We're going to talk a LOT about ab training this week. There are a lot of bad exercise choices out there in every gym. So I'll show you how to choose wisely later this week.
Today I watched a well-meaning but poorly educated trainer put his client through some dangerous ab exercises. Not surprisingly, client complained of low back pain after.
The exercise was weighted Stability Ball Crunches...but not just any regular stability ball crunches. The movement was not restricted to just a few inches of a curl-up, but instead included a violent full body situp that ended with the client almost putting her head between her knees.
So it became a full on Stability Ball Situp Total Body Flexion exercise. A big NO-NO for your back.
Why?
Because as Dr. Stuart McGill, the world's expert on low-back injuries and abdominal training, said in a recent New York Times article, "...no sit-ups, they place devastating loads on the disks."
By disks, he's referring to the intervertebral disks in your spine, the ones that get herniated in many low back injuries.
So you need to avoid sit-ups, and stick to back-friendly ab exercises instead. This may mean the end to your beloved "ab burn" from doing hundreds of crunches, but trust me, your results will be just as good AND you won't hurt your back. More info to come soon...
My training today:
1) Depth jumps
2) Box Squats
3A) Good Morning
3B) Ball Plank
3C) Lunges
As for your training, I hope it includes a workout that is helping you in the 9th TT Transformation Contest that started yesterday. The TT Member's Transformation forum is filling up with TT contest #9 contestants! It's going to be an awesome fall fat loss season.
And don't forget we also have a 6-week contest that ends on the day before Halloween (so you can wear a sexy costume).
Details here => http://www.TransformationContest.com/rules
Today's kick-butt mindset tip:
"Avoid negative people at all costs.They are the greatest destroyers of self confidence and self-esteem."
Brian Tracy
So don't let anyone bring you down!
Stay STRONG,
Craig
PS - A tip I found in a book I read this weekend...
...the book was, "The Ultimate Sales Machine" by Chet Holmes. Very good book...and the quote was:
"Never go to sleep without a request to your subconscious."
Thomas Edison
So put your brain to work while you sleep. I've used this tip before for big-time results!
1 comment:
Dr. Stuart McGill is a god when it comes to the low back. I've studied a lot of his work and have used what I learned to help many people basically change their lives by getting rid of major low back problems. Even I'm amazed at what a huge difference proper core conditioning can have on someone's life.
Needless to say, I never do crunches anymore and cringe to remember the days when I, too, would do weighted stability ball crunches. Though I must say I never turned it into a full sit-up!
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