Wanting to Slim down Stomach, Not a Six Pack

I'm a physical therapist and have taught the proper sit up many times. You start with the pelvic tilt. That is lay on your back and without holding your breath press your back down into the floor. If you have trouble with this lie on your back and just try to raise your head, this should tighten your abdominals so you can feel it in your tummy. Once you can do this you can progress to a crunch where you cross your arm on your chest and lift your head and shoulders just off the floor while holding the pelvic tilt. If you can not hold your back flat, your abdominals are too weak to progress to the next step. When crossed arms is easy, put your hands behind your head (but do not pull on your head so you are straining your neck). Hold each rep 3 seconds each to begin and progress to 5 or more seconds. Do not hook your feet under the couch either, this will work the hip flexors-see below for defn- in most people more than your abdominals) You can do the pelvic tilts sitting or standing too, so it is a portable exercise, that actually is good to do upright because this is the position we function in. You can also think of it as bringing your belly button to your spine. This is a beginning. You can also work the lower abdominals more by doing the same pelvic tilt and bending your knees with your feet on the bed do a march motion while keeping the back flat on the floor. Only move the feet as much as you can maintain the control of the tilt. The progression for lower abs is to do this with a straight leg (opposite bent), and then finally double legged. Each step must have the back flat down to the floor, or you are not strong enough and will only strengthen the hip flexor muscles (the ones that bring your hip up like you are going to knee someone) and this will cause your back to arch more and your tummy to hang out. (Not what we are going for at all!) Be careful with this though, you should not have back pain at all. If you do, stop.

The other responses about nutrition are important too. You really can't "spot reduce", that is slim down hips, butt, or tummy with crunches and lifts without watching diet.

There are 4 groups of abdominal muscles: Rectus abdominus (six pack), obliques (2 groups running on a diagonal each direction), and then the transverse abdominals (deepest running like rings around you corset style). Crunches work the rectus group, doing the diagonal sit up works the obliques (also done with a pelvic tilt in a slow controlled motion), and the others have told you of transverse.

Biggest key is to do them slowly and properly and hold them longer, so you will need to do fewer reps.

A bit lengthy, but this is actually one of the hardest exercises to get people to do properly. Hope this helps.

N.

You can do fifty gazillion sit-ups every day but if you're not eating properly, those abs will continue to be 'well insulated'. Work on the nutrition and cardio first before targeting the abdominal area.

I am going to chime in on the Lose Your Mummy Tummy. I went from a 32 inch waist post baby #3 to a 25 1/2 inch waist in 11 weeks using the mummy tummy exercises.

There are only two of us certified in Chicago to teach this technique. We teach in Orland Park, Homewood through the Park Districts, Flossmoor through Ingalls Hospital, and in January we will be teaching in Lincoln Park.

The book is very good - but a class setting is so much easier to figure it out because the exercises are so intrinsic.

Also I tell all my clients (I am a personal trainer specializing also in nutrition) to avoid the 5 wicked whites:

White flour
White sugar
White pasta
White potatoes
White Rice

That helps SOOO much. If you live in any of the areas just reply back and I can give you specific dates. They all start the 3rd week in October ish - Thurs and Mon nights.

Crunches are often a better way to start then a full sit up. Lie on your back, knees up, lightl put your hand behind your heads (remeber you do not want your arms to lif your head you want your torso to life your whole upper body) So your hands are there just to support your neck not to aid in the crunch. You want there to be a fist of space between your chin and torso. Come up about 4-6incches off the groung contracting your abs. Inhale as you sit up and exhale as you lie back down. Start with 1 set of 20 then work your way up to 2 sets of 20, 3 sets and so on. Also If you work the abs you should work the back. So flip over on your tummy and raise your arms up over your head (super man position-like your flying on your tummy) Lift the opposite leg and arm-hold for 2 seconds then lift the other leg and arm. Do 3 sets of 5. Start here then email me for more-its better to start slow and realistic then give you a whole bunch of exercises now-its a building process. Also to get flat abs its very important to watch your diet as well-eat low fat, high lean protien meals. Drink water, limit or avoid alcohol. Increase fiber-fruit and vegetables. Avoid snacking between meals.

Dr. L

Hey,
J. lay down on the floor with your knees bent up but your hands behind your head lock your fingers together sit up touching your head to your knees you should feel it in your stomach if you seem like you cannot keep your feet flat then wedge them up under the couch or something. Another one to get rid of the little pouch is to lay flat on your back rasie your legs up in the air close together hands behind your head left your legs up you should feel your buttocks lifting off the floor as well but by using your stomach muscle it's like you are make foot prints in the ceiling try during both of these tewenty reps a day you should feel it in your stomach. Now the pole fitness is great it works all of your core mucsles and butt and thieghs. I do pole parties so I feel the diffence and notice the differnce.A lot of ladies purchase it from me for excersie and to feel fitted and spcie up there love life. Let me know if I can you help....Hopes this works for you.
Party Gals
Romance Specialist
W. Lewis
www.touchofromance.biz

What you really need to work on is your Transverse Abdominis muscles. The best book to show you how to do this that I've found is "Lose your Mummy Tummy" (Tupler). Sit-ups are NOT what you want to do. You can also google "transverse abs" exercises.