Abs of Steel—A Tip
I've been running quite a bit lately and (fingers and toes crossed) it's been going well. In general I am a fan of spring, the time of birth and renewal, but not of fall, the time of fading and dying, but this year I have to say fall is being kind to me.
Which in a way leads into the topic o' the day—my abs and yours. The title of this post implies a tip is to be expected. In truth, I have three.
The first, or (1), as I like to call it, regards what we (that's thee and me) eat. The tip is, go easy on the calories and go easy on the fats. You can strengthen your core until you cry "uncle" or "aunt" (this blog is certified gender-equal, y'know), but if you have much belly fat, the strong core you've worked so hard to achieve won't be evident to anyone except you. Can you say "muffin-top"? Muffin-top trumps abs of steel, every time. So remember the tip: moderation in consumption of calories and fat.
The second tip, aka (2), regards, oddly enough, our arms (thine and mine). Throughout the many years I've been running (thirty-one—can that be right?? Eek! Eeek!), I've more often than not at the end of a training run taken a few moments to do ten or more push-ups against a fence, a low wall, a step, or a low bar. This on the theory that my strong glutes, hams, quads, and calves deserve to be matched up on this old body with more than limp spaghetti biceps and triceps. The push-up deal has done some good for the old arms, although I still have a bit of wiggle in the tricep department (damn you, gravity!). The nice surprise, though, is that my abs have benefited from the push-up routine also. Picture for a moment a person (not you or me, of course) attempting to do a push-up but running into trouble in the mid-section department. Face it, if your belly button is dragging on the ground or, conversely, your rear end forms the apex of a triangle for the duration of the push-up, your arms just aren't going to get much benefit. But enter tip (2): by holding your upper body firmly in a plank position, your push-up will be a roaring success. And plank position = ab strengthener. Really. So try it; you'll like it.
The third tip, your basic (3), requires an illustration or two or three:
This was taken following a morning run during my September trip to beautiful Pocatello, Idaho.
This was taken following my wonderful eight-miler at Inspiration Point in Tilden Park last Sunday.
And this was taken following my run over to the track on Hopkins Street for a speed workout early this morning. (I ran at least one 400 at 2:05. Yay! Couldn't help but share.)
What do these three phone photos have in common? Answer: I took them all while I was lying on my back. And that, for vous and for mois, is tip (3). For many years I've made it a practice either toward the end or at the end of my training runs to flop onto my back (bonus—the first few seconds of lying there, be it on a bench, a picnic table, or even the ground, inevitably feels terrific). As I'm gazing into the sky, which is in itself a wonderful, contemplative exercise, I execute 20 stomach crunches (hands behind head! knees bent! hup two!) and then at least 40 bicycle kicks. When I started doing this, my legs on the bicycle part had to go pretty much straight up; these days I can extend them essentially parallel to the ground. Why? Ab strength. The gift you and I can take possession of by simply following tips 1, 2, and 3.
You're welcome. Now get out there!
Which in a way leads into the topic o' the day—my abs and yours. The title of this post implies a tip is to be expected. In truth, I have three.
The first, or (1), as I like to call it, regards what we (that's thee and me) eat. The tip is, go easy on the calories and go easy on the fats. You can strengthen your core until you cry "uncle" or "aunt" (this blog is certified gender-equal, y'know), but if you have much belly fat, the strong core you've worked so hard to achieve won't be evident to anyone except you. Can you say "muffin-top"? Muffin-top trumps abs of steel, every time. So remember the tip: moderation in consumption of calories and fat.
The second tip, aka (2), regards, oddly enough, our arms (thine and mine). Throughout the many years I've been running (thirty-one—can that be right?? Eek! Eeek!), I've more often than not at the end of a training run taken a few moments to do ten or more push-ups against a fence, a low wall, a step, or a low bar. This on the theory that my strong glutes, hams, quads, and calves deserve to be matched up on this old body with more than limp spaghetti biceps and triceps. The push-up deal has done some good for the old arms, although I still have a bit of wiggle in the tricep department (damn you, gravity!). The nice surprise, though, is that my abs have benefited from the push-up routine also. Picture for a moment a person (not you or me, of course) attempting to do a push-up but running into trouble in the mid-section department. Face it, if your belly button is dragging on the ground or, conversely, your rear end forms the apex of a triangle for the duration of the push-up, your arms just aren't going to get much benefit. But enter tip (2): by holding your upper body firmly in a plank position, your push-up will be a roaring success. And plank position = ab strengthener. Really. So try it; you'll like it.
The third tip, your basic (3), requires an illustration or two or three:
This was taken following a morning run during my September trip to beautiful Pocatello, Idaho.
This was taken following my wonderful eight-miler at Inspiration Point in Tilden Park last Sunday.
And this was taken following my run over to the track on Hopkins Street for a speed workout early this morning. (I ran at least one 400 at 2:05. Yay! Couldn't help but share.)What do these three phone photos have in common? Answer: I took them all while I was lying on my back. And that, for vous and for mois, is tip (3). For many years I've made it a practice either toward the end or at the end of my training runs to flop onto my back (bonus—the first few seconds of lying there, be it on a bench, a picnic table, or even the ground, inevitably feels terrific). As I'm gazing into the sky, which is in itself a wonderful, contemplative exercise, I execute 20 stomach crunches (hands behind head! knees bent! hup two!) and then at least 40 bicycle kicks. When I started doing this, my legs on the bicycle part had to go pretty much straight up; these days I can extend them essentially parallel to the ground. Why? Ab strength. The gift you and I can take possession of by simply following tips 1, 2, and 3.
You're welcome. Now get out there!
Comments
What lovely pictures!