The best to shrink my pooch?

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kremsergirl
kremsergirl Posts: 35
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm looking for anything that can help me shrink my lower belly. I'm doing crunches almost daily, but that seems to only work my upper region. So any good exercise that will help? Also, are there any foods that I should avoid/eat to help shrink it? Thanks!

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  • CRmom2
    CRmom2 Posts: 73
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    Bump...I am curious as well!
  • shannonhoodhayes
    shannonhoodhayes Posts: 2
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    There's a DVD called Hip Hop Abs that does a lot of standing ab work and I find that it really hits my lower abs more than any floor stuff Ive done. Good luck to you. Also avoid the usual culprits, fat, salt, grease. :-)
  • mellimeter
    mellimeter Posts: 102 Member
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    I run into the same problem, my upper abs are sore from crunches. . .but I feel nothing in the lower portion of my abs! Hoping to see some good tips on this thread!
  • aquasw16
    aquasw16 Posts: 342 Member
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    p90x abs
  • Kelly_Wilson1990
    Kelly_Wilson1990 Posts: 3,245 Member
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    :laugh: Too funny. When I saw the title of your post, I thought you were exercising with your dog and it was losing weight too.
  • Jules429
    Jules429 Posts: 35
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    Bump
  • mflm
    mflm Posts: 10
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    pilates! the mat work will get your lower band abs. All those leg lifts and controlled torso movements get the lower abs in shape .
  • NinaP2013
    NinaP2013 Posts: 30
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    :laugh: Too funny. When I saw the title of your post, I thought you were exercising with your dog and it was losing weight too.

    Me too! HAHA =)
  • ABL0930
    ABL0930 Posts: 16 Member
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    Pilates! There's so much more to working your "core" than crunches. My sister did this consistently for her wedding, and had NEVER looked fitter!
  • Metalhead187
    Metalhead187 Posts: 61
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    Bump! I want to know too as well! :D
  • udallmom101
    udallmom101 Posts: 564 Member
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    From everything I have read, seen, talked to my personal trainer friend about, there is no one good/bad way to go about losing your pooch. They all say this - cardio cardio cardio and toning along with your cardio. You can't spot reduce though. You can firm and tone, but it's the cardio that burns the fat.
  • gnat45
    gnat45 Posts: 833 Member
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    Anything that burns fat. You can't spot reduce.
  • vdavis_89
    vdavis_89 Posts: 334
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    Ive heard that doing crunches on a yoga ball helps :)
  • koylefam
    koylefam Posts: 142 Member
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    while you can't spot reduce try a reverse crunch instead of crunching your upp put your legs straight up in the air arms down at your sides. and lifet your bottom stright up of the floor then back down this will tone so when the cardio has burned off the fat the muscle underneath is toned
  • bobalouie16
    bobalouie16 Posts: 6 Member
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    Do reverse crunches. instead of lifting your upper body with your abs you lift your legs with your abs. Tony Horton also does this awesome exercise not sure what its called but you sit with one foot in the air one bent on the floor. hold your self up and reach over with the opposite hand and touch as high on your leg as you can. Hope that helps
  • flimflamfloz
    flimflamfloz Posts: 1,980 Member
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    Well, you can't target fat loss.

    Assuming you know that, working your abs too much will make them stand out - so it will be counter productive.
    Working them out normally will reshape them though, so might be worth it.

    Anyway, the best way to work the lower part of your abs is to do leg raises (on the ground, hanging or using the captain's chair):
    http://weighttraining.about.com/od/exercisegallery/tp/captains_chair.htm
    http://weighttraining.about.com/od/exercisegallery/a/Hanging-Leg-Raise.htm
    On the ground, you just do the same movement, except you are lying on the floor.

    You might also want to target your obliques, by doing crunches while turning your upper body left and right as you are reaching for your knees.

    Other than that, if you are talking about skin hanging, it will take some time for the skin to shrink, but it will happen eventually.
  • cammons
    cammons Posts: 126 Member
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    :laugh: Too funny. When I saw the title of your post, I thought you were exercising with your dog and it was losing weight too.


    Me too!
  • hedwardsb
    hedwardsb Posts: 201 Member
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    Personally, I think doing the plank & side plank help. Yoga & pilates both have a lot of plank-like moves that if you do enough will leave your whole abdominal region sore. I think they both help me with my posture, also, and posture alone can really make a difference in how your stomach looks. In terms of the appearance of the skin (I have 3 children, so this is an issue for me), I'm a big fan of Nivea firming lotion. Of all the firming lotions I've tried, it's the only one that I can see a difference.
  • yarnista
    yarnista Posts: 1
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    One word: planks

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