Delavier's Core Training Anatomy

Frédéric Delavier is a gifted artist with an exceptional knowledge of human anatomy. He studied morphology and anatomy for five years at the prestigious École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and studied dissection for three years at the Paris Faculté de Médecine. The former editor in chief of the French magazine PowerMag, Delavier is currently a journalist for the French magazine Le Monde du Muscle and a contributor to several other muscle publications, including Men's Health Germany. He is the author of the best-selling Strength Training Anatomy, Women's Strength Training Anatomy, The Strength Training Anatomy Workout, and Delavier's Stretching Anatomy. Delavier won the French powerlifting title in 1988 and makes annual presentations on the sport applications of biomechanics at conferences in Switzerland. His teaching efforts have earned him the Grand Prix de Techniques et de Pédagogie Sportive. Delavier lives in Paris, France. Michael Gundill has written 13 books on strength training, sport nutrition, and health including co-authoring The Strength Training Anatomy Workout. His books have been translated into multiple languages, and he has written over 500 articles for bodybuilding and fitness magazines worldwide, including Iron Man and Dirty Dieting. In 1998 he won the Article of the Year Award at the Fourth Academy of Bodybuilding Fitness & Sports Awards in California. Gundill started weightlifting in 1983 in order to improve his rowing performance. Most of his training years were spent completing specific lifting programs in his home. As he gained muscle and refined his program, he began to learn more about physiology, anatomy, and biomechanics and started studying those subjects in medical journals. Since 1995 he has been writing about his discoveries in various bodybuilding and fitness magazines all over the world.

• PART 120 Steps to Creating the Perfect Core Workout Program 1. Set your goals 2. How many workouts should you do each week? 3. On which days of the week should you exercise? 4. Should you exercise once or twice per day? 5. What time of day should you exercise? 6. How many sets should you do? 7. Be flexible and adaptable 8. How many exercises should you do for each muscle? 9. When should you change exercises? 10. How many repetitions should you do per set? 11. How quickly should you perform repetitions? 12. Adjust range of motion in the exercises 13. How long should a workout last? 14. How much rest time should you take between sets? 15. Determine the most appropriate weight for each exercise 16. When should you increase the weight? 17. Determine rest time between exercises 18. Learn to choose exercises that work for you 19. Know when to change your workout program 20. Taking a vacation? Keep a Workout Notebook Making Progress PART 2Increase the Visibility of Your Abs Exercising Your Abs for a Smaller Waist Intensity First! Diet as a Way to Slim Your Waist Diet Plus Workout Synergy Improving the Effectiveness of Your Diet Role of Supplements BCAAs for Losing Belly Fat Calcium: The Anti-Belly Fat Mineral PART 3Basic Exercises to Sculpt Your Abs Anatomical Considerations Beware of Fake Abdominal Exercises! If You Have an Inguinal, Femoral, or Abdominal Hernia Rectus Abdominis Exercises Crunch Lying Leg Raise Seated Leg Raise Oblique Exercises Apollo's Belt Twisting Crunch Side Crunch Stability Exercises Static Stability Exercise, Back Against a Wall Plank Breathing Exercises to Improve Athletic Performance Lying Rib Cage Expansion With a Weight Diaphragm Contraction Stretching the Abdominal Muscles On a Stability Ball Stretching the Hip Flexors Tilting of the Pelvis Abdominal–Lumbar Balance Lunge Stretches for the Low Back Preventing Low Back Pain Relaxation Stretch on a Stability Ball Hanging From a Pull-Up Bar PART 4Advanced Exercises and Techniques Three Difficulties of Ab Work How to Isolate Upper Abdominal Work From Lower Abdominal Work Why Are the Lower Abs So Hard to Develop? 1. It is difficult to recruit that part of the muscle 2. Lower abs lack strength 3. It is difficult to isolate the lower part 4. Lower abs are not robust 5. Some exercises are inappropriate Three Zones of Attack for Total Development Relative Importance of Each Zone Getting a Head Start on Recovery Exercises for the Upper Abdominal Muscles Double Crunch Sit-Up Exercises for the Lower Abdominal Muscles Pelvic Tilts on the Pull-Up Bar Leg Lift Hanging Leg Raise Exercises for the Obliques Hanging Leg Raise to the Side Lying Twist PART 5 Ab and Core Exercises Using Machines and Accessories Purpose of Home Equipment Professional Machines Exercises for the Upper Abdominal Muscles Crunch Machines Swiss Ball Crunch Rocking Machine Crunch Standing Cable Crunch Exercises for the Lower Abdominal Muscles Ab Coaster Exercises for the Obliques Cable Twist (or Using a Machine) Side Bend PART 6Workout Programs for Abdominal and Core Muscles Six-Pack Programs Beginning Programs Advanced Programs Very Advanced Programs At-Home Programs Using Accessories Programs Using Equipment in a Gym Programs to Reduce Belly Fat Programs to Reduce Love Handles Programs to Highlight Apollo's Belt Programs for Well-Being Programs for Cardiovascular Health Programs to Relax Your Back Before Sleep Programs to Help Protect Your Lumbar Spine Programs to Help With Bloating and Other Digestive Problems Sport-Specific Core Programs Phase 1: Basic Muscle Conditioning Programs for Beginners Phase 2: Working Toward Circuit Training Phase 3: Workouts to Improve Overall Physical Qualities Phase 4: Working Toward More Specific Training