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Our bellies are the barometer on how fat we look and feel. A sudden snugness around the waist and you can correctly assume a little extra padding has found its way around your mid section.
Whether from overeating or under exercising, the simplest and most common method to determine if you�re storing extra fat is to pay close attention to the fit of your clothes, especially around the waistline. This is a common and almost involuntary focus that brings a lot of extra attention to the abdominal area.
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Adding to this increased ab awareness are today�s latest fashion trends. Low-rise pants and short shirts leave little midriff to the imagination. Like it or not, abs are in, but toned abdominal muscles do more than just look good in a swimsuit, they contribute to good posture, a pain-free back, and overall functional strength.
What society refers to as "the abs" are, in reality, more than just a single muscle. The abdominal muscle group is made up of the oblique muscles (both internal and external), as well as the abdominus rectus and transverse abdominus.
The obliques are thin muscles that form a continual wrap around the torso, enclosing your bony structures and internal organs in a protective support. Unfortunately, even the most developed obliques can be hidden under layers of fatty �love handles�.
The rectus abdominus forms the classic and sought after six-pack. It attaches the sternum and ribs to the pelvis. Buried beneath the rectus is the transverse abdominus, which remains virtually unseen, but can act as a girdle to flatten your midsection. Here again, fat can mask the most developed muscles.
The question is, how can you effectively burn off this fat and tighten your tummy? Before we answer that, let�s dispel some exercise myths.
Myth One: Spot Reduction
The best way to reveal those fab abs is with properly executed aerobic exercise combined with strength training. About three times a week you need to train in the target heart rate zone for 20 to 30 minutes. Back this up with two or three short, but intense strength workouts to tone and tighten the entire body, not just the abdominal muscles. The added muscle gained from strength training will speed up your metabolism, and increase your fat burning potential.
Workout Check List
- AEROBIC: 3 times a week, get in the target heart rate zone with some form of aerobic exercise (IE: walking, jogging, swimming) for 20 to 30 minutes or more
- STRENGTH: 2 or 3 times weekly, go through anywhere from 5 to 15 sets of resistance exercises that train the entire body
- FLEXIBILITY: Perform 5 minutes or more of stretching exercises at the end of every workout
Myth Two: A Flat Stomach
Focusing on a super flat stomach can cause frustration and anxiety, lead to eating disorders and excessive exercise that usually results in overuse injuries. On most people the abdominal muscles are designed to be somewhat rounded, not flat. Your body type, sex, and any age related hormonal changes might also affect the size and shape of the abdominal area. Save yourself time, energy and possible injury; lose the obsession with things you can do nothing about. Instead, try working on things you can change. Eat right and exercise, but don�t obsess about either. Here�s something else you can try.
Examine your posture or how you hold your body. Poor posture can give you that pot-belly appearance, while good posture can promote a taller, leaner and more youthful look. Take a peak at the list below as a guide to good posture.
Guide to Good Posture
- Head balanced on your neck, not leaning
- Shoulders relaxed and down, rolled back
- Abdominals contracted, as you point the tailbone to the floor
- Knees are kept soft, not locked
- Ears, shoulders, ribs, hips, knees, ankles vertically aligned
TWO BEST ABDOMINAL EXERCISES
Kick / Crunch Combo
While abdominal exercises won't reduce your waistline; you can still tone and tighten your abdominal muscles, and add to the appearance of flat belly. My personal experience with two simple, yet highly effective movements has made this my ab workout of choice.
The Bike Kick / Crunch Combination will tighten and tone ALL of your abdominal muscles, leading to a flatter, stronger midsection, as well as a pain free lower back. When combined with other strength and aerobic exercise, the Kick/Crunch Combination will produce dramatic results.
 Exercise # 1� CRUNCH
Lie on your back on a mat or padded carpet with your knees partially bent, feet flat on the floor, arms folded across your chest (least intense). Be sure the feet are not too near your buttocks. Exhale as you press the lower back into the floor and begin to raise your head, shoulders and chest off the floor in one unit, concentrating on bringing the ribs towards the hips. Pause briefly as you feel your abdominal muscles contract. The movement need only be a few inches. Inhale and slowly curl back down, trying not to let your head and shoulders touch the floor, maintaining tension in the abdominal muscles for the entire set. Repeat to muscle fatigue.
Trainer's Notes:
Be sure to keep the knees only partially bent with the heels at least one foot from your butt. This engages the oblique muscles as well as the rectus abdominus. To increase intensity, lengthen the pause when the abs are flexed to 2 seconds, or place your hands behind your head (as in the bicycle kick). Extend the arms overhead to maximize intensity levels.
Goal: 2 sets of 20 to 30 repetitions
 Exercise #2� BIKE KICK
Lie on your back on a mat or padded carpet with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Press the low back into the floor, engaging the abdominal muscles, as you put both hands behind your head (don't pull on the head). Bring the right elbow over to the left knee, and then bring the left elbow over to the right knee in a twisting, bicycle pedal motion. Continue to breathe naturally. Alternate opposite elbow to opposite knee with hands interlaced behind the head in a slow and controlled manner, and to muscle fatigue, with full extension of each leg on every repetition.
Trainer�s Notes:
Be sure to breathe naturally and not hold your breath at any time during this exercise. Full extension of the legs will increase intensity (as shown), as will performing the motion very slowly. Keep the knees bent throughout the movement, while you tap the feet to the floor (instead of extending the leg straight out), to decrease intensity.
Goal: 2 sets of 20 to 30 repetitions
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The Truth About Abs