What if I told you it’s possible to get that six pack without doing those painful crunches? Now that I have your attention, let me give you another bit of good news. Your six pack lies just a sprint away. Wondering what I mean? Allow me to get a little technical with you.
Sprints are nothing but short runs done with a high burst of energy. Sprints are a great workout for those who’re aiming to burn calories and improve their metabolism. Add to this the fact that sprinting is another step closer to the one dream everyone is working towards- a six pack toned enough to flaunt. Let’s see how –
The abs consist of the rectus abdominis, obliques and transverse abdominis.
Rectus abdominis : starts at the pelvis and ends at the lower chest.
Obliques: these run down the sides of the stomach diagonally.
Transverse abdominis is an internal muscle (gets activated when you suck your stomach in)
While you sprint, ALL THREE of these muscles are activated. Keep your core muscles flexed and you get a tone faster.
While sprinting , your body stays upright because of the tremendous force and pressure exerted by the contraction of the abdominal wall. All your abdominal muscles are forced to engage in a monumental effort to stabilize the body. Even one 15 second run is powerful enough to work those muscles.
Studies have shown that sprints are one of the most effective exercises to develop a strong and muscular core, and they teach your body to burn fat effectively. In fact sprinting produces a metabolic rate that leads to enhanced fat burning for days even after the workout is over.
Use of other muscles
While the abs are playing a great role when you’re sprinting, you leg muscles are other obvious muscles being put to use. The glutes are activated too, along with your front and back thighs.
Maintain a correct form to get the best out of your sprint.
Look straight ahead, keep your shoulders lifted and push off the ground forcefully with each stride. Swing your arms in a smooth, alternating fashion with your legs and focus on contracting your abs to generate power.
TIPS
- Alternate between an all-out effort and rest to get the most out of your sprint. Eg- sprint for 15 seconds, walk for 30 seconds.
- To increase the workload, sprint uphill. Sprint uphill, walk downhill.
Start off with shorter sprints and less reps and gradually increase.
I am a long distance runner, but once I started reading about sprints and the effect they had on the metabolism and muscles and researched on the calories burned during and after sprinting, I tried them out for myself and can say that the effects are visible. Add to that some clean eating and believe it or not MY ENTIRE MID-SECTION NOW HAS A DEFINITION!
Yeah, that. Go try it for yourself and see.