Boxing Session
"Boxers and their trainers know there’s little benefit to having enormous muscles. "
There’s no denying that boxers like David Haye have incredible physiques, and while you may never want to step into the ring and take a Audley Harrison-style battering, you might want to get in shape just like a boxer.
Boxers and their trainers know there’s little benefit to having enormous muscles. Instead, an effective boxer will have excellent core muscles, be toned from head to toe and have stellar cardio. Boxers at all levels have to be supremely dedicated to rigorous training both in the gym and outside it; just doing a portion of a boxer workout will do wonders for any average guy looking to shed a few pounds or tone up. If you need proof of what the training can do for non-fighters, take a look at how Will Smith, James Franco and Matthew McConaughey turned out.
This boxer workout can be done at a gym, a boxing club if you’re more ambitious or even at home. Try it three times a week and you’ll see results before long.
Here’s how to train like a boxer:
The Warm-Up
In any workout, it’s important to get the muscles stretched and warmed up before doing anything too strenuous. To begin your boxing warm-up, take a few minutes to get your blood flowing (jogging in place, jumping jacks) before you dynamically stretch your entire body, especially the calves, arms and back.
Then, it’s time to get your heart rate up, and there’s no better way than through skipping - a traditional part of the boxer workout. If skipping isn’t something you’ve done since primary school, you might be a little rusty. Simple jumping jacks are a good alternative until you’re comfortable with the rope, but it’s best to just dive right in. Many beginners make the mistake of jumping too high and tiring themselves out. Lift your feet no more than an inch off the ground, and get comfortable with the rope by going slowly at first. Eventually, you’ll be able to increase your speed, then alternate feet. Soon, you’ll feel comfortable doing crosses, leg raises and double jumps, and maybe even trying to skip backward.
The skipping part of your warm-up should last at least 10 minutes.
Keep Your Heart Rate Up
A common phrase in boxing, and indeed in any fight sport, is: “One more round.” The men are separated from the boys in the final round, because they’ve put themselves in the best position to win through great conditioning. By the late rounds of a fight, victory is achieved more through one’s conditioning than by fight skills alone. To that end, your boxer workout should now be governed by threes and ones: three minutes on, one minute off. This structure simulates a typical boxing round, while giving you short breaks when they’re needed.
To keep your heart rate up, move into some circuit training that will strengthen your various muscle groups. With three minutes on the timer, mix in some push-ups, sit-ups and jumping jacks, doing 30 seconds of each, repeated.
Once you’ve done a simple round or two, you can add more challenging elements to your workout, like burpees, which will build the core muscles and make you more explosive. To begin, lower into a squat with your hands in front of you. Then, place your hand on the floor and kick your feet back so that you’re in the push-up position. Quickly kick back into the squat position and jump as high as you can from the squat. The key is to get full extension, but also do this exercise as quickly as you can.
Throw Some Punches
If you go to a gym where you have some space - or perhaps you’re following this workout at home - simple shadowboxing will have your arms, chest and back burning before long. I can’t teach you how to box in a few short paragraphs, but try different punches in different combinations to really work on your upper body. Throw jabs with your off-hand, and work through hooks, uppercuts and straight punches. Keep your feet moving; you should feel a burn in your calves before long.
If you have gloves, hand wraps and a heavy bag at home, here’s an exercise that will build muscle and shed calories (again, work for three minutes at a time, and you can break that three minutes into six 30-second intervals). For your first 30 seconds, throw assorted punches at the bag. Then, throw straight punches as quickly as you can, not worrying about power. For the final 30 seconds, throw power shots as hard as you’re able, then repeat all three. For a change, you can substitute in any other activity for 30 seconds (try push-ups, jumping jacks or whatever you feel you need).
Cut To The Core
Boxers build their core muscles to protect against punishing body shots; you can build yours to look and feel better. These exercises can be done at your gym, or at home if you have a medicine ball. It’s important to use a medicine ball that’s not too heavy, but at the same time pushes your body to its limits. A 5kg ball is suitable for those weighing under 75kg and a 8kg ball is good if you‘re heavier.
Sit on the ground with your legs straight in front of you, and hold the ball on the ground beside one hip. Now, keeping your legs as straight as possible, lift your feet off the ground a couple of inches. Hold your legs up and move the ball across your body, touching it to the ground next to each hip. Do this exercise in intervals of 50, making sure not to let your heels touch the ground.
Next, move to a wall, and with your knees bent at 90 degrees, “sit” with your back against the wall (you’re not actually sitting on anything). You’ll feel a burn in your abdominals right away, but you can augment the workout by holding the medicine ball straight out in front of you. Remembering to move slowly, you can lift the ball above your head, and then return it back in front of you. If this exercise is too tough, try a lighter ball.
If you have a workout partner, there are plenty of core drills with the ball you can do together.
Cool Down
Just as you should never go from a sprint to a dead stop, it’s not a good idea to end your boxer workout abruptly. Once you’ve had enough - or worked for the desired length of time - skip for another 5 to 10 minutes, then finish with a full set of stretching. This entire workout is one that is easily done in 45 minutes, though you can add weight work to extend it.
Thursday 30 December 2010
Wednesday 15 December 2010
Training and Sex - The Answer
As Rocky once so eloquently put it:
“Hey, Adrian, I’m serious now. There’s no foolin’ around during training, understand? I wanna stay strong.”
The myth that a great performance in bed the night before a big bout will translate into a poor performance in the ring is probably as old as competition itself. The idea behind the abstinence comes from the notion that the act of ejaculation reduces testosterone, the hormone of both sexual desire and aggression in male athletes. Coaches and supporters of the belief will say that a man looses his vital energy and decreases his pugnacity every time he ejaculates.
The tradition of abstinence is particularly strong in power sports, such as boxing, where aggression is considered a valuable trait. Many boxers continue to practice the no sex clause before a fight.
This idea has become so popular that athletes in other sports have also opted to stay away from “scoring” the night before a big game. Mike Ditka, former coach of the Chicago Bears, told his players on the eve of the 1986 Superbowl: "You can only play this game once. If wives and girlfriends can't wait, tell them to take a cold shower." Most recently, soccer coach Fabio Capello limited the access his players had to their wives and girlfriends (aka, WAGS) during the World Cup to one day after each game.
Even current UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre has a strong perspective on sex and training:
"...iconic fighter Rocky Marciano would excuse himself from the marital bed for months before a bout. Marciano was the only heavyweight boxer to retire undefeated. "
Genesis Of Sex And Training Idea
Greg Whyte, professor of applied sport and exercise science at Liverpool John Moores University, says that Ancient Greeks came up with this idea. According to Whyte, Ancient Greeks were fervent believers that sexual activity would sap energy, lower testosterone and reduce aggression in men. The famous Greek philosopher, Plato, was the first to tackle the issue when he wrote about Olympic champion, Ikkos of Tarentum. According to the literature, Ikkos prepared for the 84th Olympiad in 444 B.C. by eating large quantities of wild boar, cheese and goat meat, but restrained from sexual activity, fearing it could diminish his strength.
According to a Newsweek article, the Romans disagreed with the notion. In A.D. 77, Pliny the Elder wrote that sluggish athletes were revitalized by love-making. Since then, the idea that sex can impair physical performance has gripped the minds of athletes for centuries.
In the middle of the 20th century, legendary boxer Muhammad Ali reportedly went two months without sex before a big fight, claiming it made him unbeatable in the ring. Ali is considered one of the best fighters of all time; his record stands at an impressive 56 wins in 61 fights, with 37 knockouts.
Most recently, Manny Pacquiao has stated publicly that he separates himself from his wife when he trains for a fight. He only has contact with his wife during chaperoned visits. Pacquiao is considered by many in the sport as the best welterweight fighter of all time.
Throughout the centuries athletes have been disciplined to give up sex and have an early night before a competition. But is there any critical evidence to suggest that sex has any repercussion on athletic ability?
The Research
According to Ian Shrier, sports medicine specialist at McGill University, there are only two possible ways that sex before a competition can affect your performance. First is the idea that sex can make an athlete tired and weak the next day, which has been disproved. The second is that sexual activity the night before affects your state of mind. This latter potential effect has yet to be tested.
According to Shrier, sexual activity before a competition has no influence on a man's grip strength, power, balance, endurance, lateral movement, reaction time, or aerobic power.
ESPN decided to test the myth on the show Sport Science. A professional male and female fighter were tested on cardiovascular endurance, lower and upper body strength and power using impact sensors designed by the United States Boxing Association. The fighters were asked to abstain for a day in order to run the first series of tests and then after engaging in sexual intercourse with their spouse, the athletes were retested. The results indicated that physiologically, testosterone levels were higher in both the male and the female fighter after having sex. According to the numbers, the female boxer’s punch registered at 632 pounds of force pre-sex. She then registered 876 pounds of force after sex. That’s almost a 30% improvement.
More Evidence (Or Lack Thereof)
Tommy Boone, exercise physiologist at the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, Minnesota, and author of Sex Before Athletic Competition: Myth or Fact, says there is no evidence to support abstinence before a match. In 1995, Boone conducted a study that challenged 11 athletes to a treadmill test. Some had sex 12 hours before the test and some abstained. According to Boone, there was no difference in performance between the groups.
A man's body does undergo some physical changes during sex, which include a rise in heart rate from 70 bpm at rest to up to 130 bpm when active. But compared to the exertion required during a soccer match, sex requires less than 25% of the aerobic effort, says Boone, and it lasts for much less time.
Scientists have found that, in general, sexual intercourse between married partners expends only 25 to 50 calories. That’s about the energy it takes to walk up two flights of stairs. In fact, one of the most credible studies on sex, conducted at Queen’s University in Belfast, asserts that having sex reduces the risk of heart disease and improves overall fitness.
Yet, many athletes continue to believe the myth. Athletes think of sex as an exercise that can fatigue the body and reduce aggression.
Science has proved that lovemaking is not a very demanding exercise. Furthermore, going without sex for a long period of time can even drop your testosterone levels says Emmanuele A. Jannini, professor of endocrinology at the University of L'Aquila in Italy. Jannini has done extensive research in the study of bodily secretions.
He dismisses the assertion that sex the night before a competition has a tiring effect on an athlete.
“Hey, Adrian, I’m serious now. There’s no foolin’ around during training, understand? I wanna stay strong.”
The myth that a great performance in bed the night before a big bout will translate into a poor performance in the ring is probably as old as competition itself. The idea behind the abstinence comes from the notion that the act of ejaculation reduces testosterone, the hormone of both sexual desire and aggression in male athletes. Coaches and supporters of the belief will say that a man looses his vital energy and decreases his pugnacity every time he ejaculates.
The tradition of abstinence is particularly strong in power sports, such as boxing, where aggression is considered a valuable trait. Many boxers continue to practice the no sex clause before a fight.
This idea has become so popular that athletes in other sports have also opted to stay away from “scoring” the night before a big game. Mike Ditka, former coach of the Chicago Bears, told his players on the eve of the 1986 Superbowl: "You can only play this game once. If wives and girlfriends can't wait, tell them to take a cold shower." Most recently, soccer coach Fabio Capello limited the access his players had to their wives and girlfriends (aka, WAGS) during the World Cup to one day after each game.
Even current UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre has a strong perspective on sex and training:
"...iconic fighter Rocky Marciano would excuse himself from the marital bed for months before a bout. Marciano was the only heavyweight boxer to retire undefeated. "
Genesis Of Sex And Training Idea
Greg Whyte, professor of applied sport and exercise science at Liverpool John Moores University, says that Ancient Greeks came up with this idea. According to Whyte, Ancient Greeks were fervent believers that sexual activity would sap energy, lower testosterone and reduce aggression in men. The famous Greek philosopher, Plato, was the first to tackle the issue when he wrote about Olympic champion, Ikkos of Tarentum. According to the literature, Ikkos prepared for the 84th Olympiad in 444 B.C. by eating large quantities of wild boar, cheese and goat meat, but restrained from sexual activity, fearing it could diminish his strength.
According to a Newsweek article, the Romans disagreed with the notion. In A.D. 77, Pliny the Elder wrote that sluggish athletes were revitalized by love-making. Since then, the idea that sex can impair physical performance has gripped the minds of athletes for centuries.
In the middle of the 20th century, legendary boxer Muhammad Ali reportedly went two months without sex before a big fight, claiming it made him unbeatable in the ring. Ali is considered one of the best fighters of all time; his record stands at an impressive 56 wins in 61 fights, with 37 knockouts.
Most recently, Manny Pacquiao has stated publicly that he separates himself from his wife when he trains for a fight. He only has contact with his wife during chaperoned visits. Pacquiao is considered by many in the sport as the best welterweight fighter of all time.
Throughout the centuries athletes have been disciplined to give up sex and have an early night before a competition. But is there any critical evidence to suggest that sex has any repercussion on athletic ability?
The Research
According to Ian Shrier, sports medicine specialist at McGill University, there are only two possible ways that sex before a competition can affect your performance. First is the idea that sex can make an athlete tired and weak the next day, which has been disproved. The second is that sexual activity the night before affects your state of mind. This latter potential effect has yet to be tested.
According to Shrier, sexual activity before a competition has no influence on a man's grip strength, power, balance, endurance, lateral movement, reaction time, or aerobic power.
ESPN decided to test the myth on the show Sport Science. A professional male and female fighter were tested on cardiovascular endurance, lower and upper body strength and power using impact sensors designed by the United States Boxing Association. The fighters were asked to abstain for a day in order to run the first series of tests and then after engaging in sexual intercourse with their spouse, the athletes were retested. The results indicated that physiologically, testosterone levels were higher in both the male and the female fighter after having sex. According to the numbers, the female boxer’s punch registered at 632 pounds of force pre-sex. She then registered 876 pounds of force after sex. That’s almost a 30% improvement.
More Evidence (Or Lack Thereof)
Tommy Boone, exercise physiologist at the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, Minnesota, and author of Sex Before Athletic Competition: Myth or Fact, says there is no evidence to support abstinence before a match. In 1995, Boone conducted a study that challenged 11 athletes to a treadmill test. Some had sex 12 hours before the test and some abstained. According to Boone, there was no difference in performance between the groups.
A man's body does undergo some physical changes during sex, which include a rise in heart rate from 70 bpm at rest to up to 130 bpm when active. But compared to the exertion required during a soccer match, sex requires less than 25% of the aerobic effort, says Boone, and it lasts for much less time.
Scientists have found that, in general, sexual intercourse between married partners expends only 25 to 50 calories. That’s about the energy it takes to walk up two flights of stairs. In fact, one of the most credible studies on sex, conducted at Queen’s University in Belfast, asserts that having sex reduces the risk of heart disease and improves overall fitness.
Yet, many athletes continue to believe the myth. Athletes think of sex as an exercise that can fatigue the body and reduce aggression.
Science has proved that lovemaking is not a very demanding exercise. Furthermore, going without sex for a long period of time can even drop your testosterone levels says Emmanuele A. Jannini, professor of endocrinology at the University of L'Aquila in Italy. Jannini has done extensive research in the study of bodily secretions.
He dismisses the assertion that sex the night before a competition has a tiring effect on an athlete.
Wednesday 8 December 2010
Twenty Five Running Tips
Whatever your running ability, there's something here for you
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| If your arms go forward, your knees will go forward – that’s how our bodies are made | |
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1 Watch your footing
‘Make sure your heel strikes the ground first, rather than the ball of your foot,’ advises Sajjad Afzal, a podiatrist to UK athletes. ‘Run smoothly and rhythmically.’ If you hit the ground with the side or the ball of your foot, it will roll. This has a domino effect on the rest of the body and can cause common running injuries such as shin splints, ‘runner’s knee’ and back pain.
2 Be style conscious
See a specialist to improve your running style. It could be a coach or a podiatrist, but even a member of staff in a good running shop will be able to analyse the way you run and offer tips.
3 Get pumping
Move your arms more. ‘If your arms go forward, your knees will go forward – that’s how our bodies are made.’ ‘If you have a bigger range of movement with your arms, your legs will have a greater movement too. And if you move your arms really quickly, your legs will move really quickly!’
4 Judge your pace
It may sound obvious but if you want to run a fast marathon or 10k race, you first have to learn how to judge your speed and maintain consistency. ‘Paula Radcliffe knows by the way her foot strikes the ground how fast she is running and will hit that mile marker at five mins 15 secs, or three to four seconds either side of that, every time,’ says Munroe. ‘Start by running three eight-minute miles in a week. The next week try to beat that. If you do this you’ll get quicker.’ Over a period of time you will learn to work out your speed.
5 Be progressive
Don’t train too hard too soon. If you do you will increase your risk of injury or plain, simple fatigue. Many newcomers give up because they’ve tried to go too far, too fast and have failed.
6 Work it!
That’s no excuse to slack. Work hard and remember that you get out of running what you put in.
7 Test yourself
Compete in races as part of a plan to gauge fitness, progression and race pace. Putting races in your calendar will also force you to train harder.
8 See the bigger picture
Don’t ignore the rest of your body. Running doesn’t just require strong legs and a good pair of lungs. To hold your body in the right running posture over the distance requires strong core stability. Do a weekly session of circuit training to make sure the whole body is getting a workout. A session should include press-ups, crunches, jump squats, burpees, reverse curls, split jumps and running on the spot with high knees.
9 Lift weights
Do resistance training, too. Machine exercises that will help your running include leg extensions, leg presses, hamstring curls, shoulder press and abduction work. Do three sets of between ten and 12 reps.
10 Shake up your training
Try Fartlek training. Developed in the 1930s, this is a less structured form of interval training, and something you can easily do while out on your runs. The idea is to run flat out, jog for a while, then sprint again. If you want something a little more structured try this programme. Pick two trees about 30 metres apart. Run 60 per cent of your top speed or maximum heart rate and jog back. On the second go, run at 70 per cent and jog back and then at 80 per cent and then back to 60. Do this for ten minutes.
11 Go hill running
The only way to improve your running fitness is to stress the lungs and your muscles – and there’s no better way to achieve this than on an energy-sapping hill. Run up at three-quarter pace, jog down, run up at three-quarter pace, jog down… you get the idea.
12 Be careful out there
Do everything within your power to avoid injury. Start your sessions with a light jog or a few minutes on the treadmill. Then warm up gently. Run hard during your workout and cool down fully afterwards.
13 Raise those knees
Avoid injury too by practising ‘functional mobility exercises’. Examples are high knee walking, high knee cantering and lunging. These will help your ‘running muscles’.
14 Know your heart
Work out your true maximum heart rate (MHR). The standard way to work out the rate is to subtract your age from 220 but if you’re serious about training, there’s a much better way. After a warm-up, run for three minutes as hard and as consistently as you can, then rest for two minutes, and then run again for three minutes at your max. Count your heart rate. This is your true MHR. Unless you’re a beginner and you’re still building up your fitness levels, run at between 75 and 87 per cent. ‘This will give you the greatest fitness benefits.’
15 Keep a record
Be anal – start a training log, whether it’s on a notepad or a computer. It’s a good way to boost confidence because it shows a series of quantifiable gains – or it will if you’re doing everything right.
16 Join a club
There’s nothing like peer pressure or the presence of a proper coach to bring out the best in you. There are running clubs all around the country from serious athletics clubs to those designed to help people get fit for the first time to seasoned pros.
17 Partner up
Running becomes much easier when you have a friend to spur/nag you on.
18 Stay hydrated
Drink even if you’re not thirsty. ‘The body has a poor thirst mechanism,’ says Adam Mead, senior dietician at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital in London. ‘When you’re thirsty it’s already too late. If there’s even a five per cent drop in hydration levels your performance will tail off.’
19 Know your fluids
Hydrate with water if your run is less than 15 miles. Use a sports drink if it’s longer. Take on fluid every 15 minutes of exercise.
20 Get snacking
Don’t run on an empty stomach. ‘About 60 to 90 minutes before a run, have some fruit.’
21 Eat right
Base your meals around carbs such as pasta, rice and potatoes. You should aim to eat about 70 per cent carbs, 15 per cent protein and 15 per cent fat. ‘During any physical activity you use a crucial fuel called glycogen, which comes from carbohydrates. You need to make sure you’re eating sufficient amounts. You need protein to build new cells and muscle.’
22 Do your sums
Be scientific about it. You should aim to eat five grammes of carbohydrate and one gramme of protein per kilo of body weight per day.
23 Eat as soon as you’ve run
This will aid recovery. Something like a banana is ideal because it has a high glycemic index (GI) and will give an immediate boost of energy. For your main meal, eat carbohydrates with a low GI – those that release energy slowly – such as sweet potatoes and brown or Basmati rice.
24 Chill out in the bath
Forget having a hot soak after a run. It’s the worst thing you can do because it encourages the micro-tears in your muscles to bleed out, which increases soreness. Have an ice bath instead. It’s what most top athletes do because it helps flush lactic acid out of the muscles and boosts the immune system. Unless you have half a tonne of ice to hand, run the tub with cold water and jump in for about five minutes.
25 Take a multivitamin…
Athletes require more minerals and vitamins than the average person thanks to the stresses of running. Each stride can cause tiny amounts of damage to the red blood cells in the feet, and running also produces damaging free radicals. Vitamins and minerals can help mop them up.
Tuesday 7 December 2010
All About Abdominal Workouts
How Many Types Of Sit-ups Should I Do?
Sit-ups are without doubt the most overrated exercise in the gym. That’s not to say that they are not important, it’s just that they are over-used by the majority of gym goers.
Keeping the abdominal muscles strong is essential to help prevent back pain and help maintain core stability, but performing 10 different types of sit-ups, most of which look as if they are adapted from the Karma Sutra is a waste of time. Varying all types of exercise is certainly encouraged by most personal trainers and abdominal exercises are no exceptions but trying out sit ups that are overly complex and difficult to perform correctly is often more of a hindrance to your routine.
The maximum number of abdominal exercises I give to my clients per session rarely exceeds 3 or 4 basic movements. By ensuring that every exercise is performed slowly and correctly, the abdominals can be worked intensely in a simple fluid movement without the client worrying where their arms and legs should be.
Changing the type of abdominal exercises you perform every few weeks or so is a good idea. This keeps your interest up and works the stomach slightly differently, but avoid following everyone else’s example at the gym and looking like an amateur contortionist! Ask a fitness professional for 3 simple stomach exercises every few weeks and ensure you perform each one slowly and as instructed.
Are Sit-ups More Effective On A Stability Ball?
The introduction of the stability ball has helped to revolutionise the fitness industry, particularly when it comes to abdominal exercises. Now a feature of health and fitness centres all over the world, the stability ball helps provide support for the lower back and adds variety to stomach exercises.
Out of the many questions I am asked about sit-ups and the benefits of the various abdominal exercises, the question of whether performing sit-ups on the ball is better than lying on the floor is often raised. The simple answer is that yes, sit-ups performed on a stability ball are more effective for the stomach muscles than lying on the floor and MRI scans have proved this.
The abdominal contraction while executing a sit-up on a stability ball has been shown to be far more intense than when lying on the ground, proving conclusively that your abs get a far more intense workout with this method. The exercise ball has the added benefit of helping to work a selection of other muscles such as your legs and the stabilising muscles of your core. These stabilising muscles can be recruited as much or as little as you like by narrowing your foot stance (maximum engagement) or widening it (minimum engagement).
It is often advised that you should not put your hands behind your head whilst performing the sit-up, so that you do not pull on your neck during the movement. I always advise clients that if they wish to support the head with their hands that is fine, but you must be sure not to pull on your neck.
Do Sit-ups Give You A Flat Stomach?
The false belief that performing hundreds of sit-ups every day in an effort to flatten the stomach is perhaps the most popular myth I have to deal with. The number of clients I have trained over the years who have begged me to put them through a 20-minute stomach workout to help shrink their waistline is staggering.
By performing sit-ups or ‘crunches’, as they are sometimes referred to, you are helping to strengthen and firm up the rectus abdominals muscles, more commonly known as the ‘six-pack’.
Hundreds of sit-ups may well give your stomach muscles the strength to bounce bullets but crunches will do nothing to reduce the amount of fat you have on your tummy. Abdominal fat is there because of excessive calorie consumption, so the only way to get rid of it is to burn off the calories by following a balanced diet and performing high intensity exercise such as running, cycling, aerobics and swimming.
There is one trick, however, which can help to give the appearance of a flatter stomach, regardless (within reason) of how much abdominal fat you possess. Underneath the rectus abdominals lies a band of muscle called the transverses abdominals. Also referred to as the ‘corset muscle’, the transverses abdominals helps to keep the back strong and compresses the abdomen. By exercising this muscle regularly, it can help to improve your posture and make the stomach appear flatter even though you may not have lost a single pound.
To exercise the transverses, all you need to do are two things:
1. Suck in your stomach, so your belly button is drawn towards your spine.
2. While your stomach is sucked in, do not hold your breath just keep breathing normally.
You will know that you are doing this properly when you begin to feel a minor burning sensation in the deep stomach. This is a sign that the transverses abdominals has been engaged and is being worked, just as the six-pack muscles are being worked while performing crunches. Initially, this is hard to do as many people instinctively want to breathe in as they draw in the stomach, but with practice it gets easier. If you are still finding it difficult, try performing the method on your hands and knees.
This technique is by no means a miracle cure but by performing it regularly, such as in the car, watching television or visiting the in-laws, it can help both to flatten your stomach and improve your posture.
Sit-ups are without doubt the most overrated exercise in the gym. That’s not to say that they are not important, it’s just that they are over-used by the majority of gym goers.
Keeping the abdominal muscles strong is essential to help prevent back pain and help maintain core stability, but performing 10 different types of sit-ups, most of which look as if they are adapted from the Karma Sutra is a waste of time. Varying all types of exercise is certainly encouraged by most personal trainers and abdominal exercises are no exceptions but trying out sit ups that are overly complex and difficult to perform correctly is often more of a hindrance to your routine.
The maximum number of abdominal exercises I give to my clients per session rarely exceeds 3 or 4 basic movements. By ensuring that every exercise is performed slowly and correctly, the abdominals can be worked intensely in a simple fluid movement without the client worrying where their arms and legs should be.
Changing the type of abdominal exercises you perform every few weeks or so is a good idea. This keeps your interest up and works the stomach slightly differently, but avoid following everyone else’s example at the gym and looking like an amateur contortionist! Ask a fitness professional for 3 simple stomach exercises every few weeks and ensure you perform each one slowly and as instructed.
Are Sit-ups More Effective On A Stability Ball?
The introduction of the stability ball has helped to revolutionise the fitness industry, particularly when it comes to abdominal exercises. Now a feature of health and fitness centres all over the world, the stability ball helps provide support for the lower back and adds variety to stomach exercises.
Out of the many questions I am asked about sit-ups and the benefits of the various abdominal exercises, the question of whether performing sit-ups on the ball is better than lying on the floor is often raised. The simple answer is that yes, sit-ups performed on a stability ball are more effective for the stomach muscles than lying on the floor and MRI scans have proved this.
The abdominal contraction while executing a sit-up on a stability ball has been shown to be far more intense than when lying on the ground, proving conclusively that your abs get a far more intense workout with this method. The exercise ball has the added benefit of helping to work a selection of other muscles such as your legs and the stabilising muscles of your core. These stabilising muscles can be recruited as much or as little as you like by narrowing your foot stance (maximum engagement) or widening it (minimum engagement).
It is often advised that you should not put your hands behind your head whilst performing the sit-up, so that you do not pull on your neck during the movement. I always advise clients that if they wish to support the head with their hands that is fine, but you must be sure not to pull on your neck.
Do Sit-ups Give You A Flat Stomach?
The false belief that performing hundreds of sit-ups every day in an effort to flatten the stomach is perhaps the most popular myth I have to deal with. The number of clients I have trained over the years who have begged me to put them through a 20-minute stomach workout to help shrink their waistline is staggering.
By performing sit-ups or ‘crunches’, as they are sometimes referred to, you are helping to strengthen and firm up the rectus abdominals muscles, more commonly known as the ‘six-pack’.
Hundreds of sit-ups may well give your stomach muscles the strength to bounce bullets but crunches will do nothing to reduce the amount of fat you have on your tummy. Abdominal fat is there because of excessive calorie consumption, so the only way to get rid of it is to burn off the calories by following a balanced diet and performing high intensity exercise such as running, cycling, aerobics and swimming.
There is one trick, however, which can help to give the appearance of a flatter stomach, regardless (within reason) of how much abdominal fat you possess. Underneath the rectus abdominals lies a band of muscle called the transverses abdominals. Also referred to as the ‘corset muscle’, the transverses abdominals helps to keep the back strong and compresses the abdomen. By exercising this muscle regularly, it can help to improve your posture and make the stomach appear flatter even though you may not have lost a single pound.
To exercise the transverses, all you need to do are two things:
1. Suck in your stomach, so your belly button is drawn towards your spine.
2. While your stomach is sucked in, do not hold your breath just keep breathing normally.
You will know that you are doing this properly when you begin to feel a minor burning sensation in the deep stomach. This is a sign that the transverses abdominals has been engaged and is being worked, just as the six-pack muscles are being worked while performing crunches. Initially, this is hard to do as many people instinctively want to breathe in as they draw in the stomach, but with practice it gets easier. If you are still finding it difficult, try performing the method on your hands and knees.
This technique is by no means a miracle cure but by performing it regularly, such as in the car, watching television or visiting the in-laws, it can help both to flatten your stomach and improve your posture.
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