Truth About Training The Abdominal Muscles

by Deborah L. Mullen, CSCS

Spot Reduction
The Flat-Stomach Myth

The fact that millions of Americans desire a trim waist is what keeps the ab equipment industry booming. Unfortunately, many of the abdominal exercise gadgets on the market are ineffective and sometimes even unsafe. The advertisements for these products perpetuate misconceptions about what really works and what doesn't.

Spot Reduction

"Trim" is a word used frequently in ab products. In reality, no exercise equipment will trim or reduce your waist. If you haven't heard by now, you cannot spot reduce fat (except by liposuction!). So don't believe ANY abdominal toning equipment advertisement that promises to decrease fat around your waistline. The fact is that ab exercises will train your abdominal muscles, but you will have the same layer of fat sitting on top of these muscles unless you create a calorie deficit by burning more calories than you consume. The most effective combination is aerobic exercise, strength training and healthy eating habits. You might not like this answer, but it is the only one that will work in the long run. Don't look for quick-fixes--as we all know, if it sounds to good to be true, it probably is!

The Flat-Stomach Myth:

Many people are on a quest to achieve a "flat stomach". The obsession with the abdominal area can cause frustration, anxiety, and can even lead to eating disorders. Unfortunately for many people it's not physiologically possible to achieve a flat-stomach. Our abdominals aren't designed to be flat. Instead, the abdominal muscles form a rounded, not flat, shape. Gender, age, and individual body types can effect the size and shape of your abdomen. This is especially true of many healthy and fit women who, when they reach about 40 years old, tend to get a lower abdominal "pooch" due to hormonal changes.

So instead of worrying about something you can't change, try focusing on something you can--like your posture. Poor posture can contribute to a "pot belly" look, while good posture can add to a trimmer-looking physique. Good posture consists of a slight bending of the knees, contracting the abdominal muscles to point the tailbone toward the floor, and keeping your shoulders back and your head balanced on your neck (not leaning forward). Think of a string attached to your head which is being pulled upward. Better posture will make you feel taller and slimmer.

http://www.simplefitnesssolutions.com/articles/ab_muscles.htm

I like this article and I think its spot on. If you check out the web URL there are some good abdominal exercises. Let us know what you think about them.

Brian Knowles

Here come the holidays!!

With the holiday season upon us, the biggest fitness challenges are also on the way. Many people gain as much as 15lbs over the holidays. While I am not about to tell anyone to lock themselves in the basement this holiday season, I do encourage everyone to be mindful of what is being put into your bodies. Many of you have worked very hard to get where you are now. Do your best to stay disciplined over the next couple months and not lose what you worked so very hard to achieve! If you feel like having a special treat at a party go ahead! Just don't over do it :)
And remember, you don't have to go to every single party you get invited to. If you have any questions about healthier options or some ideas to keep from overeating just ask your awesome trainers! We're here for you!

JC

What Is Dehydration?
Dehydration is a condition that occurs when someone loses more fluids than he or she takes in. Dehydration isn't as serious a problem for teens as it can be for babies or young children. But if you ignore your thirst, dehydration can slow you down.
Our bodies are about two thirds water. When someone gets dehydrated, it means the amount of water in his or her body has dropped below the level needed for normal body function. Small decreases don't cause problems, and in most cases, they go completely unnoticed. But losing larger amounts of water can sometimes make a person feel quite sick.

Causes of Dehydration
One common cause of dehydration in teens is gastrointestinal illness. When you're flattened by a stomach bug, you lose fluid through vomiting and diarrhea.
You might also hear that you can get dehydrated from playing sports. In reality, it's rare to reach a level of even moderate dehydration during sports or other normal outdoor activity. But if you don't replace fluid you lose through sweat as you go, you can become dehydrated from lots of physical activity, especially on a hot day.
Some athletes, such as wrestlers who need to reach a certain weight to compete, dehydrate themselves on purpose to drop weight quickly before a big game or event by sweating in saunas or using laxatives or diuretics, which make a person go to the bathroom more. This practice usually hurts more than it helps, though. Athletes who do this feel weaker, which affects performance. They can also have more serious problems, like abnormalities in the salt and potassium levels in the body. Such changes can also lead to problems with the heart's rhythm.

Dieting can sap someone's water reserves as well. Beware of diets or supplements, including laxatives and diuretics that emphasize shedding "water weight" as a quick way to lose weight. Losing water weight is not the same thing as losing actual fat.

Signs of Dehydration
To counter dehydration, you need to restore the proper balance of water in your body. First, though, you have to recognize the problem. Thirst is one indicator of dehydration, but it is not an early warning sign. By the time you feel thirsty, you might already be dehydrated. Other symptoms of dehydration include:

• feeling dizzy and lightheaded
• having a dry or sticky mouth
• producing less urine and darker urine

As the condition progresses, a person will start to feel much sicker as more body systems (or organs) are affected by the dehydration.

Preventing Dehydration
The easiest way to avoid dehydration is to drink lots of fluids, especially on hot, dry, windy days. Water is usually the best choice. Drinking water does not add calories to your diet and can be great for your health.

The amount that people need to drink will depend on factors like how much water they're getting from foods and other liquids and how much they're sweating from physical exertion.When you're going to be outside on a warm day, dress appropriately for your activity. Wear loose-fitting clothes and a hat if you can. That will keep you cooler and cut down on sweating. If you do find yourself feeling parched or dizzy, take a break for a few minutes. Sit in the shade or someplace cool and drink water

Sports and Exercise
If you're participating in sports or strenuous activities, drink some fluids before the activity begins. You should also drink at regular intervals (every 20 minutes or so) during the course of the activity and after the activity ends. The best time to train or play sports is in the early morning or late afternoon to avoid the hottest part of the day.

Gastrointestinal Infections
If you have a stomach bug and you're spending too much time getting acquainted with the toilet, you probably don't feel like eating or drinking anything. But you still need fluids. Take lots of tiny sips of fluids. For some people, ice pops may be easier to tolerate.

Caffeine
Caffeine is a diuretic, meaning it causes a person to urinate (pee) more. It's not clear whether this causes dehydration or not, but to be safe, it's probably a good idea to stay away from too much caffeine in hot weather, during long workouts, or in other situations where you might sweat a lot.

When to See a Doctor
Dehydration can usually be treated by drinking fluids. But if you faint or feel weak or dizzy every time you stand up (even after a couple of hours) or if you have very little urine output, you should tell an adult and visit your doctor. The doctor will probably look for a cause for the dehydration and encourage you to drink more fluids.
If you're more dehydrated than you realized, especially if you can't hold fluids down because of vomiting, you may need to receive fluids through an IV to speed up the rehydration process. An IV is an intravenous tube that goes directly into a vein.
Occasionally, dehydration might be a sign of something more serious, such as diabetes, so your doctor may run tests to rule out any other potential problems.
In general, dehydration is preventable. So just keep drinking that H2O for healthy hydration.

http://kidshealth.org/teen/safety/first_aid/dehydration.html

A lot of what it says is common but there are some good points that we don't really think about on an everyday basis. The only thing I wish they had talked about is dehydration’s effect on losing weight, and how chronic dehydration can make it much harder to lose weight. All in all I think there is some good information. What do you think?

Brian Knowles

Jungle Gym!!!!!

Yeah That's right! We Got Em!

Come down to our studio and try out our four sets of Jungle Gym xt Suspension training systems. These are mainly used during FT's Pack sessions. Come down and sign up so you can get down on some Jungle Gym training during your workouts. They are pretty amazing.

Paul-Trainer
FT Belmont.

Benefits of Chocolate Milk

I knew I wasn't crazy for loving chocolate milk! Read the below article found at http://www.chocolatemilk.com/ to read why you shouldn't feel guilty for drinking it!

Chocolate Milk After Workout

Many people are unaware of the benefits of milk let alone chocolate milk. Studies have been done separately on each milk and chocolate, but never in combination. It wasn’t until recently that scientists began to delve into the benefits of chocolate milk versus water or Gatorade after a workout. Athletes such as Michael Phelps drew attention to this at the 2004 Olympics when he was seen to be drinking Carnation chocolate drinks after swims. Studies now show that chocolate milk aids the body in recovery, most importantly the muscles. Though not everything is known about chocolate milk a majority of the research found is conducted and extracted through the study of what chocolate milk contains. Breaking down all the beneficial health qualities found...

 

~AS

High Fructose Corn Syrup Linked to Liver Scarring, Research Suggests

ScienceDaily (Mar. 22, 2010) — High fructose corn syrup, which some studies have linked to obesity, may also be harmful to the liver, according to Duke University Medical Center research.

"We found that increased consumption of high fructose corn syrup was associated with scarring in the liver, or fibrosis, among patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)," said Manal Abdelmalek, MD, MPH, associate professor of medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology/Hepatology at Duke University Medical Center.

Her team of researchers at Duke, one of eight clinical centers in the Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis Clinical Research Network, looked at 427 adults enrolled in the network. They analyzed dietary questionnaires collected within three months of the adults' liver biopsies to determine their high fructose corn syrup intake and its association with liver scarring.

The researchers found only 19 percent of adults with NAFLD reported no intake of fructose-containing beverages, while 52 percent consumed between one and six servings a week and 29 percent consumed fructose-containing beverages on a daily basis.

An increase in consumption of fructose appeared to be correlated to increased liver fibrosis in patients with NAFLD.

"We have identified an environmental risk factor that may contribute to the metabolic syndrome of insulin resistance and the complications of the metabolic syndrome, including liver injury," Abdelmalek said.

Research Abdelmalek published in the Journal of Hepatology in 2008 showed that, within a small subset of patients, high fructose corn syrup was associated with NAFLD. Her latest research, published online in Hepatology, goes one step further and links high fructose corn syrup to the progression of liver injury.

"Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is present in 30 percent of adults in the United States," Abdelmalek said. "Although only a minority of patients progress to cirrhosis, such patients are at increased risk for liver failure, liver cancer, and the need for liver transplant," she explained.

"Unfortunately, there is no therapy for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease," she said. "My hope is to see if we can find a factor, such as increased consumption of high fructose corn syrup, which, if modified, can decrease the risk of liver disease."
The idea is similar to what cardiologists have done for heart patients, Abdelmalek explained. They discovered that high-fat diets are bad for your heart, so they have promoted low-fat diets to decrease the risk of heart disease, she said.

"We haven't made it that far with liver disease yet," Abdelmalek said. "We know that alcohol is not good for your liver, and therefore encourage patients to limit alcohol consumption. But what do you do when people have non-alcoholic liver disease?"

"Our findings suggest that we may need to go back to healthier diets that are more holistic," Abdelmalek said. "High fructose corn syrup, which is predominately in soft-drinks and processed foods, may not be as benign as we previously thought."
The consumption of fructose has increased exponentially since the early 1970s, and with this rise, an increase in obesity and complications of obesity have been observed, Abdelmalek said.

"There is an increasing amount of data that suggests high fructose corn syrup is fueling the fire of the obesity epidemic, but until now no one has ever suggested that it contributes to liver disease and/or liver injury." Abdelmalek said the next step is more studies looking at the mechanisms of liver injury.

"We need to do formal studies that evaluate the influence of limiting or completely discontinuing high fructose corn syrup from one's diet and see if there are health benefits from doing so," she said.

Other authors on the study include Ayako Suzuki, Cynthia Guy, Anna Mae Diehl, all of Duke; Aynur Unalp-Arida and Ryan Colvin of John Hopkins; and Richard Johnson of the University of Colorado.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100322204628.htm



I think this is an interesting article. It makes sense that too much high fructose corn syrup could damage the liver because it has to process the fructose like every thing else. Too much of any substance will cause a stress witch could damage the organ.

The thing I did not agree with was this sentence 'They discovered that high-fat diets are bad for your heart, so they have promoted low-fat diets to decrease the risk of heart disease". First off I think this statement is wrong, and it's a bad example. Who are they anyway? I have read many articles with sources that are in opposition to this statement. Wile they have sources backing up the information on the high fructose corn syrup, there is no source to back up the claim about the low fat diet in this article. This is one way how misinformation can be spread. So what I am really saying is be careful and check your sources when you read something like this. Don’t just take their word for it, just because they wrote it doesn’t mean it’s true.  

 Brian Knowles

Get in here for some PACK training!!!

Our small group training program AKA: Pack Training is blowin up. Get in here ASAP to grab some PACK sessions and give it a try. They're going fast! Don't miss out on a great workout and physical challenge.

Paul
Trainer- FT Belmont

Why Being Skinny Doesn't Mean You're Fit

Remember when a total cholesterol reading of under 200 was the standard for judging cardiovascular health? Today, of course, we know that it's the components of cholesterol (LDL, HDL, the size of those cholesterol particles, and triglycerides) that are much more predictive of heart health. Well, our understanding of total weight and its effects upon your heart has evolved in similar fashion. It's not your total weight but the characteristics of that weight—how much is fat and where it's deposited—that matter most.

Surprised? Thank the scientists at the Mayo Clinic, who are behind this recent discovery. After comparing various health markers with the weights and body mass index numbers of thousands of adults, they found that more than half of those with normal weights and BMIs actually had "high body-fat percentages as well as heart and metabolic disturbances." In other words, they had the same risks of coronary disease, diabetes, and other chronic illness as people who weighed much more.

This research, and its sobering implications for millions of Americans, led to the establishment of a new condition called normal weight obesity (NWO). This is more than just the latest fat phobia. It's worth paying attention to because the accumulation of fat in the body, especially in the belly and around internal organs, causes low-level inflammation that gradually damages tissue and blood vessels. (Think of it as metabolic rust.) So even though your weight or BMI may be within acceptable limits for your height and age, don't be lulled into a false sense of security. Do your own analysis, starting with these steps:

1. Stop being preoccupied with pounds. As with total cholesterol, total weight is just one general assessment of your health. Yes, people who are trying to lose weight are more likely to succeed if they weigh themselves often. But seeing numbers that are within a healthy BMI range may actually disguise your heart disease risk. Keep them in perspective.

2. Measure your body fat. For a quick estimate of this key factor, wrap a cloth measuring tape around your naked waist just above your belly button. If your weight is fairly normal but the number you see above your navel is 35 inches or more (40+ inches for men), you may have NWO. For a more exact reading, ask your doctor (or health club) to measure your body fat. This can be done using a variety of noninvasive methods. If it's higher than 30 percent (20 percent for men), you likely have NWO.

3. Get a blood test. Ask your doctor to order a thorough blood analysis at your next physical. Warning signs of NWO include low HDL (total cholesterol and LDL may be normal), along with elevated triglycerides, blood sugar, and blood pressure.

4. Target belly fat. If you're diagnosed with NWO, take aim at visceral fat. Despite how entrenched it may seem, you can lose it. The keys are: Avoid the white stuff (white bread, rice, pasta, and other refined carbohydrates). Add monounsaturated fats, which target belly fat, to your diet. And do interval exercises to burn more fat and strength-training to build lean body mass.

5. Keep tracking fat. Just as you hop on the scale to keep tabs on your weight, do the same with your body fat. Have it measured periodically at your doctor's office or health club. Or just observe the notches where your belt buckles.

Conversely, if you're considered overweight by current standards, there may be some good news here. If your body-fat percentage is lower than 30 percent (20 percent for men) and your blood chemistry is normal, then you are among the "fat and fit." (Many athletes are in this category.) Continue to eat smart and exercise, but accept your body for what it is and know you're not unhealthy because of it. Feeling fat and feeling

http://www.active.com/fitness/Articles/Why-Being-Skinny-Doesnt-Mean-Youre-Fit.htm

I like this article because it illustrates the difference between being fit and skinny and how they are not same thing. What do you think?

Brian Knowles