Gravity Fx Fitness

Deandra has taken 4 inches off her waist without doing any crunches or sit-ups.

She has done planks, pushups, exercises with sandbags, bands and the TRX suspension trainer, but very little isolated exercises for the abs.  The best way to describe these workouts is cardio strength training.

In this photo she is doing a pushup with a rotation, where you come up from the bottom and then rotate to one side, do another pushup and rotate to the opposite side.  This isn’t easy for many women to do and it challenges both your upper body strength and stability, as well as your core.

Dee has been training with us since Feb. 20th and made great strides.  She works hard 3 days a week and trys to stay active the rest of the week.  This type of training takes hard work, builds lean muscle tissue and raises your metabolism.

This is a sandbag deadlift with one leg doing most of the work.  Besides the glutes and hamstrings, her obliques (side abs) are working hard as well.  We like to do exercises that work multiple muscles at one time – exercises that force your abs and low back to stay tight while you are moving other muscles and joints.

She knows that its not what the scale says, its how you look and how your clothes fit.  Four inches off your waist is huge, especially for someone who wasn’t that overweight to start with.

Diet is definitely important, there is no doubt about that.  Building lean muscle tissue is key to lasting changes in your metabolism, not to mention strengthening your bones and joints.  Just goes to show that you can shrink your waistline without doing endless crunches or sit-ups.

Get moving!

Brian Morgan

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Can working on your breathing patterns help with your posture and flatten your stomach?

Yes!!

In recent years, several physical therapists and doctors have recommended breathing exercises to restore proper abdominal function and  reduce low back pain.  In particular, they have had patients start with diaphragm (abdominal) breathing exercises before moving on to other exercises.

While there has been some disagreement about how important this function of your “inner core” really is, one thing is certain, your abdominal and low back muscles function as a unit to help stabilize your spine.

After injury or surgery, or just being sedentary for a long time, your abs may not be functioning as efficiently as possible.  Starting with breathing exercises helps to activate (turn on) your deeper abdominal muscles.  There are different layers of muscles in your abdominal wall that function as a unit, kind of like a “plywood effect,” where the whole is greater than the individual parts.

The strength of plywood comes from the multiple layers crossing in different directions, similar to your abs.  Before moving on to more difficult ab exercises like planks, its a good idea to make sure those inner muscles are functioning properly.  Diaphramatic breathing exercises can help accomplish this task.

Various plank exercises can be progressed from here, as you get stronger, as well as standing exercises that focus on keeping your core stable.  Here is an example of an isometric exercise on the Power Plate to help with ab and back stability.

Kneel on the platform with knees about hip width apart.  “Brace” your abs, keeping them tight without sucking them in or letting them push out.  Keep your spine in a neutral position throughout the exercise.  This should not create pain!

If so, you may need to modify the exercise or choose another exercise as a substitute.

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Brian Morgan

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Here is a great video from coach Josh Henkin that shows some exercises you may not have seen before – exercises that really challenge your core.

He has described this video as fighter fitness but it will work equally well for many non-athletes.  I like exercise tools that can provide a great workout for an elite athlete but also work well for “average” people who want to lose weight and be in great shape.

Sandbags and the TRX definitely accomplish this goal, providing results for all ages.

I tried the TRX rotation exercise for the abs this morning and it works great.

Get moving!

Brian Morgan

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This is a simple way to progress from doing simple planks to more demanding ab exercises by using furniture sliders.  You can then progress on to different TRX movements if you want to challenge yourself.

Start with basic planks for 3 sets of 20-30 seconds if you haven’t been doing anything recently.

Get moving!

Brian Morgan

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Yesterday’s Super Bowl victory was a comeback for both the franchise and the city of New Orleans. Not too many years ago Drew Brees was facing his own comeback after a shoulder injury threatened his career.

One of the training tools that made a big impact on his shoulder health and his performance on the field is the TRX suspension trainer.

This piece of equipment can help strengthen your shoulders, upper and mid back, and your core all at the same time.  Even when “isolating” different muscles your low back and abs are working to some degree to provide stability.  This efficiency is one reason that athletes love this tool and its also why it is a great way for the average person to exercise, as well.

If you are looking for home exercise equipment that is inexpensive, portable, versatile and most important, effective, its hard to go wrong with the TRX.  It can be used by most anyone to increase their fitness levels without taking a lot of time.

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Brian Morgan

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Saturday I used only sandbags in my workout and burned 641 calories according to my HR monitor. In one exercise I used a slight assist from a TRX, but the workout took 45 minutes and worked every muscle in my body.

The TRX suspension trainers are supposed to be “all core all the time” because your core is activated to some degree in every exercise.  Same thing with sandbags – you’re always working your abs, low back and hips during an exercise.

Cardio strength training (interval training) is a great way to build lean muscle tissue and burn fat at the same time.  For example, my average heart rate for this workout was 78% of my max, with the peak HR reaching 98%  (pretty intense).

So a 45 minute workout at 78% will obviously burn some calories.  By doing more intense interval training you go into oxygen debt, where you are breathing heavily.  Research has shown that this can elevate your metabolism for 24 hours or more AFTER you have stopped exercising!

That’s one of the things I like about sandbags – improved fat burning efficiency while improving your coordination in different movement patterns.  The exercises train multiple muscles to work together at the same time.

I did step ups, overhead presses, high pulls, partial rotation deadlifts and an overhead rotational lift that is often done with a medicine ball.  I kept the rest periods between exercises minimal which keeps your heart rate up and stimulates your fat burning hormones.

One of the reasons you’re metabolism stays elevated after this workout is because of the fast twitch muscles that are worked with the exercises that focus on either strength or power.  More muscles used equals more calories burned but you also have the “afterburn” effect going on as these muscles are being repaired after the workout.

These workouts can take a lot out of you and need to be progressed gradually.  I have my baby boomer clients doing most of these same exercises and it allows them to get in a fast, efficient workout – letting them spend more time with family and friends.

I really could feel it in deep in my abs the next day, particularly from the overhead rotational lift with the sandbag.  I have taught those 15 minute ab workouts before at a healthclub and would never feel it in my abs like I do with the sandbags, or even the TRX.

Here is a video from coach Josh Henkin that shows a few examples of sandbag training.

Get moving!

Brian Morgan

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The TRX suspension trainer is a great tool for golf fitness. One description of this piece is “all core all the time,” which makes it ideal for golf training.

It allows you to develop strength and flexibility while focusing on the abs, back, and hips.  You can work on golf specific flexibility and strengthen the upper and mid back – areas which are important for posture and shoulder health.

In the video you will see how it can help your game.  Its portability is another nice feature, enabling you to take it outside in good weather.

In the video with the Titleist Performance Institute, you will also notice the Power Plate vibration platform.  This is another valuable tool for golf fitness.  I think sandbags would also complete the overall effect, helping develop total body power.

For more info on the TRX, click here.

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The glute bridge is a great way to add some protection for your low back and work your hips at the same time.  All you need for resistance is your own bodyweight – which can make this exercise more challenging, depending on your size.

The glutes are important both to sports performance, as well as providing stability to your pelvis and thus, your low back.  This simple progression can be used by most anyone.  Some people may make it to level three in a few weeks and others may take a few months or more, depending on your current strength.

My suggestion would be to add in single leg exercises like split squats, lunges, and step-ups if you are looking for increased fitness or sports performance, adding resistance as you get stronger.

If you are older and/or have had some back issues, take your time going through the progressions.  I have recently seen the basic two leg bridge done with a padded barbell across your hips for extra resistance.

If you have had back problems before I would suggest working through the three levels first, before considering adding weight to this exercise. Otherwise, holding a dumbbell or weight plate across your torso might work, too.

Get moving!

Brian Morgan

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You don’t need some exercise gimmick on TV to have great abs and crunches are just too ineffective for most people.  If you want to strengthen your abs and low back while burning more fat in the process, you can’t beat the combination of sandbags, suspension trainers, and resistance bands!

Coach Josh Henkin has some unique sandbag exercises that hit your “core” from every conceivable angle, while improving your work and sport performance at the same time.

These will also help prevent back pain and make your every day movements more efficient.  Remember, if you want to burn that layer of fat off your abdominals, you need to work your major muscles intensely and clean up your diet.

Just training your abs alone won’t burn many calories or do much to increase your metabolism.

For more info on sandbag training, click here.

Get moving!

Brian Morgan

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You can have great abs without doing hundreds and hundreds of crunches!  I’m not big on marathon sessions of crunches and situps - partly, because it just takes too much time and I’m too busy to do something inefficient.

They take so much time because there isn’t much tension on your stomach and tension is key to training  your muscles, including your midsection.

So how do you get six pack abs without doing crunches?  Simple, you first burn off the fat covering your stomach with multi-joint exercises that use the large muscles in your body and get rid of the “junk” in your diet, otherwise noone can see your flat stomach, anyway!

When doing specific ab exercises, train them with tension – increase the intensity, not the amount of time you train them.  Start off with exercises like planks and bridges to strengthen your stomach and low back.

Then progress to exercises like “rollouts” on an ab wheel or do various pushups and pikes on a suspension trainer like the Bandit’s Loops or TRX.  This trains your stomach and low back to provide stability and coordination while your upper or lower body is moving.

Besides adding to your total body coordination and athletic ability, this also is more time-efficient than spending 15-30 minutes on the floor doing a separate ab workout and I’m all about doing efficient workouts.

I also like using sandbags and kettlebells to hit this area with some intensity.  Sandbags in particular are great for hitting your obliques – adding in a measure of back prevention while giving you a more athletic body.

Many of the “gimmicks” you see on TV use professional fitness models to promote their product.  Most of the time, they have never used that product before and got in great shape with other methods – then they might have even had some liposuction done just before shooting the commercial, to look even better.

Besides getting a flatter stomach, you will probably have better posture and possibly prevent back injury at the same time.

Get moving!

Brian Morgan

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