Abdominal Training for EMS II

As a diligent and professional Responder I know that you have practiced all the exercises in last month's column on Abdominal Training for EMS. Knowing that everyone now has established a strong base of support and good abdominal endurance we can now safely delve deeper into the topic of abdominal training for EMS.

In the last column I discussed the need to learn and master the "abdominal brace." Having re-educated our abdominal wall to properly contract we can further dissect the simple yet challenging exercises that are needed to truly strengthen our abs, which will in turn lead to stronger backs and better balance.

When responding to calls or simply going through life we never repetitively flex at the waist and we definitely do not do it with weight. As I have alluded to before, the days of crunches, leg raises, abdominal "machines" and TV gimmicks needs to be over. Do some research on your own and you will quickly realize that the exercises above are not only ineffective but they actually make your back weaker and contribute to the poor postures that those of us in public safety suffer from. It makes no sense to willingly make the problem worse with exercises that have been proven to be ineffective!

So what is a responder to do? Simple, let's use technology to our advantage. Just as technology has changed Public Safety it has changed exercise science as well. There are exercises I learned in school and "practiced" in the clinic that I would never even consider using today; bicarb anyone?! The key to "properly" training the abdominal wall while preventing further postural distortion (a forward pelvic lean aka. Medic gut) is to learn to engage all the muscles of the abdominal wall, which is how they are designed to fire in the first place. This is actually simple to do but first forget what you know and open your mind to something different.

As I constantly remind all my clients and staff everything is an abdominal exercise! Your abdominal wall should be "braced" at all times when exercising or doing anything physical. The muscles of the abdomen are made for endurance, not strength. So to have strong abs they must be able to fire efficiently for long periods of time; a few sets of crunches will not cut it! Last month's article taught the "brace" which is the foundation for the entire abdominal progression I teach. Time under tension with control of your contraction is much more important than repetition or resistance. One of the reasons lower back injury is so prevalent in our field is simply the imbalance in the pelvis that is precipitated by a weak abdominal wall, so let's fix it. The exercises presented here are but a few of the abdominal movements we can perform. The ones included here are very effective and will help to correct some pelvic misalignment along the way. They are by no means a quick fix, but performed consistently will help to speed you along the way to a healthy back and strong "core." These two exercises can and should be done while you are on duty - get paid to exercise!

As the description of the exercise movements explains you must pay strict attention to where your body is at all times. "Neutral" spine and consistent contraction are paramount. Never do an exercise to just do it; quality and efficiency always reign over quantity and resistance.

Prone Reach Under/Reach Out
Preparation:

• on knees
  
• push up position
  
• Neutral spine, glutes tight at ALL times

• Reach under to the opposite hip then reach out roughly 45' from the body
• Alternate sides

• This is a control exercise, numbers do not matter!
• When you are unable to keep your knees locked, hips still and glutes tight, stop.
• 2-3 sets to loss of control
• No shrugging or dropping the head

Lateral Plank with Hip Raise
Preparation:

• Lay on your side, elbow tucked under your shoulder, neutral spine and toes straight

• Raise up off the floor, hold your body still and slowly raise the top leg 6 inches, pause and lower your leg and body back to the floor, repeat

• 3 sets of 8-15 reps alternating between sides

• Add the leg raise only if you can keep your body still. Knees must be locked. The toes of both feet must point perfectly straight at all times
• The leg raise is a small movement

Please visit www.fitnessprogramsplus for EMS fitness programs, cutting edge exercise routines, Tactical Training programs, diet tips and more, which can all be downloaded to your computer weekly.

Bryan Fass is the author of "Fit Responder," a comprehensive wellness plan for the first responder (www.fitresponder.com) and the Fit Responder Blog (www.fitresponder.wordpress.com). Bryan has a Bachelor's Degree in Sports Medicine and is certified as a licensed athletic trainer and a strength and conditioning specialist. He was a paramedic for over eight years, and has authored four books regarding fitness, wellness and human performance. Bryan is available for consulting and speaking on Public Safety Fitness Testing along with Fitness, Wellness and Injury Prevention Programs. Contact him at bryan@firepoliceemsfitness.net.

Related:

• Training Abs for EMS