Alachua Personal Trainer Reveals How to Get 6-Pack Abs Without Crunches or Sit-ups - Part 1

Face it, we all want a flat, sexy midsection. But for many of us no amount of crunches or sit-ups seems to get the job done. This local Alachua personal trainer explains his revolutionary anti-crunch approach to getting six-pack abs.
By: Nathan Trenteseaux
 
March 2, 2011 - PRLog -- Face it, we all want a flat, sexy midsection. But for many of us, no amount of crunches or sit-ups seems to get the job done. I can't tell you how many times people have asked me the following question:

"I do hundreds of crunches and sit-ups a day, and I still have a flabby midsection. What gives?"

Well, before I reveal your six-pack abs blueprint, let's first debunk some very important myths about how to get six-pack abs:

Myth#1- Weight Loss is the Key to Seeing Your Abs

WRONG!

The key to seeing your abs is fat loss, not weight loss. Let me further explain: your body consists of fat mass and lean body mass (water, muscle, bone, organs, etc.). You want to minimize your fat mass and maximize your lean body mass to build a sexy metabolism: one that starves fat and builds muscle like clockwork. By improving body composition you will put yourself in the best position to rock that coveted six-pack.

So if you lose 17lbs on the scale at the expense of losing some lean muscle mass in the process, you will end up slowing your metabolism, decreasing performance, and losing that good-looking muscle tone. But if you lose 17lbs on the scale and you manage to keep or gain lean muscle mass, you will increase performance, see more visible definition throughout your body, and lose primarily body fat.

The scale has far too many variables to account for that lead to frequent fluctuations such as hydration levels, sodium intake, and, for women, the menstrual cycle. I firmly believe one should NOT keep a scale at their home. It can be an anchor, particularly for women. Get off the scale and get over the numbers. The true goal is fat loss, not weight loss. Focus on clothing size reduction, digital before and after pictures, body "recomposition," and, of course, the mirror for the most accurate progress tracking.

Myth#2- Do A Lot of Ab Work to Preferentially Burn Off Stomach Fat

WRONG!

Spot reduction doesn't work. You can't just work the muscles of a certain area of your body and expect to have the fat in that region go away. Think about it: almost everyone does crunches but proportionately very few people perform total-body workouts. So, with all of these crunches, we'd expect to see nothing but people with flat tummies and fat deposits everywhere else on their body (arms, legs, etc.). But think of how many people you know and see on a regular basis whom have more than a few inches to lose in their midsection. See what I mean- spot reduction doesn't work!

See, your body loses fat in a genetically pre-determined way when there is the appropriate caloric deficit AND hormonal environment created by proper eating and training. So your best bet is to focus on burning as many calories during your workouts as possible by engaging your whole body each and every training session (not just your abs).

Compound, multi-joint movements like squats, push-ups, lunges, etc. (or better yet, total-body exercises like squat to presses or burpees) burn a lot more calories than isolation movements like crunches and sit-ups. So be sure to focus on these movements first and then if you have time, you can do some extra core work the right way to please the abs training gods.

Myth#3- Crunches and Sit-ups are the Best Exercises for Your Abs

WRONG!

The scientific term for your six-pack muscles are your rectus abdominis. For years now, we have been conditioned to think that the best way to work your rectus abdominis is by doing endless crunches and sit-ups since these trunk flexion exercises make the muscles you want to see in the mirror "burn." However, the true function of the rectus abdominis is to prevent hyperextension, not to flex forward over and over again. Anytime you brace your abs (think slight crunch before you get punched in the gut) and pull your navel into your spine you effectively stabilize your spine into a safe, neutral position. And the moment you relax your abs and lose that braced abs position, your back will begin to hyperextend putting you at greater risk for injury.

So, we focus on stabilization exercises in all three planes of movement (sagittal- front to back; frontal- side to side; and transverse- rotational) by using pillar exercise variations (also known as planks). Besides training the true "anti-extension" function of your superficial ab muscles, these bridging/stabilization exercises also activate the key transverse abdominus muscles, or your deep abdominal stabilizers, that wrap around your spine and support your internal organs. Strengthening these inner ab muscles is the key to optimal posture and performance in addition to injury prevention, yet another benefit to performing pillars over primitive crunches and sit-ups that often cause unwanted neck and back pain.

Myth#4- Do A Lots of Long-Duration Cardio to Burn the Fat Covering Your Abs

WRONG!

Both scientific research and real-world case studies show that aerobic training for fat loss alone doesn't work. Total-body resistance training is the true foundation of any solid fat loss plan. In addition, interval training, where you alternate between bouts of maximum effort and active recovery, is scientifically proven to burn nine times more fat than ordinary exercise.

Please note that you can perform both resistance interval training and cardio interval training to combine the best of both worlds. More on this to come in part 2!

Nathan Trenteseaux, B.S., YFS1, USC1, YNS is the owner and instructor for a local Alachua group personal training fitness facility that features high-intensity bootcamp-style workouts. Underground Fitness Revolution specializes in 30-minute EXPRESS metabolic workouts for busy men and women. To book Nathan to speak at your local Alachua company, club, or organization, please contact him by phone at 352.682.3310 or by email at nate@UndergroundFitnessRevolution.com or. For more information, please visit www.UndergroundFitnessRevolution.com.

# # #

Underground Fitness Revolution specializes in 30-minute EXPRESS metabolic workouts for busy men and women designed to get you in the best shape of your life regardless of your current fitness level.
End
Source:Nathan Trenteseaux
Email:***@undergroundfitnessrevolution.com Email Verified
Zip:32615
Tags:Alachua Personal Trainer, Alachua Boot Camp, Boot Camps, Bootcamp, Fat Loss, Weight Loss, Abs, Core, 6-pack
Industry:Fitness, Health
Location:Alachua - Florida - United States
Account Email Address Verified     Account Phone Number Verified     Disclaimer     Report Abuse
Underground Fitness Revolution News
Trending
Most Viewed
Daily News



Like PRLog?
9K2K1K
Click to Share