As we begin to focus on achieving goals for the New Year,
we often start by looking down at our stomach region. It
sticks out way too far for most of us. We often ask
ourselves what happened and what can we do about it? My
usual answer to my clients is, set goals. Remember the old
saying, "Focus on what you want, or you'll get what you
don't want." This could not be any more true in trying to
reduce your waistline and look good for Summer 2007.
To gain strength and support in our entire core or belly
region we are going to look at and discuss the transverse
abdominis. The TA is the deepest, innermost layer of all
abdominal muscles. The importance of this muscle's function
has been well documented, but unfortunately has been
greatly misunderstood by most fitness and medical
practitioners.
It has been shown that the transverse abdominis is the
first muscle to contract during any movement of the arm and
legs. What this means is that, prior to arms and legs
movements, there must be a preceding contraction of the TA
to stabilize the spine and pelvis during extremities
movement. When the spine and pelvis all are stable, the
nervous system sends signals to the brain, effectively
telling it tat it's safe to recruit the extremity muscles.
This stable foundation is a prerequisite for force
generation in our bodies. Force generation, simply put, is
movements combined in a sequence to achieve an outcome.
When the transverse abdominis is fully functional, all
joints in the body receive greater neurological energy,
thus allowing efficient and injury-free movement.
When the transverse abdominis is not working optimally, the
brain automatically lowers the neurological impulses to the
muscle, because the brain attempts to protect joints and
prevent any damage. When the joints are unstable, the
pressure-sensitive proprioreceptors in the joints begin to
sense excessive stress during movement. The brain in turn
attempts to cease muscular contraction, protecting the
joints and joint structures. Due to our evolutionary
adaptations in our bodies, the body will prioritize joint
longevity over movement ability. In other words, the brain
will attempt to shut you down before you get injured.
Now this is the way our body is arranged, but it doesn't
always work this way. If you are on painkillers for a bad
back, the neurological impulse to the brain will be
subdued, allowing for movement that would not normally
happen.
The result of a dysfunctional transverse abdominis is poor
movement quality and instability leading to early
degeneration of bold bones and joints. Any person wanting
to function, look, and feel better must maintain function
of this important muscle. In many cases, because of
surgeries (cutting the abdominal wall, C-sections,
hysterectomies, hernias, and other operations),
communication goes awry. Communication must be
reestablished through specific isolation exercise
techniques. These techniques are outlined in more detail in
my e-book Firm and Flatten Your Abs.
The most common cause of transverse abdominis dysfunction
is? What's your guess?
That's right-disuse!
Through inactivity, poor body awareness, respiratory
dysfunction, and neglect of physical and emotional health
the end result most often is physiological dysfunction.
Many quality movement patterns and skills will be lost
including effective function of the transverse abdominis.
Without a good functional TA you increase your chances of
injury.
There are few tricks you can do to get your transverse
abdominis functioning properly. This exercise will help you
gain communication with this often overlooked muscle. If
you have my Firm and Flatten Your Abs ebook, it is on page
51.
So here you go.
Four-Point Transverse Abdominis Tuck
This exercise is great for isolating the transverse
abdominis, for correcting "pooch belly," and reconnecting
with the nervous system. It is particularly valuable for
pre-surgery preparation and post-surgery rehabilitation. In
surgical procedures such as caesarean section and hernia,
the muscles, nerves, and tissues are cut, causing a loss of
neurological impulse (your brain tries to call your muscles
to wake them up, but the muscles don't answer!). Lack of
neural drive to the core muscles is one reason for the
belly hanging out. Certain exercises can help reconnect the
nervous and muscular systems so your "pooch belly" gets the
message from the brain loud and clear and pulls those
muscles in.
Note: Using a dowel rod can help you keep good neutral
exercise posture and provide biofeedback. (As the rod
touches different parts of your body, it makes you aware of
your body position.) If you use the dowel technique, place
the rod along your spine, making sure the back of your
head, upper back, and tailbone are in contact with the rod.
Position: Get down on all fours as though you were going to
crawl. Place your hands directly underneath your shoulders
and your knees directly beneath your hips.
Movement: 1. Inhale and let the transverse abdominis hang
out toward the floor. 2. Exhale, drawing the belly button
in toward the spine.
Avoid any spinal movement during this exercise such as
contracting the glutes, hamstrings, or external rotators.
Do this exercise using a 10-second hold and 10-second rest
cycle for three minutes. Do this two or three times a day
and you will see your belly getting a little smaller.
I hope you take advantage of this exercise to begin your
own quest for a firm and flatter abdominal region.
Till next week.
----------------------------------------------------
David Grisaffi is a Sports Conditining Coach and holds
multiple certifications including three from the
prestigious CHEK Institute. Plus he is also the author of
the popluar selling e book, "Firm and Flatten Your Abs,"
which teaches you how to develop a ripped abdominal region.
Lean how to shead bodyfat and eliminate low back pain and
recieve his free newsletter by visiting:
http://www.flattenyourabs.net
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