Kind of long, most of the meat is at the bottom, thought I'd share.
Phil Kaplan
Special for eFitness
A few nights before I wrote this, I conducted my Three-Hour Breakthroughs seminar. As I walked into the Grand Ballroom at the Marriott, a very excited woman ran up to me and apologized for the brief interruption. "Phil, I'm sorry, I know you have to get on stage, but I just need to know, how can I get a waist like hers?" She pointed to a woman wearing a half shirt (belly shirt?) who was proudly displaying a lean midsection.
She asked the question as if she were the only one who harbored this unanswered enigma. I calmly said, "Don't worry, three hours from now you'll understand." I walked up on the stage realizing I had just met someone I'd met 17,000 times before. Let me explain.
In the course of my career, I feel as if I meet the same 12 people over and over again. They have different faces, and different names, but the questions are pretty much the same. There is the over-aerobicizer, the muscle wanter, the sugar-holic, the diet addict, the supplement junkie and, of course, the "waistline hater." Although everyone who asks believes his or her question is unique, the "trim the waistline" question shows up in various forms -- and the questions can all be clumped together.
QUESTIONS:
How do I reduce my waist?
How do I flatten my gut?
How do I get the "six-pack?"
How do I get great abs?
How do I trim down?
How do I get ripped?
How do I get rid of the beer belly?
How do I get a waistline like those models?
How do I get rid of love handles?
How, how, how, how????
ANSWER:
You have a few options. You can cut calories and perform crunches, try one of the hot new incredible infomercial devices, buy a fat burner or go to the gym and use the ab machines.
ADVERTISEMENT
Oh, and then there's the other option. Eat right, understand the respective functions of the various abdominal muscles, work the body as a whole and allow for ongoing fat release. Of all those options, there is only one that "works," 100 percent of the time. Unfortunately it appears to be the most complicated, but when the smoke clears you'll find it's the "secret" you've been searching for.
Let's understand why the first options I mentioned will leave you discouraged.
I've written no less than 100 articles about the pitfalls of calorie deprivation as a fat loss solution. The bottom line is, it slows metabolism, causes the body to sacrifice muscle and leads to the summoning up of some protective biological processes that cause your body to cling to fat.
If you want "great abs," that means you want body fat levels low enough so you can see the rectus abdominus through the skin, and while caloric deprivation eats at muscle, crunches do absolutely nothing to reduce the fat in the midsection.
Infomercials
Infomercial devices are cyclical. In other words, one new model or design emerges as an incredible discovery and millions upon millions of dollars are generated by the sale of the product to anxious buyers. Research, the FTC and user experience all kick in to prove that the device is ineffective, and it's pulled from the marketplace. But, hardly a day passes before the new miracle ab trimmer emerges and the process repeats all over again.
The bottom line is, even those few devices that actually do stimulate muscle contraction that might lead to muscular development are not waist trimmers. Working the muscle does not reveal the muscle through layers of fat. It is a flawed approach destined to fail.
The science of infomercials is not about getting results, it's about getting people to pick up the phone and recite their credit card numbers aloud.
You Can Buy A Fat Burner
This one's simple. There aren't any true fat burners. High level scientists are playing around with genetic manipulation, with microscopic computer robots that can remove fatty deposits and with redesigning the entire hormonal environment, but none of that research is actually making its way into bottles. The bottles usually contain stimulants, many with addictive properties, and the ads are usually deceptive and misleading.
You Can Go To The Gym And Use The Ab Machines...
Doing ab machines is a great way to kill time, in some cases a great way to kill your lower back and is a very ineffective way of reducing fat around the waistline. Do these machines have their place? Sure. Some of them, if used properly, can strengthen the rectus abdominus and the obliques, but that is a very different goal than that sought by most who say they want "great abs."
The Real Ab-Solution:
It's important, before fully delving into the solution, to understand precisely what we mean when we say "great abs." We mean body fat levels are low enough so the tendinous inscriptions that run across the rectus abdominus are visible. Translation, you can see the "six-pack" (which is really an eight-pack).
We mean the rectus abdominus is reasonably developed so once fat levels are low enough, the muscle definition and mass are both aesthetically pleasing and the muscle is functional. We mean the obliques -- the muscles that lie under the dreaded "love handles" -- are also visible and reasonably developed.
We mean the deep lying abdominal muscles involved in maintaining the integrity of the abdominal wall are strengthened to prevent the tummy from protruding.
Now that we understand what we're seeking, let's zero in on the solution.
Eat Right
"Eat right" sounds so simplistic, but it's a vital element in reducing that fat preventing abdominal definition.
The idea is not only to eat healthy foods, and to avoid junk food, but to eat in a manner that supports the desired goal. If "great abs" are the goal, the real trick lies in stabilizing blood sugar, taking in adequate combinations of nutrients and maintaining a hormonal environment optimal for ongoing fat loss.
This ideally would be a nutritional program built around nutrient-complete meals. The meals would be free from simple sugars and refined carbs, low in saturated fat, and balanced with protein, complex carbs, fiber and essential fatty acids. Most bodybuilders, who have mastered leanness, consume a meal every three to three and a half hours -- and in each meal include a lean protein, a starchy carbohydrate and a fibrous carbohydrate... a concept I refer to as "Supportive Eating."
Understand The Respective Functions Of The Abdominal Muscles...
Rectus Abdominus -- the rectus abdominus, as I touched on earlier, is the "six pack" muscle. It is located in the front abdominal wall and is divided by tendinous inscriptions and contained by the rectus sheath. Its primary function in body movement is to flex the trunk or draw the rib cage toward the pelvic bone.
Lying on your back, the rectus abdominus works to draw the torso upward to a point of 30 degrees. Beyond that the hip flexors take over, which is why many of the oft-used sit-up type movements where the feet are fixed in place are limited in their actual stimulation of the rectus abdominus muscle.
The rectus abdominus also contracts to increase intra-abdominal pressure such as in the act of coughing or childbirth. What you should understand is that the "six-pack" is in there, even if you can't see it. It's also important to note that this muscle is used during virtually any movement requiring stabilization of the trunk, such as squats or overhead presses.
Abdominal crunches work the rectus abdominus, but they really play a small role. Unfortunately, far too many believe that crunches are the solution by themselves, and a crunching routine without the other elements in place is a guaranteed exercise in futility.
Tranversus Abdominus -- It's attached to the ribs, the spine and the pelvic bone and maintains abdominal integrity. This is the muscle which, acting sort of like an internal corset, leads to the flat tummy so many seek.
Obliques -- The external obliques are those muscles you can see when the love handle fat goes away. They connect to the line that runs down the middle of the rectus abominus (the linea alba) by connective tissue and the iliac crest, the crest of the pelvis bone. A common mistake in trying to reduce love handles is the incorporation of weighted side bends and twisting abdominal movements. These will develop the external obliques, but will not assist in fat loss leading to a more prominent fatty deposit on each side of the waist.
Because the obliques are called to act in stabilization, balance and twisting, "great abs" usually do not require direct focus on training these muscles. The internal obliques, like the transversus, are deep lying muscles which assist in providing intra-abominal integrity and support.
In the quest for great abs, exercises that target the deep lying muscles, primarily the transversus, are more instrumental than endless sets of crunches and twists. If you move your crunches from the floor to the stability ball, you get a greater extension on the movement while providing support for the lumbar region. This brings in the deep lying muscles that you want to target.
Another valuable movement is the Captain's Chair, otherwise known as the hanging leg raise, which, when the pelvic bone is tilted so the hips are rolled forward at the top of the movement, asks the transversus to act. Back in the '70s, bodybuilders used to perform both a pose and an exercise called The Abdominal Vacuum where, in a standing position with the arms extended overhead (elbows bent, hands behind the head), the abs were sucked in as if they were trying to touch their bellybuttons to their spinal columns. This is yet another way to help develop intra-abdominal strength and support.
Work The Body As A Whole
Because the abs are involved in stabilization during free-standing movements, it's important to perform compound movements that ask the body to move as the body was designed to function. Squats, lunges, presses and standing curls all have their place, not only in increasing muscle mass and metabolism, but also in strengthening the abdominal musculature.
Allow For Ongoing Fat Release
This is the element that most leads to making the abs visible. Eat right, work the whole body, optimize circulation with moderate aerobic exercise, and fat release should be consistent and ongoing. A little at a time and those abs will shine through.
Give yourself the lean, toned body you deserve! Aren't you worth it? Click
Phil Kaplan
Special for eFitness
A few nights before I wrote this, I conducted my Three-Hour Breakthroughs seminar. As I walked into the Grand Ballroom at the Marriott, a very excited woman ran up to me and apologized for the brief interruption. "Phil, I'm sorry, I know you have to get on stage, but I just need to know, how can I get a waist like hers?" She pointed to a woman wearing a half shirt (belly shirt?) who was proudly displaying a lean midsection.
She asked the question as if she were the only one who harbored this unanswered enigma. I calmly said, "Don't worry, three hours from now you'll understand." I walked up on the stage realizing I had just met someone I'd met 17,000 times before. Let me explain.
In the course of my career, I feel as if I meet the same 12 people over and over again. They have different faces, and different names, but the questions are pretty much the same. There is the over-aerobicizer, the muscle wanter, the sugar-holic, the diet addict, the supplement junkie and, of course, the "waistline hater." Although everyone who asks believes his or her question is unique, the "trim the waistline" question shows up in various forms -- and the questions can all be clumped together.
QUESTIONS:
How do I reduce my waist?
How do I flatten my gut?
How do I get the "six-pack?"
How do I get great abs?
How do I trim down?
How do I get ripped?
How do I get rid of the beer belly?
How do I get a waistline like those models?
How do I get rid of love handles?
How, how, how, how????
ANSWER:
You have a few options. You can cut calories and perform crunches, try one of the hot new incredible infomercial devices, buy a fat burner or go to the gym and use the ab machines.
ADVERTISEMENT
Oh, and then there's the other option. Eat right, understand the respective functions of the various abdominal muscles, work the body as a whole and allow for ongoing fat release. Of all those options, there is only one that "works," 100 percent of the time. Unfortunately it appears to be the most complicated, but when the smoke clears you'll find it's the "secret" you've been searching for.
Let's understand why the first options I mentioned will leave you discouraged.
I've written no less than 100 articles about the pitfalls of calorie deprivation as a fat loss solution. The bottom line is, it slows metabolism, causes the body to sacrifice muscle and leads to the summoning up of some protective biological processes that cause your body to cling to fat.
If you want "great abs," that means you want body fat levels low enough so you can see the rectus abdominus through the skin, and while caloric deprivation eats at muscle, crunches do absolutely nothing to reduce the fat in the midsection.
Infomercials
Infomercial devices are cyclical. In other words, one new model or design emerges as an incredible discovery and millions upon millions of dollars are generated by the sale of the product to anxious buyers. Research, the FTC and user experience all kick in to prove that the device is ineffective, and it's pulled from the marketplace. But, hardly a day passes before the new miracle ab trimmer emerges and the process repeats all over again.
The bottom line is, even those few devices that actually do stimulate muscle contraction that might lead to muscular development are not waist trimmers. Working the muscle does not reveal the muscle through layers of fat. It is a flawed approach destined to fail.
The science of infomercials is not about getting results, it's about getting people to pick up the phone and recite their credit card numbers aloud.
You Can Buy A Fat Burner
This one's simple. There aren't any true fat burners. High level scientists are playing around with genetic manipulation, with microscopic computer robots that can remove fatty deposits and with redesigning the entire hormonal environment, but none of that research is actually making its way into bottles. The bottles usually contain stimulants, many with addictive properties, and the ads are usually deceptive and misleading.
You Can Go To The Gym And Use The Ab Machines...
Doing ab machines is a great way to kill time, in some cases a great way to kill your lower back and is a very ineffective way of reducing fat around the waistline. Do these machines have their place? Sure. Some of them, if used properly, can strengthen the rectus abdominus and the obliques, but that is a very different goal than that sought by most who say they want "great abs."
The Real Ab-Solution:
It's important, before fully delving into the solution, to understand precisely what we mean when we say "great abs." We mean body fat levels are low enough so the tendinous inscriptions that run across the rectus abdominus are visible. Translation, you can see the "six-pack" (which is really an eight-pack).
We mean the rectus abdominus is reasonably developed so once fat levels are low enough, the muscle definition and mass are both aesthetically pleasing and the muscle is functional. We mean the obliques -- the muscles that lie under the dreaded "love handles" -- are also visible and reasonably developed.
We mean the deep lying abdominal muscles involved in maintaining the integrity of the abdominal wall are strengthened to prevent the tummy from protruding.
Now that we understand what we're seeking, let's zero in on the solution.
Eat Right
"Eat right" sounds so simplistic, but it's a vital element in reducing that fat preventing abdominal definition.
The idea is not only to eat healthy foods, and to avoid junk food, but to eat in a manner that supports the desired goal. If "great abs" are the goal, the real trick lies in stabilizing blood sugar, taking in adequate combinations of nutrients and maintaining a hormonal environment optimal for ongoing fat loss.
This ideally would be a nutritional program built around nutrient-complete meals. The meals would be free from simple sugars and refined carbs, low in saturated fat, and balanced with protein, complex carbs, fiber and essential fatty acids. Most bodybuilders, who have mastered leanness, consume a meal every three to three and a half hours -- and in each meal include a lean protein, a starchy carbohydrate and a fibrous carbohydrate... a concept I refer to as "Supportive Eating."
Understand The Respective Functions Of The Abdominal Muscles...
Rectus Abdominus -- the rectus abdominus, as I touched on earlier, is the "six pack" muscle. It is located in the front abdominal wall and is divided by tendinous inscriptions and contained by the rectus sheath. Its primary function in body movement is to flex the trunk or draw the rib cage toward the pelvic bone.
Lying on your back, the rectus abdominus works to draw the torso upward to a point of 30 degrees. Beyond that the hip flexors take over, which is why many of the oft-used sit-up type movements where the feet are fixed in place are limited in their actual stimulation of the rectus abdominus muscle.
The rectus abdominus also contracts to increase intra-abdominal pressure such as in the act of coughing or childbirth. What you should understand is that the "six-pack" is in there, even if you can't see it. It's also important to note that this muscle is used during virtually any movement requiring stabilization of the trunk, such as squats or overhead presses.
Abdominal crunches work the rectus abdominus, but they really play a small role. Unfortunately, far too many believe that crunches are the solution by themselves, and a crunching routine without the other elements in place is a guaranteed exercise in futility.
Tranversus Abdominus -- It's attached to the ribs, the spine and the pelvic bone and maintains abdominal integrity. This is the muscle which, acting sort of like an internal corset, leads to the flat tummy so many seek.
Obliques -- The external obliques are those muscles you can see when the love handle fat goes away. They connect to the line that runs down the middle of the rectus abominus (the linea alba) by connective tissue and the iliac crest, the crest of the pelvis bone. A common mistake in trying to reduce love handles is the incorporation of weighted side bends and twisting abdominal movements. These will develop the external obliques, but will not assist in fat loss leading to a more prominent fatty deposit on each side of the waist.
Because the obliques are called to act in stabilization, balance and twisting, "great abs" usually do not require direct focus on training these muscles. The internal obliques, like the transversus, are deep lying muscles which assist in providing intra-abominal integrity and support.
In the quest for great abs, exercises that target the deep lying muscles, primarily the transversus, are more instrumental than endless sets of crunches and twists. If you move your crunches from the floor to the stability ball, you get a greater extension on the movement while providing support for the lumbar region. This brings in the deep lying muscles that you want to target.
Another valuable movement is the Captain's Chair, otherwise known as the hanging leg raise, which, when the pelvic bone is tilted so the hips are rolled forward at the top of the movement, asks the transversus to act. Back in the '70s, bodybuilders used to perform both a pose and an exercise called The Abdominal Vacuum where, in a standing position with the arms extended overhead (elbows bent, hands behind the head), the abs were sucked in as if they were trying to touch their bellybuttons to their spinal columns. This is yet another way to help develop intra-abdominal strength and support.
Work The Body As A Whole
Because the abs are involved in stabilization during free-standing movements, it's important to perform compound movements that ask the body to move as the body was designed to function. Squats, lunges, presses and standing curls all have their place, not only in increasing muscle mass and metabolism, but also in strengthening the abdominal musculature.
Allow For Ongoing Fat Release
This is the element that most leads to making the abs visible. Eat right, work the whole body, optimize circulation with moderate aerobic exercise, and fat release should be consistent and ongoing. A little at a time and those abs will shine through.
Give yourself the lean, toned body you deserve! Aren't you worth it? Click