I have been studying psychology and physiology since I was 16 (seems like forever ago…I am 34 now), because I wanted a “hot” body (six pack with ripped back, chest, arm, and leg muscles), that also performs at peak levels.
Fortune favors the bold, so after staying consistent with exercise, hydration, nutrition, and sleep I have managed to keep the six pack I created so many years ago in my high school fitness gym.
I used to walk around with my shirt off all of the time to show this off, and then I realized I was just feeding ego, not helping others realize their own improvements…now I rarely am seen without a shirt.
I don’t keep my shirt on because I lost my six pack (they are still strong and present, just a little more hairy).
It is mainly because grew up a little and chose a more modest, humble approach to help others reach their fitness goals.
I realized I don’t have to constantly show off my abs, strength, power, and muscles at Innovative Results fitness gym, to help other people improve their quality of life…it is more about connecting and having fun at The Orange County Fitness Playground, while building good habits with solid fitness training programs.
When it comes to overall fitness, especially ab and core strength, I wouldn’t coach clients, teach trainers, facilitate followers, or build progressions that didn’t work.
However, sometimes we forget that six pack abs and abdominal strength has less to do with ab-centric exercise (like crunches and sit-ups) and more to do with properly engaging them throughout our daily activities and exercise routines.
If we fail to engage our inner and outer abdominal muscles at the trunk of our torso, except for when we do “ab” exercises, we will fail to feel the abdominal muscles work properly in all positions.
Sounds to easy, but I encourage you to test this right now.
Are your “abs” “on”?
Most likely, they are not.
You are in some sort of forward slouch, slump, or fold, that has turned your abs into mush.
Once you straighten up your position in your seat or as you stand, your ab muscles and core need to share the load placed on your spine from gravity.
This load is increased as we perform daily tasks and exercises.
When we rotate, lift heavy, exert maximal force in push, pull, rotation, squating, hip hinging, and rotating, our abs must contract.
This is telling your ab muscles to adapt by getting stronger and more dense, so we can perform the exercises better next time.
Which invests into the future look and feel of our abs.
If we are regularly pursuing abdominal engagement through regular exercises, as mentioned above, and we consciously engage our abs as we sit, stand, walk, run, reach, lift, and hold stuff throughout the day…we will be amazed by our “core” or “ab” strength.
All of these movements ARE ab exercises, as long as we are actively engaging with our abdominal muscles during these movements.
As we start to engage our abdominal muscles more and more, we will have muscles to show off, especially when we pursue good nutrition, hydration, and sleep to help us remove the unnecessary body fat from our belly.
Need more ab exercises?
Try these three articles to help you work your abs and core better during your time at the Innovative Results fitness gym – The Orange County Fitness Playground.
Now you can get that hot body that also performs at peak levels:
7 Best Core Exercises
Are Ab Crunches a Waste of Time?
I Do Crunches Every Day, Where Are My Abs?
Make your Next Ab Exercises Your Best Exercises!
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I had no idea that my abs are always working even when I am sitting. No wonder I really feel tired after a good ab exercise. I do abs 4 days a week, and still I can not get the definition I want. I will have to give some of these techniques a try and see if that will do the trick.