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Ab-Natomy Volume 1

Ab-Natomy Volume 1

Originally I had planned on this being a single blog post.  However, as I wrote it became apparent that there were really two primary topics under the same umbrella idea that I wanted to touch on.  In order to avoid watering down the content for the sake of brevity, I decided to break this post up into a two part series. Below you will find Ab-Natomy Volume 1 which will include an introduction into the topic at hand (the ever popular abdominal training), info on the anatomy of the abdominal region, and finally some thoughts regarding abdominal training mythology.  In Ab-Natomy Volume two, anatomical structure will be revisited (from a different point of view) and abdominal related training for athletic performance becomes the focus.  So without further ado, onward to Ab-Natomy Volume 1, enjoy.

Today’s topic up for discussion is another one of those issues which I feel has been addressed ad nauseam.  However, sometimes I forget that not everyone drowns themselves in training based journals, blogs, podcasts and videos to the same degree that I do.  So for the sake of the present readership, I’m going to go ahead and rehash a few important concepts regarding the ever popular topic of abdominal training. 

 

Ah the abs, the eighth wonder of the world; or at least one might believe this to be the case with so many obsessing over midsection development these days.  It has become just about impossible to go anywhere without being bombarded by some sort of information claiming enhanced abdominal definition.  Turn on the T.V. for 15 minutes or walk through a grocery store checkout line, not the self scan but the one that actually has a human being stationed at it and you will see what I mean.  No, that was not a typo.  I do mean “the one” hidden randomly in the middle of 75 unused lanes (anyone else find this weird?). Go ahead, try and find it.  It’s kind of fun and good exercise, sort of like a treasure hunt with a not so rewarding ending.

Once you’ve arrived, take a look at the publications amassed around the entrance.  I caution you, keep it brief or you may come away a few IQ points lighter.  Apparently congress has passed some sort of law requiring at least one abdominal related article to be highlighted on a magazine cover in order to have it printed.  Good on them to come to a consensus on something.

Ah.... and it all comes together

While not all the content included in these articles is bad (some publications, emphasis on some, have actually begun to use educated and credible sources to write these things), the packaging tends to create problems.  Look I get it; it’s all about marketing and the bottom line.  Obviously “How to Get The Washboard Look” is a more enticing title than “Understanding the Functionality of the Trunk Musculature”.   However, in a lot of ways the title dictates the content and when you water down the title, well…….. I hope you’re catching what I’m laying down.

 

Inevitably what you often end up with is an eye catching title, a brief blurb from the author (this is generally where the knowledge gems on functional anatomy, proper technique and progression are usually located if the editor hasn’t cut them away, so please don’t skip over the words) followed by a picture list of exercises.  Here is how these are generally read (I use this term loosely here): title, “yuck words who put these things in here”, look at pictures, rip out pictures, head to the gym.  By the way, is reading still a skill taught in school?  Present company excluded, I sometimes feel the vast majority of our society could gain a lot from re-acquainting themselves with this capacity.

In the end, what’s left is a mass horde of misinformed individuals blindly chasing six pack dreams via daily bouts of endless repetitions of still photo based exercises.  To make matters worse, these exercises are generally butchered due to the fact that stills minus their word description counterpart are inherently poor teachers of anything requiring technique.  Furthermore, because of the titling issue mentioned above, as well as the media’s constant pandering to the public’s already deeply seeded training misconceptions, training of the abdominal region has been relegated to an outdated, poorly executed and potentially dangerous isolation only based approach.

Now that you know how I really feel, let’s move forward and examine the structures that make up what the abdominals, core, cheese grader (whatever you would to refer to the area as) and shed light on some of the more prevalently held misconceptions floating around out there.

When most people talk abs, more often than not they are referring to the rectus abdominus (RA).  The RA originates on the pubic symphysis (down low in your “no-no region”) and inserts on the 5^th – 7^th rib cartilage and the sternum.  It is split length wise by the linea alba and is quartered width wise by tendinous insertions which provide the famous “six pack” shape. When contracted it flexes the spine and pulls either the ribs closer to the pelvis or the pelvis closer to the ribs depending on which area is stabilized (Authors Last Name, Every Anatomy Text Ever Written, 1BC – Present).  While this is certainly true, In Ab-Natomy Part Deux, you will learn why this may be somewhat short sighted.  I know you probably just peed a little with excitement; please take a moment to compose yourself. 

 

Based solely on the information I just presented, the RA is effectively trained through exercises such as the crunch, reverse crunch, sit-up, v-up, straight leg sit-up, hanging knee raise, etc. 

Moving beyond the RA, we also have the obliques.  The obliques are made up of two separate muscles and can be further categorized into a number of different fibers, but we will postpone any discussion into that degree of depth for some other time.  The obliquus externus (external oblique) originates on the lower portion of the lower eight ribs and inserts along the iliac crest (think hip bones).  Generally speaking the external oblique can flex, laterally flex, and rotate the torso.  Lying under the external oblique is obliquus internus (internal oblique).  The internal oblique originates from the lateral inguinal ligament and iliac crest and inserts on the pubic bone, along the linea alba and on the 7^th – 9^th ribs (this can become more complex when fascial lines are taken into account).  Again from a basic anatomy tells us that the internal oblique has the ability to flex, laterally flex, and rotate the torso.

With this general knowledge, training the obliques can be accomplished through exercises such as the crunch, reverse crunch, side crunch, standing side crunch, Russian twist, etc. 

 

Last but not least, we have the transversus abdominis (TVA).  The TVA originates on the undersurface of the lower six ribs, the iliac crest and the inguinal ligament and inserts on the pubic bone and along the linea alba.  The TVA has the ability to flex and rotate the trunk and also acts as something of a girdle to help support and flatten the abdominal wall. 

 

Training the TVA can be accomplished through any of the various torso flexing and bending exercise already listed above.

Now let me emphasize again that what I have just discussed represents a pretty general overview of the abdominal muscles by design.  There could be many more thoughts, ideas and details included, but that is not the intent of this particular piece of writing (plus it would be sleep inducing for most of you).  A basic understanding of the abdominals should suffice for what we will be discussing next, as well as lay some solid ground work for what is to be presented in Ab-Natomy 2.0. 

 

To round out Ab-Natomy the 1^st, we now move on to examining a few of the more prominent abdominal training misconceptions.  Consider this a crash course in abdominal mythology 101. 

Myth # 1 - It’s possible to not have abs 

Here is something I have heard from a number of clients, “one of my goals is to have abs.”  I know what they are getting at here, but I always have to stop myself from laughing and saying, “great, we can check that one off the list right now, my job is done here”.  Let me let you in on a little secret, everyone has abs.  It’s part of your human anatomy.  Some people’s abs are just more visible than others (more on this to come), plain and simple.

Myth # 2 - Doing massive amounts of abdominal exercises is the best way to a six pack

True, training a muscle helps the fibers to grow therefore making the muscle more pronounced.  However, training is only one piece of the puzzle.  If said muscle is obscured by a layer of fatty tissue, additional training is going to do little make it more evident.  Mike Boyle, the strength coach for the Boston University Hockey team, put it well when he stated that the best exercise for developing abs was the table-push-away.  Getting rid of the fat sitting on top of the abdominals is the key to the washboard look, not some miracle producing exercise.  If you want great abs, start with your diet.

Myth # 3 – Abs should be trained everyday

First of all I don’t know why this would make any logical sense to anyone.  What makes the abs magically different than any other muscle in the body?  If we don’t promote this with anything else why do we do it here?  Secondly the abdominals are already receiving plenty of extra stimulation via other means.  Trust me on this one, your abs and spine will likely thank you (more on this topic in Ab-Natomy II). 

What happens when you train something every day......you start to look weird

Myth #4 – All abdominal exercise takes place lying down on a mat

I’m not really sure if this is a myth in the traditional sense, but from what I see at the gym I felt it ought to be touched upon.  Some basic physics concepts wipe this out rather quickly.  Same idea as to why standing pec flys make for a rather worthless exercise.  There are multitudes of ways to stress the core musculature in positions other than lying on the ground.  Many of which are likely to provide a more useful training adaptation.  See Ab-Natomy Dos for details.

Myth #5 – To progress an abdominal training program one should simply add more repetitions

The old more is better protocol.  This is the quintessential American way of doing just about everything.  Once again we see the abs receiving some sort of weird special training protocol that generally goes unused elsewhere.  In this case, it would make much more sense to train the abs as if we were training any other muscle group; by letting our goals dictate the programming.  For example, let’s say I was interested in developing my abs to stand out more (hypertrophy).  Most resources would say that I would be best served through programming which created an exercise intensity that held me somewhere around 6 to 12 repetitions or so.  This would obviously require weighting your traditional movements, something you generally don’t see much of in the land-o-ab training.  Let your training goals lead the way just as you would with any other muscle group and you will improve your likelihood of achieving said goals. 

To close out Ab-Natomy Volume 1, I would like to take a brief moment to highlight what we have learned here today:

• This is the first part of a two part series (read part two for all your performance based ab training needs)
• We as a society have an ab-normal obsession with abs (haha that joke was ab-solutely ab-surd)
  
• Checkout lanes with human cashiers still exist
• Although pictures are fun, if you possess the ability to read the words preceding them it would behoove you to do so.  Remember, those who don’t read are getting the same education as those who can’t read.
• A bunch of anatomy stuff (that part in the middle)
• We all have abs, I promise I’m not lying about this
• Diet plays a massive role in making your abs visible
• Your abs are not that special, they don’t need to be treated differently than every other muscle and showered with extra attention.  Do you really want your abs turning out like Lindsay Lohan? 
• Much like there are multiple ways to skin a cat, or so I’ve been told (I’m not exactly sure who is performing this research but I’m positive PETA is all over it), there are multiple ways to enhance the function and visual appeal of your midsection beyond that of countless crunches and sit-ups.  Tune in for Ab-Natomy # 2 for details.
• A bunch of different ways to refer to Ab-Natomy Volume 2

   To be continued…….

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Stairs, The Other Plyo Box

Apparently taking the stairs would have drained all motivation for the workout....

Not a lot of text to sort through here.  Just a quick video demonstration of how, with an open mind, your everyday surroundings can become an effective training tool.  

 

No plyo boxes?  No problem.

The Roll Down on Recent Foam Rolling Research

The All Blacks, New Zealand's national rugby team, using various  foam rolling tools to complete a SMR session

Self-myofascial release (SMR), or foam rolling as it is often called, has become increasingly popular over the course of the past 5 to 10 years.  Implements once unique to the local physical therapy or chiropractic office are now common place in most commercial gyms.  The use of SMR as a means to enhance tissue quality and muscle function has slowly undergone a shift from a primarily rehabilitative tool to that of a “pre-habilitative” one.  Personal trainers, strength coaches and the like have begun to utilize SMR with their clients and athletes seeking improved movement, function and reduced muscular pain. 

SMR works with the theory that through sustained posture, injury, or repetitive movement, adhesions within the myofascial network are created.  These adhesions are thought to inhibit normal movement and therefore negatively impact muscular performance.  The use of SMR brings about localized muscular stretching, pressure, friction and temperature change.  It is believed that these changes help “break up” adhesive scar tissue and improve muscle extensibility and function.

Enhanced image of myofascia

Unfortunately, despite the abundance of anecdotal evidence supporting the inclusion of SMR into a well rounded training regimen, to date, little actual peer reviewed research has examined the effectiveness of the modality.  A recent study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research is helping to change this.

Researchers at Memorial University of Newfoundland (Canada) examined the effects of two, 1-minute bouts of SMR on knee joint range of motion (ROM) and Quadriceps force production.  ROM and force production measurements were taken at 2 and 10 min post SMR stimulus.  When compared to control findings, SMR demonstrated an ability to significantly enhance knee joint ROM without negatively impacting force production across both time conditions.  ROM improvements were found to be on par with those typically associated with conventional static stretching techniques.

In layman’s terms, two minutes of foam rolling on the Quadriceps improved their flexibility without diminishing performance.  Based on this particular study, and assuming its findings apply in a similar manner to other muscle groups about the body, foam rolling appears to represent a viable option for inclusion in a pre-training warm-up protocol.  While this view has already been promoted for quite some time, there simply has been little to no hard evidence to back it up.  Those claiming benefit from foam rolling (myself included) up until recently have essentially been sharing what equates to personal opinion only; and while one small scale study does not a consensus make, at least I now have something more credible than personal experience to point to when I direct someone to get their roll on.

References:

MacDonald, G. Z., Penney, M.D.H., Mullaley, M. E., Cuconato, A. L., Drake, C. D. J., Behm, D. G. & Button, D. C. (2013). An acute bout of self-myofascial release increases range of motion without a subsequent decrease in muscle activation or force. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 27(3), 812-821.

Fitness Television - More Harm Than Good?

This woman scares me, as do her methods.....

This morning a friend, Dr. Jason Ross, DC, ART, CSCS, shared a link to an article examining some of the physiological and psychological ramifications related to the popular fitness (I use this term loosely here) based show The Biggest Loser. The piece is an interesting one, which I feel does a good job of shedding light on some of the reasons why many fitness professionals take issue with the program.  It actually reminds me a bit of another writing (of a very similar title) that I read a few years back (I’ll include links to both below), written in a different voice, but poignant all the same.

I haven’t watched an episode of The Biggest Loser in years.  This is primarily because I feel the show fails to provide a complete picture to the viewer of what actually goes into achieving the extensive levels of weight loss seen on the program. While I’m sure that I could list a number of other factors pertaining to The Biggest Loser that I disagree with (the lack of credibility behind some of the shows “experts” for one), in the end it is the misrepresentation of reality that bothers me most.  The general public has a difficult enough time distinguishing fitness fact from fallacy as it is, minus the help of television programming such as The Biggest Loser.  

Stepping down from my soapbox, the reason for this post was to share the two above mentioned articles with those of you who read my ramblings.  So without further ado, here they are.  If for nothing else, I hope that they promote intelligent thought about what shows like The Biggest Loser are actually teaching our nation about health and fitness.

One final note, Dr. Ross (who exposed to the first article listed below) runs an outstanding practice in the greater Grand Rapids area (Train Out Pain Chiropractic).  If you are an athlete seeking a qualified practitioner who can provide, among other things, targeted soft tissue work designed to keep you healthy and performing at your best, I highly recommend Train Out Pain.  

ARTICLE 1 - The Real Biggest Losers?  The Show's Audience - Yoni Freedhoff M.D.

ARTICLE 2 - The Real Biggest Losers..... The Viewers - Robert dos Remideos, M.A. 

Thoughts on Vegas and Size in Athletics

Well, I made it back from Vegas in one piece once again. What a crazy city, I have a hard time imagining spending any more than a few days there at a time.  Anything more would be absolutely exhausting.  The place is a non-stop assault on your visual and auditory senses.

Obviously I failed at getting any writing done during my down time, to be honest there really wasn’t much to be had.  The time I did get, I spent mindlessly staring at the television decompressing from the day’s events and conversing about rugby this or rugby that. 

Besides getting to watch high level international rugby and meeting a number of great new potential recruits, the highlight of the trip was being reassured by some of the best in the 7s business that the techniques I’ve been teaching aren’t simply some self invented BS.  While I didn’t come away from the coaching course feeling enlightened with a wealth of new knowledge, I did feel vindicated in the concepts I have been promoting.  That’s a win in my book.  Additionally, it was pretty cool to meet two of the most iconic figures in the 7s game to date, Waisale Serevi (renowned as “The King of 7s”) and Ben Gollings (the current all time point scorer in IRB 7s history).

Serevi, #6 in white

Gollings, #10 in white

Beyond their robust understanding of the game and their finely tuned field awareness and ball skills, the most striking commonality between the two greats, at least from my perspective, was their physical size.  Serevi stands at 5’7” 187lbs and Gollings at 5’9” 179lbs.  Both men are well put together and fit, but hardly what you would call imposing figures.  None the less, both have excelled at the pinnacle of their chosen sporting code.

This occurrence isn’t reserved to rugby alone.  Take the NFL for example; one has to look no further than the career rushing leaders list to find this phenomenon.  It isn’t until number seven all time, Eric Dickerson, where you find a runner over the six foot mark.  I’ve listed the top five below.  It’s essentially a who’s who of NFL running backs.

1.      Emmitt Smith 5’9” / 216 lbs

2.      Walter Payton 5’10” / 200 lbs

3.      Barry Sanders 5’8” /  200 lbs

4.      Curtis martin 5’11”  / 210 lbs

5.      LaDanian Tomlinson 5’10” /  215 lbs

Barry Sanders & Emmitt Smith

Quite the list isn’t it?  What I find interesting, is that despite this evidence indicating that men of smaller stature can in fact compete, if not thrive, at the highest levels of competition, I continue to hear stories of rugby athletes here in the U.S. being passed on by coaches based on physical size.  I for one don’t get it.  In my mind (as a coach myself), the biggest measuring stick for an athlete ought to be on field performance.  If I put you on the field and you get your job done, I could care less what the ruler and / or scale has to say.  Furthermore, and I realize this is to some degree throwing my own profession under the bus, the same can be said about performance testing results.  The numbers are great, but they don’t always tell the entire story.  There is certainly something to be said about throwing an athlete (who has proven to have potential) into the deep end to see whether he sinks or swims, despite what the numbers might be indicating.  

I leave you with these couple of thoughts:

Coaches – Resist the urge to become lost in the numbers.  There is a good chance you may be unintentionally blinding yourself to amazingly talented individuals standing right in front of you, or perhaps just behind someone else (height joke).

Athletes – Refuse to view the numbers as the “be all end all” of your potential.  Maybe you’re not the biggest (fastest, quickest, smartest, strongest, most powerful, hopefully you’re catching on at this point) guy or gal on the field, but this doesn’t mean that you don’t posses other valuable attributes which can aid in your success.  Lean on your strengths and work to improve your weaknesses (unfortunately as far as height goes, you will have to work with what you’ve got).  Above all else, have the courage to believe in yourself despite critiques.  Don’t let the perceptions of others become your own self fulfilling prophecy.