How does Brenda Martinez run so fast with no abs?

Doing core work isn't what gives you a six or eight pack. As someone else pointed out, it's the reduction of fat that does this. The myth of 'spot reduction' is one of the first things dispelled in most kinesiology programs.

Bean Burritos and Tapatio is all it take to keep abs from showing, but maintain amazing fitness.

Special Meds wrote:

abs truth wrote:

Wrong. Abs are made by reducing body fat.

... using special pills to achieve extremely low levels of fat.

Ab definition is just a subjective, bullshit useless statistic made important by magazines, bodybuilding and the crossfit culture (yet the letsrun idiots in their 20s think it's somehow directly correlated with running performance - it's not...)

You don't get abs by doing 'ab work'. So many runners have the concept of strength training and core work wrong.

You don't want to be doing crunches all day...it promotes flexion at the hips and you'll be hunched over like an old person.

Strength work for runnings: squat, dead, lunge, good morning, step ups, RDL, rows, push ups, calf raises, seated calf and plyometrics - add in a little periodisation. Use heavy weight, low reps (3-5 sets x 3-8 reps) and long rests (2-5 mins). And make sure the program is individualised to your needs.

It is such a shame that many coaches, especially those outside the US, still believe in 'ab work' like crunches, sit-ups, planks...and high rep/low weight sets.

Wrongggggg wrote:

Incorrect. Abs are made by doing workouts for the core, shredding the muscle fibers then recovering them. The LOOK of abs or a 6 pack comes after loosing the tummy fat. FACT

You lost all credibility at "loosing".

She is the Bob Kennedy of women's middle distance.

Also, I have noticed the American latinas tend to carry extra fat in the mid-section, just like African-American women tend to carry it in back.

Muscle definition of any type is usually obtained by specifically working on making those muscles defined. And it doesn't mean those muscles are necessarily strong and you certainly do not require muscle definition to run fast.

You can bench press a lot without needing defined pecs and arms.

You could sculpt your pecs and arms without being able to bench a lot.

We all have seen very lean and very well defined people that cannot run very fast.

The type of person that obsesses about running fast is usually the type that will also obsess about body image and will do extra crunches to get ripped abs.

But those extra crunches do not help your running.

And genetics plays a role.

We had a guy on our team that had ripped abs and he didn't seem to train too hard. Our coach said he picked the right parents to get those abs.

Curious girl wrote:

Kate Grace, Jenny Simpson, Shannon Rowbury: all 8-packs.

Brenda? Looks like cookie dough.

I am a female runner who doesn't really do and core work, but lots of people have told me it would help. Then I look at Martinez and I think, maybe it's not so important.

https://runonthoughtsdotcom.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/photo-1.jpghttps://cdn.letsrun.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Martinez_Simpson_FAM_2014_Tape_Break_Small_Jane_Monti.jpg

Here's the thing. Is your goal to run fast or is your goal to be "pretty"? If you want to run fast, then train to run fast. If you happen to end up with a 6-pack that is visible while training to run fast - good for you. Here's a gold star.

If you want to be pretty, train to be pretty. If you happen to run fast while training to look pretty - good for you. Here's a gold star.

Any questions?

I'm picking up what you are laying down. Brenda is certainly not "pretty" because of her little beer belly.

Curious girl wrote:

Kate Grace, Jenny Simpson, Shannon Rowbury: all 8-packs.

Brenda? Looks like cookie dough.

I am a female runner who doesn't really do and core work, but lots of people have told me it would help. Then I look at Martinez and I think, maybe it's not so important.

https://runonthoughtsdotcom.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/photo-1.jpghttps://cdn.letsrun.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Martinez_Simpson_FAM_2014_Tape_Break_Small_Jane_Monti.jpg

I know these pics don't show it, but Brenda like an elite athlete absolutely does do core work. May be she does not do as much as some, but I know she does core work because she has said so. Brenda's stomach is pretty flat, but she does not have a six-pack. I saw Alex Morgan in a swimsuit and she looked more like a high school cheerleader than an elite soccer player. Because of individual genetics/hormones, some females simply don't develop muscles as fast as others.

Why the F is there a thread debating a woman's body? I don't care if this is LetsRun. You'd run faster if you devoted the time you wasted thinking about abs to actual training. People are built differently, especially women. People also have a right to look or not look a certain way. Get over it!

bigdickbitch wrote:

JoJoCo wrote:

to answer the original question...because she is running on hate

Hate towards whom?

New on Letsrun?

keep your back straight wrote:

Just likewise wrote:

"Core" work is the most overrated thing. Weights are an important aspect of improvement for running, but the people who strictly do abdominal exercises every day are obsessive compulsive people. At one point I wasted time doing excessive core work, then I switched to just weights and no abdominal isolating core exercises and I improved after stagnating for a while. Don't waste your time obsessing over core.

^this

If you believe in "core", then lift weights, e.g. do squats. That's what target your "core" muscles more than any fancy running fad.

Btw, doing sit-ups is probably the most useless exercise for runners.

I think planks are more useless than sit-ups.

txRUNNERgirl wrote:

Why the F is there a thread debating a woman's body? I don't care if this is LetsRun. You'd run faster if you devoted the time you wasted thinking about abs to actual training. People are built differently, especially women. People also have a right to look or not look a certain way. Get over it!

I started the thread because I am a decent local runner (18:30s type 5k). I do very little cross training, but I still feel as if I am performing close to my potential. I have had many runners and coaches tell me that I would see a lot of improvement if I worked on my core.

When I look at most elite females, they have ridiculous abs, but Martinez looks a little more like me. My hope was some posters would be able to say whether or not she obsesses over her abs like I have been told is important, or if she focuses more on the running stuff and if that means she has a softer looking mid-section, fine.

Having a strong core is helpful, but a strong core for running and visible abs are not always the same thing. Also, the female athletes who you do see run well with visible abs are in their peak condition as *professional* athletes. Their abs don't look like that year-round. To answer your question, I don't know any pro runners who "obsess" about how their abs look.

txRUNNERgirl wrote:

Why the F is there a thread debating a woman's body? I don't care if this is LetsRun. You'd run faster if you devoted the time you wasted thinking about abs to actual training. People are built differently, especially women. People also have a right to look or not look a certain way. Get over it!

Get over yourself. She is a professional athlete and topics like this should be discussed. No one is says, she does't have the right to look the way she wants. I think you have the complex and we could do with less of your lame comments.

Abs are not your core, they are part of your core. Abs do not assist you in running and a 6 pack or 8 pack will not make you a faster runner, sorry.

If you want to run faster, run more and run faster, very simple.

Star wrote:

And genetics plays a role.

We had a guy on our team that had ripped abs and he didn't seem to train too hard. Our coach said he picked the right parents to get those abs.

Yep. The worst runner on my high school team senior year was ripped. He couldn't break 20. Maybe not even 21, I can't remember. I had Tyrannosaurus arms, ostrich legs, and a little beer belly even though I didn't even drink beer and would run 4 minutes faster than him. I could even lift more in the weight room. Frustrating, maybe for both of us.