The Importance of water for tight abs! by Ross Edgley My latest article has been inspired by true events that are recently unfolding in my hometown of Grantham, more specifically my little brothers’ love life. Such is the folly of youth, I see him make wooing faux pauxs and commit dating suicide time and again and so here I sit trying to offer some words of wisdom for tonight he faces the perilous journey into the girlfriends house to meet, ‘The Parents.’ I say to my younger sibling, “Young Craig, heed my words for what I am about to tell you may make or break your youthful relationship…. Bringing you’re A game when meeting the parents is a lot like drinking enough water when in pursuit of that all important six-pack; If you don’t do it, all sorts can go wrong.” As always let me share my musings with you: In an attempt to sculpt and build that lovely protruding six-pack, we all know a good daily supply of protein is essential, however with a high protein diet comes the production of many toxins the body doesn’t need. Not enough water means these toxins and other metabolic waste products (such as ketones, excess nitrogen and urea) cannot be efficiently removed by the kidneys. Thus water throughout the day is about as essential as brining you’re ‘A game’ throughout the date with the parents. No A game and you might end up saying to the mum, “Oh…I wasn’t told you were pregnant, when’s the little bundle of joy due” only to be told by a rather infuriated dad that she isn’t…. eek. Secondly if the body doesn’t have a sufficient supply of water, the kidneys cannot function efficiently. At this point the surplus workload is done by the liver meaning the liver can’t do its job of metabolising stored fat for energy properly thus meaning less fat is burnt. So an inadequate water supply when training means not as much fat is burnt and an inadequate socialising ability when meeting the parents means you could end up partaking in some high intensity cardio as the dad chases you out the house for asking where he got the comedy wig from, only to find that’s actually his hair and firmly attached to his head.  And what is more, that hard earned money of yours that you spend on supplements could be being wasted if you aren’t drinking enough water. For example the supplement creatine works on the basis of drawing water into the muscle cells to create a more anabolic environment, meaning greater muscle growth. Not enough water means not enough muscle growth. It really is the worst mistake a trainer could make, aliken it if you will to the wearing of a, “Booby Inspector” t-shirt when meeting the parents…not conventional and has never been proven to work. In any case back to the matter at hand, Craig is now showered, dressed and groomed ready for the task at hand, to face the dreaded parents. And so I have done all I can as his elder as I watch the little guy drive off into the sunset; nervous, anxious and thankfully leaving the “Booby inspector” t-shirt behind. Happy training guys More articles by Ross: Cardio Training, Science of Fat Loss, Getting a 6 Pack, Thoughts on Fat Loss Supplements, Water Retention