Abdominal Exercises
The truth on how to get a toned tummy and slim waistline
It often seems like the hardest thing in the world to do: "Reducing your waistline and toning your abdominals". People all over the world spend thousands of dollars per day attempting to accomplish the "six pack". I have regular requests asking for advice and quick fixes to remedy the storing of body fat around the waistline and how to create a firm toned midsection.
The Truth about achieving a toned tummy and being able to actually see that "muscle tone" is to get rid of the layer of body fat covering your abdominals. That's right! It doesn't matter how many crunches you do, or what new machine you use from the continuous advertisements that hound us day in and day out. If you don't reduce your body fat you will never see those strong toned abdominals.
Spot Reduction - A Fallacy!
You cannot spot reduce. Although you can change areas of your body with resistance exercise e.g. weight training techniques like toning, body shaping and bodybuilding etc. You cannot just train or exercise one body part alone, such as your abs, and expect to see a whole new look. Achieving a six pack or muscle tone in your abdominal area is a lot more involved and I intend to show you how to go about reaching your new slim and toned waistline by following a few simple steps and hints.
A familiar tune...
As I mentioned above I frequently receive emails of desperation with requests such as "I am happy with the rest of my body, but my wide and fatty waistline ruins my body shape. Can you give me one exercise that will fix this". Or "I have an occasion coming up and I want to reduce my waistline, can you recommend a supplement and some special crunches that will make me lose 10 kilos around my waist within the next 6 weeks?" And "I perform 200 crunches per day and I still don't see any difference in my waistline, what am I doing wrong?".
One more thing before we get started - don't rely on gimmicks!
One thing I am very concerned about is the fact that most of us want to believe that some miraculous piece of equipment, or pills, will give us that toned tummy that the sexy girls and guys have in the ads for these types of products. Believe me, before I started in the fitness industry years ago I also thought if I spent hundreds of dollars it would work for me too. I was so upset when I found out that I actually had to work at it and there was no such miracle cure or quick fix solution.
The difference between firming up your abs and reducing your body fat around your waistline
Now that you know that the only way to trim down your waistline is to reduce the amount of body fat around that particular area you are probably thinking "where do I go from here?" First you need to realize that a slim waist doesn't necessarily mean that you have a toned midsection. As you know to firm up your abdominal area you need to perform crunches or some kind of resistance program. Many men and women do have slimmer waists or flat stomachs, but they can still lack tone and firmness. This is where resistance training comes in.
Why does my waistline grow instead of shrink when I perform crunches?
One of the most common reasons that I have found for this occurring is a diet full of fat, calories: from sugar foods and junk food and too many starchy carbohydrates towards the end of the day. Most people think that if they perform a few crunches every day their waistline will magically turn into a six-pack! WRONG! How could you possibly expect to achieve a six-pack when you are consuming foods that are increasing the actual layer of body fat that prevents the abdominal muscles from being seen in the first place? I know this sounds harsh but if you want to have a waistline or abs that look like you've put the effort in to produce them then that's exactly what YOU are going to have to do. If you are eating all of the wrong foods while increasing the muscle growth in your abdominal region you are actually "bulking up" this area. Why? Because you will have an increase in both muscle and body fat - which will therefore increase your measurements.
So how can i firm up my abs and reduce my waistline too?
If you read through the steps below you will grasp a better understanding of how to attain the above goals. In no time you can get started on improving your training program to help you achieve the waistline you've always dreamed of having.
Getting started on your new abdominal program
When you read through the following steps and hints you will most probably find that there are quite a few of them that you aren't currently following or didn't know about. For each step I have included a list of things you need to remember when training your abdominals. I have tried to keep it brief but informative. You may like to use the following steps / hints like a checklist so you can remember each point when starting your NEW ABS program.
Abdominal Exercises
Floor Crunches - (you can also use your abdominal roller/ frame for this exercise). Lie flat on your back on the floor, legs bent, feet flat, pushing your lower back into the floor. Clasp your hands behind your neck, keeping your elbows back, in line with your head. Crunch up slightly, raising your head and shoulders, breathing out as you crunch. As you crunch up push your lower back into the floor and squeeze your tummy as tight as possible. Lower your head and shoulders back down to the floor and repeat. You should feel a burning sensation in your upper tummy area and midsection.
Lower Abdominal Crunches - Lie flat on your back on the floor, legs raised, knees bent and lower legs folded. Push your lower back into the floor. Place your hands by your sides, palms facing the floor. Raise your backside and hips slightly, breathing out at the same time. As you crunch up push your lower back into the floor and squeeze the lower section of your tummy (pelvis region) as tight as possible. Lower your hips and backside back down to the floor and repeat. You should feel a burning sensation in your lower tummy area and upper pelvis.
Side Crunches - (you can also use your abdominal roller for this exercise). Lie flat on your back on the floor, have your knees bent and legs twisted to one side. Your lower body should be twisted to the side but your upper body should remain straight and flat on the floor. Have your hands by the sides of your head and your elbows back. Crunch up slightly pushing your lower back into the floor, raising your head and shoulders, squeezing the side of your waist. Lower your head and shoulders back down to the floor. Repeat the exercise until you have finished your reps. Then change to the other side.
Setting some goals
Achieving a toned, slimmer midsection is possible if you are prepared to make the above changes to your lifestyle. You will be surprised at the results you receive if you dedicate yourself for a solid 12 - 16 weeks. The hardest part is getting started, but once you are on your way you won't regret it. Set yourself monthly realistic goals that are possible to achieve. Use goal clothing or a tape measure to monitor your changing waistline. Re-measure every 4 weeks.
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