One of the most sought after yet misunderstood areas of fitness training is the slimming and toning of the mid section, or abdominal region. There can be no denying that a flat, fat free mid section with the abdominal muscles showing is a desirable fitness goal. Due to this being a sought after effect the over commercialised section of the fitness industry has taken advantage of the public’s hope for quick results by retailing what are unsuitable and ineffective equipment and programs. There is no shortcut to success in fitness training, especially when conditioning the core. Many in the over commercial section of the industry have little knowledge and practical experience with far too much focus on business rather than substance.
Misconceptions and Myths
The first hurdle one must overcome when setting out to achieve a flat and firm mid section are the misconceptions and myths surrounding this area.
First and foremost to achieve a flat and toned stomach you must reduce the body fat covering the abdominal region. Spot reduction (reducing fat only in a particular area) is a myth. Generally speaking fat loss will occur on an all over body basis. Fat loss cannot be reduced in a particular area by just exercising the muscles in that region.
Secondly and perhaps related to the previous point, you do not perform abdominal exercises as the exclusive part of your training program to achieve results. Yes, you may be toning that muscle –which is important – but it is of little value with a large amount of body fat coving these muscles and limiting their usage. The main offender for promoting this misconception are the retailers which only focus on the trunk flexion movement – which produces muscular contraction in the rectus abdominis – and if this is done exclusively as your core training program it may produce injury due to a muscular imbalance.
Structure of the Core
An understanding of the structure of the mid section is required if you are looking to perform exercises in a suitable manner, without the risk of injury. There are four areas of focus.
The rectus abdominis is the most commonly thought of muscle in the core region, and often referred to as the six pack. This muscle is located at the front of the abdominal musculature, and performs the trunk flexion movement.
The oblique muscles play an important role in processing everyday and sporting movement. The obliques consist of the outer and inner layer of muscle performing rotation, lateral flexion and stabilisation.
Transverse abdominis is possibly the most important muscle in the mid section. Transverse abdominis produces stabilization of the mid section (an isometric muscle contraction – muscle contracts but does not lengthen or shorten) which is a vital role. If this was not in place we would be unable to sit erect, let alone produce movement.
The lower and central back is an area often forgotten in core exercise program prescription (especially in the gimmicks previously mentioned). This region consists of the lumbar spine and erector spinae muscles. If these muscles are not exercised due to too much focus on other areas there is a high chance of injury due to muscular imbalance.
Dealing with the Issues
Whilst it is all good to outline common principles in mid section training there are everyday areas of lifestyle which will significantly influence an individual’s ability to achieve results. Most societies – both eastern and western countries – have been intoxicated with disruptive influences.
Consumption of alcohol is a major disruption to any individual’s pursuits on both a daily basis and throughout a lifetime. Although being around seemly since the beginning of time the consumption of alcohol produces absolutely no positive results. An individual will be negatively influenced by reduction in inhibition (snowballing into an increase in consumption), significantly reduced post consumption functioning resulting in inactivity and slow thought processing, and increased high glycemic sugar consumption. Alcohol makes people feel good, but in reality it’s a social disease on a global scale.
The Solution
So the big question is; how do I get a flat and toned mid section? Once looking past influencing aspects as discussed, results come down to one primary factor; energy in vs. energy out – essentially exercise and nutrition), with lifestyle and the pre disposition of body shape (including race, sex and age) also being considered.
Energy in vs. energy out revolves around the type and volume of exercise and nutritional intake. Quite simply – within reason- an individual must burn more energy (calories) then they consume. Basil metabolism must be considered when analysing a person’s requirements. For effective exercise there must be an emphasis placed on volume, intensity and overall focus whilst being designed into a suitable structure. A suitable program outline for an individual genuinely seeking mid section improvement would be a total of 6 x 50 minute training sessions per week, divided into 2 x Aerobic Conditioning, 2 x Boxing and/or Muay Thai, 1 x Core and 1 x Strength and Conditioning (weight training). Program content must be varied every five to six weeks to allow the body to make adaptations. Strength and Conditioning, and Core programs should be a specific schedule of exercises including appropriate sets, repetitions and recovery periods. Aerobic Conditioning and combat sport training can vary from session to session; whilst focus on intensity is maintained.
Suitable nutrition is a logical component of any fitness and health program. Not only must you consume the appropriate low fat options to maintain control of energy intake (fat is high in energy, but not our bodies first choice), but it’s vitally important to consume the appropriate carbohydrates to facilitate the required training intensity. Reduced carbohydrate diet plans are an unsuitable option as we need the appropriate energy to train, especially for mid section training.
The absolute bottom line is that there are no short cuts involved in achieving a lean and toned mid section. There are many gimmicks offering solutions, however they produce little to no results. Quite simply to achieve results with you training; you must do what’s required.
