Deadlift in the gym and at home

Personally, I've always found the sound of the word "deadlift" to be extremely intimidating, after all, any exercise with the word "dead" in it does not exactly conjure up pleasant thoughts. As a personal trainer, however, I am constantly reminded that the deadlift is the first exercise that anyone stepping into a gym should learn. The deadlift, when performed correctly, is an exercise that allows for the lifting of objects in a healthy and efficient manner. The exercise involves maintaining a neutral spine so as to reduce the stress that develops on the intervertebral disks when lifting an external load. This is extremely important because with repeated lifting of objects with a curved (flexed) spine, there is an increase in the potential for developing bulging and herniated disks. Learning how to deadlift properly is important in the gym, not just as an exercise that will strengthen the back but also as a way of moving weights used in other exercises. This is where the practicality of the exercise enters the picture. The deadlift can and should be applied not only in the gym but in daily life as well. It is the safest way to lift an object from a low level and return an object to a low level. Your back will thank you for it.

Ab-stain

Being a personal trainer, one of the most frequent questions that I am asked is which abdominal exercises are best in order to develop a 6-pack. The highly coveted 6-pack is elusive to so many because the fundamental issue of how to achieve one is misunderstood.

In fact, we all have a 6-pack. However, whether or not it is visible depends on the thickness of the layer of fat covering the muscles. A very thin person may have the flat, washboard stomach look without actually having strong muscles (i'm sure each one of us knows someone like that) simply because there is very little fat covering those muscles. In essence, achieving a 6-pack is more a function of weight loss than it is of doing crunches or any other abdominal exercise. And really, no amount of abdominal exercise will achieve the desired affect without taking off the excess pounds.

So, if a washboard stomach is the goal for the upcoming bikini season (yes, I know it is still February but these things take time), abstain from excessive abdominal exercise and instead focus on increasing your cardio and watching your caloric intake. Let me know how it goes.