Abdominal Exercise Programs Most Effective When Aimed at Each Individual

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Abdominal Exercise Programs Most Effective When Aimed at Each

Individual

19 May 2005 Medical News Today

Abdominal exercises are most effective and less dangerous when

tailored to the needs of an individual. Experts from the American

College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), the world leader in the science

and medical aspects of sports and exercise, say individuals should

choose their abdominal program based on their desired outcome, not on

trends or common misconceptions.

" One crunch does not fit all, " said Michele Scharff-Olson, Ph.D.,

FACSM, a professor of exercise science at Auburn University,

Montgomery. " Trainers, coaches, and the athletes or clients

themselves need to know the best set of exercises to reap a desired

benefit and avoid danger. "

Olson spoke today along with Sherman, a Reebok Master Trainer,

to an audience of health and fitness professionals at the eighth

annual ACSM Health & Fitness Summit and Exposition. The pair suggests

that each individual be classified prior to beginning an abdominal

program by their desired outcome: therapeutic/rehabilitation, general

health and fitness, or athletic performance. Calling on recent

research, the experts explained how a safe and effective program can

be tailored for each setting.

" For many athletes, clients, and people generally wanting stronger

abs, finding the right set of exercises can be a frustrating

challenge, " Olson added. " There are so many messages out there from

sources claiming to have found the perfect exercise. It confuses

everyone. "

Olson and Sherman point to an existing trend among the general public

to desire a more attractive mid section, but to blindly go about

performing many repetitions of the same exercise. She suggests these

general recommendations for abdominal exercise:

-- Spend less time overall on abdominal exercises.

-- Work with a trainer or coach to select a greater variety of

exercises.

-- Perform only 15-20 repetitions of each exercise.

-- Understand that abdominals are mostly endurance muscles. Do not

train them to increase in size as you would a bicep or quadriceps

muscle.

-- The best way to achieve a " six pack " of abs is to focus more on

lowering total body fat through aerobic exercise and dietary

modification. This appearance is more a result of total-body

conditioning.

-- Avoid movements that can compress the lower back such as back-

lying leg raises, the yoga boat and the advanced Pilates teaser.

The American College of Sports Medicine gratefully acknowledges the

following Health & Fitness Summit & Exposition sponsors: LifeFitness

(Premier Sponsor), Gatorade Sports Science Institute, Gatorade,

Reebok (Educational Partner), Amino Vital, Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention, EAS, Lippincott & Wilkins, BSDI, and

SPRI Products, Inc.

http://www.acsm.org/publications/newsreleases