Wednesday, February 15, 2012

SPORTS PERFORMANCE: Now you can get that ‘six-pack’ you’ve always secretly wanted


Dear Sports Performance Bulletin Reader,
Which one of us doesn’t want a six-pack? I know I do...
In fact, a lean and defined stomach, with strong core muscles, is the training goal of virtually every exercise enthusiast I know.
After all, a flat and toned midsection is aesthetically pleasing. It suggests not just sex appeal, but the appearance of good health, strength and power as well – and these are all important factors when choosing a mate!
What’s more, the media exposes us to endless images of toned, flat stomachs. Almost every ‘A list’ actor, numerous musicians as well as male and female models are all sporting the ‘fashion essential’ that is a six-pack. Turn on the TV and you’ll see sportsmen and sportswomen with ripped, clearly defined midsections, although for most of them, this is a by-product of their training rather than the goal.
Just type ‘six-pack abs’ into an internet search engine and you’ll get about thirty million hits all offering advice on how to gain the fitness holy of holies. Pills, potions, exercise routines, workout devices, ab belts and waist wraps. Clearly six-pack abs are a hot topic – and big business – for many people!
But sex appeal aside, having a strong core is essential for reasons of health. Because having a lean midsection reduces your likelihood of suffering certain insidious diseases such as diabetes, coronary heart disease and high blood pressure, as fat stored around the internal organs in the abdominal cavity is closely associated with poor health.
In fact, intra-abdominal fat is often referred to as ‘heart attack fat’ in medical circles.
A reduced waist measurement is closely associated with health and longevity, as demonstrated by the hip-to-waist-ratio test used by doctors and dieticians to assess coronary heart disease risk.
As if that wasn’t enough, well-developed midsection muscles are also essential for the health of your spine.
That’s because the abdominal muscles help support your back and reduce the load on passive structures such as your intervertebral disks and spinal ligaments. The muscles of your midsection act much like a natural weight lifting belt or old-fashioned whale-bone girdle to stabilise your spine and keep it correctly aligned when you sit, stand and move.
That's why How To Build A Stronger Core is the next in our Peak Performance 'Solid Muscle Series' of programmes, specially designed to build the various muscles that make up the core – and result in a toned six-pack.
What sets our muscle building programmes apart from the rest – including all the ‘freebie’ stuff you’ll find on the internet? Simply this – our training advice is PROVEN to work, because it’s based on the very latest sports scientific thinking.
Our track record of helping athletes achieve their best goes back over 20 years. Because since 1990 we’ve been taking the very latest sports science research, as soon as it is published in peer-reviewed academic journals, turning it into plain English, and sharing it with our many thousands of Peak Performance members worldwide.
For that reason you can be sure that every word of the How To Build A Stronger Core programme rests on a solid, proven scientific foundation – and that it’s safe for you to use.
The programme carefully weaves together several advanced weight training strategies into a unique, 12-week programme which will give you core muscle development that makes you the envy of your friends...
Regardless of whether you want to develop your abs for show, performance, spine health or overall well-being, our 12-week plan will take you from ‘ab zero’ to ‘ab hero’ and help you build a strong, functional and aesthetically pleasing midsection.
Rest assured, you’ll make great progress towards that holy grail of fitness goals – the six-pack.
How To Build A Stronger Core is available to you as an eBook, so you can start putting the ideas it contains into practice within just 24 hours. So why not order your copy right away.
As you’re a subscriber to our weekly Sports Performance Bulletin, it’s available to you at an exclusive, advance order, discount price – but for a LIMITED time only. (More details on how to get your copy below.)
Where else can you find such reliable, cutting-edge advice in one place – all of it based on the very latest sports science research?
Order your copy of the How To Build A Stronger Core 12-week training programme TODAY, at our special, 50%-discount price. What’s more, you’ve got 30 days in the convenience of your own home or sports club to decide whether or not you want to keep the program or return it for a full refund.
Make sure you order your copy TODAY.
Yours sincerely,

Jonathan Pye
Publisher: Peak Performance

A word on the author:

Our latest weight training programme has been specially written for you by someone who knows what he's talking about – because he's put his training knowledge to work for himself. He's no amateur theorist!
Patrick Dale is a man who lives by his ideals. A qualified health and fitness professional, Patrick joined the Royal Marine Commandos – one of the most elite fighting forces in the world – for five years, during which time he saw active duty in many parts of the world, including Northern Ireland. The Marines have a reputation for “training hard and fighting easy” and Patrick's high level of fitness was tested to the extreme during his service.
Patrick left the Marines to resume his Health & Fitness career and began teaching other people how to become personal trainers and gym instructors, starting up his own company, Solar Fitness Qualifications. Today, Patrick's main areas of interest include strength and conditioning for improved sports performance.
As the Series Editor of our brand new 'Solid Muscle Series' (and Editor of ultraFIT magazine), John Shepherd, put it:
"I've come across hundreds of similar programmes on the internet, but very few are as extensive and well-thought out as the Build Bigger series written by ex-Marine and fitness training course teacher, Patrick Dale.
Dale provides a balanced programme which, although concentrating on specific body parts, ensures that you won't ever over-train or over-emphasise that particular body part during the overall training plan. The resul: great-looking arms, chest or legs, for example – and on a balanced, robust and great looking body.
Dale's knowledge of training systems is second to none and the author realises that in order to maximise muscle growth, you have to use a variety of training systems and loadings optimised for hypertrophy.
With easy to follow month-by-month workout routines and exercise descriptions these programmes are a must."

Which Muscles Make Up Your Core – And How Can You Get The Very Best From Them?

To get the maximum benefit from any exercise regime, you first need to understand which muscles are being targeted, and why – and this is the starting point of our How To Build A Stronger Core programme.
This is particularly true when it comes to the core muscles, because there are a number of terms used in conjunction with the muscles of your midsection and this can lead to much confusion. For example, the term abdominals or abs is used and often misused, when describing the muscles that make up your middle.
In fact, the ‘core’ is the collective term used to describe the muscles that surround your midsection, and that control the movements of your spine. These muscles are capable of working alone but are often required to work in synergy when supporting your spine.
In order to build your core muscles quickly, efficiently – and without injury – you need to use a methodical, systematic approach, comprising a variety of exercises and proven training methods, to get the results you want. Otherwise you risk wasting many hours of time and effort on fruitless activity.
For example: it’s an enduring myth that hundreds of crunches or sit-ups are required to build a six-pack.
So before you go further, first you need to understand the three distinct layers of core musculature that collectively make up your core.
1. The Deep Layer
The deep layer consists of tiny muscles that connect each of your vertebrae and control the movement of the individual bones that make up your spine. Also referred to as ‘position sense muscles’, these vertically, diagonally and horizontally arranged structures connect each vertebra to its neighbour. Although you won’t be targeting these micro-muscles during any of your core workouts, you can be assured that the ‘inerspinalis’, ‘rotatores’ and ‘intertransverserii’ will be doing all they can to keep each of your vertebrae individually aligned.
2. The Middle Layer
Sometimes referred to as the inner unit, the middle layer plays a vital part in spine stability. Whilst not responsible for any gross spinal movements, the inner unit is made up of four major muscles that contract inwardly to create intra-abdominal pressure. Intra-abdominal pressure, or ‘IAD’ for short, supports your spine from the inside in much the same way that pumping air into a football gives it shape and makes it solid.
We use these muscles when we ‘brace’ our midsections when we move. Bracing and the ability to brace strongly is vital for all physical performance, midsection appearance and spinal health and is something you need to do during every exercise within this plan.
In How To Build A Stronger Core we teach you the three necessary steps for successful bracing.
The inner unit or middle layer is, as mentioned, made up of four muscles. Just like the position sense muscles, these muscles are worked during every core exercise. Additionally, you will also be targeting these muscles with a variety of specific bracing exercises over the coming weeks. A strong inner unit will a) enhance spinal health, b) improve your midsection performance and c) contribute to your appearance by creating a much tighter waist line.
The four muscles of the inner unit are the ‘diaphragm’ - your primary breathing muscle, your ‘transverse abdominus’ which encircles your abdominal contents, the ‘multifidis’ which runs up your spine and the muscles of the pelvic floor which supports your internal organs from below.
These muscles form a cylinder with the diaphragm at the top, the pelvic floor at the bottom and transverse abdominus and multifidis at the sides.
3. The Outer Layer
Responsible for gross spinal movements, the outer layer of muscles are the ones that will be targeted during your core workouts and are the large muscles that are generally thought of as the ‘show’ muscles. There are three main outer layer muscles:
Rectus Abdominus: The rectus abdominus is the muscle located on the front of your abdomen and is responsible for that elusive six-pack appearance. The rectus abdominus or abs for short is a long muscle that starts on the front of your pelvis and extends all the way up to your lower ribs and sternum.
The six-pack appearance comes from the ligaments that criss-cross the abs dividing it vertically and horizontally. These ligaments, called ‘linea alba’ (or white lines), become more visible as you get leaner but more on that later. The rectus abdominus is responsible for flexing your spine forwards e.g. when performing crunches and also works when you bend to the side in an action called ‘lateral’ flexion e.g. when performing dumbbell side bends.
Erector Spinae: Running up either side the rear of your spine, the erector spinae is actually eight individual muscles that overlap one another and extend form the base of your pelvis to the nape of your neck and skull. These muscles are responsible for extending your spine backwards and also lateral flexion.
Interestingly, the erector spinae, although not an abdominal muscle, makes a big contribution to the appearance of your core by holding you upright in good posture. Lean forwards and your abdominals will bow outwards. Stand up straight and your abdominals flatten out. In addition, strong erector spinae muscles also help promote spine health, especially in your lower back or lumbar vertebrae.
Obliques: These muscles make up the sides of your midsection and are best thought of as your waist muscles. You have three sets of oblique muscles – ‘external’, ‘internal’ and ‘transverse’ - on each side of your waist which start on your spine and curve around to your ribs and pelvis. The obliques work together to rotate your spine and to flex your spine laterally i.e. sideways and also contribute to forward flexion by assisting your rectus abdominus.
But in How To Build A Stronger Core we go much further than simply identifying the muscles to be targeted week by week. You’ll find out not just which muscles make up the core, but how they work – from concentric, to eccentric to isotonic contractions – so you’ll be best placed to get maximum results from the week-by-week exercise programme that follows.
We also explain the six principles that underlie successful training programmes – so you can be sure you’re not violating any of them.
And, crucially, we tell you everything you need to get right when you’re NOT working out – in order to get the very best results from all that effort you expend in working your core muscles.
Because as every serious athlete knows: working out is only a THIRD of the muscle building equation. You need to eat right, get sufficient rest and supplement your diet wisely. It’s certainly not necessary to take all the supplements that are on the market. In fact, you may be surprised to learn what works... and what doesn’t...
Then we blow the lid off five common ‘myths’ about training your core muscles, so you’ll learn how to recognise bad advice and information.
Because it’s truly astonishing how much misinformation is available on the subject of how to build a rippling six-pack.
Finally, we detail each of the 38 individual exercises that, together, underpin this complete, 12-week training programme. You’ll find out exactly how to do each exercise correctly – and avoid injury. Each exercise description has an accompanying illustration, so you can see for yourself exactly how to perform it the right way.
The bottom line: by the end of this section, you’ll have all the underlying knowledge you need to get the very best out of the exercise programme itself.

How The ‘Building A Stronger Core’ Programme Works For You – Week by Week

Now we get to the nitty-gritty. The 12-week, step-by-step training routine that contains everything you need to know to get the stronger core and ripped abdominal muscles you want quickly – and without injury.
This programme is designed for intermediate and advanced exercisers who have plenty of relevant experience and are already training regularly. If you are a beginner, these workouts may be too challenging for you at present. So, if you are new to exercise or are coming back after a long break, we suggest a few months of regular training before you try our 12 Week How To Build A Stronger Core programme.
The plan consists of three phases over 12 weeks with two Better Core muscle specialisation workouts and one Cardio Ab Training (CAT) session each week.
Perform the Better Core workouts at the end of your regular exercise sessions on non-consecutive days as indicated in the programme overview. Each session will take around 15 to 20 minutes. The only exception to these guidelines is the Cardio Ab Training (CAT) sessions, which should replace one of your regular aerobic workouts.
Make sure you include one or two rest days a week and cut back on your training volume if you are feeling continually tired (a symptom of over-training). This is especially important if you have reduced your calorific intake significantly to promote leanness.

Phase 1 – Weeks 1 to 4

Core Workout 1: combines 5 individual exercises across two training systems – giant sets and simple sets – to get the best results from each workout. Giant Set: perform each of the exercises in the giant set, designated ‘a’, ‘b’, ‘c’ and ‘d’ in order with no rest between each movement. On completion of exercise ‘d’, rest for the prescribed period and then repeat the entire sequence for the specified number of sets. Simple Sets: in this instance, perform 2 sets of the requisite exercise then rest for the stipulated period.
Core Workout 2: uses two training systems: EDT and Simple Sets. Escalating Density Training or EDT for short differs from most training systems in that you don’t perform a specified number of sets or reps but, instead, work against the clock to perform as much work as possible in the allotted time frame. To do this, start your timer and perform a set of 8 to 10 reps of the first exercise and then do the same for the second in the pairing. Continue moving back and forth between the two exercises with the aim of performing as many repetitions as possible before you run out of time. Rests are completely intuitive so take a break when you need to but remember that you are working against the clock so no dilly-dallying!
The key is to avoid hitting muscular failure - the point at which you are unable to perform any more reps - until the last couple of minutes of the 10 minute time block. Hitting failure too early will result in fewer reps performed in total.
You then make a note of how many reps you performed in total for each exercise and strive to beat that number the next time you perform this workout.
Simple Sets are performed as in Core Workout 1 above.
Cardio Ab Training Programme 1: combines a fat-burning cardio workout with numerous exercises to challenge your core musculature from a variety of angles. Each cardio component should be performed intensely so that you complete each 3 minute period at almost maximal effort. You then perform two sets of a core exercise before moving onto your next cardio exercise. Other than the rests between sets of core work, you should endeavour to move between exercises as fast as possible.
NB: if you don’t have access to all of the cardio equipment mentioned in the programme, use whatever you have available and feel free to use a piece of cardio more than once - it’s the intensity of effort rather than the modality of exercise that is important!

Phase 2 – Weeks 5 to 8

Core Workout 3: uses super sets across the 4 designated exercises. So the exercises are paired, designated ‘a’ and ‘b’ and performed back to back with no rest in between. On completion of the second exercise, you rest for the prescribed period before repeating the pairing.
Core Workout 4: utilises simple sets. So you perform all three sets of each exercise, resting between efforts for the designated amount of time, before moving on to the next exercise.
Cardio Ab Training Programme 2: combines a fat-burning cardio workout with ten different exercises from those in CAT 1 to challenge your core musculature from a variety of angles. As with CAT 1, each cardio component should be performed intensely so that you complete each 4 minute period at almost maximal speed. You will then perform two sets of a core exercise before moving onto your next cardio exercise. Other than the rests between sets of core work, you should endeavour to move between exercises as fast as possible. As before, if you don’t have access to all of the cardio equipment mentioned in the programme, use whatever you have available and feel free to use a piece of cardio more than once - it’s the intensity of effort rather than the modality of exercise that is important!

Phase 3 – Weeks 9 to 12

Core Workout 5: uses two training systems to get the best results from the 4 stipulated exercises, complex sets and simple sets. Complex sets combine two or more exercises into a non-stop movement. You continue the sequence until you have completed all the reps for all the exercises within the complex. While simple sets require you to perform all three sets of each exercise, resting between efforts for the designated amount of time, before moving on to the next exercise.
Core Workout 6: uses two training systems: Super sets and simple sets. In super set, exercises are paired, designated ‘a’ and ‘b’ and performed back-to-back with no rest in between. On completion of the second exercise, rest for the prescribed period before repeating the pairing. Simple sets are carried out as in Core Workout 5 above.
Cardio Ab Training Programme 3: as before, combines a fat-burning cardio workout with ten different exercises to challenge your core musculature from a variety of angles. As with CAT 1 and 2, each cardio component should be performed intensely so that you complete each 4 minute period at almost maximal speed. You will then perform two sets of a core exercise before moving onto your next cardio exercise. Other than the rests between sets of core work, you should endeavour to move between exercises as fast as possible. As before, if you don’t have access to all of the cardio equipment mentioned in the programme, use whatever you have available and feel free to use a piece of cardio more than once - it’s the intensity of effort rather than the modality of exercise that is important!
So there you have it. Everything you need to tone and build your core muscles – and in just 12 weeks too. Guaranteed!

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