Q: Should I do lots of crunches to reduce fat around my middle?
A: No. Exercising the area from which you want to lose fat is called “spot reduction”. Spot reduction is now believed to be a myth. Research shows that fat is lost all over your body, not just in the area that you work.
Q: What’s wrong with situps?
A: Traditional situps emphasize sitting up rather than merely pulling your sternum down to meet your pelvis. The action of the psoas muscles, which run from the lower back around to the front of the thighs, is to pull the thighs closer to the torso. This action is the major component in sitting up. Because of this, situps primarily engage the psoas making them inefficient at exercising your abs. They’re inefficient
A: No. Exercising the area from which you want to lose fat is called “spot reduction”. Spot reduction is now believed to be a myth. Research shows that fat is lost all over your body, not just in the area that you work.
Q: What’s wrong with situps?
A: Traditional situps emphasize sitting up rather than merely pulling your sternum down to meet your pelvis. The action of the psoas muscles, which run from the lower back around to the front of the thighs, is to pull the thighs closer to the torso. This action is the major component in sitting up. Because of this, situps primarily engage the psoas making them inefficient at exercising your abs. They’re inefficient
because the psoas work best when the legs are close to straight (as they are when doing situps), so for most of the sit-up the psoas are doing most of the work and the abs are just stabilizing. Putting the thighs at a right angle to the torso to begin with means that the psoas can’t pull it any further, so all of the stress is placed on the abs. Situps also grind vertebrae in your lower back. This is because to work the abs effectively you are trying to make the lower back round, but tension in the psoas encourages the lower back move into an exaggerated arch. The result is the infamous “disc pepper grinder” effect that helps give you chronic lower back pain in later life.
Q: If the athlete is on the road or needs to quickly grab a bite to eat, what kind of fast food would be the best choice?
A: Most fast-food restaurants now publish the fat and carbohydrate content of their menu items. Choose low-fat foods, and ask for things without sauce. Most chicken products [broiled or baked, not fried] are good. An alternative is to plan in advance and carry fluids and healthy snacks with you.
Q: Does overtraining lead to fatigue?
A: Overtraining is the worst problem. The body builder may not have a coach on a daily basis, so he or she may overexert. At first you get exciting results, and you get so enthusiastic. The natural tendency is to press on. To correct fatigue from overtraining, get adequate rest and drink lots of water, and every other day, body build! Let your body rest and adjust.
Q: If an athlete needs more iron, what type of supplement might help?
A: Check your iron intake to match your body’s iron stores. Get a lab analysis of your red blood count. An iron supplement of 15 mg a day is ample, and most vitamin and mineral supplements include iron.
Q: What’s the safest way for a bodybuilder to dehydrate?
A: Unfortunately, dehydration plays a part in observable muscle definition. Play it safe. Fluids are needed to dissipate heat, transports nutrients and eliminate waste products. In other words, you can’t dehydrate safely. Body fluid loss of only 2% will cause throbbing heart, nausea and muscle pain.
Q: What is super hydrating, and will it benefit bodybuilders?
A: Super hydrating is fluid intake over what’s normally lost by sweating, urination and other body processes. It allows your kidneys to get rid of toxins. Super hydration is done best when you slowly drink small amounts of fluids over a period so they have time to move into the small intestine and be absorbed into the bloodstream. No athlete chooses to experience fatigue, visual disturbances, dizziness and increased blood pressure [results of dehydration]. Prevent heat disorders by predicting the environmental conditions in the gym or wherever you train and taking along a bottle of water or sports drink if necessary.
Q: If the athlete is on the road or needs to quickly grab a bite to eat, what kind of fast food would be the best choice?
A: Most fast-food restaurants now publish the fat and carbohydrate content of their menu items. Choose low-fat foods, and ask for things without sauce. Most chicken products [broiled or baked, not fried] are good. An alternative is to plan in advance and carry fluids and healthy snacks with you.
Q: Does overtraining lead to fatigue?
A: Overtraining is the worst problem. The body builder may not have a coach on a daily basis, so he or she may overexert. At first you get exciting results, and you get so enthusiastic. The natural tendency is to press on. To correct fatigue from overtraining, get adequate rest and drink lots of water, and every other day, body build! Let your body rest and adjust.
Q: If an athlete needs more iron, what type of supplement might help?
A: Check your iron intake to match your body’s iron stores. Get a lab analysis of your red blood count. An iron supplement of 15 mg a day is ample, and most vitamin and mineral supplements include iron.
Q: What’s the safest way for a bodybuilder to dehydrate?
A: Unfortunately, dehydration plays a part in observable muscle definition. Play it safe. Fluids are needed to dissipate heat, transports nutrients and eliminate waste products. In other words, you can’t dehydrate safely. Body fluid loss of only 2% will cause throbbing heart, nausea and muscle pain.
Q: What is super hydrating, and will it benefit bodybuilders?
A: Super hydrating is fluid intake over what’s normally lost by sweating, urination and other body processes. It allows your kidneys to get rid of toxins. Super hydration is done best when you slowly drink small amounts of fluids over a period so they have time to move into the small intestine and be absorbed into the bloodstream. No athlete chooses to experience fatigue, visual disturbances, dizziness and increased blood pressure [results of dehydration]. Prevent heat disorders by predicting the environmental conditions in the gym or wherever you train and taking along a bottle of water or sports drink if necessary.
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