Look Great Naked
Written by Shoshana Pritzker Monday, 17 May 2010 17:46
By Brad Schoenfeld, CSCS
Brad Schoenfeld, a Certified Personal Trainer, is a renowned expert on fitness and sports nutrition. He’s the best selling author of Look Great Naked and Sculpting Her body Perfect, and a regular contributor to magazines such as Cosmopolitan, Self and Marie Claire. He’s been featured on TV’s CBS Evening News, CNN Headline News and Fox’s Good Day New York.
“What can I do to get six-pack abs?”
“What’s the best exercise to lift my butt?”
“How can I tone up my thighs?”
Having worked with thousands of women over the past decade, I’ve heard these questions more times than I can remember. Without a doubt, the abs, butt and thighs are the female triad: The problem areas that always seem so hard to get into shape. However, without a proper course of action, trying to tone up these regions is literally an exercise in futility.
If you fall into this category, don’t fret. On the pages that follow, you’ll find all the information necessary to sculpt your trouble zones to perfection and ultimately, look great naked. All you have to do is put in the effort!
Look Great Naked: Protocols
Before detailing a specific program, it’s important to understand the fundamental training principles necessary for achieving results. (Those who read my “Look Great Sleeveless” article in the August issue should already be familiar with them. Feel free to skip ahead to the exercise program). Adhere to these principles and you’ll ensure steady, consistent progress.
When creating a routine, most trainees make the mistake of randomly stringing together a few exercises, neglecting to consider how these movements interact with one another. The net effect is a hodgepodge of maneuvers that have little cohesion. Needless to say, this isn’t the way to get a terrific looking body. Ultimately, if you want to rise above the ordinary and look great naked, a more scientific approach is in order.
It is a kinesiologic fact that certain exercises complement one another, working synergistically to produce optimal results. Others merely overlap, providing little additional utility. Unfortunately, even many seasoned fitness professionals do not fully comprehend this reality and continue to train in a haphazard fashion. This misguided approach is not only extremely inefficient, but it actually compromises results.
Realize that each muscle is comprised of thousands of threadlike fibers. A single exercise will work many, but not all, of these fibers. In order to optimize muscular development, the Look Great Naked body sculpting routine classifies each muscle complex into “groups,” with each exercise targeting a different part of the muscle complex. You’ll perform one exercise from each group for a total of three exercises per muscle complex. This ensures that all fibers in the muscle complex are stimulated, thereby producing a shapely, symmetrical physique.
To heighten intensity of effort, I recommend performing the exercises in succession, as one giant set. Thus, you’ll perform the Group 1 exercise, followed immediately by the Group 2 exercise and then the Group 3 exercise. Take a short rest (approximately 30 seconds) and repeat the process two more times for a total of three giant sets.
As far as repetitions go, choose a rep range that is consistent with your goals. Consider the following:
· High Reps: If you want to improve the “tone” of a muscle without substantially increasing its bulk, it’s best to train in a high rep range employing between 15 and 20 reps per set. High reps target your slow-twitch muscle fibers (also called Type I fibers). These fibers are predominantly utilized during continuous activities sustained for long periods of time. Because of their endurance-oriented nature, slow twitch fibers have only a limited ability to increase in size. Thus, by targeting these fibers, you’ll attain a lean, toned physique while tempering gains in muscular mass.
· Moderate Reps: If you want to maximally increase the size of a muscle, the use of moderate reps is warranted. This entails training with “heavy” weights, using between six and 10 reps per set. The goal here is to stimulate your fast-twitch muscle fibers— the ones that have the greatest potential for growth. These fibers (also called Type II fibers), are activated during intense, short-term activities. They are strength-oriented and therefore expand in size in order to accommodate the demands of heavy lifting. As a rule, they are the only fibers that have the ability to promote muscular bulk.
Regardless of what rep range you choose to employ, make sure to apply the principle of progressive overload. Your body is a very adaptive organism and strives to maintain a stable environment (called homeostasis). The only way to overcome homeostasis and promote muscular development is by taxing your muscles beyond their present capacity. Accordingly, choose a weight that causes you to struggle on the last few reps. If you can easily complete the set without much effort, the weight is too light!
Okay, now that you know the basics, let's discuss the specifics for each muscle complex:
ABS
The abdominals can be one of the sexiest parts of the female physique. Regrettably, for most women, achieving a tight, toned midsection is a never-ending struggle. Due to the physiological effects of menstruation, toning the lower abdomen tends to be especially problematic. As every woman is well aware, monthly bloating swells the pelvic region. The body adapts to this response by outwardly stretching the pelvic muscle. For those who have endured pregnancy, the muscle is stretched even further. Over time, this causes the lower abs to become soft and pliable, resulting in a distinct pelvic bulge.
Making matters worse, women often have a layer of fat obscuring their abs. Along with the thighs, the stomach is one of the first places where body fat is stored. Thus, when excess calories are consumed, a “spare tire” manifests, concealing any hint of muscle tone.
That said, targeted abdominal training is the key to attaining a rock-hard midsection. Although it won’t strip away the fat from the region (you can’t spot reduce!), strengthening your abs creates an anatomical girdle that prevents your internal organs from protruding outward and counteracts the effects of monthly bloating. Ultimately, this stabilizes your abdominal wall, giving your stomach a flatter appearance. Moreover, by bringing out muscular detail in your midsection, you develop the coveted “six pack” that epitomizes a fit physique. With consistent effort (and attention to your diet!), you’ll sport a washboard stomach that looks great— whether or not you’re wearing clothes.
· Bicycle Maneuver: Lie on your back with your hands behind your head. Use a bicycle pedaling motion to crunch your left knee to your right elbow; then alternate sides. (Group 1)
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· Hanging Knee Raise: Begin by grasping a chinning bar with a shoulder-width grip and keep your upper torso motionless throughout the move. Keeping your knees bent, slowly raise your legs upward, lifting your butt so that your pelvis tilts toward your stomach. Contract your abs and then reverse direction, returning your legs to the start position. For increased intensity, straighten your legs while performing the move. (Group 2)
· Crunch on an Exercise Ball: Lie back on a Swiss ball with your feet flat on the floor and with the ball supporting your lower back. Crunch. (Group 3)
BUTT
Few parts of the body attract more attention than the glutes. Whether you’re wearing tight-fitting jeans or a skimpy bikini, a well-shaped butt is sure to be an eye-catcher.
Sadly, the butt usually is the first area to lose its shape. As you age, your glutes begin to atrophy (decrease in size), resulting in a corresponding loss of strength. When these muscles weaken, they gradually become unable to support the weight of your posterior. In the absence of exercise, your butt succumbs to the effects of gravity and begins to droop downward.
It’s important to realize that the glutes are actually comprised of three separate muscles: the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus. Therefore, training the glutes with one exercise isn’t enough; for optimal results, a multi-angled approach is required. What’s more, the hamstrings combine with the glutes to delineate your body’s posterior. By training these muscles in tandem, you’ll counteract the effects of gravity and maintain a firm, shapely backside, regardless of age.
· Good Morning: Begin by resting a barbell across your shoulders, grasping the bar on both sides to maintain balance. Assume a shoulder-width stance and keep your lower back taut throughout the movement. Slowly bend forward at the hips until your body is roughly parallel with the floor. In a controlled fashion, slowly reverse direction, contracting your glutes as you raise your body up along the same path back to the start position. (Group 1)
· One-Leg Squat: Begin by standing next to a wall. Lift one leg off the ground and squat down slowly. At first you may not be able to go down too far; that’s okay. Gradually try to increase the depth of the squat until you can go to parallel. (Group 2)
· Seated Machine Abduction: Begin by sitting in an abductor machine and with your legs together, place your outer thighs on the restraint pads. Slowly force your legs apart as far as comfortably possible. Contract your glutes and then reverse direction, returning to the start position. (Group 3)
THIGHS
It’s hard to hide unsightly thighs. Whether you’re wearing a skirt, shorts or bathing suit, your thighs are exposed for all to see. If they’re not up to the task, you end up with a bad case of “thigh anxiety.”
The good news is, the thighs usually respond well to targeted exercise. By nature, women tend to have muscular legs. In fact, while men are much stronger than women in the upper body, innate lower body strength is fairly equal between the sexes. This phenomenon is necessary for childbirth. Women must have sufficient capacity to carry a fetus through to term.
Consequently, the force is with you when it comes to thigh development. Once body fat has been stripped away, your thighs can be shaped more easily than virtually any other body part. With dedicated effort, it won’t take long to see terrific results.
· Front Squat: Begin by resting a straight bar across your upper chest, holding it in place with both hands. Assuming a shoulder-width stance, slowly lower your body until your thighs are parallel with the ground. Your lower back should be taut and your heels should stay in contact with the floor at all times. When you reach a “seated” position, reverse direction by straightening your legs and return to the start position. (Group 1)
· Sissy Squat: Begin by taking a shoulder-width stance. Grasp an incline bench with one hand and rise up onto your toes. In one motion, slowly slant your torso back, bend your knees and lower your body downward. Thrust your knees forward as you descend and lean back until your torso is almost parallel with the floor. Then, reverse direction and rise upward until you reach the starting position. (Group 2)
· Side Lunge: Begin by assuming a stance slightly wider than shoulder-width. Grasp two dumbbells and hold one in front and one in back of your body. Keeping your left leg straight, slowly bend your right knee out to the side until your right thigh is parallel with the floor. Then, slowly rise back up and repeat this process immediately on your left. (Group 3)