women & fitness

Tighten up the Tummy

May 15, 2006

Believe it or not….summer is just around the corner!  That means swimsuit season!!  So it is time to kick your ab training into high gear.  For a totally toned tummy you want to make sure to target all areas of the core or torso which includes upper, middle, and lower abs, as well as the obliques (or what many of us refer to as our “love handles”).  A complete ab routine will hit all of these areas to achieve a flat stomach. 

Proper breathing is essential during your ab training.  You always want to exhale as you contract the muscles and inhale as you relax the muscles.  Exhaling and releasing all our air will help you to achieve the maximum contraction of the abdominal muscles and therefore the greatest benefit form each repetition.  Regardless of the ab exercise, each repetition should be smooth and controlled.  You never want to swing you body to achieve a repetition.  This is cheating by using momentum instead of the muscles to perform the movement.  During exercise where you lift your upper body (such as crunches) focus on lifting your shoulder blades using the abs instead of using your head and neck.  Keep in mind that it doesn’t matter how high you lift yourself off the ground, any size contraction will force the abs to work.  As you become stronger you increase the depth of your repetitions.

Throughout your repetitions you should always concentrate on keeping the abs engaged. This means you always want to keep the stomach tight rather than allowing the abs to relax between reps. Visualize pulling you belly button toward your spine to help draw the stomach in.  You want to begin training yourself to keep the abs engaged at all times throughout the day…while you’re driving, standing, walking, sitting at work, or watching TV…all the time!  Concentrating on engaging the abs with proper posture will help to tighten and flatten the entire stomach.  Think of proper posture as one continuous ab exercise all day long.

We must all face the fact that no amount of crunches or leg lifts will get rid of the excess fat that many women carry in our mid-section (the pooch as we so lovingly refer to it).  The proper combination of cardio, ab training, and nutrition is the only solution to achieving a tighter and flatter stomach.  For most women nutrition is an essential piece of the puzzle when it comes to shedding body fat.  If you have tried numerous eating plans without the results you had hoped for then consult with a nutritionist or registered dietician for guidance to achieve your goals without frustration.