Progress Pics & Abdominal Composition (Day 9)

My trip to the Active Release Technique specialist felt almost like a bait and switch. I realized when I pulled into the parking lot that this was a chiropractor who was certified in ART and not actually an ART specialist. (I found out later that ART was usually given by chiropractors anyway.) Regardless, I held my breath and wished for the best. After a good 45 minutes of some of the most painful massage I've ever had, I could increase the range of motion in my shoulder and put much more pressure on my wrist than I could before. This was also my first introduction to rocktape, which is, I must say, a pretty cool athletic tape that provides constant pressure and support to injured or sore areas with minimal restriction of movement. I was told I could shower and workout with it on without any issues. It stays in place and feels pretty good. I ended up with a strip on my left arm and wrist and a whole bunch across my right shoulder and back.

All Taped up

A common problem that causes shoulder injury is often weak areas of the back and over-development of the chest and frontal muscles. This is something that many of us who work out are susceptible to, as the bench press seems to be the benchmark for physical strength and power. To compensate, I've read that it is wise to do 2-3 back exercises for every 1 chest exercise you do. Your back muscles are meant to be some of the strongest and largest muscles in your body. They are more important than most other muscles because they keep your spine straight and your core strong. Aesthetically, a strong back causes a person to stand more upright with their shoulders back and chest out. Appropriately, this is also the posture that both men and women find most attractive. Over-development of the chest is usually what causes rounded shoulders and a more hunched appearance.

Progress pictures:

I took these last night to compare with the ones I took on January 24th. As you'll notice, some of the basic lines of definition are coming back, but the surface is still soft with a good amount of subcutaneous fat still lining the area. My pecs have lost a lot of their sculpted shape and texture from the days when I was swimming and working out consistently. Subcutaneous fat has seeped its way into there as well. Also, there is still a good amount of protrusion from my abdomen (read: pot belly) that can only be attributed to visceral fat and a weak transverse abdominis. For those of you interested in learning more about types of abdominal fat as well as what needs to happen for person to have a flat stomach and visible abs, you can click the links above for further detailed explanation.

The summary of things is that subcutaneous fat is the fat that's just underneath your skin and covering your abs. This is the layer that needs to be shed in order for your abs to be visible. Visceral fat is the fat that lines your organs. It is actually a much more dangerous type of fat compared to subcutaneous because a large quantity of it has been linked to all sorts of diseases and chronic illnesses (Heart disease, high cholesterol, lower testosterone, cancer yadi yadi). To illustrate, below is a picture taken from the 4 Hour Body:

Think fat is just under the skin? Think again. The above MRI of a 250-pound woman, compared to a 120-pound woman, shows the large fat deposits around internal

organs. The undigested food is a reader-gagging bonus.

Luckily, Visceral fat is first to be shed when you start a diet and exercise regimen. Your transverse abdominis is your body's natural girdle. It holds your intestines and all that visceral fat in so you don't naturally explode and spill all over the place. (Just kidding, that probably wouldn't happen.) Your transverse abdominis (TVA) is constantly at odds with your internal organs and the amount of visceral fat you have. They push out, your TVA holds them in. Over time however, sitting for long periods of time and a build up of visceral fat causes your TVA to relax and stretch out and TADA! You have a fat beer belly! Ridding visceral fat and working out your TVA are the two most fundamental and overlooked things you need to do in order to have a flat stomach.

Genetically, I probably don't have the type of body that is naturally prone to getting ripped; every single person on my dad's side of the family has this belly issue as it seems that our family's bodies store more visceral fat than average. Of course, their diets back in the days probably weren't exactly as health conscious, but regardless, this isn't an excuse and simply means I'll have to work a bit harder than someone more genetically prone to leanness.

This seems like a drastic change for just one week of training, but a large majority of the difference is water weight that was shed from the lowered amounts of carbohydrates taken in. The overall bloated look I had in the starting pictures isn't nearly as prevalent anymore.

Stay tuned, more to come!