SHAPE EN ESPANOL MAGAZINE with ROSELYN SANCHEZ / Alessi Fitness

SHAPE EN ESPANOL MAGAZINE with ROSELYN SANCHEZ
As seen in February 2004 Issue

Warm-Up

Before any workout you should always warm-up your body. A bike ride, the treadmill or a brisk walk is a great way to “wake up the body”. Continue your warm-up for approximately 7-15 minutes or until you break a sweat. This will depend on your fitness level. After you are warmed up you should stretch all major muscle groups. Take deep breathes and exhale when moving deeper into the stretch, holding each stretch for 20-30 seconds without bouncing. Once you are warm and stretched you can begin your routine.

Guidelines to a Great Body
Abdominals (stomach) should be a part of any well rounded exercise program. If you work your abdominals correctly you will work your whole abdominal region (Internal Obliques, External Obliques, Transverse Abdominus and Rectus Abdominis) with each exercise. In each exercise I will list the Primary Muscles you will be focusing on in order to get that sort after 6 pack along with achieving a health body. You should be aware of your posture and abdominals everyday by focusing on proper movements and control of your abdominals. Remember in order to get the most out of your abdominal workout you must always control your movements without using momentum and or bouncing. Don’t let your body fall on the Eccentric (downward) part of the excises. Finish the exercise correctly and get the most out of it. You are spending the time to do it so do it right. Great abs do not only come from exercise, you also need to eat correctly and maintain good eating habits.

*While performing any exercise make sure to breathe out while using force / the concentric part of the exercise. Also breathe in during the eccentric part of the exercise when the muscle lengthens.

We will take you through 5 abdominal exercises and 2 arm exercises you can do almost anywhere. All you need is a pair of dumbbells and an exercise mat. Choose three out of the five abdominal exercises that you are most comfortable with and capable of performing correctly. Do each exercise every other day for a 6-8 week period, as you progress you may add weights and/or more reps as long as your technique and form are correct.

Exercise / Movement: Crunch Dumbbell Reach
Primary Muscles: Erectus Abdominis [6 pack stomach]
Secondary Muscles: Obliques & Transverse Abdominus [Sides of stomach & Internal lower stomach]

Exercise / Movement Execution:

1. This movement is performed on your back, lying on the floor or exercise mat.
2. Lie with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees bent.
3. Keep your chest up, shoulders back and your back flat.
4. Now place your arms out in front of you on the same angle as your thighs.
5. First tighten your lower abs, (Kegel) start to pull from your lower stomach (lower abs) as you reach forward.
6. Pause (without bouncing) keep your abs tight and Kegel while returning to the starting position.

7. Repeat the movement, three sets of 15-20 reps

* Remember to keep your back flat, shoulders back and your chest up during the Crunch Dumbbell Reach / movement.

Exercise / Movement: Lower Kegel Twist
Primary Muscles: Internal obliques [Internal lower side stomach]
Secondary Muscles: Rectus Abdominis [6 pack stomach]

Exercise / Movement Execution:

5. First tighten your lower abs, (Kegel) start to pull from your lower stomach (lower abs) as you reach your shoulder toward your opposite knee.
6. Pause (without bouncing) keep your abs tight and Kegel while returning to the starting position.
7. Repeat the movement, three sets of 15-20 reps, on each side.

* Remember to keep your back flat, shoulders back and your chest up during the Lower Kegel Twist / movement.

Exercise / Movement: Bent Side Crunches
Primary Muscles: Obliques [Side stomach]
Secondary Muscles: Rectus Abdominis [6 pack stomach] & Transverse Abdominus [Lower inside stomach]

Exercise / Movement Execution:

1. This movement is performed on your side, lying on the floor or exercise mat.
2. Lie on your back with your feet together and your knees bent. Then let your hips roll to one side so you are lying on your side in a 45% angle.
3. Place your lower arm straight out from your shoulder and your upper hand behind your head supporting your neck and head.
4. First tighten your lower abs, (Kegel) start to pull from your lower stomach (lower abs) as you reach your shoulder toward your hips.
5. Pause (without bouncing) keep your abs tight and Kegel while returning to the starting position.

6. Repeat the movement, three sets of 15-20 reps on each side.

* Remember to keep your back straight, shoulders back and your chest up during the Bent Side Crunches / movement.

Exercise / Movement: Pelvic Crunch
Primary Muscles: Transverse Abdominus [Lower inside stomach] & Rectus Abdominis [6 pack stomach]
Secondary Muscles: Obliques [Side stomach]

Exercise / Movement Execution:

1. This movement is performed on your back, lying on the floor or exercise mat.
2. Lie with your feet together and your knees bent.

3. Keep your chest up, shoulders back and your back flat. Then place your hands on the floor at your sides.
4. First tighten your lower abs, (Kegel) start to pull from your lower stomach (lower abs) as you roll your pelvic toward your chest.
5. Pause (without bouncing) keep your abs tight and Kegel while returning to the starting position.

6. Repeat the movement, three sets of 15-20 reps

* Remember not to rock or swing your legs and keep your back flat, shoulders back and your chest up during the Pelvic Crunch / movement.

Exercise / Movement: Bridge Leg Raises
Primary Muscles: Internal obliques [Internal lower side stomach]
Secondary Muscles: Rectus Abdominis [6 pack stomach], Quadriceps [thighs] & Gluteus [Buttocks]

Exercise / Movement Execution:

1. This movement is performed on your back, lying on the floor or exercise mat.
2. Lie with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees bent.

3. Keep your chest up, shoulders back and your back flat. Then place your hands on the floor at your sides.
4. Tighten your lower abs, (Kegel) and lift you butt off the ground. Then lift one leg off the ground while controlling your pelvis from moving or dipping. Try to keep your feet shoulder-width apart throughout the movement.

4a. If this is too advanced to control, then start out with just lifting one heal off the ground at a time keeping your toes on the ground at all times, until you build your way up in strength.
5. Pause without letting your pelvis move or drop and keeping your abs tight and Kegel.

6. Repeat the movement, three sets of 15-20 reps

* Remember to keep your back flat, your stomach tight, your chest up and your shoulder blades (mid back) squeezed together during the Bridge Leg Raises exercises / movement.

Exercise / Movement: Dumbbell Triceps Extensions
Primary Muscles: Triceps Brachii [Upper back of arm]
Secondary Muscles: Brachialis, Forearm Flexors [Lower arm]

Exercise / Movement Execution:

1. This movement is performed on your back, lying on the floor or exercise mat.
2. Lie with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees bent.
3. Keep your chest up, shoulders back and your back flat on the floor or exercise mat.
4. Tighten your lower stomach (Kegel), keeping your back as flat as you can with your chest up, also squeezing your shoulder blades (mid back) together at the same time.
5. Grab onto your dumbbells and raise your arms out over your shoulders pointing towards the ceiling. Then slowly lower the dumbbells to a 90% angle by bending your arms from your elbows. Keep your elbows pointing up and toward the ceiling at all times. Pause without bouncing and raise the dumbbells to the starting position.
6. Repeat the movement, four sets of 12-15 reps

* Remember to always keep your elbow pointing up and toward the ceiling and keep your back flat, your stomach tight, your chest up and your shoulder blades (mid back) squeezed together during the Dumbbell Triceps Extensions exercises / movement.

Exercise / Movement: Dumbbell Biceps Curls
Primary Muscles: Bicep Brachii [Upper front of arm]
Secondary Muscles: Brachialis, Forearm Flexors [Lower arm]

Exercise / Movement Execution:

1. This movement is performed standing with Dumbbells.
2. Stand upright with your feet shoulder width apart and your knees slightly bent (This relieves stress from the lower back). Your weight should be on the middle of your foot, tighten your lower stomach (Kegel), and keep your back flat, your chest up, shoulders blades squeezed together and your head straight forward.
3. Grasp the dumbbells a little wider than shoulder-width apart, begin to curl the dumbbells towards your shoulders. Keep the upper part of your arms from moving and your elbow pointing towards the ground while you curl.
4. Pause at the bottom without bouncing and raise the dumbbells to the starting position.
6. Repeat the movement, four sets of 12-15 reps.

* Remember to always keep good posture. Keep the upper part of your arms from moving and your elbow pointing towards the ground while you curl during the Dumbbell Biceps Curls exercises / movement.

Cool- Down:
When you finish with your work out make sure to cool down your body and stretch all the major muscle groups again. Remember, take deep breathes and exhale when moving deeper into the stretch, holding each stretch for 20-30 seconds without bouncing.

Kegel Exercise:

Objective: To strengthen the pelvic floor muscles designed to gain control of and tone the pelvic-floor muscles by controlled isometric contraction and relaxation of the muscles.

Imagine you are urinating. Now squeeze the muscles you would if you were cutting off the flow of urine. Those are your PC muscles. Now let go and try it again. You are contracting the anterior or frontal part of the PC muscle.

* PC muscle: are your puboccocceygeus, more pronouncably, the PC muscle.

Concentric contraction: A contraction in which a muscle exerts force, shortens, and overcomes a resistance.

Eccentric contraction: A contraction in which a muscle exerts force, lengthens, and is overcome by a resistance.

Internal Obliques: Fibers run posterior and downward and help in supporting the abdominal wall. They attach at the iliac crest and the last three to four Ribs.
Function: To flex laterally and rotate the spinal column.

External Obliques: The outermost superficial layer of the abdominals runs downward and medially and attaches to the torso at the lower eight ribs and inserts at the side of the pelvis.
Function: To flex laterally and rotate the spinal column.

Rectus Abdominis: A narrow, flat muscle, extending along the length of the ventral aspect of the abdomen. It originates in the area of the pubis and inserts into the cartilage of the fifth through seventh ribs and xiphoid process.
Function: To flex the spinal column pulling the sternum toward the pelvis.

Transverse Abdominus: It is the deepest muscle of the abdominal wall. Its fibers run horizontally. Its origins are the iliac crest, lumbar fascia, inguinal ligament, and the cartilages of the last five ribs.
Function: To Compress the abdomen.

Roselyn Sanchez in February 2004 Issue
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Questions or comments please feel free to email me at: Paul@AlessiFitness.com or visit my website at: www.AlessiFitness.com.

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"The mind is the limit. As long as the mind can envision the fact that you can do something, you can do it-as long as you really believe 100 percent."
-Arnold Schwarzenegger