Why the belly bulge?
57 Male Client with 13% body fat (athletic). Why does his stomach bulge outwards? We work abs, he does cardio, eats really clean and healthy, yet his stomach sticks out past his ribs. If he makes an abdominal muscle it seems to be all muscle and toned, yet he says its way larger than when he was younger. I am stuck on what to do. I have considered a dairy allergy, conflict with his medication, etc. but it’s outside of my scope of practice at that point… I doubt there is a magical exercise to help with this, but he is looking to me for answers and so now I look to YOU!!! Thanks!
ASSUMING THIS CLIENT IS HEALTHY! TOTAL BODY FAT CAN FOOL YOU. A SKIN FOLD TEST SHOULD BE DONE TO SEE WHERE HE IS HOLDING MOST OF HIS FAT. MEN , DUE TO TESTERONE USUALLY STORE MUCH OF THEIR FAT IN THEIR STOMACH. ALCOHLOL CAN ENHANCE THIS PROCESS. INSULIN RESISTANCE CAN ALSO HAVE A GREAT INFLUENCE ON THIS FACTOR. SOME MEN CAN BE INSULIN RESISTANT BUT IT WILL NOT SHOW UP IN BLOOD SERUM TEST. IN THIS CASE COMPLEX CARBS SHOULD BE CONSUMED BUT, AT A MINIMAL LEVEL. ALSO, COFFIE AND SMOKING CAN INFLUENCE STOMACH FAT. MANY CLIENT UNDERETIMATE THEIR CALORIES BY ABOUT 20% SO, CHECK THIS FACTOR TOO. HOPE THIS HELPS. BRIAN ROZZI. darkhorseusa.com. please feel free to ask more questions if this continues to exist. There is one exercise that is often over looked. Also, tell him to cut white sugars. Sorry so long but I keep thinking.
I think Susan is right that a physical and visit to a nutritionist is a good next step.
It is good to rule out any condition or abnormality. This is not just because it is important if something seems not as you would expect it to make sure there is nothing going on that would impact his health, but also it is important for your own liability in training him, it could give you insight on how to progress, and it is great for you to be and to present yourself as the kind of trainer who is able to refer to other professionals when something is out of your scope of practice.
If his physical comes back completely clean, and the physician or other health care provider does not have some suggestion on what might be causing the symptom you are noticing, the nutritionist can be a good second step.
Another thing to do is to look at past fitness testing you did with him and look for patterns“. are his gains in the strength and shape of other areas what you would expect, and is the abdominal area the only thing that stands out? Particularly also look at standing form“ did you notice postural deviations when he started with you, or do you notice them now?
Once you (or rather those who have the scope of practice to do so) rule out abnormalities of musculature, underlying pathology, nutritional issues, and so on, at that point you might also start trying some different ways of going into the core area. Personally I teach a lot of core work and I really like the Pilates type work for core. I feel it allows a deeper activation, and focus on more than just the outer ‘washboard’ area. I do a yoga series called ‘fire series’ that targets stabilizers from the entire area: not just the front, but lateral muscles, and low back.
Good luck
Hi Beverly,
Dr. Pamela Peeke was a keynote speaker at an IDEA event a few years ago. She has done research into the correlation between intra abdominal fat and stress, and her articles may well explain your client’s situation. Check this article http://blogs.webmd.com/pamela-peeke-md/2010/04/the-toxic-stress-fat-conn…. There are others like it.
This does not mean that your client should not check with a doctor but it may provide additional input.
Good luck.
Karin Singleton
www.meltnc.com
