BYO six-pack
How to ‘build your own’ washboard stomach
Personal Trainer
Paul O'Brien
Part 2
In Part 1 of this article I said that diet was the number one reason why most people do not achieve the hard, toned midsection they work so hard for. Getting it wrong in the kitchen is a sure way to frustrate any effort you make outside it. Once you have sorted your diet out, there are a few more obstacles that could bar your way to that six-pack physique. Here I’ll take you through some of the most common.
The grim gym
In order for your core muscles to develop they must be subjected to a range of movement patterns that will force them to adapt and strengthen. Simply relying on endless crunches in the gym will not be enough. Follow these three tips when working out to explode your overall fitness and build a strong, toned core:
Firstly, do compound moves. Lifts like squats, deadlifts, benches, pull-ups, lunges and rows work a lot of your body’s musculature in each move. The result of this is that your core muscles must act as stabilisers, allowing the working muscles to work around them. Isolating muscles with simple exercises and over-emphasis on seated exercises or machines does not employ the core muscles sufficiently to challenge them.
Secondly, target your rectus abdominus (RA). The RA is the muscle group that makes up what is commonly called the six-pack. This is a little misleading, as there are actually more than six, but that’s for another day. Make sure your routine includes exercises that specifically target your RA such as crunches, knee or leg raises, planks and rollouts.
Lastly, mix it up. Like every other muscles group in your body, your core muscles adapt best when subjected to a variety of different movement patterns. Work your core muscles three times weekly and make sure you use a variety of flexion/extension exercises (sit-ups, crunches, reverse curls); rotational exercises (medicine ball twists, bicycles, and cable rotations) and static strength or isometric exercises (planks, hanging leg raises).
Sleep to success
Another obstacle that may be inhibiting your core and overall muscle gains is a lack of sleep. During adequate, restful sleep your body will release Human Growth Hormone, which is responsible for muscle resynthesis (the breakdown of damaged tissue and rebuilding of new, stronger tissue).
Lack of quality sleep inhibits the resynthesis process somewhat, mainly due to an increase of the stress hormone cortisol into your system. This acts as a double whammy, because cortisol also promotes the storage of excess energy in the form of fat around your mid-section and organs. This is known as visceral fat, and it takes effort to shift.
The afterburners
Finally, if you are struggling to lose that last bit of excess body fat around your midriff, try High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). This type of cardio training requires you to do short, intense bursts of exercise followed by longer bouts of slower exercise or complete rest to recover. HIIT will help strip away excess fat whilst maintaining muscle gain, a win-win situation.
Try this simple routine either after your weights session or on a separate day: On a treadmill run as fast as you can (90 percent effort) for 30 seconds. Slow down to a jog or rest completely for 60-90 seconds. Repeat this pattern six to ten times. Cool down and stretch afterwards.
Paul O’Brien is a personal trainer and life coach based in Westport.
