I have read the
articles, seen the videos, and let me say I have been sorely
disappointed. With all the information on strength training,
fat loss, and core work we still see the same old exercises
and techniques. It gets boring stagnant, and let’s face it
just doesn’t produce the results we all want…six-pack
abdominals!
Getting that six-pack may not be as complicated as we may
think, the more challenging part is to perform the work and
consistency needed to accomplish this goal. Actually getting
a six-pack requires our training do several things….
1. Burn enough body fat to have the abdominal region show,
Even strong abdominals will not show through higher body fat
levels.
2. Have enough of a training stimulus to cause muscle and
strength gains, sorry crunches and hanging knee raises just
don’t cut it.
Complicated right? Some may
suggest that such simplicity doesn’t explain why
more people don’t have six-packs.
The truth of the matter is
that most people don’t pay enough attention to their
nutrition and simply don’t work hard enough in the
gym.
No, I am not going to suggest some new age fitness
gadgets or funny looking gym drills.
We are going to
go back to a time where some of the most fit people
dominated the fitness culture. We are going to steal
training methods of gymnasts, wrestlers, and old time
strongmen. Why? Because before the age of supplements,
drugs, and the internet, these athletes often displayed
midsections that would make the modern bodybuilder jealous!
With all these drills you burn lots of calories to help you
drop that body fat and stimulate the whole body to build
functional muscle mass and give that athletic look most of
us are striving to attain. You will feel muscles that you
may not have even felt before as well! Lastly, these
workouts are ideal for those that are crunched on time and
can’t spend three hours in the gym trying to train all the
individual body parts.
Oh yeah, did I mention that you will be able to perform most
of these drills with things you have around the house or can
get for just a few dollars at the local hardware store.
Wall Walking
Hand walking is an old time strongman and gymnastics method
of building tremendous upper body strength. However, to be
able to perform hand walking drills you need a tremendously
strong midsection. Most people lack the strength in their
core and upper body to perform a lot of hand walking
variations so this is a fantastic way to start training for
more advanced variations.
Sandbag Bear Hug Squats with Carry
Sandbags have long been used by athletes to develop overall
body strength, especially the midsection. Wrestlers, martial
artists, and even modern football players have used sandbags
to get a more powerful core.
The sandbag bear hug squat tries to pull the body forward
and makes the core resist the bending over the sandbag is
trying to create. Most people know front squatting is an
amazing abdominal drill, yet, most people don’t have the
flexibility to perform it. The sandbag bear hug squat takes
away those limitations and is even more challenging because
of the awkwardness of the sandbag.
Carrying has long been a method of improving endurance and
whole body strength. Performing a carry with a sandbag is an
ideal way to get such a benefit and combining it with the
bear hug squat makes it a killer cardiovascular workout.
Wheelbarrow Walks
You may be shocked to see something like a wheelbarrow, but
this simple tool is one of the best ways to train your
obliques, traps, forearms, hips, and cardiovascular system.
Because the wheelbarrow is unsteady, the body has to work
extra hard to control the weight and brings in all the
stabilizing muscles. Want to really feel it try to see how
many laps you can complete in one minute while weaving
around a cone obstacle course.
Sledgehammer Strikes
Sledgehammers have long been a favorite training tool of
combative athletes for developing that strong midsection for
punching and kicking. However, it is also tremendous for
performing interval training and has gained a lot of
popularity over the last few years. Fun to do as well as
extremely low cost, this is a fantastic way to burn fat and
train that core.
Overhead Carry
Most people are shocked when they try to carry anything
overhead for an extended period of time. The arms start
shaking violently and their entire trunk goes nuts! Using
anything from barbells, dumbbells, to kegs, and sandbags,
going on a walk with any load overhead is one of the most
result producing ways to challenge muscles of the core like
you’ve never felt before!
These five drills can be combined into any workout,
sometimes making a workout by themselves. They are fun,
effective, and offer new challenges for those that are
serious about getting those amazing abs!
About Coach Josh Henkin
Josh Henkin is owner of Innovative
Fitness Solutions in Phoenix, Arizona. For the past ten
years he has created effective training programs for a
wide array of clients.
Josh is a graduate of Arizona State University where he received his Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science/Physical Education. At Arizona State, he was also a member of the Men’s Basketball Team.
Josh is an NSCA certified strength and conditioning specialist, certified club coach with USA weightlifting, and certified Russian kettlebell instructor and a certified corrective high performance exercise kinesiologist. Coach Henkin is well known nationally as an expert in fitness and sports performance training and has been invited to appear at national conferences and write for numerous fitness magazines.
Coach Henkin has dedicated himself to providing cutting-edge, easy to apply training information to the masses. He has created the Ultimate Sandbag for those that wish to get the immense benefits of odd object lifting at home or at their gym, along with the very popular High Octane Sandbag Training DVD. He has also recently released SMASH: Total Conditioning with Sledgehammers. These programs have become so popular because they are effective and they are fun! Check out coach Henkin’s site at:
www.UltimateSandbagTraining.com
