How to obtain the mid-section you've always wanted!
Why does everyone want the six pack? Easy - it is way more attractive than the more common, spare tyre or beer belly! There are thousands of articles everywhere you look on how to achieve the "perfect" torso. Most of them promising results. If it was as simple as just going to the gym three times a week whilst following a low carb diet, we'd all be flying out to Ibiza every summer, prancing around shirtless showing off our prize assets! Unfortunately, this is not the case.
Let's face it, everyone wants a flat stomach! The problem is, it's not that simple. There are so many factors that have to be considered when looking achieve this. Every single person has abdominal muscles. If you didn't, you would not be able to get up from a horizontal position. The problem is trying to get rid of that sheet of fat so that you can actually see them.
Obtaining the most wanted body part for men and women is quite the challenge. It takes 100% dedication to training, the near perfect diet along with targeted supplementation (BioSignature) and an optimal lifestyle. In order to succeed you must acquire some basic knowledge of how the abdominal's and core work.
To keep this simple so that you stay focus, I will summarize the torso up in a couple of sentences:
1. Core muscles - These are the muscle that you don't see but hold precedence when training your torso. The primary role of the core is to stiffen the spine, rib cage and pelvic girdle so that the head, arms and legs have a stable working foundation. If you are suffering from some kind of inner abdominal dysfunction, you will not get that flat stomach.
2. Abdominal group - These are the ones that you do see (assuming you have low enough body fat). Performing crunches, leg raises, sit-ups etc...will all hypertrophy these muscles. However, you MUST have a solid core before you start direct abdominal training.
ACHIEVING THE IMPOSSIBLE
If you really want to look your best, walking around shirtless for your next summer holiday, start working on them now! With a combination of physical training, good nutrition, BioSignature and an optimal lifestyle, you can flatten your stomach for summer!
TRAINING
If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got! Change your weights training programme every 3 to 4 weeks. I'm not talking about just ab training you must change your whole routine!
Whether your goal is hypertrophy, strength or fat loss, you should never stick to the same exercises and exercise variables for longer than 3 to 6 weeks. Train with free-weights, NOT machines (unless instructed by a health care professional).
When training on machines, you do not stimulate the core and stabilizers. Squats, Lunges, Deadlifts, Military presses are all excellent and safe exercises when performed correctly! They train the abdominal's indirectly, stimulating the core, resulting in a flat strong torso. If you are retaining a layer a fat around your stomach but are relatively lean elsewhere, you will need to look at your nutrition and lifestyle. Avoid crunches and sit-ups for at least a couple of months, especially if you're a crunch fiend and perform them religiously!
The chances are you're in need of some structural balancing. Your trunk flexors will be tight and strong in comparison to your trunk extensors which will be weak. Instead, work on your lower back muscles and stretch out your abdominal's. Perform exercises like Deadlifts, and back extensions (not necessarily on the same day). If you never train the mid section and have gotten rid of most of the fat then you could start training them directly.
Below is a sample routine you can try out twice a week. Side note: Abdominal's are composed primarily of fast-twitch muscle fibres, which in laymans terms, mean they usually respond better to the rep rang between 6 and 12, with a total time under tension of 30-50 seconds.
A1 - Incline leg raises. 8-12 reps. 4.1.1.1 tempo. Lying face up on an incline bench of about 30 degrees, grab the bench behind your head. Lifts hips off the bench trying to keep legs straight as possible. Try kick the ceiling and slowly lower down for 4 seconds. Rest 30 seconds then...
A2 - Decline crunches. 8-10 reps. 3.0.1.0 tempo. Using the same bench as before, anchor your feet at the top somehow so that your head is below your feet. Perform a crunch towards your feet and slowly lower down for 3 seconds. After you have done 10 reps rest 30 seconds then..
A3 - Side bends - 8-10 reps. 3.0.1.0 tempo. Using a swiss ball or a back extension chair, anchor feet. If you are working your left side, have your left foot back and your right foot in front for better balance. Lower for 3 seconds and up for 1. Aim for 10 reps, rest then....
A4 - Back extensions - 8-10 reps. 3.0.1.0 tempo. Using the same chair or ball as above, anchor feet. Slowly lower your face towards the floor for 3 seconds, up for 1 and pause in an extension position (NOT HYPEREXSTENDED) for a second then down again. Aim for 10 reps then rest 2 to 3 minutes and repeat the super set for another 2 rounds!
By the end of this routine your abdominal's should be in a little pain. If not then you should look at increase the intensity next time, NOT reps. This can be done by holding a weight behind or in front of your head, or between your feet (leg raises).
NUTRITION
Without proper nutrition you will probably never get the results you're after. I'm not going to say that you should cut carbohydrates or fat as this may not work for you. However, if you have been relying on certain carbs and sugars for energy for a long time but have not seen a reduction in the waistline, maybe you should change to good fats and proteins. Here are some simple tips that can help with the stomach, along with increased energy levels:
Think before you eat - "that cake looks good, but I will regret it after" Eat as often as you can - 4 to 6 smaller meals instead of 2 or 3 big ones. Don't skip meals - If you do, your body will think there's lack of food around and prepare itself for this. Your metabolism will slow down and you will burn off muscle and retain fat! Eat Organic whenever possible - There's plenty of info out there on the importance of consuming organic, free-range products. Avoid processed foods and drinks - These are high in sugar, additives, bad fats and chemicals which our bodies are not designed to live on. Keep well hydrated - Drink at least 2 litres of bottled filtered water everyday. Avoid excessive alcohol consumption, especially beer.
BIOSIGNATURE
Please refer to my BioSignature article for more details.
SUMMARIZING UP
Follow these steps in order and you will have a much greater chance of losing that spare tyre compared to what you are probably doing right now:
1. Nutrition - Cut out all carbohydrates and sugars and focus on animal (and whey) proteins and vegetables (not potatoes). Stay well hydrated
2. Supplementation - For best results, I strongly recommend getting a BioSignature assessment done.
3. Lifestyle - Get to bed by about 10:30 ish every night (try your best here) and wake up at the same time every day. Find ways to control stress, if needed.
4. Training - Avoid excess sit-ups, crunches, leg raises and focus on big, compound movements, such as Deadlifts, Squats, Military Presses etc. This will burn more calories than direct abdominal exercises, and speed up your metabolism! Avoid, or limit sustained aerobic activities such as long runs. Trust me on this one!
Darron is the founder and Director of djd-training.com - a Private Personal Training company operating in Central and North London. His specialty lies with targeted fat loss using BioSignature and strength training. Darron's clients consist of busy Executives, stay-at-home mum's, Doctors, business owners, and more. For more info please go to djd-training.com or email direct at darron@djd-training.com
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