If you have read Parts 1 and 2 then hopefully you are considering the possibility that maybe these pills and diets are NOT going to be a long term solution for weight loss success this New Yearor EVER! If not, thats perfectly alright because if you feel inclined to still use them just know Im not recommending them but many people wont listen until they experience failure. I just dont want you to go blaming yourself for failing because thats what causes that vicious guilt cycle leaving many people believing that something is really wrong with them. Anyway, here is Part 3 of the Top Weight Loss Scams of 2006. 3. Work the Abs, Reduce the Waistline and Tone, Firm and Shape a Particular Area with Research has Proven Infomercials. Theres that phrase; research has proven. Everybody wants great abs, a firm butt, and thighs, sleek arms, etc right, so will this plethora of ab devices and butt and thigh shapers ever disappear? Never! When an infomercial throws the word research out there and has a scientist or doctor alongside making the claim people are going to tune in with both eyes and ears. Its all about perception. Lets talk about abs for a moment. In a study conducted by the biomechanics lab at San Diego State University and sanctioned by the American Council on Exercise (ACE), researchers found that when you perform movements lying face up in a horizontal position that allow the spine to hyperextend beyond a neutral spine there is a greater recruitment of abdominal muscle fibers i.e. contraction as opposed to doing a crunch on a flat surface? Performing crunches on a stability ball will achieve this nicely and the research has proven it consistently. Yes, it is legit. The same research has proven similar findings of greater abdominal muscle recruitment with exercises that have you raise or tilt the pelvis forward or towards the rib cage. Picture a hanging leg raise or reverse crunch. The research is legit as well. Want to know what they found to be the 10 WORST abdominal exercises or devices? 1. Electronic Ab Stimulation (these came under FTC injunction by the way but for some reason are still sold in certain places. They only have value in a rehabilitative setting). 2. Bent Over Twist with a broomstick or pole 3. Straight Leg Sit-ups 4. Roman Chair Sit-ups 5. Two Dumbbell Side Bends (Seems like everybody believes these workthey dont) 6. Straight Leg Double Leg Raises 7. Ab Rocker (Ab Roller) 8. The Ab Wheel (just because you feel it doesnt always mean proper stimulation) 9. Improper use of the Nautilus ab machines. 10. Seated Spinal Twist Machine (People in the health clubs flock in droves to this one believing its going to get rid of the love handlesnot so it seems). Where else have you heard this type of research has proven stuff? On ab machine infomercials, thats where. These guys are smart. They know the research exists but they take it a step further and camouflage the research part as meaning to reduce the waistline. You see the great looking models on the infomercials with great abs using the particular device being advertised and the before and after photos that seem pretty darn convincing. Yes, the research took place on abdominal contraction but it had NOTHING to do with waist reduction! It all plays into the false belief of spot reduction but with a research has proven twist. And you know what? The ab devices arent the only ones using this method of selling, there are many others and some of them take it a step further and use heat imaging cameras to make you believe that you are actually localizing the fat burning process in a particular area. Its false! Theres one particular product out there right now geared towards women that uses this form of marketing to make you believe it works. If you cannot see your abdominals or you do not have that nice toned look to the rest of your body its because there is a considerable layer of fat shrouding their existence and the ONLY way to lose that is through the combination of the right nutrition, moderate aerobic exercise and a concern for muscle. I definitely want you to try these types of products if the infomercials have you convinced. No, Im not being sarcastic; Im serious. I want you to buy that device with high hopes of slimming down your waistline, feel your abs get sore at first so you know its working, be excited for the first few weeks about using it and then when too many other things get in the way of your daily abdominal sessions, tuck it under the bed and remind yourself on a daily basis that you need to work out but dont have the time or motivation. Im seriousbuy these products. Theres no reverse psychology here but DO NOT BLAME YOURSELF WHEN YOU DO NOT GET THE RESULTS YOU WERE HOPING FOR! If you dont have a concern for the right nutrition, moderate aerobic exercise and a concern for muscle in a strategic and synergistic fashion then long term results will forever elude you. Stay tuned for Part 4: The Supplement Labels That Say Proprietary Blend. David Otto *All Rights Reserved |
