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TRAINING ROOM

The truth behind the six-pack

Photo: By Author

For a strong neck Dumbell shrugs strengthen the trapezius muscle

‘Six-pack’, the once-condemned ‘ripped abs’ of professional bodybuilders, has now taken new ‘avatar’ with a trendy name. But, how long can a person hold on to jewelled abdominals? And does he pay a price for it?

Researchers at Weider Group, U.S., say that the photographs of bodybuilders showing all those incredible ‘cuts’ are invariably taken a day before a major competition or a day after that. The ultra-lean condition they display could be maintained for a maximum of another week, as the body then starts to hold water owing to stress from dieting and intense training. To display deep ridges in the abdominals, the body fat percentage should be in single digit. A person has to restrict calories from carbohydrates and fats and increase protein to achieve that target.

When a person follows a low carbohydrate and low calorie diet for more than four months, the body starts to rebel. It slows down metabolic rate and catabolism (muscle destruction) sets in. Moorthy, a leading body builder in South India says, “Being a trainer, I caution my clients that even champions like me don’t display a six-pack round the year. Once an assignment is over, we increase the intake of carbohydrates and calories. It repairs stress-related minor damages in the body. Off-season is the right period to achieve a well-balanced physique. However, your abdominals should not totally disappear in this period. You should always stay within six to eight kg of your competition weight (for non-bodybuilders, it is the weight at which your six-pack shows). Your abdominals will still be seen while muscles, joints and entire system recuperate. Getting crazy about a six-pack all the time will affect your physique and put too much stress on your body. Even world champion bodybuilders accept this.”

This movement strengthens the trapezius muscle, which lies below your neck. Stand upright with your arms at the sides, holding a dumbbell in each hand. Raise your shoulder up as high as possible, as if you are trying to touch the ears with your trapezius. Stay in the top position for a second and return to the starting position. Do not move any other part of the body. Do not rotate your shoulders. This movement helps every sport in which the upper body is involved. Some champions prefer holding the dumbbells in front of the body as pictured here.

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