Your Questions Answered-

Question - Does that infomercial "abdominal shock belt thing" really work?

Answer - A common claim from these 'abdominal cattle prod' manufacturers is that you can perform the equivalent of 600 sit-ups in only 10 minutes while sitting at your desk.   Here is what they don't tell you: It doesn't matter if you do 600, 1000 or 10,000 sit-ups standing on your head, if there is excessive body fat covering your abs, all the sit-ups in the world aren't going to give you a "6-pack".   I know the readers of this newsletter wouldn't think like this, but if you are looking for a quick fix, THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS SPOT FAT REDUCTION !   At best, you may increase your ability to withstand electrical shock.   You may even achieve a small initial gain in abdominal strength and/or endurance (but I wouldn't bet on it).   I have heard of people that have received electrical burns on their abdomen from using these products.   Whatever these products are capable of, do not believe you will lose fat only from your abdomen.

Fat is distributed throughout the body.  As part of your body's survival mechanism, when your body burns stored fat, it doesn't take it from any one specific area.   This doesn't mean give up on getting lean and healthy.   It means that when you do get your abs looking the way you want them to, the rest of your body will probably look pretty darn good too!   Everybody has the same 600+ muscles, and the abdominals targeted by these contraptions are only a small fraction of the total.   Train your entire body (this includes flexibility, resistance & cardiovascular).   Give your body the right fuel.   Allow enough time for your body to recover.   Be your Absolute best.    

Question - As a personal trainer, you must train a lot of athletes, right?

Answer - The simple answer is yes and no.   The more accurate answer is everybody I train is an athlete.   Maybe not elite athletes with multi-million dollar contracts, but everybody is an athlete.   We all move the same way .   For example, whether you are diving towards the 3 rd base line to make a game saving grab or reaching under the sink to pick up the dishwashing detergent, the basic movements do not change.   The differences are speed and amplitude (range of movement).   Everyone uses the same 'athletic movements' .   This means the 80 year old grandmother and the 24 year old NFL quarterback move essentially the same.   By using principles of movement as a basis for fitness training progressions, yes, all of my clients are athletes (but only a small percentage keep score!)

Written by Joe Stankowski - Originally Appeared in AbsoluteFitNews March 2002