What you may NOT be doing to get a flatter stomach

ninerbuff
ninerbuff Posts: 48,486 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Everyone out there would like to half a flatter stomach. And many try some outlandish things to try to achieve it including buying waist trimmers, belts, corsets, rubbing useless compounds on the area, lipo, etc.

Now we should ALL KNOW that having a flatter stomach first comes down to having less fat on the area which has more to do with your overall diet. Diet is going to be the main factor. But even some who have gotten down to good body fat % levels still have a little protruding lower ab that takes away from being flat.

There are lots of ab exercises that people do to hit the rectus abdominis, serratus, and obliques, but the area that people don't seem to hit correctly is the transverse abdominis. Now there are transverse abdominis exercises that many do, but those contract the muscle to "push out" against the rectus abdominis. What I will address is how to "pull-in" and contract the transverse abdominis.

You do this by learning how to do a "stomach vacuum". Basically, you're learning how to pull your belly button towards the back of your spine. It can be done every day and only takes a few minutes.

The first and easiest is to put your arms on a countertop or bed even. Step your feet out like you're going to do a plank, but don't totally straighten your back. Now what you'll do is take a breath in, then exhale till all the air is out. Then you'll focus on pulling your belly button towards your spine. Start by holding say 10 sec. Do this 10 times and you're done. As you get better, go longer in duration, but you don't have to go more than a minute max.

The second is to lie down on the floor on your back. Knees bent, feet on the floor comfortably, hands stretched out overhead. Like the tabletop one, you inhale, then exhale till all air is out then pull your belly button towards the floor.

If you've ever seen people who can do vacuums well (takes repetition and practice like anything else) you'll notice that many of them have flatter lower abs.

Enjoy and hopefully, you'll see results.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhtlM6oxmVc

There are variations on YOUTUBE, but they all pretty much address the transverse abdominis

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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Replies

  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,486 Member
    FitAgainBy55 wrote: »
    I've always found this subject fascinating. I never had visible abs until I was over 45 (my profile pic at 48). At that point, I basically only performed 6 exercises:
    1. Running
    2. Bench press
    3. Overhead press
    4. Squat
    5. Deadlift
    6. Bent over row

    I've never done any core or ab exercises but I always felt my core under a lot of stress while performing heavy squats and deadlifts. I also noticed that based on my running style my abs were somewhat contracted during my runs. I was following the Strong Lifts 5x5 program which (as I'm sure you know, but other might not) is 5 sets of 5 reps with heavy weight.

    This time around I only have access to kettlebells so I'm doing something completely different. I'm very curious to see what my abs look like this time around when I re-remove that fat layer.
    I don't do a lot of direct core workout either with all my kickboxing and basically the same exercises above. But I do vacuums and while I have a 34" waist (in competitions I'd get down under 30") on my frame it doesn't look wide.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png
  • CeeBeeSlim
    CeeBeeSlim Posts: 1,255 Member
    I’ve heard of this and wasn’t sure about these? So if your diet is in check, and you do these daily - adding them to your routine of strength training and cardio - how often can you see results? 😬
  • Safari_Gal_
    Safari_Gal_ Posts: 1,461 Member
    Same here.. never had visible abs until my mid 30s. I lost them again last year. Thanks 2020. So back cutting to lose that pesky layer.

    I was able to see vertical ab lines, linea alba.. never tendinous intersections.. those are next level for me! 🤸🏼

    Thanks @ninerbuff
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,486 Member
    CeeBeeSlim wrote: »
    I’ve heard of this and wasn’t sure about these? So if your diet is in check, and you do these daily - adding them to your routine of strength training and cardio - how often can you see results? 😬
    Varies from person to person. Track your progression. Take pics and do measurements.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,486 Member
    Fit_Happens_2021 wrote: »
    My physiotherapist taught me to do them for core strength. You have to pull in really hard, much harder than you would think, for them to be really effective though.
    True. Since a lot of people don't really train this way, just learning the contraction could cause cramps.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png
  • 33gail33
    33gail33 Posts: 1,155 Member
    Does cat and cow in yoga hit the same muscles? That is how I do it - on hands and knees from table top position.
  • Psychgrrl
    Psychgrrl Posts: 3,177 Member
    33gail33 wrote: »
    Does cat and cow in yoga hit the same muscles? That is how I do it - on hands and knees from table top position.

    The core compression in inversions is more like what they are describing than cat/cow. Especially if you pike up.

    There are lots of drills that mirror the compression to help prepare you for the inversions. Tucking the ribs in when invented prevents banana back (over-arching) and dumping into the shoulders.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,486 Member
    middlehaitch wrote: »
    So glad to see this exercise raising its head again.
    It was one of the first things I learnt to do when I started exercising back in 2008 and has held me in good stead ever since. Not that I have ever had visible abs, just a good core strength.

    Cheers, h.

    I used to have a good link that I would post on here but when the forums went through quite an argumentative phase a few years ago I stopped posting such basic things as they were always shot down in flames.
    Haven't seen you in awhile. Well at least not on the threads I've been posting on. Hope all is well!

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png
  • Speakeasy76
    Speakeasy76 Posts: 961 Member
    Thanks for sharing! I NEED this work out as my TA muscles have always been weaker than my RA and obliques, especially after 2 c-sections. Surprised my physical therapist's have never showed me this, but I appreciate it's quick enough that I can incorporate into my daily routines.
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,483 Member
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    middlehaitch wrote: »
    So glad to see this exercise raising its head again.
    It was one of the first things I learnt to do when I started exercising back in 2008 and has held me in good stead ever since. Not that I have ever had visible abs, just a good core strength.

    Cheers, h.

    I used to have a good link that I would post on here but when the forums went through quite an argumentative phase a few years ago I stopped posting such basic things as they were always shot down in flames.
    Haven't seen you in awhile. Well at least not on the threads I've been posting on. Hope all is well!

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png




    Ha! I was just thinking I haven’t seen you quite as active on the main sub forums for a while.

    Things are fine here. I had to do a mad dash to the UK for 10weeks, that included isolation on both ends, that was rather stressful.

    I think the outfall has been I am a little burnt out and don’t have the wherewithal to be posting as often as I previously did.

    I also think I am suffering a bit from repetitive post syndrome. (Me posting the same advice to questions, not posters asking the same questions, which is to be expected)

    Hope you, and your family, are well too.

    Cheers, heather.
  • thelastnightingale
    thelastnightingale Posts: 725 Member
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    You do this by learning how to do a "stomach vacuum". Basically, you're learning how to pull your belly button towards the back of your spine. It can be done every day and only takes a few minutes.

    The first and easiest is to put your arms on a countertop or bed even. Step your feet out like you're going to do a plank, but don't totally straighten your back. Now what you'll do is take a breath in, then exhale till all the air is out. Then you'll focus on pulling your belly button towards your spine. Start by holding say 10 sec. Do this 10 times and you're done. As you get better, go longer in duration, but you don't have to go more than a minute max.

    How do you know if you're doing it right? What's it supposed to feel like?
  • Hamiltonfamily2018
    Hamiltonfamily2018 Posts: 81 Member
    I remember hearing about these a few years back! Thanks for the reminder. I wonder if it’s more effective to do these during an active workout while blood is already flowing and muscles working or if you can just do any darn time
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,486 Member
    middlehaitch wrote: »
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    middlehaitch wrote: »
    So glad to see this exercise raising its head again.
    It was one of the first things I learnt to do when I started exercising back in 2008 and has held me in good stead ever since. Not that I have ever had visible abs, just a good core strength.

    Cheers, h.

    I used to have a good link that I would post on here but when the forums went through quite an argumentative phase a few years ago I stopped posting such basic things as they were always shot down in flames.
    Haven't seen you in awhile. Well at least not on the threads I've been posting on. Hope all is well!

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png




    Ha! I was just thinking I haven’t seen you quite as active on the main sub forums for a while.

    Things are fine here. I had to do a mad dash to the UK for 10weeks, that included isolation on both ends, that was rather stressful.

    I think the outfall has been I am a little burnt out and don’t have the wherewithal to be posting as often as I previously did.

    I also think I am suffering a bit from repetitive post syndrome. (Me posting the same advice to questions, not posters asking the same questions, which is to be expected)

    Hope you, and your family, are well too.

    Cheers, heather.
    I have so much damn free time cause of quarantine still. I'm so bored at home so MFP helps to fill that time out.
    And like you I did go through the repetitive answering of the same questions and got bored. Hence me making newer topics that aren't that discussed about in general.

    Take care and be safe,
    Jo

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,486 Member
    Hamiltonfamily2018 wrote: »
    I remember hearing about these a few years back! Thanks for the reminder. I wonder if it’s more effective to do these during an active workout while blood is already flowing and muscles working or if you can just do any darn time
    Anytime. Like kegels. :D

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,486 Member
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