Blasting your abs????

I was training a client in the gym today and I happened to pass by a fitness class that seemed to be targeting abdominals. The participants were being instructed to perform just about every single way of doing an abdominal crunch. Legs up, to the side, legs down, pulsations etc. I'm quite sure that by the end, they had to have completed somewhere around 200 crunches. In other words, they did 200 repetitions of an exercise that basically has very little physical benefit. I asked myself, why would an instructor (who has to be certified) not know that this is one of the least effective ways to strengthen what most of us refer to as core muscles, some refer to as the "inner unit" and others simply call abs?

Years ago, there was a huge prevalence of classes and fitness training techniques that incorporated rhythm changes, position changes and different varieties of "crunching" your abs. I must tell you that according to current research (and you can look this up via ACSM, PT on the Net and other reputable associations) this type of training can actually screw up your posture. The result of high repetitions of "ab crunches" is curvature of the thoracic spine, neck jutting forward and lumbar weakness and pain. I'm not saying you should never do an ab crunch, but you need to be able to vary your abdominal movements to include transverse abdominus (belt around your middle) and the pelvic floor. These types of exercises include planks, opposite arm and leg lifts from hands and knees, chop exercises with medicine balls or kettle bells and rotations. Compound motions such as lunges + overhead presses and one-legged squats + medicine ball rotations are great exercises for ensuring that your entire body gets trained to be successful in terms of posture and completing daily functions.

Try to remember that just because an exercise "burns" or you really feel it, does not indicate that it is the best technique to achieve what your body really wants. In addition, if you feel pain in your spine in any area during and or following an exercise that exercise is not right for you. Talk to a professional for advice. Most of us are just happy to help......no charge! :)