso to an upright position after extending the spine backward (as in a back bending exercise). In the upright postion (sitting, standing)your obliques actually do the most work in stabilizing the back and pelvis.

As the deepest layer of the abdominal wall. the transversus is not involved in movements of the spine. Instead it plays an important role as a respiratory muscle. It makes up the "rectus sheath" along with the obliques that supports and protects the abdominal region during bearing down activities such as coughing, sneezing, singing, heavy lifting. The transversus also acts as a girdle to compress and flatten the abdominal wall.

The iliocostalis, longissimus, and the spinalis are the three major muacles responsible for the movement of the vertabral column, best know for thier function group name: Erector Spinae. Each of these muscles are subdivided into the particular portion of the spinal column it inserts into: e.g. lumborumfor lumbar (low back), thorasis for thoracic (back of rib cage), and cervicis for cervical (neck). The erector spinae extends the spine arcing backwards and returns the upper body to upright when in a forward bent over position. The insert of the individual vertebra is enlarged below showing how intricate the spine is.

Isometric contractions of the abdominals (suck in that tummy!) in the upright or standing position help to maintain good posture (referred to as neutral spine). Training for strength in maintaining neutral spine is known as CORE STABILIZATION Training. This is a different type of training as compared to traditional strength training. Traditionally the way to strengthen a muscle is using resistance in a position against gravity. Flexing the spine forward by contracting the abdominals (namely the Rectus Abdominis) while standing upright is with gravity, not against gravity. Therefore, the back muscles - the Erector Spinea Group - is actually working against gravity by bringing the upper body and spine back upright to stand up straight. Your best bet to strengthen the abdominals while standing is to contract the abdominals enough to keep your spine and pelvis in neutral, thus helping to protect the spine from injury.

A deeper spinal muscle, the Quadratus Lumborum is more of a primary mover than the obliques in doing side bends. Therefore, this is not the most effective exercise for strengthening them. Plus, there is a higher risk of injury to the spine doing supported, and often weighted, bouncy/ballistic lateral spinal flexion.

Often performed quickly and without resistance, standing rotation movement is more of a ballistic (bouncy) stretch than anything else. This can produce an undesirable amount of rotational stress on the Spinal Vertebra, increasing the risk of injury: e.g. a pinched nerve or disc damage.

In this particular type of exercise, the Rectus Abdominis must rotate the pelvis posteriorly and stabilize it to allow the legs to swing freely. This would also maintain neutral spine. Since the legs are heavy, the strain placed on the rectus is due largely to it's isometric contraction in maintaining pelvic stability. With the back arched, not only is the spine out of alignment and at risk for injury, but the workload is shifted to the Iliopsoas Group (the "hip flexors.")

• Adjust your eating habits. A balanced, low fat diet is very important, not only for reducing body fat, but also for many other health related concerns. The American Heart Association recommends that you reduce your daily fat intake to 30% or less of your total carlorie intake.
• Be sure to include cardiovascular activity in your fitness regime to furthur improve your body composition and strengthen your heart muscle. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends a minimum of 20 minutes of cardiovascular activity 3 to 5 times a week. Be sure to include on top of that 20 minutes a warm up and cool down period.
• Be sure to include strength training for all the major muscle groups, not just the abdominals. Muscle tissue is very active tissue and burns up to 25% of the body's total calories. By adding 5 pounds of muscle to your body, you could burn up to 250 extra calories a day!
• CORE Strengthening should of course be included. This means performing exercises for the Erector Spinae Group as well as the abdominal muscles. Begin your abdominal exersices working first from the lower region towards the midsection (e.g. reverse curls, pelvic tilts, etc.), then move on to spinal rotation exercises for the obliques, and finish last with regular crunches that isolate the Rectus Abdominis this time from the upper region towards the midsection.
• Once you have mastered traditional abdominal and low back training, CORE STABILIZATION training, such as Pilates would be an excellent addition to your routine.

The End!!!