[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

early ab routine tires them out before the really heavy work comes up, and prevents maximal effort. For fitness
exercise, this is not a problem. As far as I know, abdominal and back exercises should be done in the following
order:
Total abdominal exercises (i.e.  functional ab exercises) --> bridges --> lower abdominals --> upper abdominals
16
A frequently asked question is: "how often should I work my abs?" There is no absolutely correct answer to this
question. In the past it was frequently said that the abs couldn't be over-trained, so do them every day if you like.
More recently it has been said that they should be treated as any other muscle. I, personally, do them with each
workout; others may do them twice a week and be satisfied with the results. It is important to note that you can't
burn off fat and get "shredded" abs just by doing lots of reps. You could build "killer" abs that are invisible because
they are covered by fat. Only aerobic exercise "burns" fat, and it comes off more-or-less uniformly - there is no
such thing as "spot" reducing. However, there is evidence you lose fat in the reverse order you gain it, i.e. if you
tend to gain first in your belly then your face, it ll be lost from your face then belly. (Cardio is discussed later.)
The abdominal cavity consists of the abdominal muscles - the rectus abdominis, stretching between the bottom of
the last rib on each side and the bottom of the sternum, and the pubis in the hip girdle; the internal and external
obliques on each side of the rectus abdominis; and the transverse abdominis, which runs laterally between the
pubis and the lower ribs, and beneath the rectus femoris. On the sides of the trunk, running between the Iliac
Crest and the last rib, are the quadratus lumborum muscles, whose only function in life is side bending. And,
finally, the erector spinae group, which runs up the back along each side of the spine, and is active during bending.
Some exercise professionals also like to mention the intercostal muscles (there are 22 pairs of internal and external
intercostals located between the ribs), but they can't be isolated - they work, or not, depending on what exercise is
being done, so we will ignore them.
It is important to build both the abs and the back. When you have a strong midsection, it is possible to develop a
lot of real strength and power for combat, sport, and everyday movement. The midsection contains the center of
gravity of the body, what Pilates followers call  The Powerhouse , and according to Asian doctrines, the energy or
Chi/Ki center, known as the tan tien or hara. Therefore one can see how important this area is, and should not be
neglected. A strong set of abs protects the internal organs and provides a lot of power and strength, as well as
good posture. A strong back also provides a great deal of strength, as well as spinal support. Many of these
exercises can help lengthen and stretch the spine to be less compressed and more flexible, especially the back and
front bridges, and wall walking. For the total ab section and bridges, I have drawn from Combat Conditioning
exercises, Pilates exercises, and several other sources. The other exercises are typical ab exercises.
*****Please note, all the discussion about the muscles worked in each exercise is not original work, I got it from a
website. If it helps, good, otherwise just do them.*****
Abdominal Folds/V-Ups - This used to be my favorite ab/torso strengthener, and I need to get back on them
myself. Lie flat on your back with legs straight and arms extended above your head. Now, "jack knife" your body
by raising your legs straight up, and crunching your stomach until your toes and fingers meet straight above your
body. Legs and arms are straight throughout the movement. Imagine that you're squeezing a giant lemon with
your body. You want to touch your hands to your insteps. Make sure that you lift both arms and legs at the same
time.
30-60-90 leg raises
Lie flat on your back. Raise head and shoulders off ground, without tensing your neck too much. Cross arms over
chest. Now raise legs slowly (5-10 sec) until they form a 30O angle off the ground. Hold it there. Then raise it to
60, then finally 90 degrees. Then lower back to 60, then 30, then down all the way. To make it harder, add more
time, more repetitions, or do it with your back on a table or bench and nothing underneath your legs.
"Farmer" Burns Stomach Flattener [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]