A strong, well-sculpted abdomen is as delightful to behold
as a Van Gogh sky. Wide lats and a narrow waist forming a classical V shape — a
work of art indeed! But a warning: Such a masterpiece is just as complex to
create as a Starry Night or a Cornfield with Black Crows and it is much easier
to do it wrong than it is to do it right.
One big problem is that 95% of all waist exercises performed
by bodybuilders are variations on the sit-up and the leg raise, which are all
flexions of the abdominus rectus body — that is, drawing the legs and torso
closer together. But flexion is only one of the three functions of the abdomen.
The other two are bending to the side, and twisting from side to side, and
these movements depend on the oblique muscles. Once you begin working on
building up your obliques, then you will be well on the road to flattening your
entire abdomen, not just a part of it.
The function of the obliques is to bend the torso to one
side and forward, and to twist the torso at the waist from one side to the
other. In fact, the obliques cover and hold in a much larger portion of the abdomen
than the abdominus rectus. In addition to their main functions of lateral
bending and twisting, the obliques play an assistive role in all abdominus
rectus exercises, and act as a counterforce to the spinal erector muscles of
the back.
Knowing exactly where the obliques are will give you a
better idea of how important they are. The obliques curve inward and downward
from the sides to the front of the lower abdomen, and down into the crotch.
This means that the obliques are not just a side muscle, but a frontal muscle
as well, particularly the internal obliques and the lower portion of the
external obliques. When the human form is viewed from the front, the lats and
the outer sides of the external obliques form the torso line on each side of
the body.
If abdominal work is neglected, such exercises as
bodybuilding, weight training and jogging tend to develop and strengthen the
lower back at the expense of the abdominal wall. Traditional sit-ups and leg
raises are little help on this score, for they don't work the obliques much at
all, and in addition gradually force the top of the pelvis to tilt forward.
This contributes to swayback.
The Oblique Controversy
Almost from the beginning of modem bodybuilding (circa
1940), the oblique muscles have been neglected by bodybuilders. In the quest
for the extreme V shape created by wide lats and a narrow waist, even the
slightest development of the sides has been avoided so that the frontal view of
the bodybuilder would always reveal a V ending in a wasp waist.
Whenever Bodybuilders see an overweight person — and in our
society, that is a minute-by minute occurrence — their fear of overdeveloping
the obliques is reinforced. The "love handles" that appear on the
overweight body indeed, those handles are often nearly bursting with love! are
so ugly as to be a constant reminder of exactly what bodybuilders do not want.
They forget, however, that such handles are not the oblique muscle at all, but
pure fat! The ideal, then, is to strengthen the obliques while keeping the fat
off them by way of rigorous exercise.
The obliques are quite important in a variety of sports.
They come into play in all sports that involve throwing, such as baseball,
tennis and field events such as the shot put, hammer throw, javelin and discus.
Twisting and swinging motions, as well as all lateral movements, also involve
the obliques, such as those done by wrestlers, gymnasts, soccer players, football
players and boxers. Underdeveloped obliques limit ones athletic facility in
dozens of subtle ways.
The ultimate argument for the bodybuilder, however, lies in
basic body building theory: The ideal body is one in which all the muscles are
developed in systematical harmony. Underdeveloped obliques, then, are a flaw in
the eyes of the experts. Should not the perfect body that all bodybuilders
strive for also have perfect obliques?
Standard Bodybuilding Oblique Exercises
1) The side bend - This exercise is generally the only
oblique exercise included in a beginner's routine. However, beginners are quick
to drop it after they hear from more advanced bodybuilders that it will widen
the waist. This is a pity, because the dumbbell side bend is an excellent waist
shaper, and works much more of the abdomen besides.
To do the side bend, take a dumbbell of about the same
weight that you would use in the dumbbell press. Hold the dumbbell in one hand
at the side of the thigh. Place the feet about shoulder width apart. Put your
free hand at your side or behind your head. Then begin: Bend sideways to the
weighted side as far as possible. Raise back up and then bend over to the
unweighted side. Bend as far as possible and hold the completed position for
about three seconds. Repeat the movement for 10-12 reps. Immediately transfer
the dumbbell to the other hand and do another 10-12 reps for that side.
In the side bend, the obliques pull the torso to the side,
but the intercostals and the abdominus rectus also do a sideways crunch. If you
tense these muscles as you perform the side bend, the exercise will have a
better effect. The side bend is not just an oblique exercise, but involves the
whole abdomen, and is also a mild sideways contraction of the spinal erectors.
2) Twisted sit-up - This is called "twisted"
rather than "twisting" because the twist position is held throughout
each repetition, from start to finish. This exercise works the obliques along
with the abdominus rectus and the intercostals.
To do this movement, assume the sit-up position on a Roman
chair. Take a 5- or 10-pound plate and hold it either behind the neck or at the
chest. Lower the body to the horizontal position. Twist the bead and chest to
one side, then sit up, maintaining the twisted position. At the top, twist the
torso to the opposite direction, then lower and raise for a full repetition
before turning to the other side again. Do 12-20 repetitions,
3) Wasting crunch sit-up - Lie on your back. Raise the legs
to the vertical position with the legs slightly bent as in the regular
leg-raise position. With hands behind the head, attempt to curl up slowly and
curl up again, twisting the other elbow to the knees. This will involve a very
limited range of motion, but try to curl up into as much of a crunching
contraction as possible, doing 10-20 reps for each side.
4) Hanging leg raise twisting - This is a tough exercise
that works the lower abdomen quite well. It can be done with the knees bent at
first. Then, after the abdomen gets stronger, It can be made more difficult by
straightening the legs.
To do this movement, hang from a chinning bar with about a
shoulder-width grip. Raise both legs together with the knees bent. Attempt to
raise and twist the knees up along one side of the torso. Lower and raise the
knees with a twist to the other side of the torso. As you raise the knees, also
raise or curl the hips up to obtain a full contraction of the abdominals.
Perform 10-20 reps for each side.
You can increase the intensity of this movement by adding
ankle weights to your legs or a dumbbell between your feet, And as you become
stronger, you can intensify the exercise by straightening the legs while
raising them, lifting them to a maximum of 45 degrees above horizontal.
Eventually you will be able to touch the bar on either side of the hands. This
is a favorite exercise of gymnasts.
5) Lying side bend - It took me a while to perform it
smoothly, but once I mastered it, I found it a great oblique movement and
abdominal flattener. Be patient — the results are worth it.
Lie down on your side, folding your arms in front of your
chest and abdomen. Now simultaneously raise the torso and the legs in a
vertical direction. This should bring your shoulders and thighs off the floor.
You may not be able to achieve much of a movement the first few times, but keep
at it: It takes a while to get all the muscles working together, but its a
great waist slimmer.
To begin with, you may want to leave your lower arm stretched
out over your head and flat on the floor, and the other hand on the obliques,
feeling them contract as you raise your upper body and legs, Hold for three
seconds and return to starting position, repeating 15-30 times each side.
6) Kneeling cable twist - Take a cable handle in both hands,
or loop a towel in the handle and grip it. Kneel on the floor under the pulley
wheel. Sit on your heels and lean the torso forward. Pull the cable handle down
slowly, twisting to the side. Hold the tense position of the obliques for about
three seconds and return slowly to starting position. Alternate sides with each
twisting pulldown. Keep the arms bent and use the curling and twisting of the
torso to pull the cable down.
Pointers on Performance
• Do each movement at a moderately slow speed.
• Feel the muscles contracting from beginning to end.
• Hold contracted position for 2-3 seconds, and tense.
• No jerking, heaving movements. Don't let the obliques he
overpowered by the
stronger abdominal muscles.
• Practice ISO-Tension control in the exercises.
• Select only three exercises at a workout. Alternate
exercises each workout.
There's no reason to have a midsection you're unhappy with.
Whether you just want to make your waist a little narrower, or want a midsection
that's as ribbed and hard as a tortoise's shell, these exercises are the
answer. They're all based on sound training principles. If you perform them
with determination and intensity, you will undoubtedly achieve the kind of
abdominal musculature you're after.
Weightless Abdominal Routine
Aerobic exercise for about 20 minutes or more at a time is
one of the best methods for shaving off a layer of ugly fat covering the
obliques. Here is a weightless, aerobic abdominal routine, which works all
areas of the waistline, creating a flat, muscular look. These exercises
primarily work the abdominals, so they should be done in addition to the basic
oblique exercises outlined in the primer. This aerobic routine is excellent
when done once a day, whenever you have an extra half-hour. It should be
especially attractive to the competitive bodybuilder, who must flatten his
waistline as well as create the extra edge of definition prior to a contest. To
do this routine, you must:
• Do all six of the exercises listed below continuously,
shifting from one to another without pause.
• Start with just 6 repetitions on each exercise.
• Do the cycle of six exercises just once the first day,
then twice the second through fifth days, and finally three times on the sixth
day.
• Increase the repetitions from 6 up to 20 or more until you
are working for 20 minutes.
Exercises
1) Knee-lift crunch - From a lying position, raise one knee.
Curl up to it as you place your hands on your shin. Slow pulling with the arms
is okay. Alternate knee lifts each repetition.
2) Double knee-lift crunch - From a lying position, raise
both legs off the floor, Place hands on the shins. Curl up and crunch,
3) Cross-legged twist-crunch - From a lying position with
one leg bent at 90 degrees and the opposite ankle on the one knee, twist-curl
the torso up, hands behind neck, for 6 reps, touching elbow to opposite knee.
Then switch legs and do 6 more reps.
4) Bent-leg crunch - From a lying position with legs bent at
90 degrees and feet on the floor, simply curl up and crunch, lifting legs and
torso toward each other.
5) Knee-lift twist-crunch - From a lying position, raise the
bent legs, cross ankles and hold, hands behind neck. Curl up and twist elbows
to knees, alternating on each rep.
6) Leg raise reaching crunch - From a lying position, do a
regular straight-legged leg raise, at the same time curling up with your torso
and reaching out and past your buttocks with your hands. Stop when straight
legs reach the vertical.
Exercise tips:
• Breathe normally during the execution of each routine.
• Keep the movements medium to slow,
• Hold each contraction for 2-3 seconds.
Six weeks of this excellent routine will help you shed
excess pounds, and in addition will give you greater flexibility and endurance.
Strong and flexible abdominals will not only improve your sports performance,
but will do wonders for your appearance.
Awesome Waist-Flattening Diet
Exercise will firm shapt and flatten your waistline, hut in
order to see a flat waist and its muscular definition, you have to strip fat
not only from your waist, hut from your entire body. To help you hurry along
the fat reduction of your waistline, diet plays a major role.
Here is a low-fat, three-day diet plan which can help trim
off waistline fat while still providing energy for any high-powered workouts.
DAY 1: Breakfast
1 boiled egg
½ grapefruit or 1 orange
1 slice whole-wheat bread
1 cup nonfat milk
DAY 1: Lunch
1 ½ cups sliced fresh fruit
½ cup plain low-fat yogurt or cottage cheese
2 rice cakes or large whole-wheat crackers
1 cup nonfat milk
DAY 1: Dinner
Large dinner salad
Dressing: 2 tsp oil plus vinegar and herbs
1 cup steamed rice, preferably brown
2 cups steamed fresh carrot slices
¼ pound lean cooked hamburger
Herbal tea
DAY 1: Snack
3 cups popcorn (no oil or salt)
2 glasses tap water or mineral water
1 apple or peach
DAY 2: Breakfast
1½ cups puffed cereal
¾ cup nonfat milk
¾ cup sliced fresh strawberries
Herbal tea
DAY 2: Lunch
1 large salad with:
3 ounces water-packed tuna
2 teaspoons oil plus lemon juice and pepper
1 slice whole-wheat bread
1 cup nonfat milk
DAY 2: Dinner
1 cup clear broth (preferably low-sodium)
4 ounces cooked chicken (no skin)
2 cups steamed broccoli, cauliflower or cabbage
1 medium baked potato
DAY 2: Snacks
1 cup nonfat milk
3 cups sliced fresh vegetables with dressing made of mustard
and vinegar, if desired
DAY 3: Breakfast
Yogurt shake made in blender with:
1 cup plain nonfat yogurt
¾ cup melon cubes
3 ice cubes
2 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate
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