The AB files

Muscle & Fitness, July, 2006 by Eric Velazquez

ABDOMINALS

* SPECIAL SECTION

M&F pulls back the curtain on abs propaganda to help you reclaim your hold on six-pack reality

LATE-NIGHT INFOMERCIALS and self-proclaimed exercise gurus have brainwashed the nation with false claims, overblown promises and worthless products. And although we usually have the best of intentions, we're still suckers for a quick fix.

So somewhere along the way, carving out a set of kick-ass abs evolved into a plotline mirroring The X Files. Now a thriving industry unto itself, the abs race has been flooded by legions of bad information and shaky science, all for the sake of the almighty dollar.

We set out, at our own peril, to unearth the truth behind these corporate lies and product-driven schemes, a la Mulder and Scully. Here are six of the biggest whoppers that have been crammed down our collective throats over the years.

What we found was, in addition to performing abdominal exercises, the only way to truly see the fruits of your gut-busting labor is by shedding bodyfat through a disciplined diet and cardio program. The bottom line: You must expend more calories than you take in each day.

When you head to the gym, however, it's important to be able to train correctly--without abstract theories and confusing opinions clouding your judgement. Don't be fooled by the abdominal propagandists--keep yourself informed and sift through the lies.

Like Agent Fox Mulder always said, "The truth is out there."

The AB Files

MYTHS                       FACTS

1 It is possible to         * Emphasize your lower abs? Perhaps.
  isolate your lower abs    Isolate? We want to believe, but a recent
  from your upper abs and   study revealed that exercises aimed at your
  vice versa.               lower abs don't truly isolate them the way
                            most people think. The report showed the
                            difference in muscle activity between the
                            upper and lower abs during these exercises
                            to be negligible. Contracting your abs to
                            bring your hips toward your ribcage--as in
                            reverse crunches and hanging knee
                            raises--does put the lower abs under
                            greater tension than the upper portion. Use
                            these types of moves to get the most out of
                            your lower abs.

2 Old-fashioned sit-ups     * Think sit-ups don't work to build your
  are a terrible choice of  abs? Tell that to the soldiers and boxers
  movement for developing   who rely on them as the bread and butter of
  your abs.                 their conditioning programs. True, a bad
                            sit-up is no good for you. Perform a sit-up
                            too fast, too violently or past the point
                            of fatigue and you invite all the problems
                            that have demonized the exercise, like
                            pulling on your head and using your hip
                            flexors to do all the work. Performed
                            correctly, sit-ups work your abs through a
                            longer range of motion and should be a part
                            of anyone's ab routine.

3 Tighten up your           * Twisting from side to side with a
  obliques with our         broomstick across your shoulders provides
  revolutionary             no resistance for your obliques. This often
  ab-rotation device!       leads people to twist at higher speeds,
                            which can lead to spinal injury due to
                            excess torsion. "Machines that allow you to
                            twist with resistance are a better option,"
                            says M&F Senior Science Editor Jim
                            Stoppanl, PhD, author of Encyclopedia of
                            Muscle & Strength (Human Kinetics, 2006).
                            "Perform your reps like you would any other
                            exercise--slowly and under control, pausing
                            for a peak contraction before reversing
                            direction."

4 No ab device is going     * People have been walking around with
  to give you better        rippled midsections forever without the
  results than regular old  benefit of late-night TV and
  crunches.                 check-by-phone. However, some devices out
                            there actually do what they claim, giving
                            you some new weapons in your abdominal
                            arsenal. New research shows that some
                            products--like ab wheels and exercise
                            balls--are better at stimulating
                            the abs than the standard menu of floor
                            crunches and leg raises. Don't ditch these
                            staples, but it might be time to mix in a
                            quality ball or wheel movement to
                            accelerate your progress.

5 The best way to build     * The quantity of reps isn't nearly as
  a well-defined set of     important as the quality, says David
  abs is through intense,   Sandler, CSCS, director of StrengthPro
  high-rep training.        Inc., a South Florida-based
                            sports-performance consulting group. "More
                            reps equals better muscular endurance,
                            which is great if you wanted to enter a
                            crunch contest," he says. "To really get
                            those abs to pop, muscular hypertrophy is
                            the solution." Muscular development of the
                            abdominals, as with any other skeletal
                            muscle, is optimized in the 8-12-rep range.
                            If you really want to bring out your abs,
                            try adding resistance instead.

6 Using resistance to       * "Big midsections come from too many
  build your abs will       reaches into the cookie jar and too many
  only result in a          trips back to the buffet," Sandler says.
  thick, blocky             "Lifting heavy will lead to more muscle,
  midsection.               true--but this comes only after years of
                            prolonged schemes." Instead, Sandler
                            advocates periodizing your ab training like
                            you would for other muscle groups. Try some
                            resistance-laden moves in lower rep ranges
                            for 6-8 weeks, then return to your 8-12-rep
                            range, or even try doing higher reps with
                            less resistance for an endurance phase.
                            Cycling your ab training will be just as
                            effective as it is for other muscles.