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Focus on abdominal muscle
The work of abs's that easy ... when you know what to do
Former Mr. Universe and successful personal trainer Charles Glass considers that it should favor simplicity when he teaches the basics of weight training to its customers. "In most cases," he says, "the base is what the customer needs. There is nothing wrong with occasionally introduce variants in a program, but in general, you get the best results with the basic exercises using basic equipment. "
Take abdominal training, for example. Countless theories have been developed to explain why this muscle group is one of the easiest to perform (there is a plethora of books on the subject) when in fact the abdominal function boils down to stabilize the torso and rib cage closer to the pelvis in a move where one "picks" on yourself. So, given the nature of abdominal while exercise to solicit must involve a winding pelvis to the chest or the reverse, without which it is not designed primarily for that muscle group.
This concept was not well understood in the 70 bodybuilders were doing crunches, of course, but also name-fibrous exercises that, in retrospect, seem to have been nothing but a waste of time. "In training the abs, people tend to commit two errors," says Glass. "Instead of bringing the chest of the abdomen (or vice versa), they think that the function of these muscles is to lift the upper body, as in the statement of traditional bust. Or they imagine that the abs are, in one way or another, related to the lower limbs so they try to work them by the legs statements, for example. "
Glass notes that these two exercises seek above all muscles called "hip flexors." Often described as a single muscle, the psoas and iliac focus on the lower back through the pelvis and insert into the lesser trochanter. When performing surveys of torso or legs, abs serve as stabilizing muscles to ensure maintenance of the torso during exercise instead of contract throughout the range of motion. While this work much tiredness abdominal muscles, but they will not develop the kind of "chocolate bars" that most practitioners are hoping for with this type of workout.
"This principle is easy to demonstrate," says Glass. "While standing, grasp a support order not to lose balance. Place your hand on the lower abdomen and lift a leg. You will feel that the abdominals are doing nothing at all, simply because this movement is not seeking them. Leg is lifted through the hip flexors and not with the abs. "
That said, this type of exercise for the hip flexors is not totally useless. It's great for the sprinters who need to aggressively push your knees forward. On the other hand, means for practicing bodybuilding, an excess of this type of effort can traumatize the lower back, insertion area of the psoas and iliac muscles.
"Actually," said Glass, "while the exercises for the hip flexors tend to attack the lumbar region, the real abdominal exercises are one of the major therapies against the problems affecting that body part. When we made real crunch, abdominal muscles are strengthened - not the spinal - and relieves undue hardship. "
A real crunch means bringing movement of the rib cage and pelvis, that is not a "pseudo" exercise for abs. We have already seen that the bust raised and legs are not real abs exercises. All variants are either to raise the legs in a certain range of motion or crochet feet under a strap or bar and mount the bust. Once a year in line with this scheme, it is the hip flexor muscles that drive and not the abdominals.
"I have seen many experienced bodybuilders get results, or think they got, while training at the Roman chair or doing other exercises for the iliopsoas," says Glass. "I think it is possible for two reasons. First, even if one does not practice the best ab exercises that is, one can remove at least a partial benefit of these movements if one thinks to bring the chest pelvis. This is not the ideal way to work your abs, but bodybuilders who exercise these muscles in this way for 10 years (or more) can still get results.
"Another reason is that weight training, there are many exercises that involve the abdominal without being intended primarily to these muscles. Virtually all movement power with heavy loads for the upper body - bench press, developed for the shoulders, squat, rowing bar - requires a lot of effort from the abdominals during its execution. We soon realize how these muscles are used in virtually all weight training exercises. "
"So," concludes Glass, "when you see someone with nice abs, this result may be due mainly to the very-exercises rather than specific program follows to work these muscles, especially if they are very reactive in training. Indeed, some individuals have good development potential of abs and, at home, virtually any muscle group will develop this year. "
On the other hand, noted Glass, the best amateur and professional bodybuilders usually so strong and so fit that they do not have to worry too much risk of injury to the lumbar region caused by the practice 'exercises for the hip flexors. This is not true of most of its customers as many readers and M & F readers. His advice is so simple: "Stick with the basic exercises for abs. Forget those that mobilize hip flexors: they are not very effective and they can hurt you back. It seems that the reasons do not fail to leave them out. "
