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.jpg
Martinez has another asset that makes up for it.
She hasn't got access to the special sauce.
Abs are made in the kitchen. Just because Brenda's abs aren't as defined, doesn't mean she has weaker abs than the others you mentioned.
Now go do some sit-ups!
Kitchenabs wrote:
Abs are made in the kitchen. Just because Brenda's abs aren't as defined, doesn't mean she has weaker abs than the others you mentioned.
Now go do some sit-ups!
Wrong. Abs are made by reducing body fat.
How many seconds per pound per mile is it?
She could be sacrificing an Olympic medal because of it.
Ab shape & definition is somewhat genetic, as is the amount of body fat you carry on your stomach.
I'm sure brenda's abs are plenty strong and she is doing core work. She probably is just naturally bigger than those other girls (I imagine she might be more prone to gain weight if she stopped training).
From a guy's perspective (whatever that adds), feeling nothing but muscle there is weird.
BMart is a Real Woman.
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
abs truth wrote:
Kitchenabs wrote:Abs are made in the kitchen. Just because Brenda's abs aren't as defined, doesn't mean she has weaker abs than the others you mentioned.
Now go do some sit-ups!
Wrong. Abs are made by reducing body fat.
You idiot. She obviously has strong abs, just not as visibly as those on the starvation diets and/or thyroid boosting.
Abs are about what it looks like. Running is about what it really is.
abs truth wrote:
Kitchenabs wrote:Abs are made in the kitchen. Just because Brenda's abs aren't as defined, doesn't mean she has weaker abs than the others you mentioned.
Now go do some sit-ups!
Wrong. Abs are made by reducing body fat.
... using special pills to achieve extremely low levels of fat.
Larry83 wrote:
Abs are about what it looks like. Running is about what it really is.
Lot of ppl here basically saying the same thing, yet somehow finding a way to disagree with each other.
@Curious girl - Core work is important, just keep it in perspective. If you are doing *nothing* then adding a little bit will obviously help. If situps don't appeal to you, I can recommend yoga. All the top runners do plenty of core work. Then again they have all day and can't use the time to run more. I think the six-pack thing is just fashionable. It's not necessary to be cut like that in order to run fast.
Yup, Brenda Martinez is a class runner and she's really beautiful.
Martinez can't run that fast without fantastic core strength. Just because you don't see it doesn't mean it's not there.
Core is a very generic term for many different muscles way beyond the 6-pack image. There is so much going on I don't pretend to know all the biomechanics.
Your performance will improve if you add much more than just situps. Just situps won't do much.
Be careful not to evaluate yourself by visually comparing yourself to a Rowburry or Simpson.
Concentrate on improving your own strength and speed and eat well and get plenty of rest. The body knows what to do after that.
"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.
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.
Brenda Martinez is extremely talented, and extremely hard working
From:
http://fittish.deadspin.com/why-the-800-comes-down-to-hunters-and-the-hunted-1699308516
"She reaches a peak of 80 miles per week and told RunnersWorld she’s upped her long run to 14 miles. Of course, that’s during base training. Closer to 800 competition, she’ll drop down to 70 to 75 miles per week, which is still nearly double what most sprint-based programs call for. "
....
"She’s the Tina Turner of the 800, is Martinez. She likes to do things nice and rough, e.g. 10 miles at 5:55 pace, mile repeats in 4:50, and this killer— eight x 1000 meters in 2:50 to 3:00 minutes, with three minutes recovery between each, and a fast 400 at the end of the workout for good measure. "
I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest this is vastly more important than how her body tissues are distributed, or how many planks or crunches she does.
