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Six Pack Abs-Step by Step February 27, 2008 By Mark Coburn, Associate Editor and Featured Columnist Related Links: Yoga and Exercises That Improve Erectile Performance Waist Size Matters Why We Go Soft In the Middle Foods That Shrink Your Waist Good Night's Sleep Helps You Lose Weight Fatty Diet Linked to Prostate Cancer What Exactly is a Six-Pack--A Guided Tour of Your Abs Everybody wants great abs. "Give me a six-pack" is the first command most personal trainers hear from a new recruit. But few of us really know much about our abdominal muscles. As a result, few of us know which exercises work best in toning and shaping these vital muscles. The abdominal muscles are a group of 6 muscles that extend from various places on the ribs to various places on the pelvis. They provide movement and support to the trunk, often called the core. They also assist in the breathing process. A strong core also helps you to gain control and power in the pelvic area, which improves sexual performance. Before we get started on a tour of your abs, let's face some facts. You can do all the exercises you want in the world but no one will ever see your abs if they are hidden under a layer of blubber. You have to get lean through dieting as well as working the right muscles to get a six-pack. Anyone who tells you different is just playing you. So, get your diet in gear. Also, get enough sleep. It's a little known fact that poor quality sleep packs on the pounds. Snoring especially kills your workout because it robs your body of the oxygen it needs to build muscle mass while you sleep. So, if you're snoring yourself awake, do something about it. The poor sleep sets you up for poor eating which sets you up for a pot belly which sets you up for erectile dysfunction. You Have Six Abdominal Muscles : 1. Transverse Abdominus 2. Internal Oblique (you have a pair) 3. Internal Oblique 4. External Oblique (you have a pair) 5. External Oblique 6. Rectus Abdominus Let's take each Six Pack Muscle this one by one. Article Continues Below Transverse Abdominus This is a very deep ab muscle that you can't touch from the outside of your body. It wraps around your body like a back belt or an old-fashioned corset, keeping your organs in place and, like a back belt, supporting your back. It's the muscle that you use when you exhale and push your tummy toward your spine. Exercises to Work and Strengthen your Transverse Abs 1.Pilates 2.The Vacuum Exercise Exhale hard and hold in your stomach to the count of 5. Do this as many times as you can each day. Internal Obliques -the Pair These are deep muscles on either side of your body. They help you move your spine laterally from side to side and help you twist. External Obliques. These are closer to the surface than the internal obliques. They also run along the sides of your body . They also help you move your spine and twist. Exercises for the Internal Obliques and the External Obliques 1. Captain's Chair 2. Bicycle Crunch 3. Plank 4. Traditional Crunches Rectus Abdominus -The Six-Pack The rectus abdominus is the famous six-pack. The six-pack muscles lie on the surface closest to the skin. If you are overweight, a thick layer of fat will cover these muscles, making it impossible to see them. So, along with doing these exercises, you'r e also going to have to follow a diet plan that helps you shed the outside layer of blubber, to let your six-pack shine through. Here are the Best Six-Pack Exercises--Next Page Page 1 Page 2 Related Links Yoga That Improves Erectile Performance Exercises That Improve Erectile Performance Waist to Hip Ratio--Is This Tiger Woods' Secret Edge? Foods That Shrink Your Waist Foods That Help to Strengthen Your Erection |




| Strong Deep Ab Muscles Support the Pelvis and Core, and Increase Blood Flow to the Penis and Sexual Organs, Improving Sexual Performance of Men and Women. Read More About The Link Between Fitness and Maintaing and Erection. |