Thigh Gaps, Six Packs and "Barbie" Bodies

Thigh Gaps, Six Packs and "Barbie" Bodies. Out of all of those, the six pack is the most attainable, but for 99% of us, it's just not realistic. So WHY do we put so much pressure on ourselves? 

Here's a few things to note: 

Trends are trends. Why do you think everyone jumped on the bandwagon of the "thigh gap?" It's trendy and was mainly popular among the younger crowd (as if any of us are "old" - we are not, but I mean high schoolers, people!) who number one, haven't been riddled with female hormonal issues, the aging process and the thought of having babies, and number two, follow pop culture and celebrities like they are their best friends. Whatever way you slice it, the thigh gap REALLY isn't attainable for 99.9% of us and some might even argue that it's not that attractive. So why are we fascinated by it?

The media turns heads and influences our minds. Do you have a personal graphic artist who airbrushes your pictures? We didn't think so! Neither do we (not even when we get photoshoots done, except for the occasional blemish here or there)! So why do we think for one minute that the women in these magazine advertisements, television commercials and movies really look like that? Because we buy into the fantasy!?! Why?!? Media influence! DON'T fall victim! The media has an opportunity to pump someone or something up and dump it like a hot potato five seconds later.

Let's STOP wishing we were our favorite doll from our past and start focusing on the person we ARE and the body we were given. If you have a surgical scar - embrace it. You can't change it! Don't hate it. If you are doing everything you know how to do, including eating clean, working out and living a healthy lifestyle but your waist size doesn't budge on the tape measure, love every inch of it! You work for the body have - yes, you want to improve it, but ultimately, you are YOU! Don't look to change it - embrace it! 

Reaching for the stars and constantly seeking better for yourself should be one of your top priorities, but be REALISTIC! Thigh gaps, 6-packs and "Barbie" bodies just aren't realistic for most of us!  

How do you work for the body you have?

She Sweats :: Combat Abs

This abdominal workout is a great way to efficiently target the upper and lower abdominals as well as your obliques.  The concept of the workout is to perform each rep with a partner providing variable resistance with a bar.  This forces you to explode on the concentric (sitting up from the lying position) and resist on the eccentric portion (unloading back to a lying position from the sit up position).  After you have performed the variable resistance repetitions, it's time to perform the reps again without the variable resistance.  This is a killer ab workout that is sure to have you rolling out of bed the next morning!

Here's how to perform the "Combat Abs" workout along with a demonstration video from Whitney and her trainer, Anna Reed:

• Begin by resting your legs on a bench (thighs at a 45 degree angle with the ground) and have a partner sit on your legs so that you're locked into a stable starting position.
• Perform 5 to 10 reps of each of the following movements:
  • Resisted sit up (partner resists as you perform concentric and eccentric phases of a sit up)
  • Eccentric-resisted sit up (perform sit up and have partner push you back to the lying position, resisting as your partner pushes)
  • Alternating left & right sit up (perform 5 to 10 reps (left and right) of sit up, reaching across body to the bar opposite of the hand you're reaching with and have partner push back on eccentric portion)
  • High-reach sit up (perform sit ups and reach as high as you can, slapping partner's hands at the top)
  • Alternating-reach sit ups (perform 5 to 10 (left and right) sit ups and reach across body to slap partner's hand)
  • If you're feeling really strong, perform a front plank for 30 seconds as well as right and left side planks for 30 seconds on each side to really "feel the burn".

Remember, you could do this workout 1,000 times & still not have killer abs - ABS ARE MADE IN THE KITCHEN (so eat clean)!

Have fun!

-Whitney

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