腹肌的重要性

腹肌的重要性

大秀马甲线和平坦的小腹，已经成为一种时尚风潮。我对此毫无异义，但只要前提是我们通过健康的运动和合理的饮食练就而成，而不是通过疯狂的训练，挨饿和功能性营养补充剂。因为高质量的腹肌背后是有强大的医学理论支撑的：心肾相交。

高质量的肌肉可以提高人体效能，也就是西方科学所说的高基础代谢率；中医称其为“阳化气；简单说就是：能使得上劲儿。

人体之所以可以正常运转，就是因为它可以阴阳和合（如八卦中的坤乾泰卦和水火既济卦），其核心即心肾相交。

然而心脏位于上焦，肾脏位于下焦，中间隔一个中焦，它俩怎么交？

答案是：通过气纳丹田。

“气纳丹田“看似好高深，似乎只有像杨过，周伯通这一类武林高手才可以做到，但其实它没有那么出神入化，我们普通人也可以做到。心脏与小肠互为表里，心血通过腹主动脉下达小肠，所以我们称小肠为“心之遗火”；那么这股“火”（能量）能不能到达肾脏就看小肠的力量了。足阳明胃经气血覆盖腹直肌（其之强健则形成马甲线），所以由胃气主管；腹斜肌由带脉主管，而带脉的主穴（带脉穴，五枢穴和维道穴）和带脉之主足临泣穴都隶属足少阳胆经，所以腹斜肌由胆气主管；小腹为脾之腹地，由脾主管。肝胆脾胃位于中焦，联结上焦和下焦，承上启下。因此强健的腹肌和平坦无赘肉的小腹可以最高效的传导能量，助小肠一臂之力，将下达的心火和肾水相交，而得阴阳和合，水火既济，人则得常态（健康）。

因而马甲线和平坦的小腹，不光是美的象征，更是健康的象征。

The Importance of Strong Abdominal Muscle Groups

To have flattened abdomen, strong and beautiful-lined abdominal muscle is quite a fashion nowadays. I can appreciate it if you diet and do exercise properly without taking any supplements. Because strong abdomen is a sign of good health.

Good quality muscle can enhance Basal Metabolite Rate (BMR) of the human body. In Chinese medicine, we also have the similar term: high ability to convert Yang into Qi, with which we can highly utilize our physical and mental power.

In Chinese medicine theory point of view, to achieve that, your body needs to connect the Qi of your heart and kidneys. However, as we discussed in the previous article The Triple-Heater System, heart is in the upper heater while kidneys are in the lower heater. How to connect them? The key is “Qi in the abdomen”. It sounds very mystical that it can only happen if you are a Kong Fu master. Actually, we all can do it with training.

In Chinese meridian theory, heart and small intestine are a pair and small intestine is called “the remains of the heat (of the heart)”. In order to boost the circulation in your lower body and hence the whole-body circulation, two circumstances have to be fulfilled at the same time.

First, your heart need to be in a good condition that can produce enough heat.

Second, the transportation of this heat (Qi) must be smooth.

Normal people who don’t have major health issues can fulfill the first one; however, I can say in this society, the modern lifestyle and general stress have made most of us suffer from “sub-health” which is a health situation that is between healthy and unhealthy. People who suffer from sub-health issues are often have the problem with the second circumstance which is the unsmooth transportation of Qi.

The efficiency of Qi transportation lies in the power of the abdominal muscles. The stronger they are, the higher the efficiency.

Why?