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Rub Out Back Pain Train Those Abs
By Tom Bonanti
Over 80% of all Americans will
experience low-back pain at some point in their lifetime. Many
of these people will ultimately miss work and incur sizeable
medical expenses. If you have poor posture, sit most of the day
or are overweight, you are definitely at risk. A healthy, pain-free back is often
something you take for granted until an injury occurs. You don’t
have to be a trainer or sports doctor to realize that taking a
few preventative measures each day can keep your back strong and
healthy.
Weak abs combined with excessive
abdominal weight (a big gut) can lead to an exaggerated lumbar
lordotic curve (sway back). This in turn can cause postural
problems while sitting, standing or walking, thus increasing the
chance of inflaming and irritating your nerves, discs and
muscles. Weak abs, a fatty belly, and sitting
on your butt all day in front of a computer can trigger one hell
of a bad back ache. Unfortunately this seems to have become the
American way of life and so has low back pain. On the flip side,
toned abs, proper exercise and a low fat diet can provide a
healthy, rock-hard defense against 80% of all lower back
ailments. The abdominal muscles are like other
muscles in your body – you should train them hard and then allow
them to rest and grow and strengthen outside the gym. Hitting
abs hard three times a week is preferable to 100’s of sets of
reps day in and day out. Leg lifts, straight leg sit-ups and
excessive twists are a prescription for a bad-ass back ache.
A proper crunch is performed flat on
your back, knees bent and legs elevated over a bench, sofa or
exercise ball. Place your hands behind your head but do not
interlock your fingers. Cradle your neck and head as you crunch
up bringing your elbows to your knees. Do not pull up with your
hands on the back of your head as this will place undue strain
on your seven cervical vertebrae. Do not roll up on your tail
bone. Simply crunch bringing your elbows to the knees, pause and
contract your gut muscles, and return to starting position.
Variations of the crunch can effectively isolate, strengthen and
build strong abdominals. The number of sets and reps you do
depends on how much time you have and your endurance level. Both your abs and lower back muscles
support your spine; treat these muscles as equals. An imbalance
adds stress and strain on the supporting musculature of the
spine. If you work your abs, make sure to stretch your lower
back while you are down there with simple cat stretches or by
bringing your knees up to your chest a few times. Make sure to
work your lower back into your regular back routine. Remember, you can do crunches till the
cows come home, but one trip through a drive-thru fast food dive
can put a damper on your progress. Combine healthy, low fat
eating with cardio and weight training and your sexy, defined
abs will knock them dead. For more information on ab training
contact TrainerTomB@aol.com.
 TOM BONANTI IS A CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINER AND OWNER OF PUMP’N INC GYM AT 1271 NE 9TH AVENUE FORT LAUDERDALE, FL 33304, www.pumpnincgym.com. |
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Training
your abdominal muscles regularly not only helps you achieve a
six pack, it can also strengthen your low back. Weak abs are the
root of many lower-back problems ranging from acute spasms to
chronic low-back pain. Flabby, out of shape abs force the
low-back to work harder in a variety of strenuous and mundane
activities, straining the supporting musculature and ligaments
of the spine.
Crunches
will isolate your abs better than anything else because they tax
your trunk flexors (rectus abdominis or “6 pack”) rather than
your hip flexors (iliopsoas muscles or deep muscles in your
pelvis).