By David Grisaffi
www.FlattenYourAbs.net

What’s hot in the world of abdominal and core training today seems to change as fast as the latest clothing styles. New gurus, new infomercials, new machines – today’s fitness marketplace is all about “what’s new.” I often write reviews about the latest, greatest ab and core training gadgets, usually debunking most of them, but this time I’m actually going to do the opposite.

As new products push their way into the fitness scene, some truly legitimate, cost effective devices get pushed out, forgotten, or even worse – dismissed as “fitness fads.” Such is the case with the swiss ball (also known as a “exercise ball”, “gym ball” or “stability ball”)

Why Some Fitness Experts Condemn The Swiss Ball

Swiss balls have been around a long time in physical therapy and rehab settings and when they crossed over into the mainstream fitness world, they were probably hyped a bit too much. It’s not that they didn’t deserve the attention, its that many fitness “experts” placed the swiss ball up on a pedestal as the end-all be-all of abdominal, core and fitness training, rather than representing the ball for what it really is - a single training tool among many– just like barbells, dumbbells, cables or any other fitness equipment.

As a result, entire training systems were built around the swiss ball (neglecting other forms of training), and people misused and overused the ball. Some trainers used the ball for “exercises” that were nothing more than circus acts. I’ve seen it all – everything from standing on top of the ball and squatting to bench pressing on the ball with 400 pounds..

As a result of the over-hyping and misuse of the swiss ball, some coaches and trainers have recently spoken up and publicly renounced the ball as a ” gimmick.” This has caused a flood of emails to pour into my office as consumers and fitness enthusiasts have become more confused than ever.

It’s no wonder: Trainer A says, “The ball is the best thing since sliced bread” and trainer B says “the ball is and always was a gimmick.” I believe the ball is a very valuable training tool and that the truth is somewhere in the middle, so I’d like to help put things back into proper perspective.

Swiss balls are powerful, portable, inexpensive and versatile training tools

I use swiss balls nearly every day in my own workouts and in workouts for my clients. The versatility of the swiss ball is simply unmatched as proven by the fact that I can use a swiss ball to help a 65 year old sedentary woman overcome muscle weakness and improve balance or use the same ball to help a professional boxer build stamina and add power to his punches. I can also show you how to use the swiss ball to develop “six pack abs” as well as train literally every muscle in your entire body.

New Research Reveals That The Swiss Ball Can Make
Abdominal Exercise Up To 104% More Effective

To give you a research-proven example of just how effective a swiss ball can be, let’s focus on one of the most basic and well-known of all abdominal exercises: The Crunch

As most people know, the crunch is a modified (partial) sit up that involves raising the head, neck and shoulder blades up off the floor. Many personal trainers believe that the crunch is highly overrated and overused. I won’t argue, as I agree there’s a lot of truth to that. However, the crunch can be greatly improved with one simple change: Do your crunches on a swiss ball.

Electromyography (EMG) studies have demonstrated that the swiss ball crunch (unstable surface) effectively recruits more muscle fibers than the floor crunch (stable surface). This leads to greater strength, stability and muscle development in your core region.

In 2000, a study by Vera-Garcia and colleagues showed a significant increase in muscle activity in the core area while performing a crunch on the swiss ball, as compared to a floor crunch. The swiss ball improved the level of muscular activity as well as the co-recruitment of spinal stabilizers. The researchers said:

“Performing the curl over the gym ball with the feet on the floor doubled activity in the rectus abdominis muscle, and activity in the external oblique muscle increased approximately fourfold.”

Although research results have been mixed in the past, the studies showing no increase in abdominal muscle activity using a swiss ball may have been due to the exercise technique used on the ball, including velocity and body placement on the ball. Earlier this year, Dr. Eric Sternlicht and colleagues at UCLA designed a study to test this hypothesis and they measured for differences in muscle activity while using different positions on the ball.

The EMG analysis confirmed their hypothesis and demonstrated that body position on the swiss ball could decrease or increase the amount of muscular activation. When the ball was positioned with the upper back high on the ball (just below scapulae), the muscular activity was less than a floor crunch. But by strategically positioning the ball so it was firmly placed at the lower lumbar region, there was a 66%, 93% and 104% increase in upper abdominal, lower abdominal and external oblique activity, respectively.

More Proof That Form Is Everything And Little Things Make A Big Difference

For years I have preached about proper form on all abdominal and core exercises and I have taught my clients “little tweaks” and “tricks” in technique that look minor, but which can lead to huge improvements in results. This new research is proof. It also reveals how the ball is a versatile tool for exercise progression: The high on back position is easier, while the ball lower on the back is more difficult, accommodating for different strength and fitness levels. Further progression can be added by using resistance (dumbbell or weight plate held on chest or at arms length from chest).

Swiss balls are only one of many training tools, but in my opinion, when used properly, they are one of the best of the bunch. I created an entire core training system that uses the ball for many of the exercises, I put all my clients on swiss balls and I highly recommend that you use the ball as well. Just remember, the swiss ball is only a tool – it’s not the “end all be all” of core training and it can’t work miracles. It will also not burn fat off your stomach – you need a caloric deficit to achieve body fat reduction.

Use the ball as one part of a balanced training program that includes other tools such as free weights, cables and your own body weight. Forget the potentially dangerous ”circus act” swiss ball stunts, use good exercise form, purchase only quality, high-strength exercise balls, use them in a clear area, clean them often, check them for leaks and I promise you will have a fantastic versatile training aid that will last you for years and never go out of style. Fitness fads will always come and go, but the swiss ball is still a winner.

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In this new year many of us are after a “new look”. If it is losing belly fat exercising is paramount to success. Starting a new exercise program can be exciting. But regardless of the exercise program remember exercise is stress. By consuming proper nutrition, getting enough rest and consuming water can and does reduce the stress on your body.

You exercise routine also needs to have a flow of energy to it. If it is to intense your hormonal and nerves systems will produce stress and activate the fight or flight sympathetic nervous system and losing body-fat becomes extremely difficult.

To avoid this situation choose exercises that restore muscle balance to “the force” so to speak. These exercises have a calming affect on you. Just remember to place the most difficult exercise at the beginning of your exercise routine.

I really like one particulate exercise and it is known by many different names. World renowned bodybuilder and trainer Vince Gironda called it “Abdomoinal Vaccums”, Ian King popular strength coach from Australian calls it “Thin Tummy”. As a CHEK Institute disciple I call it Transverse Tummy Tuck. Now the word transverses is important to know. This is the word to describe the deepest muscle in the abdominal wall. If it does not work properly you have a dysfunctional core. This muscle works as your own personal weight belt by keeping your belly flat. When working correctly it not only keeps your belly flat but also improves posture, reduces back pain and increases lower abdominal tone.

As a abdominal core expert I use this exercise daily with my clients as a stepping stone to more advance ab training. It is mentally relaxing as you learn to control the mind to muscle connection.

The transverses  abdominal tummy tuck has a few variations but I’m going to present to you the basic movement to get you going. To properly perform this abdominal flattening exercise follow the directions below. You can perform this exercise up to 3 times per day for 3-4 weeks and you will see fantastic results.

The 4-Point Transversus Abdominis Tuck is an exercise for isolating the transverse abdominis, for correcting “pooch belly,” and reconnecting with the nervous system. It is particularly valuable for pre-surgery preparation and post-surgery rehabilitation. In surgical procedures such as cesarean section and hernia, the muscles, nerves, and tissues are cut, causing a loss of neurological impulse (your brain tries to call your muscles to wake them up, but the muscles don’t answer!). Lack of neural drive to the core muscles is one reason for the belly hanging out. Certain exercises can help reconnect the nervous and muscular systems so your “pooch belly” gets the message from the brain loud and clear and pulls those muscles in.

Note: Using a dowel rod can help you keep good neutral exercise posture and provide biofeedback. (As the rod touches different parts of your body, it makes you aware of your body position.) If you use the dowel technique, place the rod along your spine, making sure the back of your head, upper back, and tailbone are in contact with the rod.

Position: Get down on all fours as though you were going to crawl. Place your hands directly underneath your shoulders and your knees directly beneath your hips.

Movement:

1. Inhale and let the transverse abdominis hang out toward the floor.

2. Exhale, drawing the belly button in toward the spine. Avoid any spinal movement during this exercise such as contracting the glutes, hamstrings, or external rotators.

Perform this exercise on a 10 second hold in and 10 second release out. Repeat this combination for a total of 10 times. Or a total of 3 minutes.

Getting firm and flat abs also takes a solid nutrition plan. The quality and quantity of your food will affect how your stomach looks every bit as much as the quality and quantity of your workouts. While my Firm and flatten your abs program is not a diet book - it contains more training instruction than eating instruction, it would not be complete without a plan for what to do in the kitchen as well as the gym.In the e book I present an entire list of 15 nutrition and lifestyle do’s and don’t. Take a good look if you want to improve your ab and decrease your waistline more information about the TV Tummy Tuck in my e book on page..51 http://www.flattenyourabs.net

David Grisaffi
http://www.flattenyourabs.net

Health Extra:

Take a visit to the online community of
“Burn The Fat Inner Circle Fat Loss Community”
http://budurl.com/innercirclefatloss

Tom’s Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle book at
http://www.flattenyourabs.net/burnthefat.htm

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MYTH #1: If you train abs every day, you’re guaranteed a six-pack.
One of the most common abdominal myths is that training your
abdominals every day is the best way to get a small waistline and
develop the six-pack look in your stomach. This misconception
was probably funneled through the bodybuilding world, because
so many bodybuilders train their abs daily prior to competitions.

Despite the fact that bodybuilders appear onstage
with incredibly ripped abs, their abs come from their diet, not
just their daily ab workouts.

Daily training is not only a waste of time, it’s an approach that
won’t work for the average person who doesn’t use
performance-enhancing substances or have a naturally high
recovery capacity.

There are two reasons that daily abdominal training is
unnecessary and does not guarantee you a six-pack.

First, the muscle tissue of your abs is virtually the same as the
muscle tissue in the rest of your body. Abdominal muscles
cannot become stronger and more developed without time to
rest and recover after each workout, just like any other muscle
group such as your biceps or chest. You wouldn’t do 100 barbell
curls every day to “see your biceps” or 100 bench presses every
day to “see your pecs,” so why do the same for your abs?

Second, even if you could achieve excellent muscular
development in the abs with daily training, you won’t be able to
see your abs if they’re covered with a layer of fat. Daily
abdominal training does not burn the fat off your midsection!
Fat is lost by creating a caloric deficit through your diet. Build
the muscle tissue with exercise; burn the fat with diet.

During the initial phase of the Firm and Flatten Your Abs program
(Level 1), I recommend that you perform exercises daily for the
first two to three weeks. However, these Level 1 exercises are
very basic movements using only your body weight, and they are
designed to prepare, strengthen, and neurologically program
your body for the more advanced exercises to follow.

For the long term, you can get fantastic results training your abs
every other day (about four days a week), and once they’re
developed, you can maintain your abs with even less frequent
development training.

This is just one myth I expose in my Firm and Flatten Your Abs Program

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Expansion Sit-Backs - Another Amazingly Effective Abdominal Exercise

You’ ve Probably Never Done Before (Video Article)
By David Grisaffi

http://www.FlattenYourAbs.Net

There are literally hundreds of abdominal exercise you can choose from.
Not only that, most ab exercises have multiple variations which allow
for progression through increasing levels of difficulty. With such a
wide range of exercise to choose from it’s a shame that so many people
keep repeating the same boring workouts over and over again.

If you’re not changing your exercises regularly (continually challenging
yourself with more advanced movements as your strength increases), then
you’re on your way to staleness, boredom and progress plateaus. If you
want to keep improving your abs, week after week, then here is another
new abdominal exercise to add to your repertoire: Expansion Sit Backs.

I have had advised against over-dependence on the traditional sit up for
many years. Regular sit ups put too much pressure on your low back by
using your hip flexors and hamstrings to perform almost 2/3 of the work.

This over-tightens these muscles, pulling your pelvis forward and
eventually leading to low back pain.

If you want a six pack, take a pass on the standard sit up, if for no
other reason, than because there are better choices.

If you could swap out your old sit ups with a new exercise that could
minimize hip flexor and hamstring involvement, maximize abdominal
contraction and develop better abs without low back pain, would you do
it? Of course you would. And I have just the exercise for this - the
Expansion Sit Back. This exercise is not only a favorite of mine, it’s
also backed up by many EMG studies that compare hip flexor and abdominal
activation. The latest study coming out of Canada indicated that this
exercise produced the greatest abdominal activation while minimizing
flexor activation. Read more…

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By David Grisaffi
www.flattenyourabs.net

QUESTION:Dear David,

I am 1.57m, 53kgs, Asian, 45 years old, 2 kids both Caesarian (and I am
wondering if this has anything to do with my abdominal problem). My diet
is fairly healthy, but I am not that strict because I love food, both
healthy and sinful. I don’t binge and have a pretty good control over my
cravings. I stir fry and eat a lot of veggies, rice, meat, fish, an
enormous amount of fruit, not a lot of bread but when I do it’s whole
grain. Not a lot of junk food either because I hate greasy food - maybe
twice a year if at all.

My food consumption is well within my daily quota of 2,200 calories per
day, if not less. I hate breakfast, so I drink one serving of whey
protein, a cappuccino and one banana.

For my workouts, I run, use an elliptical trainer because of my knees.
Sometimes I run sprints to get some aggression out of my system. My
cardio ranges from 40 to 60 minutes, burning an average of 500 cals if I
can believe the digital output, and I do an average of 3 hours cardio
per week.

Then I do various strength training, mostly upper and mid body since I
do a lot of running. I alternate so that I spend about 1.5 hours in the
gym depending on the rest intervals. In conclusion, I think I h ave a
sufficient deficit of 1500 calories per week at least.

The big question is: Why on earth can’t I seem to lose that bit of roll
on my tummy or get my stomach looking flat? I am highly motivated. I
like what I am doing and often come home feeling better than when I
left.

Should I resign myself to the fact that two caesarian childbirths make
it impossible to get a nice flat (not even thinking of ripped) abdomen
again?

Sincerely,
Babe K.

ANSWER:

I read through your e-mail, and noticed quite a few potential issues
that might be contributing to your frustration with your abdominal area.
If you address these issues properly, you may be pleasantly surprised
with the change in your body fat level and especially the muscle
development in your waistline.

I thought that these were such important issues, that I am going to
answer question in detail for the benefit of all our readers.

Obviously, two C-sections does not help and can make things more
challenging. One question I have is how much time was there between
childbirths? If it was less than two years, the physical structures
which contributed to childbirth may not have been repaired completely
before they were asked to do it again. Read more…

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Bodyblades are one of the most under used and beneficial core power
training tool ever designed. It is an innovative workout system which
leads to quick and effective muscle strengthening, power development,
core stabilization and toning.

What is a Bodyblade?

Bodyblade is an exercise device which is lightweight, durable,
multifunctional and takes up very little space to store. The tool is so
compact that it can easily fit inside the closet, under the bed and
dozens of other places where the conventional weights and machines fail
to go. It is ready to use and can be used anywhere and at anytime,
requires no adjustments, bands or weights.

Bodyblade is an exercise stick that somewhat resembles a double-sided
sword. The handle in the middle is quite comfortable, and easy to work
with.

What does a Bodyblade do?

Exercises are executed by gripping the center of the exercise blade and
shaking it back and forth. The Bodyblade can oscillate back and forth in
various directions and angles to train different body parts. It’s an
extremely good tool to get an effective muscle sculpting workout within
a short span of time, if used properly. This device is very strong and
sturdy and can be used for a longer period of time.

Bodyblade has several unique features which definitely make it different
compared to the other exercise equipment available. There really isn’t
any other type of equipment that is like the Bodyblade. Most other
systems work on the principle of the user attempting to lift a weighted
item or stretch an elastic band. Bodyblade uses the principles of
inertia to motivate the muscles and make them stronger. With Bodyblade
there is an absence of weights or elastic bands that can break. The
Bodyblade, works on the opposite principle: Once the ends begin to move,
inertia keeps them in motion and then it’s up to you to resist it. The
intensity and the acceleration of the movement can be controlled by you,
which make it safer and more effective than any other equipment. The
risk of damage through overexertion is much less. All this is made
possible due to the inertial exercise principles and the patented
technology built into every Bodyblade. Read more…

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by David Grisaffi

There are six basic aspects of any abdominal workout routine you must master to obtain the six pack abs you have been chasing.  You can do crunches until you toss your dinner and not meet your goal of a beautiful set of six pack abs.  You have to use a comprehensive approach that addresses nutrition (diet), water intake, supplementation, exercises protocol, proper sleep rhythms, and the detoxification of your body.  If you do all of these things you will acquire a six pack of abs and a nice set of obliques to frame around them.

Nutrition

It does not mater what your workout goal is, you will never obtain a set of defined abs if you do not eat properly.  I am not talking about just skipping the fast food crap.  I mean carbs, protein, and the right time to load up on each.  If you have extra weight to lose, you should be careful not to restrict your calories to much when working out. 

Just restrict starchy carbs and useless calories like all sugars. If you restrict calories too much you will lose muscle and water, not the fat cells you want to shed.  Eating a meal that contains complex carbohydrates like rice, pasta, bagels, fresh fruit, or baked potatoes
about 30-60 minutes before your workout will provide a more sustained energy level and the carbohydrates that you need to keep your blood sugar level up. Also consume organic food whenever possible.

What you eat after your workout is just as important as what your have before.  You are going to need the same types of carbohydrates, but you will need to add some protein for muscle repair and growth. I would suggest a recovery meal. The recovery meal serves two purposes: 1) It replaces lost carbs and influences the amount of cortisol (a hormone which reacts to stress) your body will release. 2) It loads up amino acids into your muscle to begin the re-building of muscle tissue. If you miss this window of opportunity you will not gain muscle and lose body fat as fast. If you want more information about recovery meals e-mail me at david@flattenyourabs.net or see my blog post at http://www.flattenyourabs.net/blog

NOTE: Cortisol - Increases blood pressure, blood sugar and reduces immune responses.

All Mighty Water

Hydration is an often overlooked aspect of all workout routines.  If you
do not consume enough water while working out or for that matter during your entire day you have wasted your time and may have caused damage to yourself.  Not enough water equals dehydration.  Drinking sugary/sports drinks, caffeinated beverages only dehydrate your body quicker.  You should try to drink 7 to 10 ounces of room temperature water every 20 minutes while working out.  Water helps to regulate your body temperature; deliver oxygen to your muscle tissues by keeping blood volume elevated. It also assists the kidneys in removing biological wastes, and enhances with fat burning and muscle growth. A good rule to follow is to drink ½ of your body weight in ounces per day.

Read more…

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Strengthen Your Core and Get Great Abs Faster
By Adding This One Movement to Your Training Routine

by David Grisaffi
http://www.flattenyourabs.net/

There’s one simple movement pattern that is sorely lacking in most people’s abdominal training routines. By adding this, you will also increase your chances of getting a great set of six pack abs and a tighter, slimmer waistline. Adding this simple movement to your routine will also strengthen your core, increase your overall body strength and help prevent lower back pain.

This simple movement that will provide you will all these great benefits is rotation in transverse movement patterns.  Huh? What the heck does that mean? Don’t worry, I’m going to explain in simple terms with a quick anatomy lesson and then move on to the exact exercises. 

There are four major muscles that make up your abdominal core:  rectus abdominis, external obliques, internal obliques, and the transverse abdominis.  These muscles work together to flex and rotate the spine and to compress the abdomen.  Since most movements involve more than one muscle, your workouts should try to train all these muscles in isolation and combination.  

The rectus abdominis is the most prominent abdominal muscle.  It is either the “pot belly” or the long segmented muscle that runs up and down the front of the torso.  When it is fully developed it is the muscle where you see the six pack of abs, or in some cases an eight pack.  It is the primary muscle involved in any “sit-up” type or flexion exercise. 

This muscle is often considered one continuous muscle, however is does have separate nerve intervention and you do have “upper and lower abs.” What often happens is one section stabilizes while one performs the chosen exercise.  

The external obliques run down your eight lower ribs to your hips and act as rotators along with the internal obliques.  The internal obliques run in the opposite direction as the externals, but are just underneath them.  They will not be visible when developed, but they are very important for core strength.  

The transverse abdominis is the only one of the four that does not cause or affect trunk movement.  It is important in holding your abdominal wall tight. You could say it’s  the “suck in your gut” muscle if you will.  It is also important in that it pulls on the diaphragm to force you to breath out.  

Hopefully, a fuller understanding of these four core muscles will help you to appreciate the need for rotation in transverse movement in your ab workout and their roles in obtaining a six pack of abs. They are also important for power and optimum sports performance. 

Baseball, football, tennis, and golf depend on the power generated from these abdominal and core muscles.  It is hard to find a good college or professional athlete that does not have a great looking six pack of abs.  Typically, these muscles have been trained using crunches, reverse crunches or other flexion exercises.  Those types of exercises are only half of the battle, at best.  

Both of theses exercises isolate a section of the Rectus abdominis, but normally ignore the obliques and transverse abdominis.  That is why it is so important to integrate transverse movement patterns into your abdominal workouts.  It is important, also, to have these muscles fully lengthen before contracting while they are performing.  A muscle will contract more forcefully and efficiently if it is allowed to fully lengthen.

Effective training of the abdominals, in pursuit of a six pack of abs, does not require one exercise alone.  Effective abdominal must should incorporate many of the larger transverse movement patterns, and position the performer in multiple starting stances.  All exercises should allow for complete lengthening and shortening of the muscles.  This is called the “pre-load and unload” cycle.  If you make correct use of the “pre-load and unload” cycle you will get a more forceful and efficient motion from your abdominal muscles.

Now that we have gone over the “why’s” let’s look into the “how’s”.  I am going to walk you through 3 different exercises that will give you the optimum training effect I’m talking about here.  

Exercise #1: Standing or Sitting Horizontal Woodchopper:

Start in the standing position with your feet flat and in a good athletic stance. Grasp a dumbbell with your right hand and overlap your left so you have both hands on the dumbbell. Raise your arms with the dumbbell so they are parallel to the floor out in front of your face at shoulder height. 

Slowly begin to rotate the dumbbell to your right until you can not longer rotate at your core or trunk level. Do not rotate your shoulders. This exercise comes from the core. Slowly return to the starting position and then proceed to rotate to the left. 

This will complete one repetition. Try to do 3 sets of 15-20 repetitions. Do not sacrifice your form for additional weight. Less is more! 

Exercise #2: Russian Twist Knees Bent.

This is a simple exercise and stretch. By bending the knees, the level is shorter and the amount of weight is less then the full version with your legs straight pointing towards the ceiling. This exercise uses your obliques in a transverse plan movement.

Lie on the floor on a comfortable surface

Raise you legs so that your knees are pointing toward the ceiling. Place your arms at 90 degrees to your body with your palms down. This keeps your upper body still. 

Gently lower your legs to the floor on one side keeping them at a 90 degree angle to the trunk. Return legs to the upright position.

Repeat to the opposite side. This is one repetition.  

Perform 3 sets of 12-15 repetitions.

You can also use a Swiss ball under your calves and performing the exercise in the same manner. You could also place a light medicine ball between your knees to add some resistance.

Exercise #3 : Reverse Woodchopper

This can be done standing or sitting using a dumbbell, Swiss ball or a cable system. This will depend on your experience and goals. Use proper form while doing all exercises and remember less is more sometimes.

The wood chopper series is one of the best ways for integrating the oblique musculature into a functional movement pattern. 

Think of this movement as someone baling hay.  

I will describe this exercise using a cable system, but again this can be done using a dumbbell or Swiss ball. 

Standing perpendicular to the weight stack and cable system in an athletic stance.
Use the bottom pulley or if you are using an adjustable cable system set the pulley at the bottom position. Grasp the handle with your right hand and put left hand over your right.

Draw your belly button in to your spine to add stability to your core.

Gently rotate your torso and pull the cable handle up and across the front of your chest.
To a fully extended arm position on the opposite side of you body above your head.

Keep you arms straight from start to finish.

Return to the starting position. Repeat for prescribed describer below. 

Do this exercise for 3 sets of 12-15 reps 

These are three very basic exercises that have multiple variations that can incorporate rotation in transverse movement to achieve a six pack of abs.  Always make sure you do a full amount of exercises to keep the core active and firm.  Rotate your shoulders towards the knees, in an alternating pattern as you do your crunches.  This will help to insure that the obliques are used. 

Isometric exercises can be done that will strengthen the transverse abdominis. I call this the TV tummy tuck and it can be done while sitting or on your hands and knees. But if you are in your car or at work you do these.  Suck in your gut and tighten your abdominals.  Hold for 10 seconds then slowly release.  Repeat and increase your hold time as you get used to the exercise.   In the gym do an exercise called the “plank”.  Lift your body off of the ground on your elbows and toes.  Contract your abs and relax your shoulders and neck.  Remember to breath and hold as long as possible.  

The abdominal region is best developed by rotating the motion along you transverse plane.  Resistance across your center of gravity is a good for your entire core.  This forces all four of the abdominal muscle groups to work and perform together.  This rotation in transverse movement allows for your six pack of abs to develop and the obliques to show up as a beautiful frame for them. 

These 3 exercises will get you started on the right foot. If you’d like to learn more, you’ll find over 40 exercises in my Firm and Flatten Your Abs Program at -http://www.flattenyourabs.net/ 

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The truth About Core Training And Flat Abs
By David Grisaffi

You’ve seen the infomercials, you’ve seen the books,
and it’s all over the magazines lately…

“CORE TRAINING!”

But is “core training” really legit, or is it just
the latest fad? With so much junk on the market, and
so many false claims being made, it’s hard to tell the
difference any more.

Well, that’s where I come in, and that’s one of the
reasons I created The Firm And Flatten Your Abs program
and the www.flattenyourabs.net website.

It’s rare that a new training modality bursts out into
the mainstream and gets as much publicity and ad time as
core training has… and then to have this “new fad”
actually pan out and have some merit to it.

Well, believe it or not, Core training is the real McCoy!

However, I must warn you, that “core training” and
“functional training” can be taken to ridiculous
extremes and be positioned by the advertising media
as “miracle” cures for obesity and waistline reduction,
among other things.

Throughout my newsletters and other writings, I have to
repeat myself when it comes to the subject of body fat
reduction. Read more…

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by David Grisaffi

http://www.flattenyourabs.net

Abdominal core conditioning program is a synergized and total
approach to abdominal training. The central region of the body is
known as the ‘core’ and is comprised of the abdominal muscles and
the lower back. These are the most important muscles in our body
which help us to function in our daily tasks, prevent injuries and also
make us look good if we shed that extra flab around it. The core is
the region from which we get all our strength and movement and is
also the focal point of balance. Hence, the conditioning of this
musculature is very important.
 
Moving from the outer-most to the inner-most, these muscles are
rectus abdominis, external obliques, internal obliques and transverse
obliques. For conditioning the core area, all these muscles need to be
targeted and worked out. Most of us do not see these muscles because
of the flab on them but they are underneath and can emerge if we follow
the abdominal core conditioning program. These are the so-called
‘fab six-abs’ which remain invisible on almost all, but the fittest of bodies.
 
Pulling in the abdominal wall is the main criteria in abdominal core
conditioning program, as this conditions the core muscles deep inside
and not just the upper layer of muscles. The abdominal exercises are
usually divided into three groups- upper, obliques and lower but the
upper and lower abdominals are not separate. Some exercises in
abdominal core conditioning program emphasize moving the lower
body more than the upper body, while others focus only on the upper
abdominals.
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