April 16, 2023 • 15 mins
Our culture has a fascination with having a 6-pack. Whether it's an indicator of a healthy lifestyle, a sign of athleticism, or you just want to run your hands over them, having 6-pack abs is a pretty common fitness goal. But is training specifically to get a 6-pack a good idea? And are people going about it all wrong? Listen and find out!
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
welcome to Primedy where we find simple techniques to help address modern problems for our primitive
bodies my name is Andrew Pafford and I'm a health and wellness professional with over
a decade of experience helping Olympic level athletes desk jockeys and seniors achieving
their goals and improving their quality of life for episode today we're going to talk about one
hot topic that has yet to ever go out of style in the fitness industry and that is
(00:27):
six-pack abs have always been sought after doubtful has the phrase I want a flabby stomach
ever been uttered in seriousness typically when we talk about working out our abdominals people
use the phrase core your core is so much more than your six-pack but we don't really give the rest of
it much thought in spite of it being a critical piece of our hardware and proper functioning
(00:51):
in that Spirit we're going to discuss all the various ins and outs of core work what it's
really for various and likely more effective ways to train your core and of course how to achieve
those elusive washboard abs or core is typically in reference to the part of the body between the
upper and lower halves just below our rib cage and technically the waist up houses musculature
(01:19):
that we don't attribute to our extremities thus it doesn't qualify as upper body or lower body days
we usually don't think of our core as the piece doing the work like our arms or legs however it
is critical in just about everything we do around our middle section we have four layers of muscle
our rectus abdominis the good old six-pack our external obliques internal obliques and
(01:44):
our transverse abdominis or TVA the six-pack is in charge of approximately 15 degrees of spinal
flexion our obliques help create rotation and our TVA is predominantly used in bracing and breathing
one could also think of this as the body's natural girdle or lifting belt now because
we are not Paper Mario we exist in the 3D World so when we talk about our core we aren't
(02:09):
only referencing our stomach musculature we also have to put a lid and bottom on our core as well
our diaphragm and pelvic floor complete The Ensemble we'll discuss their importance in
a moment but just know that your stomach muscles aren't the only workers when it comes to core work
with the stage set let's now discuss some of the course functioning Numero Uno we have breathing
(02:34):
seeing as how the diaphragm is involved it's impossible to say that breathing and core work
are separate a very obvious way to show the link is diaphragmatic breathing think chest breathing
and belly breathing while the different types of breathing serve different purposes
working different parts of your core effectively control different styles of breathing the next is
(02:57):
spinal stabilization every sport stabilizing the spine is not just a means to allow power
transference but it's also critical for safety slash survival a spinal column that's allowed to
shift under load is a great way to slip a disc spinal stabilization is typically done through
bracing bracing or in medical terminology known as the valsalva maneuver is when we fill the quote
(03:23):
belly with air then contract the abdominal muscles around it to increase inter-abdominal pressure
the sensation can be known to everyone because this is the pressure that you feel when you are
defecating taking a number two you are using the valsalva maneuver the difference is is that when
(03:43):
you brace you are not Contracting your pelvic floor so the pressure is coaxing everything out
the bottom now with bracing the more pressure that is trapped within the belly the greater
the force necessary must be applied to break it the perfect metaphor is a soda can or beverage
of your choice as long as it's aluminum can with the can sealed you could very likely stand on the
(04:07):
can and nothing were to happen to it in spite of it being made of very malleable aluminum
once opened however the air and fluid inside the can are allowed to escape
trying to mount the can at that point would most likely result in it immediately collapsing
underfoot without the pressure on the inside to help the can to hold its shape the aluminum sides
(04:30):
will Buckle easily this is effectively exactly how our core or trunk muscles work and why using
all of your muscles to brace is essential air is trying to get out any way it can and the harder
you squeeze your core muscles the greater the intra-abdominal pressure becomes if one segment
is weaker than the rest say oh your pelvic floor then you can develop unfun conditions like hernias
(04:56):
while there are some congenital conditions that can predispose you to a hernia trying to brace
intensely while deconditioned or with a muscle asymmetry can lead to injury while stabilizing
the spine is great for power transference in sport it can also be used to generate power not
just transfer it in lifting power generated from the legs is transferred through the core down the
(05:20):
arms and into the weight being lifted in other sports however such as any that involve throwing
the core not only transfers power but becomes an active participant in generating more power
because throwing are other sports like gymnastics or track and field don't involve
very heavy load being placed on the body the spine does not need to stay rigid
(05:44):
and in that case it can participate by generating motion using flexion or rotation if you watch any
video of a baseball pitcher throwing the ball you'll see them wind up with their arm behind
them standing in what we call extension as they step forward to displace their weight
their quads ABS chest biceps and forearm flexors come under stretch all at once causing them to
(06:08):
violently and powerfully contract which is what allows them to throw balls over 100 miles an hour
this is known as the Sarape effect what you'll see after the ball is released
is the pitcher almost doubled over from their original upright starting position
that's because of the violent contraction of the abdominal muscles to throw the Torso forward to
(06:30):
add power this principle also applies to kicking punching chopping and throwing of various types
this is the other primary function of the core so now that we've hammered home the main uses of
the core breathing stabilization and powertrain power generation the training concept shouldn't
be painfully difficult to grasp the best way to train your core is to use it in the manner
(06:54):
at which it was intended this philosophy is what partly has led to the surge in functional training
as the exercises performed mimic what the body can or intends to execute while outside of the gem
having a cable cross machine or exercise bands to emulate chopping motions medicine balls to create
(07:15):
load for throwing motions all of these are various means to train the core as a unit rather than its
individual parts why perform planks sit-ups and windshield wipers when you can perform a
chop and nail all three groups at once main reason people may not perform these is these are larger
multi-joint motions that may not be that easy to execute without some training if you played a
(07:41):
throwing sport growing up as a child you'll likely have some motor patterns to pull from if you have
not however there are many moving pieces that can lead to compensations and potentially injury
avoiding them however means that you will always be walking around with a weakness in your Fitness
this is precisely what I argue one reason for going to the gym the gym is not simply
(08:04):
to provide a challenge but also a means to learn new movements having a trainer or physio help you
identify your compensations and weak points is what provides the opportunity to shore
up your weaknesses and improve overall Fitness additionally when executing new movements you can
always start with as Little Resistance as possible and work your way up to really nail that technique
(08:28):
if you're attempting chops for the first time start lighting go slow you might realize balance
is a critical factor and you may need to perform some dry runs simply to get acquainted with the
footwork starting light with a medicine ball toss might help you realize that you lack the
shoulder range of motion to adequately perform a toss let alone at higher weight it's for these
(08:49):
Reasons I'm an advocate of branching out from your typical planks and sit-ups and doing something
more athletic like throwing and chopping another way to frame this is for my more vain audience
aren't the athletes usually the ones with good looking ABS well why do you think they look so
good it's because they actually use their core not just train it and of course they also train
(09:13):
the way they use it they may supplement their training with more isolated movements you better
believe they're also performing more athletic movements to better train for their sport too
so quick speed round for movements that I encourage people to look into
types of chops high to low low to high half kneel tall kneel standing
(09:36):
medicine ball tosses bucket toss log toss overhead toss chest passes stationary moving sit-up tosses
do some interneting and get some ideas now that we're approaching the segment of how do I actually
get abs we'll talk a bit more physiology and one big elephant in the room that's likely the
(09:58):
bigger culprit while we discussed some exercise selection we have to also remember application
bicep curls as a movement are just fine making your biceps bigger however doing 100 curls of
five pound dumbbells is not going to make your biceps bigger movement selection is part of the
(10:20):
equation application is where we need to think as paracelsus once said the poison is in the dose
in our case how many sets and Reps you do of a movement has varying outcomes on muscle adaptation
if I pick up something extremely heavy only a couple times my muscle strength will improve
I think of something very light 100 times my muscular endurance will improve
(10:45):
if I pick up something respectably heavy around 10 times or so I will gain a bit of both of endurance
and strength and this is ultimately where hypertrophy lies or increase in muscle size
if I do 100 sit-ups that's not going to engage in hypertrophy
same with holding a plank for five minutes that's just going to help you with endurance
(11:08):
so if you want your abs to stand out High rep work is likely not going to be your best friend when it
comes to app training the secret is going to be in intensity just like weightlifting intensity
is what is going to cause your muscles to fatigue much faster the heavier the weight
the greater the intensity the faster my muscles are going to fatigue lifting it the fewer reps
(11:31):
I'm going to be able to do so if I can perform a movement a hundred times it has low intensity
hypertrophy work is typically done in the realm of fatigue happening between 8 to 12 repetitions
anymore and you're venturing into the endurance territory any less in your training strength
(11:53):
in regards to our I want to see my abs request you want your muscles to get bigger but how do
we make our sit-ups more intense so that they fatigue in the 8 to 12 range one option is
exactly what our lifting friends do add weight Ed setups are the most rudimentary but effective
(12:14):
the other method is adding speed even if I weigh the same faster I perform movement the
more power or more Force I'm having to exert to complete my task and therefore I'm increasing how
intense my muscles are having to engage think walking down the street versus sprinting I can
walk there on my own time and never raise my heart rate if I Sprint there I'll certainly
(12:37):
get there faster but I'll find my heart rate and breathing elevated and legs may be a bit burny
that's because of the increase in intensity speed increased the intensity adding intensity to your
core work is a way to take your six-pack training to the next level finally the big elephant in the
room when I hear people say I want a six-pack what should I do and I look down and they're sporting a
(13:03):
keg in its place well the honest answer is forget the ab exercises you need to work on nutrition
if you're over 18 body fat or so you're likely have too much in the way between your abs and your
vanity further is now widely known that cortisol causes us to store fat at our bellies specifically
(13:25):
if you aren't overweight yet you feel like you have that stubborn belly fat
that won't quite go away another length of the equation could very well be stress
if you're getting inadequate sleep or not engaging in any mindfulness practices that pesky tummy fat
might be an indicator that you have a hole in your health and wellness that needs addressing
(13:45):
final piece to piggyback on nutrition is food quality eating processed foods that can upset
your gut microbiome or even foods that are too raw for your body to process like raw broccoli
or raw kale can lead to gastric stress and thus bloating this is a big reason why so many cultures
have acids to pair with their veggies like a vinaigrette with their salad the acid helps
(14:10):
to break down the food so the body doesn't have to work too hard and get uncomfortable
fear of sounding like a broken record I'll remind you that a healthy body looks healthy healthy body
needs exercise nutrition and appropriate sleep and Stress Management three-legged stool does
not function very well on two legs and neither will you without one of your pillars of Health
(14:32):
so I entreat you maybe instead of focusing on the ABS try focusing on improving your overall health
you might be surprised that aside from the Myriad of benefits that come with a healthier lifestyle
how a six-pack is usually included as a perk that's it for us today at Primedy we're always
curious to see what you're curious about so please send us your questions comments and feedback to
(14:55):
info at primedy.org and as always strength comes in many forms from within and without
so be strong to be useful take care and stay strong
welcome to Primedy where we find simple techniques to help address modern problems for our primitive
bodies my name is Andrew Pafford and I'm a health and wellness professional with over
a decade of experience helping Olympic level athletes desk jockeys and seniors achieving
their goals and improving their quality of life for episode today we're going to talk about one
hot topic that has yet to ever go out of style in the fitness industry and that is
(00:27):
six-pack abs have always been sought after doubtful has the phrase I want a flabby stomach
ever been uttered in seriousness typically when we talk about working out our abdominals people
use the phrase core your core is so much more than your six-pack but we don't really give the rest of
it much thought in spite of it being a critical piece of our hardware and proper functioning
(00:51):
in that Spirit we're going to discuss all the various ins and outs of core work what it's
really for various and likely more effective ways to train your core and of course how to achieve
those elusive washboard abs or core is typically in reference to the part of the body between the
upper and lower halves just below our rib cage and technically the waist up houses musculature
(01:19):
that we don't attribute to our extremities thus it doesn't qualify as upper body or lower body days
we usually don't think of our core as the piece doing the work like our arms or legs however it
is critical in just about everything we do around our middle section we have four layers of muscle
our rectus abdominis the good old six-pack our external obliques internal obliques and
(01:44):
our transverse abdominis or TVA the six-pack is in charge of approximately 15 degrees of spinal
flexion our obliques help create rotation and our TVA is predominantly used in bracing and breathing
one could also think of this as the body's natural girdle or lifting belt now because
we are not Paper Mario we exist in the 3D World so when we talk about our core we aren't
(02:09):
only referencing our stomach musculature we also have to put a lid and bottom on our core as well
our diaphragm and pelvic floor complete The Ensemble we'll discuss their importance in
a moment but just know that your stomach muscles aren't the only workers when it comes to core work
with the stage set let's now discuss some of the course functioning Numero Uno we have breathing
(02:34):
seeing as how the diaphragm is involved it's impossible to say that breathing and core work
are separate a very obvious way to show the link is diaphragmatic breathing think chest breathing
and belly breathing while the different types of breathing serve different purposes
working different parts of your core effectively control different styles of breathing the next is
(02:57):
spinal stabilization every sport stabilizing the spine is not just a means to allow power
transference but it's also critical for safety slash survival a spinal column that's allowed to
shift under load is a great way to slip a disc spinal stabilization is typically done through
bracing bracing or in medical terminology known as the valsalva maneuver is when we fill the quote
(03:23):
belly with air then contract the abdominal muscles around it to increase inter-abdominal pressure
the sensation can be known to everyone because this is the pressure that you feel when you are
defecating taking a number two you are using the valsalva maneuver the difference is is that when
(03:43):
you brace you are not Contracting your pelvic floor so the pressure is coaxing everything out
the bottom now with bracing the more pressure that is trapped within the belly the greater
the force necessary must be applied to break it the perfect metaphor is a soda can or beverage
of your choice as long as it's aluminum can with the can sealed you could very likely stand on the
(04:07):
can and nothing were to happen to it in spite of it being made of very malleable aluminum
once opened however the air and fluid inside the can are allowed to escape
trying to mount the can at that point would most likely result in it immediately collapsing
underfoot without the pressure on the inside to help the can to hold its shape the aluminum sides
(04:30):
will Buckle easily this is effectively exactly how our core or trunk muscles work and why using
all of your muscles to brace is essential air is trying to get out any way it can and the harder
you squeeze your core muscles the greater the intra-abdominal pressure becomes if one segment
is weaker than the rest say oh your pelvic floor then you can develop unfun conditions like hernias
(04:56):
while there are some congenital conditions that can predispose you to a hernia trying to brace
intensely while deconditioned or with a muscle asymmetry can lead to injury while stabilizing
the spine is great for power transference in sport it can also be used to generate power not
just transfer it in lifting power generated from the legs is transferred through the core down the
(05:20):
arms and into the weight being lifted in other sports however such as any that involve throwing
the core not only transfers power but becomes an active participant in generating more power
because throwing are other sports like gymnastics or track and field don't involve
very heavy load being placed on the body the spine does not need to stay rigid
(05:44):
and in that case it can participate by generating motion using flexion or rotation if you watch any
video of a baseball pitcher throwing the ball you'll see them wind up with their arm behind
them standing in what we call extension as they step forward to displace their weight
their quads ABS chest biceps and forearm flexors come under stretch all at once causing them to
(06:08):
violently and powerfully contract which is what allows them to throw balls over 100 miles an hour
this is known as the Sarape effect what you'll see after the ball is released
is the pitcher almost doubled over from their original upright starting position
that's because of the violent contraction of the abdominal muscles to throw the Torso forward to
(06:30):
add power this principle also applies to kicking punching chopping and throwing of various types
this is the other primary function of the core so now that we've hammered home the main uses of
the core breathing stabilization and powertrain power generation the training concept shouldn't
be painfully difficult to grasp the best way to train your core is to use it in the manner
(06:54):
at which it was intended this philosophy is what partly has led to the surge in functional training
as the exercises performed mimic what the body can or intends to execute while outside of the gem
having a cable cross machine or exercise bands to emulate chopping motions medicine balls to create
(07:15):
load for throwing motions all of these are various means to train the core as a unit rather than its
individual parts why perform planks sit-ups and windshield wipers when you can perform a
chop and nail all three groups at once main reason people may not perform these is these are larger
multi-joint motions that may not be that easy to execute without some training if you played a
(07:41):
throwing sport growing up as a child you'll likely have some motor patterns to pull from if you have
not however there are many moving pieces that can lead to compensations and potentially injury
avoiding them however means that you will always be walking around with a weakness in your Fitness
this is precisely what I argue one reason for going to the gym the gym is not simply
(08:04):
to provide a challenge but also a means to learn new movements having a trainer or physio help you
identify your compensations and weak points is what provides the opportunity to shore
up your weaknesses and improve overall Fitness additionally when executing new movements you can
always start with as Little Resistance as possible and work your way up to really nail that technique
(08:28):
if you're attempting chops for the first time start lighting go slow you might realize balance
is a critical factor and you may need to perform some dry runs simply to get acquainted with the
footwork starting light with a medicine ball toss might help you realize that you lack the
shoulder range of motion to adequately perform a toss let alone at higher weight it's for these
(08:49):
Reasons I'm an advocate of branching out from your typical planks and sit-ups and doing something
more athletic like throwing and chopping another way to frame this is for my more vain audience
aren't the athletes usually the ones with good looking ABS well why do you think they look so
good it's because they actually use their core not just train it and of course they also train
(09:13):
the way they use it they may supplement their training with more isolated movements you better
believe they're also performing more athletic movements to better train for their sport too
so quick speed round for movements that I encourage people to look into
types of chops high to low low to high half kneel tall kneel standing
(09:36):
medicine ball tosses bucket toss log toss overhead toss chest passes stationary moving sit-up tosses
do some interneting and get some ideas now that we're approaching the segment of how do I actually
get abs we'll talk a bit more physiology and one big elephant in the room that's likely the
(09:58):
bigger culprit while we discussed some exercise selection we have to also remember application
bicep curls as a movement are just fine making your biceps bigger however doing 100 curls of
five pound dumbbells is not going to make your biceps bigger movement selection is part of the
(10:20):
equation application is where we need to think as paracelsus once said the poison is in the dose
in our case how many sets and Reps you do of a movement has varying outcomes on muscle adaptation
if I pick up something extremely heavy only a couple times my muscle strength will improve
I think of something very light 100 times my muscular endurance will improve
(10:45):
if I pick up something respectably heavy around 10 times or so I will gain a bit of both of endurance
and strength and this is ultimately where hypertrophy lies or increase in muscle size
if I do 100 sit-ups that's not going to engage in hypertrophy
same with holding a plank for five minutes that's just going to help you with endurance
(11:08):
so if you want your abs to stand out High rep work is likely not going to be your best friend when it
comes to app training the secret is going to be in intensity just like weightlifting intensity
is what is going to cause your muscles to fatigue much faster the heavier the weight
the greater the intensity the faster my muscles are going to fatigue lifting it the fewer reps
(11:31):
I'm going to be able to do so if I can perform a movement a hundred times it has low intensity
hypertrophy work is typically done in the realm of fatigue happening between 8 to 12 repetitions
anymore and you're venturing into the endurance territory any less in your training strength
(11:53):
in regards to our I want to see my abs request you want your muscles to get bigger but how do
we make our sit-ups more intense so that they fatigue in the 8 to 12 range one option is
exactly what our lifting friends do add weight Ed setups are the most rudimentary but effective
(12:14):
the other method is adding speed even if I weigh the same faster I perform movement the
more power or more Force I'm having to exert to complete my task and therefore I'm increasing how
intense my muscles are having to engage think walking down the street versus sprinting I can
walk there on my own time and never raise my heart rate if I Sprint there I'll certainly
(12:37):
get there faster but I'll find my heart rate and breathing elevated and legs may be a bit burny
that's because of the increase in intensity speed increased the intensity adding intensity to your
core work is a way to take your six-pack training to the next level finally the big elephant in the
room when I hear people say I want a six-pack what should I do and I look down and they're sporting a
(13:03):
keg in its place well the honest answer is forget the ab exercises you need to work on nutrition
if you're over 18 body fat or so you're likely have too much in the way between your abs and your
vanity further is now widely known that cortisol causes us to store fat at our bellies specifically
(13:25):
if you aren't overweight yet you feel like you have that stubborn belly fat
that won't quite go away another length of the equation could very well be stress
if you're getting inadequate sleep or not engaging in any mindfulness practices that pesky tummy fat
might be an indicator that you have a hole in your health and wellness that needs addressing
(13:45):
final piece to piggyback on nutrition is food quality eating processed foods that can upset
your gut microbiome or even foods that are too raw for your body to process like raw broccoli
or raw kale can lead to gastric stress and thus bloating this is a big reason why so many cultures
have acids to pair with their veggies like a vinaigrette with their salad the acid helps
(14:10):
to break down the food so the body doesn't have to work too hard and get uncomfortable
fear of sounding like a broken record I'll remind you that a healthy body looks healthy healthy body
needs exercise nutrition and appropriate sleep and Stress Management three-legged stool does
not function very well on two legs and neither will you without one of your pillars of Health
(14:32):
so I entreat you maybe instead of focusing on the ABS try focusing on improving your overall health
you might be surprised that aside from the Myriad of benefits that come with a healthier lifestyle
how a six-pack is usually included as a perk that's it for us today at Primedy we're always
curious to see what you're curious about so please send us your questions comments and feedback to
(14:55):
info at primedy.org and as always strength comes in many forms from within and without
so be strong to be useful take care and stay strong
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