Top 10 Reasons to Avoid a Fit and Healthy Lifestyle

Preaching at the unfit can be a losing battle! 

   When I took the certification course for what is now the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology, we learned about the Trans-Theoretical Model of Change. Originally designed for smoking cessation programs, this model states that behavioral change progresses in stages. The 5 stages of change are:

• Pre-Contemplation. The individual is not ready to change their lifestyle.
• Contemplation. The person is seriously considering making changes.
• Preparation. Someone is actively planning action with a set starting time.
• Action. The person is actually doing something that is a positive lifestyle change.
• Maintenance. The individual is actively engaged in the new behavior and continuing to perform it.

    According to the 2013 edition of the CSEP training manual 'Pre-contemplative clients are unlikely to react well to being told that they should exercise.'  Their reaction will be similar if someone suggests changes in diet or abstinence from unhealthy vices. Preaching at them will not work.
It will however, result in some classic excuses for maintaining their present lifestyles. 
  
For those in the Pre-contemplation Stage the logic is often irrefutable in favor of avoiding healthy changes. These are the 10 best arguments against the fit lifestyle that I have heard.

1. Cardio can cause cardiac arrest. People drop dead running for the bus - not waiting for it.
2. Walking and running is supposed to be hard on the joints.
3. An apple is healthier than a slice of pizza? Right - look where that got Adam and Eve.
4. Lifting weights makes you muscle bound. 
5. If you stop working out the muscle just turns to fat.
6. I get all the exercise that I need by playing 'World of Warcraft'.
7. My uncle smoked and drank, ate whatever he wanted, never exercised and lived to be 99 years old. 
8. There will be a cure for all these things soon.
9. I believe in a balanced diet - a beer in one hand and a doughnut in the other 
10. You have to listen to your body. Mine says stay on the couch and pass the Doritos..

(Check out the picture caption for bonus reason number 11.)

 Preaching won't cut it. Pre-contemplation individuals may make positive changes, but only
when they decide to. It is far better to listen and encourage. Putting them on the defensive won't speed up their change to the next stage. Trying to debate them will likely be an exercise in futility.

Bonus argument no. 11
"So I give up smoking to live longer.
I could get killed by a car crossing the street the next day."
There is no rebuttal to such logic !
  

 Meanwhile enjoy some of the priceless gems of logic that you will hear.                                                                                 
                                                      Until Next Time.....

Keep Fit

Little Bobby Strong








Links

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I'm Five Foot Ten but Big Like Ben........Johnson. I'm a Fast Charles Bronson

   The Olympics are coming!  The Russians - maybe not !

   The Russian Athletics (Track and Field) team is implicated in a state sponsored doping program unheard of since the days of the East German sports machine of the 1970's and 1980's. In fact, it was possible that ALL Russian sports federations, not just Athletics, may be banned from the upcoming 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This is an ongoing story involving the International Olympic Committee, the World Anti Doping Agency, the International Amateur Athletic Association, the Center for Arbitration in Sport and the Russian Ministry of Sport. So far Russian Track Field athletes are out! Other Russian sports teams have been given a reprieve.

   Doping in sport is a continuing story! It is news, but it is not a new story.

• Before   Lance Armstrong finally came clean on Oprah after years of denial and litigation
• Before  the Major League Baseball steroid scandal that implicated Alex Rodriguez, Barry Bonds  Mark McGuire, Sammy Sosa and Roger Clemons
• Before   the  BALCO bust (Bay Area Lab Cooperative), a 'supplement' company that supplied Performance Enhancing Drugs to Barry Bonds and led to the fall of golden sprint queen Marion Jones
• Before   the 'unbelievable' performances of distance runners and swimmers of China in the 1990's.
• Before   the fall of the Iron Curtain and the Berlin Wall when a light was shone upon a long suspected East German state sponsored Performance Enhancing Drug regime.
• Before   all of that was the First Great Olympic Doping Scandal - The Rise and Fall of Ben Johnson!

   Ben Johnson was the first modern era Canadian superstar in a summer Olympics marquis event. Sure, we had success in the winter sports like hockey, speed skating, and skiing. Winning the 100 meters gave you the title of 'The World's fastest Man'! From 1984 to 1988 Johnson took the track and field world on a wild ride:

• Big Ben won the world Championships in the 100 meters sprint crushing the World Record
•  He put Canada on the Olympic map in a marquis event
•  He defeated American arch rival, the seemingly aloof and arrogant Carl Lewis
•  Ben Johnson had an outspoken and controversial coach Charlie Francis
• Lance Armstrong had Dr. Michele Ferrari as his go- to medical guru.  Ben had the somewhat dubious Dr. Jamie Astaphan as his physician
• Ben won the 100 meters and crushed the field and the world record again in the 1988 Olympics
• Two days later his urine sample tested positive for the steroid stanozolol
•  Medals and world records were stripped 

   Never before or since has a Canadian athlete had such a devastating fall from grace.

• At first Ben's handlers, Francis and Astaphan claimed sabotage.
• The Canadian government held a legal investigation known as the Dubin Inquiry.
• Charlie Francis came clean. He claimed that to compete without doping was to start a meter behind everyone else.
• Lance Armstrong had a similar argument once he was officially outed. "It's not cheating if everyone else is doing it!"
• Ben Johnson received a 2 year competition ban.
• He made a comeback. He was still fast but not world beating fast.
• Ben had a 2nd positive test for high testosterone levels.
• He became a Personal Fitness Trainer for Moamar Ghadafi's soccer playing son. 
• He was also a Personal Fitness Trainer for controversial Argentinian soccer great Diego Maradona.
• Six other runners from Ben's 1988 Olympic race had past or future links to performance enhancing drugs. None were sanctioned or dragged through the mud the way Ben Johnson was.   

Is there a moral to this story? Maybe it is just that if the powers that be turn a blind eye to state sanctioned doping or ignore rule breaking by those with political clout - others may try to beat the system as well. For Marian Jones, Lance Armstrong and Big Ben, they tried to beat a fixed house but failed! 
   Where does this leave us now?

1.    The Rio Olympics could be a fresh beginning for clean and fair sports. 
2.    They could  more likely be a tipping point for the jaded sports fans of the world.
3.    Even more likely still, the status quo reigns and corruption is swept under the rug as    the show goes on like nothing has happened. 

( My blog title comes from a Canadian rap singer Maestro Fresh Wes song 'Conducting Thangs'.
I'm a Country Rock man - not a rap listener but that kind of rhyming is in
Neil Young, Leonard Cohen, William Shakespeare territory. Check it out on Youtube)
                                                          

 

Big Ben (center) in selfie at my brother-in-law's
Produce Depot grocery store in Ottawa.
He still looks very  FAST !!!!

Until Next Time

Keep Fit !!!!!


                    
Little Bobby Strong                               
           












Links
schwabe27.uwmfatloss.hop.clickbank

AudienceBuilder.ca

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www.rabbitview.com

The Video Artist Meets the Mixed Martial Artist

   A few weeks ago someone gave me an offer I couldn't refuse. I had a chance to observe the creation of a mini documentary on a Mixed Martial Arts world champion. The offer came from a western crony, Calgary based video producer and Film Maker Jeremy Podlog. Jeremy is the proprietor of RabbitView, a video production company. My food and lodgings would be covered This was dependent on two conditions:

1. I would have to be his assistant / helper/and bag carrier during the video shooting.
2. I would also have to be Jeremy's corner man and warm-up partner / throwing dummy as he competed in Canada Cup Wrestling Tournament in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. You see, Jeremy Podlog's alter ego is as amateur wrestling legend "Mad Dog Podlog" -a one time Canadian Championships bronze medalist. He was also a former adherent of the 'Little Bobby Strong' fitness training regime.

   It sounded like a fair trade off for a few days of adventure, so I agreed.

   We both survived the tournament in one piece and lived to add it to our cocktail hour rap. 
Jeremy survived better than I did even though he actually wrestled in 3 matches.  Just helping him warm up made me realize how my on- mat conditioning has long since given up the ghost.

Video producer Jeremy Podlog discusses a scene set up with
MMA / JiuJitsu competitor and instructor Jeff Joslin.

   The next step was the nearby city of Hamilton, Ontario to shoot the first MMA video. Hamilton is a rough and tumble steel town. Fittingly, the video subject was Jeff 'the Inferno' Joslin - a 5 time world champion in Brazilian JiuJitsu. He also fought in the UFC and once lost by a narrow decision to Josh Koschek. He had to retire from the UFC due to concussion issues. However Jeff still competes in Brazilian JiuJitsu which is grappling rather than kicking, punching and striking. The risk of head injuries is much less.

   Jeff also instructs martial arts classes in the training center below where the Joslin family once lived .His father, Rick Joslin, started the training center as a Karate studio and Jeff has carried on the family tradition. Generations of Hamilton young people have been taught self defense and learned self confidence by the Joslin clan.
Jeff is part of the movement to have regulated concussion protocols for head injuries.

Observing and helping during the actual video shoot was an eye opening experience. You are mostly on your feet and moving to keep the subject of the camera shot in scope and in focus. It is surprising how much energy you expend. Jeremy even let me hold one of the cameras and track the subject. It is an art trying to keep the camera steady while in motion. Hopefully, some of my camera work will make the final cut.

 Another highlight was getting to meet Jeff's father Rick Joslin, the MMA Master himself. Rick talked about living over the karate dojo and raising kids in that interesting environment.
.  Rick Joslin was such a compelling interview that Jeremy decided to also make Rick the subject of his own separate video.

The video artist getting some action shots.

   I was only able to spend one day
observing the video shoots.
However it was a day of learning.
I hope to soon add video clips to my blogging repertoire
   The best way to be successful is to follow the example of those that are successful. Jeremy Podlog is a video artist on the way up! Stardom awaits!

....View Jeremy's website at
www.rabbitview.com .........

Until Next Time

Keep Fit !

Little Bobby Strong                                      

Links
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AudienceBuilder.ca

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Are the Olympics Ready to Implode ?

The Olympics are likely the only time you will see
'amateur wrestling' on your television - if at all.

Implode - (Definition)

1. To collapse violently inward   
2. To fail catastrophically  

   





There is just over a month to go until the biggest reality show on earth.
Kardashians - eat your heart out!
I am talking, of course, about the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio De Janeiro  Brazil.

  This will be the first time that an Olympics has been held on the continent of South America. There may be a reason for this exclusion. South American countries are rife with poverty and undemocratic governments as well as a myriad of other issues. There was a time when the Olympics were awarded to developed nations that could afford to build the infrastructure and were capable of hosting the short term but intense influx of tourists and athletes. The theory was that an Olympics would provide an economic boost to the host city as well as leave the sports facilities for future benefit.

 Does this theory hold water?

   Canadian examples may provide some answers to this discussion:

• The Calgary Winter Olympics in 1988 used a blend of new and existing venues to stage a moderately successful celebration. Canadian athletes fell short in the medal winning department -  zero golds medals - but the athletic facilities were a boon to future Canadian competitors.
•  The Vancouver Winter Olympics were a medal boon -14 gold medals - for Canadians due to athletes who trained at Calgary sports facilities. These Olympics also used a blend of new and existing infrastructure to stage a successful and celebratory world gathering.
•  The 1976 Montreal Summer Olympics drew awesome crowds and helped showcase Montreal on the world stage. However the grossly underfunded Canadian athletes won few medals - also zero golds - and were contenders in few sports. Most of the venues had no effect on future athletes. The Olympic stadium now has no permanent tenant. The velodrome, pool and running track are long gone. Montreal taxpayers finally paid off the Olympic bill in the past decade.
• The Athens Summer Olympics in 2004 brought the Olympics back to its Greek birthplace. The financial strain of constructing the competition sites helped pushed Greece into bankruptcy. There has been little lasting legacy from the sports infrastructure.
• The Bejing Summer Olympics in China were rife with pollution and civil rights issues.
•  The 2014 Winter Olympics in Russia dealt with population displacement, environmental treachery, and rampant cheating. They also tried to have a winter Olympics somewhere that rarely gets winter weather.

   Is Rio De Janeiro ready for these Olympics?   
South America has hosted the Pan Am Games and Rio held the World Cup of Soccer in 2014. However these upcoming Olympics have some simmering issues that are reaching boiling point.
Here are some political, environmental and social problems:

• Political Instability - Brazil's President is suspended and awaiting impeachment proceedings for financial impropriety.
• Brazil is a hot spot for the mosquito borne Zika virus which can cause problems for pregnant women. Numerous athletes in different sports have withdrawn due to this health concern. 
• Water pollution is an issue to many water sports such as rowing, yachting, triathlon,open water swimming. Athletes training in Rio have contracted water borne viruses, bacteria, and parasites.
• Crime is rampant in Rio. Just recently 2 Australian Para Olympians were robbed at gunpoint.
• Security issues - Police forces in Rio are underpaid and going on strike.
• Firefighters are underpaid and threatening labor dispute action.
• Rampant poverty - Much of the local population will not benefit economically and can't afford tickets to events.
• Fears of terrorism - Munich in 1972 had terrorism and Atlanta in in 1996 had a bomb explosion.

   Then there are the ongoing sports scandals just waiting to erupt:

• Sports corruption within FILA - the world governing body of soccer.
• Sports corruption within the I.A.A.F - the world governing body of Track and Field.
• Doping issues with Russia, Kenya, and other countries.
• Possible collusion between WADA (World Anti Doping Agency) officials and Russian state sponsored doping affiliates.
• The Anti Doping laboratory in Rio has been shut down for inefficiency and incorrect testing procedures.

   Are the Olympics even worth the trouble anymore? The answer may be to just hold separate world championships for each individual sport at whatever host city can accommodate them. However, this is unlikely to ever happen. There is too much money and politics involved.

Pre Olympic Wrestling Tournament at Canada Cup in Guelph, Ontario
Wrestling legend "Mad Dog' Podlog grapples with a Cuban Olympian

   Will I watch the Olympics? Absolutely!  I am too much of a sports addict and sleaze junkie to give them a pass! I am not the solution. As an obsessive Olympic viewer, I am part of the problem!

Fortunately I am a die hard track and field aficionado! They will give that sport ample air time.
 Hopefully the networks take time from the popular events to give screen time to some of my favorite but seldom shown sports such as weight lifting and wrestling. Unfortunately this is probably wishful thinking. Instead it will be countless hours of beach volleyball once the basketball and soccer matches have been played.
Oh well, I suppose can always watch my events on the internet.

Until Next Time,........ Keep Fit 

Little Bobby Strong       

Links
schwabe27.uwmfatloss.hop.clickbank

AudienceBuilder.ca

www.fitnwell.com

www.rabbitview/rabbitview-crossfit

                           

                       

Don't be a heel. Protect your Achilles !

   Achilles was a mythical Greek warrior. According to legend his Mother dipped her infant son in the River Styx that separates the world of the living from the world of the dead. The river's sacred water made him invincible in battle. The Mother didn't want the poor kid to get swept away and drown so she held him by his heel. The heel did not get the effect of the river's power. Achilles was a fierce and indestructible fighting machine. However during the Trojan war an arrow shot into his heel killed him. That is why a person's weakness is often referred to as their Achilles Heel.

Muscle attaches to a connective tissue known as tendon. Tendon is a fibrous link attaching the muscle to a bone. 

   The Achilles Tendon is the thickest tendon in the human body. It is also known as the heel cord or the calcaneal tendon. This tendon attaches the the muscles of the rear lower leg - the Plantaris, the gastrocnemius (calf muscle) and the soleus - to the heel bone also known as the calcaneus.
These muscles, through the tendon attachment, pull the foot away from the ankle in a movement known as plantar flexion. Standing up on the toes and lifting the heels is an example of
plantar flexion.
   Any forward, backward or upward propulsion of the body involves plantar flexion and its opposite movement dorsi flexion in which the toes are pulled towards the shin.
The anatomy and location of the Achilles tendon make it a key cog in forward, backward or upward movement. As a result it can be a vulnerable part of the body susceptible to injury:

• The more dynamic the movement of the foot in motion the greater the force impact on the Achilles tendon.
• The longer and more continuous the movement , eg. distance running, the greater the possibility of developing a repetitive strain injury.  
• Overuse or a sudden strain can cause inflammation resulting in Achilles tendinitis.  This results in micro tears to the tendon tissue.  
• Achilles tendinitis can develop into Achilles tendinosis. This is a condition in which the collagen or structural protein of the tendon degenerates. The tendon can begin to calcify.
• Physical force or tendinosis can also cause a partial rupture of the tendon.
• Severe physical force or chronic tendinosis can cause a complete rupture of the tendon.

 Are some activities more likely to place undue pressure on the Achilles tendon? In the words of a famous Vice Presidential candidate "You betcha!"

• Risk factors include; tight calf muscles, bone spurs, weak arches, and unsuitable footwear.
• Risky activities include sprinting, jumping, running in soft sand, running on hard surfaces.
• Sports with a high incidence of Achilles tendon injuries, especially ruptures, include track and field, volleyball, football, soccer and basketball.
• Sports like hockey and downhill skiing encase the ankle in foot ware with a protective shell.  Therefore the Achilles tendon may be one of the few body parts not in danger. However in an infamous hockey injury, Ottawa Senator star Erik Karlsson had his Achilles tendon accidentally (???) severed by another player's skate.     
• Use of antibiotics such as Ciprofloxacin can weaken the Achilles tendon thus making it susceptible to tearing or rupturing.

   Prevention is the first line of defense in protecting the Achilles tendon:

• Stretch the calf muscles and the tendon after workouts.
• Don't over train. Middle and long distance runners especially seem to feel that 'more is better'.  You won't get fitter if you get injured. 
• Increase workout volume only in small gradual increments.
• Increase workout intensity only in small gradual increments.
• Plyometric training -explosive jumping exercises - can help the body prepare for dynamic sports movements. However, this form of training should be done carefully and properly. preferably under the guidance of a qualified Fitness Trainer. There are many examples of athletes rupturing the Achilles tendon in the off season while performing plyometric exercises.

Ideally, you want to nip an Achilles tendon issue in the bud:

• Stop any impact exercises if there is pain in the back of the lower leg or heel.
• Do not resume impact exercises until pain is completely gone.
• RICE - Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation - may provide short term relief.
• Using ice for injuries is currently being questioned by the sports science community. Until it has been totally ruled out as an effective treatment, I would continue to recommend ice therapy.
• Do not hesitate to see a sports medicine doctor if pain persists.
• A doctor will likely give a referral for physiotherapy.
• A cortisone shot may reduce inflammation however this may weaken the tissue over the long term resulting in a tendon rupture.

The worst case scenario is a partial or complete Achilles tendon rupture.:There are different possible treatments:

• Non-operative treatment number 1 - The torn ends are pulled together and the foot is put in a cast. It is hoped the the tendon will regenerate itself if kept immobile.
• Non-operative treatment number 2 - Platelet rich plasma treatment in which the patient's own blood is spun in a centrifuge and transfused back into the patient. This is a new and less orthodox methodology that is not without controversy.
• Operative - Surgery in which the torn tendon ends are sewed back  together. This is followed by a period of immobilization.
• All methods would require physiotherapy afterwards.
• The choice of treatment would depend upon which physician you go to for treatment. Do your homework on the sports medicine practitioners in your region.

   The most important considerations are obvious.
Proper training can prevent possible Achilles tendon issues.
Achilles tendon issues should not be ignored. 
Give proper time to heal your heel !                                                               
                                                             

The Achilles tendon - so thick - yet so vulnerable.
If only my abs were this well defined.

(Picture by  PT Instructor R. Boulanger)

Until Next Time

Keep Fit !

Little Bobby Strong










Links
schwabe27.uwmfatloss.hop.clickbank

AudienceBuilder.ca

www.fitnwell.com

www.rabbitview/rabbitview-crossfit

    

Why I Hate the Biggest Loser Even More !

   The reality television show 'The Biggest Loser' has once again come under fire. 'The Biggest Loser' is that show where bullying, drill sergeant type, so-called Fitness Trainers prod obese contestants to lose outrageous amounts of body weight in short periods of time. The Biggest Loser gets the prize money.
   I have previously written critical bogs on "the Biggest Loser' premise and on bully celebrity Trainer Jillian Michaels.  Although the show is a ratings hit it it is cringe worthy for real life Fitness Trainers if not something to be totally avoided. I asked mentor and Fitness Training colleague Gregg Harvey of Fit N Well in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada his opinion on the show. His answer "Dude, I don't watch it! It is a waste of valuable time and not reflective of what Fitness Training should be about."

   My previous issues with the Biggest Loser were outlined in previous blogs:

• Extremely obese contestants were rushed into a fitness regime that was too much -too soon!
• Since the goal of the contest was to lose the most weight in a set period of time, safe and gradual exercise progression was not a consideration.
• Having unfit and obese individuals doing high intensity, high impact movements such as ballistic, plyometric jumps is a recipe for severe joint injuries!
• The focus was on weight loss rather than on health. Fat loss is but one component of fitness and it is best approached in slow but steady increments not as a race against time.
• Contestants were put on an extreme low calorie diet. This can lead to short term weight loss but in the long run is not sustainable.
• 'Biggest Loser' Fitness Trainers adhere to the bullying tactics of an extreme marine drill sergeant caricature to cajole and shame contestants into pushing themselves harder. Jillian Michaels, who has since left the show, epitomized this behavior. People who were obese as youths may have experienced enough bullying to last a lifetime.

   Let me be clear - this is a reality television show. The purpose is to entertain the viewing audience.
Obviously the ratings prove that 'the Biggest Loser' is successful. The element of competition (and winning money) also helps keep the contestants focused and adhering to the program.Members of the viewing audience may become inspired to try and make lifestyle changes.
   The downside is that for many of the viewing public, this is their idea of how real world Fitness Trainers operate. The same audience may also believe that such an extreme exercise program is the way the only route available to lose weight and get healthy. This can be dangerous for those that try to lose weight using such extreme methods without supervision. More tentative types may be scared off by the thought that this is the only viable way to lose weight. 
Reality television does not reflect fitness reality!


   Now there may be new reasons to dismiss this show as being inspirational and cast doubt on its Fitness Trainers as role models.

• Scientific follow ups of former contestants suggest that most regain much of the weight back.
• Further scientific speculation is that the extreme methods of exercise and low calorie diet cause permanent 'metabolic damage'. Supposedly the starvation type dieting slows the energy burning capacity of the metabolism for good. 
• The slower metabolism makes it easier to gain back the weight and harder to lose weight than previously.
• A season 2 contestant, Suzanne Mendoca is speaking about possible suing the show for abuse. She claims that the show's doctors and trainers - including celebrity trainer Bob Harper - pushed diuretics, laxatives and ephredrine products on the contestants
• Former contestant Kai Hubbard claims that she was subjected to constant 'fat shaming', verbal bullying and harassment.
• Hubbard and Mendoca both claim that contestants were encouraged to 'purge' or vomit to lose weight.
• The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department is supposedly investigating the show for pushing controlled meds and possibly even for 'illegal' narcotic use on set.

Remember - so far these are only allegations!

Defenders of the Biggest Loser point out that the show has it's own in-house medical staff to monitor the health of the contestants. My response is:

So did Elvis, Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston. Where are they now?

Ben Johnson and Lance Armstrong had their own medical staff as well.
Most doctors follow the creed of 'Do no harm.' A very few do not.

If investigations prove that there is some substance to the accusations it may be time for the television powers that be to make some tough decisions.
Instead of chiseling a Six-Pack into the midsection of a 400 pound contestant, it may be time to consider Deep-Sixing this reality television show.
                                                                                                                     

Take a morbidly obese person .
Add high impact exercise.  plus
Caffeine pills in one hand and laxatives in the other.
=  Trouble Ahead.........?
(photo compliments of famed fitness icon R. Boulanger)

   
Until Next Time

Keep Fit
(the healthy way)

 
Little Bobby Strong













Links
schwabe27.uwmfatloss.hop.clickbank

AudienceBuilder.ca

www.fitnwell.com

www.rabbitview/rabbitview-crossfit

Phenomenal Abdominals

   Some years ago I was supplementing my  Fitness Training income by working for a landscaping company. I drove around to different sites in Edmonton and then unloaded 50 pound bags of some type of dirt by pouring the contents into a wheelbarrow. This went on for about a month in October. The rush was on to get work done before the fierce northern winter shut us down. I was showering one night when I noticed something pleasantly shocking in a floor length mirror. It looked as though a plough had run over my midsection. I was ripped in the middle! My once doughy breadbasket had turned to stone!   Gadzooks  -  I had abs!
   Usually I can summon up a vague resemblance to a six pack by tightening up my stomach and squeezing like I' m constipated. In this case I didn't have to tighten or flex. The six muscular ridges just magically appeared when my shirt came off. This hadn't happened since my peak amateur wrestling days.
   Abdominal muscles are the holy grail of exercising for aesthetics. They are the first thing that attracts the human eye to a fit human organism. They are also the body part that that can be the most complex and difficult to train. I have listed some important considerations of training the abdomen otherwise known as the midsection:

1. The abdominals also combine with the lower back and hips to form the core of the body. 
2. In just about any sports movement the power comes from the core.
3. There are actually 4 muscle groups composing the abdomen -The Rectus Abdominus (the front 6-pack), the Transverse Abdominis, The External Oblique, and the Internal Oblique.
4. Athletes are more concerned about core stability and strength than the actual physical appearance. 
5. However exercise movements focusing on core muscles usually develop shapely ab muscles as well.  

   There has been a historical progression of midsection training since exercise and fitness became fashionable.

• The staple of ab exercises used to be the sit up with the feet hooked to an immovable object. 
• Sit ups utilize the hip flexor muscles to contract the spine thus lessening the abdominal contraction. 
• Overly developed hip flexors can cause a forward pelvic tilt posture when standing up.
• Forward pelvic tilt can lead to a postural condition known as 'sway back' in which the abdomen protrudes making even skinny people seem like they have a gut.
• Sit ups evolved into crunches with the feet not hooked to an immovable object.
• Legs lifts with bent knees became vogue to also work the lower abs.
• Exercise scientists theorized that abdominal training should follow the 'All or None' rule in which the abs contract as a whole unit - not by isolating the lower and upper abs. This is also more likely to incorporate all 4 of the abdominal muscle groups.
• This led to the ab training slogan "Integrate - not Isolate!"
• Another similar slogan is  "Train Movements - Not Muscles". 
• Whole body movement such as athletes use became the trend to work the midsection. This may explain my results with the month of intense landscaping work. That also may be why  competitors of MMA, UFC, grapplers and wrestlers often have the most ripped abs. 
• Medicine Balls, Kettlebells, CrossFit, and Olympic Style Weightlifting  utilize the principle of whole body movements. 
• Recent studies show that cycling motions from a supine position cause the greatest muscular stimulation of the abs. 
• Exercise balls and Bosu Balls are also widely used now for Ab work. Fitness Trainers such as Greg Harvey from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada have had outstanding success with clients using exercise balls as training tools.

   An important point to remember - no matter how well developed the abdominal muscles are, they will not be visible if covered with a layer of fat. Some  heavyweight Olympic Weightlifters and Powerlifters have super strong core muscles but also have high adipose layers in the midsection. Therefore you don't see the six-pack look on them. Cardiovascular training or high intensive training can help reduce overall body fat.

   Also important - you can't spot reduce. Thousands of crunches won't burn belly fat. Body fat reduction requires a full body effort. 

This leads to the age-old important question, What is the best exercise for getting a six-pack looking midsection. The best answer that I can give is: There is none !
Each person is different. Their goals vary. There body structures vary. Some have flexible hips which favor certain movements. Those with tight hip flexors (like me) must experiment to duplicate the results that I got from the landscaping job. 

  Contrary to much media advertising, there is no magic pill (at least not a legal one),  food supplement, sweat girdle, vibrating belt, or electrical device that magically melts belly fat.
Invest the money that you would spend on such claims or buy a gym membership, a bike or some good running shoes.    

Ab training also requires safety considerations. The most important are:

• Protect the spine
• At one time it was believed that tightening the lower back while training abs (forward pelvic tilt) protected the spine and made for a better muscular contraction.
• Recent studies trend towards keeping a neutral or relaxed spine.
• Comfort should be your guide. You want to attain muscular fatigue but not cause actual pain especially in the back.

As always for you or your Fitness Training clients,
 common sense and safety are the priority. 

Phenomenal Abdominals  !!!
No that's not me and it's not Gerard Butler in '300'..
That is a freestyle wrestling legend in peak condition
 before the most recent Canadian Olympic Trials. 

 


Until next time,

Keep Fit


Little Bobby Strong

















Links
schwabe27.uwmfatloss.hop.clickbank

AudienceBuilder.ca

www.fitnwell.com

www.rabbitview/rabbitview-crossfit