Are You Really Strengthening Your Abs?

As a follow-up to my previous blog regarding Core, I would like to spend a little time on correct pelvic placement during abdominal strengthening.

Last week when I blogged about what defines the muscles of the core, I was not insinuating that abdominal strengthening is not important. It was simply to inform you on how much more goes into the definition of core.

That being said, abdominal strengthening is a popular request at the gym. Unfortunately, because body fat tends to accumulate around the stomach, it can also be one of the more difficult areas to tone. Often times, many individuals utilize improper form while performing abdominal exercises and end up disappointed when they fail to see results. Appropriate strengthening isn’t just about DOING the movement. It involves proper breathing and postural alignment, keeping the back and neck muscles relaxed and actually contracting your abdominal muscles.

Whether you are an avid athlete or a desk sitter, it is common for many individuals to be tight in the neck, lower back and hip flexors. That being said, tight muscles can also be excessively strong. This affects proper technique for abdominal strengthening because the stronger muscles might try to take over the movement. I cannot tell you how frequently I see abdominal exercises improperly performed in a gym.

So what does correct form look like? If your feet are on the ground, there might be a very small curve in your lower back. This is called neutral spine, and it is perfectly acceptable. However, once your legs are in the air, your spine needs to stay pressed into the mat. If this is not possible, raise your legs higher, or perform the exercise while keeping your knees bent.

Quality is better than quantity. Starting out with exercises that are too difficult (for your current level of fitness) or doing too many can cause back pain.  If you begin to feel back or neck strain you need to stop the exercise. This indicates that these muscles have begun to take over the movement, and the abdominals are no longer working. If you continue, you are actually training your back and neck to be even stronger than your abdominal muscles.

I hope to see you at a CORE class soon! See the Winter Fitness Schedule for details.