By Vince DelMonte
When trying to achieve the illusive six pack, it’ easy to get confused by all the “best ab workouts” available. You’ll likely notice that there a multitude of ab workouts to choose one, so deciphering which ones will work the best can be tricky.

The thing to remember is that whenever you are trying to work your core, everything works, for a certain period of time. Everything from high reps, low reps, weighted work, bodyweight work, stability ball exercises, and BOSU ball exercises - it all works until your body adapts and says, “This is easy, I’m not going to change unless you give me a new reason to adapt.”

Your ab training should be progressed from stable floor work with your body weight to a unstable surface with weighted work. Progressing to movements that will reduce your base of support as much as possible are the best ab workouts because they will call into play all the muscles within the core, especially those really deep that stable floor work can not target.

Such examples of floor ab exercises that would do this would be crunches, sit ups and leg raises. Eventually you want to do these same exercises against gravity, then a load and then on unstable surface like a stability ball. Body weight exercises like “front planks” and “side planks” should be the foundation of a core program and progressed to one arm planks in the frontal and side planes and then eventually on a stability ball or BOSU ball for further recruitment.

The best ab workouts to make your abs “pop” would be a variety of weighted movements. I’m sure you’ve skinny guys with a flat stomach but no “eye popping” abs, which is because they have not developed the actual abdominal muscle, just like every other body part. Part of getting nicely chiseled abs is going to be developing the muscles underneath the fat, and weighted ab crunches with cables or on a stability ball with a heavy dumbbell will do this best.

During all your ab workouts be sure to get a full stretch during the eccentric phase of your ab exercises. Going through an entire range of motion on the way up (if doing a crunch on the floor or ball) is not necessary, however, you should be “crunching” your upper abs onto your lower abs during each rep to maximize the burn, recruitment and full development.

The one weighted exercise you will not find in my programs is weighted side bends, as this could make you look wider in the waste, distracting from creating a lean image.

One concerning question most people have is regarding lower ab workouts, typically the most troubling spot. Yes, hip flexion (emphasis more so on lower abs) is important to perform and should be done first in the workout but the reality of the matter is that you cannot specifically separate your abs into upper and lower components. Whenever you perform any type of ab movement you should automatically be focusing on working both the upper and lower portion at the same time.

Good exercise to definitely direct a little more force into the lower area would be the progression of lying leg raises, lying leg raises on a incline and eventually hanging leg raises fully vertical. Lying leg raises on a stability pull is also an extremely challenging and advanced exercise to create razor sharp abdominals.

Finally, the last thing to consider is when you are going to perform your ab workout is training frequency. Again, generally speaking, the more the better assuming your abdominals have recovered. Whether you want to perform it at the end of your workout, before your workout, during your workout or on a day of it’s own is up to you. My ab workouts incorporate all methods depending on if you are a beginner, intermediate or advanced. Some theories of that warn you not to start with abs is because abs work as a synergistic muscle for so many of the other exercises you’ll do, if you pre-fatigue them before the start of the workout, you may not progress as much during the rest of your workout. I don’t agree with this and if you’re abs are your weakest link then they should be given first priority when you are the most fresh, the start of your workout.

Incorporating a specific ab workout is only a small part of the battle - diet, lifestyle and overall caloric expenditure through weight training and cardio are the true building blocks to creating a sexy and desired mid section. 

By Vince DelMonte

When it comes to getting a solid six pack, doing the right ab exercises is crucial. You can spend hours doing needless sit-ups that aren’t really going to have all that much benefit, much to your disappointment. Taking the time to choose smart ab exercises will save you not only gym time, but a great deal of frustration as well. In this article we will discuss the best lower ab exercises and the best home ab exercises as well.

The best movements for the abdominal muscles are going to be ones that reduce your overall stability. The reason for this is because this will require all your muscle tissues, even the ones deep within the core, to contract in order to maintain balance. When you perform regular sit-ups, for example, they are really only going to target the more superficial muscles; one that will still help, but not get you near the results you could be seeing.

So what ab exercises are ones that reduce your balance?

Basically, anything done on an unstable surface is going to get the job done. This would include movements such as walking across a balance beam, performing one leg squats, one arm shoulder presses, or bent over dumbbell rows standing on one leg and of course, utilizing an exercise ball for any laying abdominal movement you perform. Working on a BOSU ball and stability ball ab exercises are also excellent options. As long as you have a set of free weights and stability ball then these would qualify as your best home ab exercises as well.

By far the most effective lower ab exercises are hanging leg raises while you use your lower abs to rotate your pelvis which is the secret to performing this effectively. Lying leg raises, lying leg raises on a 45 degree incline and cable crunches are also rock hard ab exercises.

Another area you might want to venture into with your ab exercises are those that utilize heavy weights.

While this will not necessarily get you ‘cut’ so that all your individual muscles are showing - that takes having low levels of body fat, what weighted movements will do is help further build the muscle tissue and make your abs “pop”.

The more muscle mass you have, the faster your metabolic rate will then be, so in an indirect way, that could in fact help you burn off excess body fat.

Furthermore, doing weighted movements will also increase your strength greatly, reducing the risk of injuries from any other type of exercise you may attempt. Weighted ball crunches with a stability ball on your chest is my favorite home ab exercises.

When choosing when to perform your ab exercises, if you are looking for performance, do them on a separate day from all your other work. Just like any muscle group, you want to be fresh when you do them.

If, on the other hand, you are more just doing them to help build some strength, but more to round out your exercise program, then you should be doing them at the end of your workout session. This will prevent them from fatiguing early, because they are going to be predominately used in all the other lifts you perform (heavy squats for example).

In many cases this rule can be bent though. For example, if a client comes to me and their abs are the weakest muscle group then performing them at the end of the workout makes no sense because they will be pre fatigued from the workout and you will not be able to train them as intensely so prioritizing your abs at the start of the workout can become the exception in this case.

So, next time you are creating your workout and are picking out ab exercises, keep these points in mind. Having good dedication to performing these exercises on a regular basis and then following a clean diet based around raw vegetables and proteins are the two main components to developing that six-pack you’re hoping for.
 

One thing up front.  I personally believe, based on experience and study, that walking has to be one of the finest exercises around.  Whether you are interested in health, fitness, weight loss, or aging, there’s not too many things that have such a beneficial effect as walking.

In fact, before we try to humble and belittle walking as an exercise, let’s be noble and try to point out some of its good points.

As a general, all-purpose exercise, walking IS one of the best. After all, it can…

• Help improve general health through a multitude of beneficial results
  
  
• Improve heart and lung strength, efficiency, and capacity
  
  
• Improve the efficiency of the body’s immune system
  
  
• Reduce stress
  
  
• Reduce weight
  
  
• Improve the overall emotional condition
  
  
• Increase energy
  
  
• Delay some effects of the aging process
  
  
• Help maintain muscle tone and balance
  
  
• Help prevent osteoporosis
  
  
• Assist in the control of diabetes.

Yep, it’s going to be tough to say bad things about walking.

After all, it’s so simple to do, and there’s no real training or special equipment needed.  In fact, we’ve been doing it for all but about one year of our lives, so what’s the deal?  If it’s so great, why aren’t we all olympic class athletes and healthy as horses?

Well, our bodies were designed back when there was a lot more walking than nowadays.  Our ancestors, and I’m not talking about today’s grandmas and grandpas, of which I am one, often had to walk for miles in any given day to gather food or to hunt for it…often chasing it at a fast pace for hours on end.  Going from the living room couch to the car, from the car to the office, and back again, with a few trips to the fridge thrown in doesn’t count.

After all, how do we really spend our days.  We sit in those cars, at desks, in front of TVs or computers, eat meals full of non-nutritional food, and then go to bed.

Hey!  Did you get up early this morning, or go to bed late?  That’s more time you have to burn calories, right?  Wrong.  You just possibly pumped some cortisol into your blood stream, and that’s going to help you pack on weight, but that’s another article.

The point is, we don’t live the way we should in terms of the amount of activity we need.  It has been estimated by serious scientists that we need at least 30 minutes of somewhat strenuous activity EVERY DAY to experience high level health benefits from walking or any other exercise.  A few years ago, a study indicated that only about 20% of Americans met that goal.

And while walking is a great exercise in general, there are some drawbacks to it.

The first thing to dispose of is the “perfect” exercise thing.  With all its health benefits, there are some things it can’t do.  Our bodies need stretching almost daily.  This doesn’t need to be vigorous or painful, but it does need to be regular.  Walking can’t do that.  We also need some weight bearing and resistance exercise for the parts of the body that walking does not work on.  Again, this doesn’t have to be incredibly strenuous, but it does need to happen to each part of the body a couple of times each week.  In fact, many people divide their resistance exercises into upper and lower body, or by some other division, doing one set of exercises one day alternating with the other.  For example, I do dumbbell training for my upper body on Mondays and Thursdays and my lower body on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Walking also is not “perfect” if you have a specific exercise goal that it simply does not address.  For example, a tennis player may benefit from improved stamina and leg strength through walking, but will need to do other exercises to strengthen arm and chest muscles for swinging the racket.

Walking for health needs not only to be regular, but brisk as well.  It may be necessary to warm up before a real walk, and, for beginners, it may almost certainly be necessary to build up to that 30 minutes we were talking about.  There are even experts who recommend 45 minutes a day, but 30 minutes a day should be the minimum.

Additionally, you DO need some good equipment.  A good pair of walking shoes at a minimum and clothing appropriate to the temperature and weather. 

Whatever you do, by the way, get your doctor’s guidance and blessing before embarking on any exercise program.

So, here’s what you do.  Start your new-you program gently and begin walking every day.  It can be at a mall, in a park, at the zoo, in the woods, along the shore…wherever!  Then, after you’ve given your body a few weeks to adapt and your mind the chance to realize that this isn’t bad and you actually feel better than you used to, and once you have made, dare I say the word, “exercise” a part of your life, start with some extremely light weights and begin doing resistance exercises a couple of times a week.  Start doing a little stretching every day, and you’ll have it made.

I’m done.  Think I’ll go back in the pasture and take a walk…if my neighbor’s goats didn’t get through the fence again.

Hey!  There’s a thought.  I think I’ll write an article on excuses NOT to exercise.

Shoulder tendonitis is the inflammation of the tendons around the shoulder’s rotator cuff and upper bicep area. Shoulder tendonitis is usually developed by sports and activities that require you to lift your hands above your head repeatedly. Common activities that often lead to shoulder tendonitis are strength training (bodybuilding), some certain swimming strokes, racket sports like squash and tennis, cricket and any manual job that requires lifting of items over the shoulders.

The early symptoms of shoulder tendonitis include some light pain in the area where the upper bicep meets the shoulder and possibly some light swelling and tenderness. Usually the pain only occurs when the shoulder is under pressure. As the tendonitis develops the pain will occur at any time of the day or night, even when you are sleeping. The area where the pain occurs will get larger often encompassing the entire rotator cuff area and in some cases the upper bicep. Movement of the shoulder will be very restricted often painful.

So how do you know if you are developing shoulder tendonitis? As mentioned above, the first sign of tendonitis developing is the pain in the shoulder when it’s under pressure. If you feel a pain in your shoulder when you are lifting heavy weights and playing sport this is usually a sign that tendonitis is developing.

The first (and most obvious) step to take is stop doing whatever activity is causing the pain in your shoulder. We recommend that you stop this activity for at least one week. After that week, you should attempt lifting some very light weights to see if the pain is still occurring. If the pain does not occur, then it is likely that you simply strained your shoulder muscle or in more serious cases damaged the tendon temporarily. In this case you should ease back into the activity. If the pain does occur, it is likely that you have developed mild shoulder tendonitis.

Now that you have identified that you have tendonitis in your shoulder you must rest it once again. This time rest it for about three weeks. During this three week period you should not partake in any activity that may strain your shoulder. This includes light lifting and sports.

After that three weeks is up it is time to start to strengthen the shoulder to prevent the tendonitis. There are several light exercises that you can do strengthen your shoulder muscles and tendons. You should start with very light weights, 1kg should be about right for males and .5kg for females.

Start by holding the weight in your right hand with your palm facing your body. Keeping your arm straight raise the weight straight out in front of you until it is at shoulder height. Repeat this exercise for twenty repetitions. Repeat for your left hand. Now get the same weight and instead of moving it out to your front move it out to your side. Keep your arm straight and do this exercise for twenty repetitions. Repeat for your left arm.

If you feel any pain during these exercises it is time to go and see your doctor or physician. It is possible that your shoulder tendonitis may require further treatment. See links at the bottom of this page for details.

If these exercises do not bring back the pain in your shoulder you are on the road to recovery. You should do these exercises every day for one to two weeks. You may increase the weight slightly if the exercises are feeling too easy for you. But remember now to overdo it.

So in about four to five weeks you should be able to get back into the sport, exercise or activity that caused your shoulder pain. You should always ease back into exercise. Make sure you warm up and stretch your shoulder for about ten minutes before and after the activity.

Remember, shoulder tendonitis can be permanent, but it also can be treated relatively easily without medication. Many people get inpatient and do not give the shoulder sufficient rest time or recovery time before attempting a possibly straining activity. If you do not rest and strengthen your shoulder correctly there is a large possibility that shoulder tendonitis will develop again. If you shoulder pain does reoccur you should see professional advice from your doctor physician.

The “Dog Days” of summer are almost upon us and record temperatures are sweeping the country.  Unfortunately we have the highest number of elderly and medically fragile people in history, and an aging infrastructure that is feeling the strain of heavy electrical use as our senior citizens struggle to stay cool.

We’re here to give you tips and tricks to help you beat the heat should you be susceptible to extreme temperatures, or should your power be out.  Here’s a short list of suggestions:

1.  Drink plenty of cool water to keep yourself hydrated and reduce your body’s core temperature.  (Warm water won’t do this, and cold water might be a shock to sensitive systems.)  Drink regularly, every hour, even if you don’t feel thirsty.  Avoid soft drinks and alcoholic drinks that are actually diuretic and rob your body of the water it desperately needs.

2.  Eat small, light, non-spicy meals.  Eating heavy meals cranks your metabolism and can raise your body temperature.  Also, digestion robs you of energy.  Since the heat is already robbing you of some energy, you don’t need to add to this drain by taxing the digestive system.  However, don’t skip meals since it’s food that replenishes the electrolytes you lose through sweating and increased water consumption.

3.  Some sources suggest you wear “light colored, loose fitting clothes.”  However, that’s only if you’re going outside.  If you go outside, go with that rule and also wear a loose fitting hat or carry an umbrella for shade.  Forget the fashion rules, follow the heat rules.  (By the way, royal blue and/or white are the best colors to wear for their heat reflective qualities.  Ever wonder why most tarps and boat awnings are blue?  This is why.)   For indoors though, forget all those rules and go with the “bare as you dare” notion.  The more exposed skin you have the more efficient your cooling-by-sweating process can work.  Also, be sure to tie up long hair, and if you have a beard, consider shaving in order to remove all that facial insulation.

4.  Though “bare as you dare” is the way to go indoors in limited AC, most of us would prefer to have good air conditioning.  If yours is out, or if power sources are uncertain, go someplace that has AC like the mall or other places that don’t mind people coming in and hanging around a while.  Also, you can “AC pool” with friends just like you’d car pool.  Go to a friend’s house who has a good AC system. 

5.  Failing to find another source of AC, and considering that the power might be out, here are a couple more tips.  First, stand-alone floor unit air conditioners aren’t that expensive and can run off regular household current without the need for the special 220 volt outlets.  This means that they can be operated using the smaller gas-powered electric generators.  Can’t afford a generator?  You can probably afford a power inverter which can sometimes be found for under twenty dollars.  They plug into your car’s cigarette lighter and, using an extension cord, can power an appliance like your stand-alone AC, or at least some fans.  Speaking of your car, if nothing else, if your car has AC you can ride around during the hottest hours of the day, providing you can afford today’s gas prices.  If absolutely nothing else, go to your nearest “dollar store” and see if they have any of those little battery-powered fans.

6.  Can’t afford a stand-alone AC but you have a generator?  Your generator or power inverter can also power your fridge and/or freezer where you should have two-liter plastic bottles full of water filling up every empty space in both the fridge and freezer parts.  Having cold water is a great thing.  You drink cool water and use cold water to soak towels to wrap around your neck, wrists, and ankles where the veins and arteries are closest to the surface.  This is one of the best ways to reduce your body temperature.  Also, setting up a few of the frozen two-liter bottles in front of a fan can blow a nice cool breeze your way.  (Write us at info@disasterprep101.com and we’ll email you instructions for a homemade AC unit that uses these two-liter plastic bottles.)

7.  Now that we’ve talked about keeping you cool in the heat, let’s backtrack a bit and talk about reducing the heat you might experience.  Naturally, the first rule is “block the sun.”  Do what you can to reduce the sunlight that hits your house or comes in through the windows.  Keep the shades drawn, and you might even consider hanging a white sheet or blue tarp as an outside awning on the side(s) of the house that catch the most sun.  These tarps are also effective if placed on the roof as they’ll reflect the sun’s rays. 

8.  Next in cooling the house come ventilation and insulation.  If you have an attic, and the power is on, you should have a vent fan that keeps air flowing through the attic.  Along with that, we suggest you have roof vent turbines, or a ridge vent (your home supply store can tell you all about these).  In extremely hot weather, you might set a garden sprinkler on your roof and let it run for the hottest couple of hours of the day provided your area is not on water restriction.  As for “insulation” one way to insulate parts of the house is to close off seldom-used rooms (especially those on the sunny side of the house), and close off their AC vents if any.  This blocks heat and also reduces the area that your limited AC has to cool.

While we’re here, we’d be remiss in our duties if we failed to give you the symptoms of sunstroke and heat exhaustion, both of which require medical attention:

Heat Exhaustion:  Symptoms include heavy sweating, and skin may be pale, cool, or flushed.  The victim will also exhibit a weak pulse, with fainting, dizziness, nausea, or vomiting. 

Sun Stroke (sometimes called heat stroke):  Symptoms are high body temperature, hot, dry, red, skin (usually with no sweating), rapid shallow breathing, and a weak pulse.  Sun stroke is the more dangerous of the two.

The most immediate first aid for either of these is to get the victim into a cool spot, and reduce their body temperature with ice-cold wet towels around the neck, wrist, and ankles.  You can also put them in a bathtub of cool water.  Don’t use cold water in the tub as that will shock the system.  Regardless of your first aid measures, you should seek immediate medical assistance.

Remember, hot weather is nothing to ignore, even if you’re not among the elderly or medically fragile.  Heat can affect everyone.  Play it safe, stay cool, avoid exertion, and stay healthy.  Also, when considering heat safety, don’t forget your pets.