WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT ABS!!
Reposted via an email I received from Mike Boyle of MBSC (Mike Boyle Sports Conditioning).
Mike has trained countless Olympians, Pro Athletes, Jane and Joe Workout Enthusiasts, Youth Athletes, Collegaite Athletes and more and has earned the credential of TOP FITNESS GYM in AMERICA by Men’s Health magazine more than once.
He’s an industry legend and pioneer. I’ve attended a few of his seminars and presentations and have enjoyed talking with him in the past.
CHECK THIS OUT… IT’s THE TRUTH 🙂
Is Doing Abs A Waste Of Time?
I can’t even tell you how often I hear someone at the end of the workout say something like “I need to do more abs, I want to get a six-pack.”
The truth is that passing on a six-pack is a better way to get a six-pack than six hundred sit-ups. The key to abdominal definition is the visibility of the abdominal musculature, not the strength of the muscles.
You can do one million sit-ups, crunches or whatever exercise you want and it will have no effect on abdominal definition.
When people ask me the best exercise for abs I tell them table push-aways.
It usually takes a few minutes for them to get it. It’s not a joke, it’s the truth. If you want better abs, eat less and train more but, don’t just train your abs.
The idea of working abs to get abs is one of the oldest misconceptions in training. This goes back to the old idea of spot reduction. Spot reduction has never and will never work. The research has been done over and over and the answer is always the same.
You can’t decrease the fat layer on a particular area by working that area. That means that the guys doing sit-ups to lose abdominal fat and the lady sitting on the adductor (inner thigh) machine are both wasting their time.
Good total body work is, was, and always will be the key to fat loss.
Want better abdominal definition?
Finish every workout with some hard interval training instead of extra sit-ups or crunches. Interval training or what is currently called
High Intensity Interval Training (abbreviated HIIT) is the real key to fat loss and the resulting definition.
Interval training burns more calories than steady state aerobic training and because it is s sprint program you get a sprinters body.
Abdominal training may potentially reduce the diameter of the waistline but, will very little to reduce bodyfat.
The truth is there are lots of good reasons to do abdominal work or core training as we now like to call it. A strong core (strong abs) is one of the keys in the prevention of back pain. A strong core will help you look better and improve performance in a host of sports but, sit-ups or any other abdominal exercise will not reduce bodyfat. The fact of the matter is that crunches will lead to back pain long before they lead to visual abs.
Another good tip.
Don’t do crunches. A good abdominal or core program is a lot more than crunches. Most of your core work should be isometric exercises like front planks and side planks or carries like Suitcase carries.
One of the major functions of the core musculature is the prevention of motion.
What does that mean? It means that the abdominals are great stabilizers. Work on the stability function, not on flexion and extension.
Regards,
Mike Boyle
Marshfield Beach Abs equals Consistency
I’m not sure about you, but I spent most of my weekend at the beach Saturday and Sunday between Marshfield’s Rexhame and Fieldston beaches, and Nantasket.
Fun indeed! Eating atrocious…
Saturday afternoon included pizza and ice cream. My two favorites.
Saturday night beer and and a host of foods I’d rather not mention. Haha.
If you Like Fruity Pebbles cereal do not drink Leinenkugel’s Sunset Wheat Beer…
You’ll be too happy and may drink the equivalent of eating a box of those crazy colors
But, in order to justify my horrible decisions Saturday, I had to FAST Sunday.
Stinks, but if you want to also keep your body fat low you’ll have to sacrifice for your disastrous diet actions.
I probably consumed about 12,000 calories Saturday. No joke. And very easily I might add.
The coconut chocolate frappe alone must’ve been a sugary-fat 1,100 calories. Not to mention the Johnny B Good large scoop I had on the side. The beers easily toppled over 2,000. All after 8pm.
Pizza was a delicious 1,000. And if I told you about the liquor, barbecue, chips, cheese dips, popcorn, chocolates, candy bars, olives, feta cheese… it wasn’t pretty.
But hey I did eat an apple, orange and banana 🙂
But overall downright terrible.
Should you eat like this?
I don’t believe it’s healthy for you… unless you’re eating great the other 6 days of the week.
But if you’re not, you may want to look into “fasting”.
I use fasting to help my liver recover a minute, spread out the calories over a couple days, cleanse my system a bit, and to really focus on absorbing lots of water.
Of course, before fasting a full 24 hours, be sure to try a smaller 12 hour period first.
See how you feel and keep a record of your mood, hunger, energy swings, etc.
I commonly have little problem once I commit my mind to the fast.
And I’m sure you’re going to have little problem doing so as well.
But I promise if you do it, especially following a large night of drinking or terrible overindulgence with calories, you’ll feel a hell of a lot better that day and the following day. Not just mentally about your guilt but physically it’s liberating not having to worry about eating, cooking, and taking time to plan meals.
So keep you beach abs for the beaches in Marshfield this weekend.
Fast or go home 😉
Live the Dream my friend,
Rob
PS – I wanted to run to burn off the extra fat I stored Saturday, but it was over 90 degrees Sunday, and after all those tasty beers, I was nervous of dehydrating myself and creating a massive headache or cramping up. So Fasting to keep my beach abs was my only option.