Anterior core refers to the abdominal musculature. These muscles work to stabilize the pelvis during movement and are made to prevent the body from going into extension. Prevention of motion has been considered to be as or more important than the creation of motion in the trunk (by Canadian researcher Dr. Stuart McGill and renown Physical Therapist Shirley Sahrmann). This begs us to ask the question of why the majority of "core" training programs have been spine movement based. Repeat trunk flexion can actually cause disc damage. Crunching in a supine position is also far from functional, in an upright position the abdominal musculature fires in reverse due to gravitational forces. Try to lean backwards while standing and feel your abdominals contract; now bend forward while standing and observe the abdominal musculature relax as the low back musculature contracts. The anterior core while standing actually works to resist extension.

Most of the better exercises for the anterior core are in not included in the "macho" category. Powerlifters commonly believe squats to be a superior core exercise. But exercises like squats activate primarily back extensors (longissimus and multifidus). A shoulder-based loading pattern produces trunk flexion and stimulates the extensors. Push-ups, side bridges, and farmer carries are superior to squats for the external oblique. Squats are great for developing the posterior aspects of the core, but do little for the anterior muscles.

Stuart McGill is a Canadian researcher who has taken the next step. His books, Low Back Disordersand Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance, are the current state of the art in low back health. McGill favors a technique he refers to as "bracing", a technique used to create stiffness in the core by contracting all three abdominal layers, over the Australian technique of "drawing-in" that focuses on firing the deep tissue layer of the abdominals. Gray Cook lands somewhere in between by cuing his clients to get tall and skinny. The exercises used and concepts applied are actually very similar. The difference is in how you elect to initiate stabilization in the core. McGill often speaks about "sparing the spine" while Porterfield and DeRosa, authors of Mechanical Low Back Pain, talk about training the core as anti-rotators. The concept of anti-rotation is a quantum leap in core training. The core muscles are stabilizers first. This is the reason there is such great core activity in isometric bridges.

At the end of the day I think it is important to train the muscles to do what they are intended to do: prevent movement. Let's train the core to do what it does.

Do you want to lose fat the fastest way possible? Afterburn is the key to reaching your fat loss goals the fastest way possible through exercise.

The term ‘afterburn’ refers to the continued burning of calories following a workout; it’s about creating a metabolic boost. Before anything else though, I feel that it’s necessary to debunk the myth that effective fat burning occurs through aerobic training.

Aerobics literally means ‘with oxygen’; when you are performing cardiovascular activities at low to moderate levels you are in the aerobic training zone. Using aerobic training zone coined ‘the fat burning zone’ as the best way to train for fat loss is flawed. When you are performing aerobic exercise in the fat burning zone the primary fuel used for energy is fat, this occurs optimally at 63% of your maximal oxygen uptake. Though this may sound great, as you are literally burning fat while you are working out, it is not all that it is cracked up to be. When the workout stops, your body will return to its regular metabolic rate within minutes, and thus there is no further fat burning effect from this activity.

In a short time your body will adapt to aerobic training. This means that you will have to either increase the distance or speed during your training session to burn the same amount of calories that you did last week. Congratulations you are now an efficient fat burning machine… unfortunately that’s not a good thing. A car that is efficient on gas will use less fuel to take it the same distance that an inefficient car does, think about your body the same way! Using aerobics for fat loss training will actually decrease your metabolic rate, you’ll burn less fat at rest than you did when you started the exercise program.

In the end, to get benefit from aerobic training you will have to increase the intensity to the point where you are not utilizing fat as your main fuel, and getting into something called the anaerobic training zone. My question is, why not start there?

The afterburn effect is achieved most effectively through short bursts of intense activity called intervals. That means you will work hard for a short period, followed by a rest period. Rest is critical because without it you could not work as hard as often. When an active rest period is implemented your body will be able to recover adequately to perform intense exercise again. Intensity is the key, expect to work hard and sweat!

This type of training is called anaerobic, because it occurs with an increased demand for oxygen that your body cannot supply. In other words you are creating an oxygen debt or what is now known as EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption). By creating this increased demand for oxygen your metabolism will remain at an elevated state for several hours, even after your workout. Depending on the intensity and mode of interval training you can boost your metabolism for up to 38 hours post exercise. You’ll be burning calories at an increased level; even while you are sleeping!

Anaerobic interval training can be performed in several different ways. Intervals can be performed utilizing cardio equipment, weights, or both. Anaerobic training, especially when resistance training is implemented helps your body gain and maintain lean body tissue (muscle). Muscle is important for raising your metabolism and in turn burning fat. A maintained muscle gain of five pounds will actually burn 26 pounds of fat in a year.