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Combat Abs: The Negative Injunctions, #2 [30 Degrees Flexion] by Mark Hatmaker

 




[Best consumed with Part 1 of this discussion Combat Abs: The Negative Injunctions, #1.]   

Old school thought [and you and me I wager] loved the aesthetic ideal, pursuing the Greek statuary standard but carved by present day living flesh.

To pursue this standard though, they sought energistic simplicity laser-focused training and a gimlet eye on how and why each portion of the anatomy functioned in isolation and in concert with the whole.

Anything less was [and still is] mere dilettantism.

“What is the arc?”

One of the questions of the Old School way is asking What is the Arc? or What is the Range or Spectrum of Performance for each functional movement.

Once that questioned was intelligently answered then one could go about training with better intent and better results due to only tensioning the targeted musculature in its working arc.

Moving beyond this arc in either direction takes tension off the targeted muscles thusly…

·        Reducing the effectiveness of the intent.

·        Reducing strength progress.

·        Possibly leading to injury as we “overflow” to unintentionally ancillary and perhaps less able smaller musculature.

Warrior Abs, Case in Point

·        The musculature of the rectus abdominus has an approximate maximum range of flexion of 30 degrees.

·        That maximum of 30 degrees is attained only by the well-trained athlete.

·        Those with weak abs do not even touch this 30-degreesrange of motion.

What does that mean to those of us who desire to train the abdominals efficiently and effectively?

It means that…

·        Any exercise that calls for more than 30-degrees of flexion is likely NOT targeting what we intend.

·        It means that we remove tension from the target outside the 30degree working range and reduce targeted effectiveness during those muscular lulls.

·        It means we may very well be transferring a large portion of our body mass [upper torso in the case of sit-ups, lower torso in the case of leg raises] to more fragile musculature that was not intended to carry precipitous loads, particularly in a repetitive injury arc. [Se Part 1 for more details.]




The Alternate Universe Biceps Curl Analogy

·        At the bottom of a full-stretched biceps curl, the arm hangs at 0 degrees.

·        As we flex the biceps and bring the weight to terminus just before it touches the shoulder, we have 140-degrees of movement.

·        The optimum working range for this form of curl is from 0 to 90 degrees before our slide into the vertical reduces muscular tension—needless trivia for our analogy.

·        If we work the biceps curl from 0 to 90 degrees, we keep constant tension on the targeted muscle. Excellent!

·        Now, in an alternate universe we say the biceps can only flex to 30 degrees, that puts us with a functional movement of from full stretch hang to about a 6-8” inch lift from the bottom. That is well below a 90-degree bend in the elbow.

·        In this alternate universe a biceps curl of 6-8” would be damned effective.

·        In this alternate universe, once you hit the stopping point of 8 inches, if you then used momentum to throw the weight higher or used your other hand to reach over and lift your hand to “increase range of motion” you have done nothing to train this alternate universe biceps, you have actually reduced effectiveness by removing tension from the target.

·        In this alternate universe if there were a brand-new tiny muscle around the elbow that was relatively weak and meant to perform a more nuanced function, if we were forcing our biceps beyond this 30 degrees to make it to the 90, this smaller fragile muscle would then take up the unintended load and increase our odds of injury over time.

Any abdominal exercise beyond the 30-degrees of maximum flexion is an exact correlate of the Alternate Biceps Curl Analogy.

We do not live in an alternate universe.

We live in this one.

Let us train in this Old Universe with the Wisdom of Old School Principles.

So, what abdominal exercises utilize this 30-degrees to maximum effect?

I won’t spill that here; free milk won’t sell those cows.

But with Old School Wisdom you can do the functional abs-job in 3-minutes per day.

Details on Unleaded: Warrior Abs

The DVD demonstrates each exercise in detail.

·        There are 3 Programs designed to be performed over 3 Consecutive Training Days

·        Only 1 Program per training session.

·        3-Days on 1-Day Off. Repeat.

·        An estimated 3-minutes of your training day towards deep-spinal stability, pain rehabilitation, pre-hab, and, lastly, but never least—aesthetics.

·        No need to stack the programs—allow your adherence to perfect form, control of cadence and not missing training days to build your deep core strength naturally.

·        Perform No warm-up sets, jump directly to W-O-R-K from Set 1.

·        When combined with other Unleaded Training Options—Warrior Abs are ALWAYS performed first—this acts as both your warm-up and adheres to Old School “trunk to limbs to roots to leaves” sequencing.

·        Do not move to the next level until you have perfection—we are not merely chasing aesthetics [that comes as part of the functional pursuit] but most importantly we want deep-seated spinal integrity contributing to our pain-free state and ability to deliver punishment with power and the ability to move and torque with force and control.

·        I repeat: Hit the exercises in the Rotation Training Order, the design has a self-bolstering intelligence to it. Skipping and shuffling to “What you like” will create holes in the creation of yourself.

·        Rest Between Sets: Use the 5 Breath Protocol.

·        At the top-end there will be no rest as all is performed as one single-continuous set.

·        There will also be a lengthy discussion/demonstration of the myriad abdominal/trunk/ab “exercises” to kick to the curb.

·        It is important to understand the Old School rationale for not merely excluding them but ensuring that you NEVER do them.

·        The explanations range from poor use of time, that is, cost-to-benefit ratio to, and most importantly, those that lead to lingering/nagging injury over extended use.

·        Old School efficiency, effectiveness and results in 3-minutes per day.

·        ‘Nuff said.

 

Available Volumes in The Unleaded Program

·        The Pliant Physique

·        Core Stability

·        Hips Stability

·        GFF: Grip-Fingers-Forearms.

·        The Chest Battery

·        The Back Battery

·        The Shoulder Battery

·        Unleaded: Warrior Walking, the Only Cardio You Need for Combination Fighting, Physical Culture and Attacking the Outdoors

·        Unleaded: The JOLT Battery: Joint, Ligament, & Tendon Training

Upcoming Unleaded Volumes include…

·        The Shotgun Muscle Trifecta: Strengthening the Peripherals

·        The Shock Muscle Trifecta: Ballistic Motion for Combat Athletes

·        The Tarzan Twelve: Feats to Show Off What You’ve Built

·        And complete Batterys for Core: Abdominal Strength and Rotational/Extension Game-Changers, Thigh-Hips-Knees, Shoulders, Biceps, & Triceps.

·        Static & Dynamic Batterys to unite Whole-On Strength.

·        The Unleaded Female Warrior Program

·        [Each Program is a DVD/Booklet package.]

Information on Joining the Old School Rough & Tumble Fighting Unleaded Conditioning Brotherhood.

Or try our podcast, Mark Hatmaker, Rough n Tumble Raconteur.

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