Hi everyone, I’m traveling this week out to Las Vegas where I’ll be meeting up with some of the top fitness experts in 
the country for some mastermind brain storming sessions.
We will be staying at the Bellagio where everything is unbelievably lavish, expensive and so over the top…Even the toilets are something to behold.
While I was using Las Vegas’ most extravagant restrooms, it got me thinking about an article I wrote about a year ago on how using your restroom can actually help develop and strengthen your abs.
I thought I’d share it with you again because the information still stands solid today.
For many years now, I’ve been lucky enough to have helped shape and change people’s lives. I don’t do it for the accolades (although it’s very nice), but I genuinely like helping people improve their situation, improve their self esteem and most importantly, improve their bodies.
So, you ask what has that got to do with a toilet and strong abs???
Well, a few years ago I received the ultimate compliment that I’ve cherished so much. It came from an elderly gentleman who I had the privilege of giving some guidance and personal training tips to.
He came to me because, like many of us in our declining years, his body was breaking down. But, surprisingly for a man in his early 80’s, his mind was going stronger than ever.
I was impressed because he had no intention of slowing down just because he was de-conditioned and getting up there in age.
This thought process exemplifies the true feelings that many people should be always thinking about.
I like to tell people that age is only a number and you are only as old as you feel. So if you try real hard to not act your age, you just might see vast improvements to your body.
So, back to my friend and the toilet…
After a thorough evaluation and assessment, I realized that this guy had a difficult time sitting down and standing up again.
I needed to know if he had a strong core, so the first place I looked was at his abdominals.
Just as I expected, he was like 80% of today’s population…sore back, painful knees and abdominals soft as silly putty.
The funny thing was that he had the uncanny ability to bypass his abdominals and use just about every other muscle in the body to move. (That’s not the best thing in the world to be doing.)
I explained to him that having stronger abdominals would help him move more freely. Having stronger abdominals would stabilize his spine. And having strong abs would get him a “six pack” and then he’d be able to walk the beach and gain many admirers. (Ok…so an 81 year old man in a Speedo is a TERRIBLE visual. But you get my point.)
In order for him; or any of one of you who are reading this post; to move with purpose, to have a body that works for you instead of against you…that works together not against itself. You need to learn how to stabilize your abdominal muscles before doing any movements.
Let me repeat that…
STABILIZE YOUR ABS AND …THEN DO THE MOVEMENT.
The simple fact is that there will be less of a chance of an injury if all the “team members” are supporting each other.
If you’re still reading…bare with me, I’m getting around to how a toilet came into play..
So, as the weeks past I gave this gentleman some work assignments to do in his home.
My suggestion was first to become very aware of making sure that his abdominals were “turned on” before he did any kind of movements. If he picked up a heavy object…he needed to contract his abdominals first. If he picked up a pillow…he needed to contract his abdominals first. If he put something over head…he needed to stabilize his abs first.
Most important for him, because of his great difficulty sitting and standing back up…he needed to stabilize his abs before he did that movement.
A few weeks went by and he left my gym and traveled overseas for the summer. I received a message from him letting me know that he began feeling much better because he has been practicing my suggestions.
Since he didn’t have a gym near his home I created a workout for him that could be done in his house. And he didn’t even need any weights because I devised a plan where every exercise could be done using his body weight.
His standing and sitting ‘exercise’ needed to be practiced in a rather unusual place…the bathroom. (see I told you I was going to get back to it.) Sure it was unorthodox location, but it was the only sturdy chair he had in his entire home.
Day after day, week after week all summer long he used that toilet seat more than he had ever done before. (I know…another bad visual.) His wife even began to worry because he kept more time with the porcelain goddess than he did with her!
But, it worked!
He was so please with his improvements. His wife noticed the difference and he was starting to walk upright for the first time in years. And it all came back to my suggestion of building a stronger abdominal region.
I never got to see him again, but one day he sent me a message.
The message I received was probably one of the biggest compliments I have ever been given from an individual.
I never look for them. I never ask for them… But this one stood out so much that I ended up framing his note and putting it up on my wall.
The compliment went as follows… “I can’t believe how I’m moving around so much more freely. And it’s all because of your brilliant suggestion. I want to thank you for that and let you know that Every Time I Sit on the Toilet now I Think Of You…”
Hey, compliments come in all shapes and sizes.
But at the end of the day, even an every day household apparatus can improve your body’s appearance.
So, stop slouching in your chair. Sit up straight and pull in those abs!
“If you’ve become frustrated with how your body is looking, contact me and let me help. I’ll put you on a fat burning, body toning program – no gimmicks, guaranteed…”
Have you experienced any problems that you’ve learned to overcome due to correcting your form? Share your
thoughts in the comment section below. I bet you that your remarks could help someone out going through a similar situation.
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Tags: Body Transformation, Exercise, Fat Loss, Workouts