Crunch
down slowly on each rep taking 10 to 20 seconds on the way down and
about 5 sec on the way up. When you get to the bottom hold it until you
feel the muscle go into cramp. That’s all you need. Then immediately
stretch out again to get rid of the lactic acid.
Like I said earlier this super intensity and flexing of the muscle is
going to melt fat like butter on a July sidewalk. It will take patience
to learn to flex these muscles but once you learn, your midsection will
change forever. I can’t tell you how excited you’ll get. The fat
just seems to melt away. It’s wonderful.
“Good Bye To Low Back Pain Forever”
Are you getting more than your share of low back injuries? here’s a
training tip that will do wonders. Dr . Kendall co-authored a book
called “Muscles, Testing and Function” (ISBN 0-683-04575-X) which
explains one of the reasons we get back low back injuries. Clearly,
it’s not because of weak lower back. In fact, the spinal erectors may
be too strong or at least too tight. According to Dr. Kendall this
condition can lead to an unnatural pelvic tilt which causes a forward
shifting of the pelvis which in turn causes excessive lordotic curve of
the spine.
Ever noticed how your low back begins to ache when you stand for a long
time. The weight of the body pressing down on the spine gradually shifts
the pelvis forward.
With the pelvis tipped forward, the body must compensate by leaning the
trunk backward and the head forward in an attempt to stay vertical. This
movement causes increased pressure in the small joints of the lumbar
spine (facet joints), which can cause an inflammatory response and back
pain. See the book (Awesome
Abs) for more on this. Also, if the spinal erectors are already too
tight the ache begins even sooner. The remedy is to pull the pelvis back
in it’s correct position which causes the pain to go away. Here’s an
exercise that will show exactly what I’m talking about. Next time your
low back begins to ache, thrust your pelvis up and back very similar to
the “bump and grind” done by belly dancers. When you do this, you’re
shortening the distance between the pelvic bone and sternum causing the
pelvis to tilt back into it’s proper position. The excessive curve in
the low back goes away and the pain disappears. By the way the muscles
used for this exercise are lower abs.
The problem is... there’s two forces resisting your efforts. One is...
gravity and the other is spinal erectors that are too tight. We can’t do
anything about gravity but we sure can about the spinal erectors. Here’s
a couple of ideas. Before each workout go into the Sauna and bend over at
the waist with your legs almost locked out. You’ll feel the heat of the
Sauna soaking into the lower back. Don’t bounce up and down or force any
of the lower back muscles to stretch. Just hang there. Gradually, the heat
will penetrate the muscles and they’ll relax. Eventually your hands will
touch the ground. It’s amazing how fast it happens in the heat of the
Sauna compared to regular room temperature. This before workout stretching
is just enough to make sure your low back is not too tight for a safe
workout.
Another excellent time to do stretches is... each morning during your
shower. Turn the shower a little warmer than normal. Bend over at the
waist just like in the Sauna. Again, hang there and wait for the spinal
erectors to relax. Close your eyes and wait till you feel your fingers
touch the ground. That way you won’t force anything. Just wait until the
muscles let go all of themselves.
If you do this in the morning and just before a workout you’ll have a
lot fewer back injuries. |
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