The first thing you should do if you feel like your waist is too big is to check out your
diet. Anything that is inflammatory will automatically increase the size of your waist. This includes processed foods, sugar, and any food intolerances you might have (many people don't handle gluten and dairy very well, however the gluten alergy can sometimes create lactose intolerance as the bacteria in your intestines can get out of whack. So taking away gluten may allow you to consume more dairy). By getting on a clean
diet, meaning only unprocessed foods (if you don't see it moving around, or growing somewhere it is processed), you can see a huge improvement in the size of your waist. I've had some people lose more than 2 inches in a week!
As for the exercise stop doing crunches. You are probably looking at the machines thinking they are a good idea as well...they're not. Unless your going for the hunched back posture and muscles that are capable of moving your
body without being able to first stabilize your
body, take my advice seriously. Find someone who know what they are doing. Don't go based on certifications or looks. Ask them why when they give you advice. Despite popular belief weight training is a science and needs to be respected. This is also why many people fail...they have no clue why they are doing something. The human
body is very complex and everyone is somewhat different. Therefore, no two people will react the same to a general program.
That being said, the lifts which have the most pronounced effect for everyone (they should be varied up based on the individual), are the olympic lifts, squats, dead lifts, military presses, pull ups, etc. In addition by using heavy weight your hold
body is forced to contract and work synergistically (one reason why you should stay away from machines). This leads to a stronger contraction of the "abs" while keeping proper posture and much faster results. Again, make sure you find someone who really knows how to do these
exercises. I've seen too many people teach poor form, get no results, and hurt people.
As for the conditioning if you can do it appropriately sprinting is far more superior than
aerobic training. Ever notice the difference between someone sprinting at the track and someone going for a long distance run? The sprinter moves efficiently through a full range of motion while the runner is hobling around thinking they are getting in shape. Now let's look at they physique of the two. The 100meter sprinters are cut, while a marathon runner has toned quads and that's it. Everything else is thin, but has more
body fat than the sprinter. In addition many elite marathon runner have a verticle leap of about 4 inches. Is that healthy? I hope your answer is no.
I hope this helps. Sounds like your on the right path. Keep it up.
Jon Feinman, CSCS, CPT
