Abs, Abs, Abs

Lets talk about our middle for a moment. Everyone wants great abs, right? I see people in abs classes and people crunching away in the gym all the time. So why do some people seem to get the results and many others struggle through those crunches and don't seem to get the same results? The answer could be a blog by itself, but I'll try to address a few things to think about to help.



The abdominal muscles are a group of muscles that work together to help us bend, rotate, and stabilize. Technically, there are no separate upper and lower abs. Some exercises simply emphasize work at the upper or lower portion of the muscle group. One component of the abdominal muscles is the rectus abdominis (the "six-pack" part). It is one muscle sheath that runs vertically from the breastbone to the pubic bone. We work this muscle when we move our hips and chest together (ex: basic crunches). The external obliques run diagonally from the lower ribs to the top of the hipbone on each side. The internal obliques are beneath the external obliques and run from the top of the hipbone to the lower ribs. Our obliques engage when we twist or bend to the side. Emphasizing these muscles during abdominal work isn't too difficult. Here's where we have to focus: the transverse abdominis muscles. These muscles run horizontally beneath all the other ab muscle groups. This is the muscle that gives abs a lean look. It is a huge factor in what our abs look like and how strong our core is.


Now, how do we activate this elusive muscle group? It is all in your head... really. This requires the right mental focus when exercising. Focus on this muscle group in ab exercises, but also in any exercise, in your daily routine, make it a part of your posture when standing. It takes practice to make it a habit. When performing any (running, squats, crunches, clean & press, whatever) exercises, think about pulling the belly button into the spine. Also, research has found that when you activate your pelvic floor, the transverse abdominis tends to engage and vice-verse. So, think about contracting the pelvic floor (ladies, you know the exercise I'm referring to, the same muscle contraction that stops the flow of urine.... sorry, but it does) while performing exercises and you should engage the transverse abdominis.


The appearance of our abs also has a TON to do with what we eat and the amount of body fat we have. Eating crap will show up right on top of our beautiful six-pack in fat tissue. So eat cleanly. Also, we cannot spot reduce fat. So no matter how great our abs are, we can't see them until our body fat is low enough to allow the muscle definition to show. This is where cardio plays a vital role in creating that six-pack. Four to five times per week, 30-45 minute sessions (come to bootcamp :)


And remember, the gorgeous abs on that magazine cover are airbrushed!!!! We cannot compete with that or we are setting ourselves up for failure. Don't be too hard on yourself, do the best you can, give it time, at let the rest go. We will never have a perfect body, but we can be happy with the great fitness level we've worked for.


This week and next week I am teaching:
Bodypump: Thur, Jan29 @ noon; Tues, Feb 3 @ noon; and Thur Feb 5 @5:45pm (abs at 5:30).

RPM: Fri, Jan 30 @ noon (with Kandy); Sat, Jan 31 @ 9:45am (with Mitch); and Tues, Feb 3 @ 4:30pm (with Karen)
Bootcamp/Cardio Circuits: Mon, Feb 2 @ 5:45pm and Wed, Feb 4 @ 8:00am


Hope to see you there!!!