IRON MAN Training & Research Center Presents --TT RR AA OO RR DD II NN AA RRYY ABS Etching a Ripped, Rugged Midsection With X Reps —Quick 10-Minute Training Programs— by Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson X-traordinary Abs was written to help you achieve a muscular, ripped midsection with sensible bodybuilding and fat-loss strategies. Weight training and dieting can be demanding activities, however, so it is highly recommended that you consult your physician and have a physical examination prior to beginning. Proceed with the suggested diets, exercises and routines at your own risk. Photography by Michael Neveux Cover model: Steve Holman Copyright © 2005 by IRON MAN Magazine and Homebody Productions All rights reserved. The material in this document may not be reproduced in whole or in part in any manner or form without prior written consent from the publisher. Homebody Productions P.O. Box 2800, Ventura, CA 93002 www.X-traordinaryAbs.com www.X-Rep.com www.X-tremeLean.com Contents Introduction......................................................................5 Chapter 1—Force and Range of Motion........................7 Chapter 2—Ab Analysis.................................................11 Chapter 3—X Reps: The Fast-Twitch Switch...............17 Chapter 4—Occlusion: Blood-Bath Aftermath............21 Chapter 5—Ultimate Ab Exercises...............................25 Chapter 6—X-traordinary Ab Workouts.......................35 Chapter 7—Midsection-Perfection Q&A......................41 Chapter 8—Top 9 X-traordinary Ab Myths...................53 X-traordinary ABS 3 -T R A O R D I N A RY ABS Etching a Ripped, Rugged Midsection With X Reps —Quick 10-Minute Training Programs— 4 X-traordinary ABS Introduction Do you really want a chiseled set of abs? Who are we trying to kid? Of course you do! Even if a guy or gal is scrawny, with hardly any muscle anywhere else, if their abs are etched, they get oohs and aahs from anybody in their vicinity when shirts come off. (You’ve seen the skinny movie stars or models who get best-body nods just because they have abs—and not much else in the way of muscle.) In other words, if you don’t have abs that resemble carved cubes of granite, you’re just not in shape—at least that’s people’s perception. If you don’t have them, don’t worry—you soon will. And if you kick your motivation into Before. overdrive and get your bodyfat in the lower single digits, you’ll have a visible six-pack without even flexing. That’s right, just standing relaxed your Jonathan Lawson. Steve Holman. attention-grabbing midsection will still After. display a rippling ruggedness (now that’s impressive!). We’ve been Our amazing one-month results were due to a combination of efficient abdominal programs that included X Reps and fast fat-elimination tactics. X-traordinary ABS 5 training together at the IRON MAN Training & Research Center for about 10 years, and we have more than 40 years of training experience between us. During that time we’ve tried all kinds of ab- training routines—from high- rep blitz-’em-and-burn-’em schedules to loads of sets doing four or five exercises in a row without rest. We got some results, but it wasn’t until we learned exactly how the abdominals function and how to get the most out of When it comes to women, a little every set of ab work that the bit of ab definition goes a long results really came into clear way in creating an in-shape, sexy view—as in shredded, aura. Jennifer Goodwin proves that! delineated abs and serratus (which are those cool slashing lines on the sides of the upper midsection). And with our efficient techniques, such as X Reps, it doesn’t take set after set to get the job done. In fact, our X-traordinary ab routines take about 10 minutes! The keys are quick full-range attacks with extended sets and occlusion, or impeding blood flow, at the right times and on the right exercises. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. The first step is to understand how your abs function. Then we’ll give you the tools to let ’em rip! —Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson IRON MAN Training & Research Center 6 X-traordinary ABS CHAPTER 1 Fo r ce and Range of Motion X-traordinary ABS 7 Y our midsection is the bodypart that people use to judge your physical condition. Most believe it reveals whether you’re in or out of shape. And when your stomach is flat with razor-sharp delineation, it rivets people’s eyes to your physique. Great abs scream healthy sex appeal. That’s the very reason a muscular midsection is a top priority of every body-conscious person alive, man or woman. Unfortunately, most people miss the boat and waste far too much time when it comes to abdominal training. One reason is that they ignore the abs’ true range of motion. For example, everyone from personal trainers to aerobic gurus has hailed the standard crunch as the best all- around ab developer, but once you analyze it, you’ll see that it’s really only half an ab movement. Any exercise physiologist will tell you that the full range of motion for the rectus abdominis is about 30 degrees past the point at which the floor stops your movement during standard crunches. In other words, to train your abdominals through a complete range, you must arch your back prior to pulling into the contracted position. Physiologists also say that a muscle’s strongest position is near it’s full-stretch position. That’s a key spot along an exercise’s stroke that you need to overload for fastest development (more on that later), and you don’t stress that semistretched position with standard crunches because you can’t arch your back to get elongation in the muscle. By arching and allowing your upper back to travel past parallel all the way to 30 degrees behind the center point, 8 X-traordinary ABS you prestretch your On-the-floor crunch. abdominals, which can activate the myotatic reflex. That’s an emergency response from your nervous system that helps you activate more midsection muscle fibers. Full-range crunch. Although the muscle isn’t at its strongest when it’s fully stretched, a prestretch does help you work the muscle more efficiently and effectively, which means you get faster, The start position of the standard crunch (top) more complete makes it only half an ab movement. Notice how the abs are already partially flexed before the development movement begins. You don’t get full range of with fewer sets. motion unless you’re able to arch your lower back, So a full-range as with the full-range crunch, and your upper back crunch—as travels past parallel before you curl your torso into opposed to half the contracted position. a crunch that X-traordinary ABS 9 you perform on a flat surface—is much better, but that’s only part of the X-traordinary Abs solution. Any experienced weight trainer will tell you that compound exercises, or movements that involve more than one muscle working at a time, are much more efficient than so-called isolation exercises. Why? Because the muscle structures are intertwined and designed to generate the most power when they work as a team. That’s the very reason the so-called bicycle exercise—on your back pulling opposite knee to elbow in alternating fashion as you pump your legs like you’re riding a bicycle—shows the most ab-muscle electrical activity in EMG studies. The bicycle is a compound exercise that brings in the hip flexors for more power production, or force generation (force is a key concept to keep in mind). The crunch on the other hand, be it full-range or the half-baked variety, is an isolation exercise. You want to first train your abs with a compound movement, like the bicycle or kneeups (on the floor or on an incline bench; not hanging—we’ll explain why later), to engage the most muscle fibers. Remember, do a multiple-muscle exercise first. You don’t want to fill your abs with fatigue products, like lactic acid, by first doing an isolation move like crunches. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves again. Let’s analyze the midsection’s structure and function and then we can better construct a number of powerful ab routines you can use to chisel your midsection in no time flat. 10 X-traordinary ABS