How To Develop A Tapered Waistline by Dr. Robert Osgoodby

WARNING!! Always seek the advice of a Medical Doctor before

starting, or making changes in your diet or exercise program.

Did you know that over 90% of all women and over 80% of all men

are dissatisfied with some aspect of their bodies? Of all of the

body parts and muscle groups, guess what the number one complaint

area is? By the title of this month's newsletter, I'm sure the

answer won't surprise you. Having a flatter stomach and ripped

midsection was at the top of the majority's wish list.

Your abdominal area is your visual center. In studies of eye

movement, it is a fact that our eyes are drawn back to the middle

of any object we are looking at. On the human body, this means

that the main focus and visual emphasis is on the abdomen. So

remember, when you are in a bathing suit, no matter how

impressive your other body parts may be, peoples eyes spend more

time on your abs than any other region. Since men carry a large

supply of fat cells in this area compared to women, this type of

visual emphasis can be a scary thought for the male species!

This month's newsletter is dedicated to show you several things

you can immediately incorporate into your diet and exercise

program to make your visual center more attractive this summer.

Let's get started.

There is a lot of controversy and conflicting opinions on whether

or not you should use weight while training your abs. One school

of thought is that you should not use weight and just do more

repetitions. The reasoning behind this opinion is that if you

use weight, you will build muscle mass in your waist and it will

not be tapered. When you have a ripped, narrow waste it tends to

make your other body parts appear more impressive. Most

bodybuilders do not use weight in their ab training routine.

Another school of thought is that you should use weight to train

your abs. The reason for this opinion is the tiny increase in

the circumference of your waist is well worth the visual

improvement that incorporating weights into your ab exercises

will provide, and really helps you put the finishing touches on

your waist. If you chose to use weight in your ab program, use a

light amount.

Other areas where there are conflicting opinions are how many

sets and reps of each exercise you should do, and how many times

a week you should train your waist. If you are a beginner who

has been training for at least one month, do three sets of each

exercise to muscle failure. Keep going until you feel the burn

and can't do another rep. If you are at an intermediate or

advanced level, do four sets of each exercise to muscle failure.

Some people believe that abs can and should be trained every day

or every other day. I used to agree, but after reviewing some

pretty convincing research, I have to change my stance. Your abs

are a muscle, just like every other muscle group and need the

proper amount of rest and recovery for maximum results. Train

your abs twice a week like every other muscle group and give them

at least 72 hours rest before you train them again. For my

clients whose personalized program has them training waist three

times a week, cut it back to two for maximum results.

Your midsection is made up of four muscle groups, the rectus

abdominus, obliques, serratus, and intercostal muscles.

The rectus abdominus is the row of washbord-like muscles in the

center of your midsection. When someone talks about a six-pack

of abs, they are referring to well-defined rectus abdominus

muscles. The rectus abdominus is the primary muscle you use when

you are doing a sit-up or forward crunch. They pull your chest

towards your pelvis.

There are several great exercises you can use to train your

rectus abdominus. Like several other muscle groups including the

lats and pecs, certain exercises focus on the upper section of

the muscle group and certain exercises focus on the lower

section.

One of the best exercises for the upper section of the rectus

abdominus is the forward crunch. Lie on your back with your

hands behind your head. Bend your knees up and put both feet

flat on the floor. Putting your legs in this position will

flatten your lumbar curve and take all the pressure of your lower

back. Next raise your head and shoulders off the floor, pulling

them towards your knees. Concentrate and focus on contracting

the upper section of your rectus abdominus muscle. This is a

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BIO:

Dr. Osgoodby was a finalist in the "EAS Body for Life" Contest.
Stop by his web page at bestbodyever.com to see his before
and after pictures and subscribe to his monthly newsletter.

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