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Workouts - Endless crunches not working? - Here are all the tools you’ll ever need for flattening your stomach for good!

By Paul Stephen Lubicz - The Wellbeing Manager

The Flat Stomach Quest

We spend millions of pounds each and every year in the quest for a flat stomach. There are hundreds or more ab exercise devices out there all claiming to give you that coveted flat stomach. With the vast amount of equipment available you would think that we all would have toned abs? But that’s not the case

Why doesn’t that work?

Most, if not all of these products will provide little help as you try to flatten your stomach. That's because these exercise contraptions simply can't remove the layer of fat that lays on top of your abs.

In order to be succeed at thinning your waistline, you have to get a basic under standing of how the abdominal muscles function and how your body burns fat.

The first thing that you need to understand is the difference between fat and muscle tissue. Fat is created by eating excess calories (more food and drink than you need for your daily requirements) and it is primarily stored in layers on top of your muscles. Muscle tissue consists of fibers that contract to produce movement.

So if your goal is a trim waist line and a nice flat stomach, the first thing you need to do is remove the layers of fat that are sitting on top of your abs. Everyone has a flat stomach. It's just that some of them are covered with excess fat. Introduce the idea that shaping up your stomach is about more than just crunches – you need to take a balanced approach, looking at lifestyle, nutrition and movement aiming for consistency not perfection.

”The most effective way to flatten your stomach is with a combination of Movement (Exercise), Lifestyle (Balance), and Nutrition (Food and Drink)”

Movement

Incorporate more movement into your daily activities. Even if you spend an hour, exercising. At most, this is 1/12 of the day. If you can find a way to integrate more movement into the rest of your waking hours, just think how much of an impact that can have. Go for a walk at lunch or at a break. Park the car farther away. Take the stairs. Walk down the hall at work rather than use the intercom. Use the speakerphone at work and pace around the room as you talk.

Nutrition

Eating for fat and weight loss is confusing at best. The current, popular, media driven methods include carbohydrate slashing and drastic caloric reduction, both leading to rebound.

Get some professional advice from a registered Dietician to tailor a nutritional program specifically for you.

Some Nutritional Tips

1. Don't skip meals
2. Think before you eat
3. Drink Plenty of water
4. Eat Organic when possible
5. Try and eat unprocessed uncooked foods more often
6. Plan your meals

Lifestyle

The keys to achieving total health and wellbeing are balance, and when you are able to achieve balance and moderation you will find that the quality of your life improves.

This is about making healthful choices for yourself, keeping vices in moderation, sleeping enough, taking stress breaks and holidays when you need them and listening to your body to name a few.

Why is my Stomach a problem area?

Many women have real trouble removing the last bit of weight from around the stomach here are some reasons why and some tips to help rid the Unwanted Bulge

Want a different result try a different approach?

1. As we know there is no such thing as spot reducing, e.g. targeting body fat from one area,” If you chew chewing gum your face doesn’t get thinner” Different people store body fat in different ways, you may find that your stomach is the last place to loose you stored body fat, so the best plan is to make change in your routine using the principles I highlighted earlier! Creating a calorie dept (Using more calories than you need) which will bring about a different result and a trimmer tummy.

A Weak Core

1. Still no progress? You may have what’s referred to as a distended abdomen typically caused by weakness of the deeper muscles (inner unit) and the connective tissues of the stomach. May be a result of having a baby or just de-conditioning. If the deep muscles are weak, the superficial muscles must work overtime to maintain body equilibrium causing the bulge.

What’s the answer?

Core exercise! No, we’re not talking about an apple core; we’re talking about the inner muscles that make up the abdominal region, hips and lower back. Most people focus their attention on the muscles that are more visible (the Mirror muscles) and are easy to train, such as biceps, inner thighs and shoulders because due to the fact that they are visible, however, it happens to often that our core muscles that act as our foundation providing a solid base for movement and good posture are often over looked.

Food Intolerances

1. As far as "flattening" the abs, the "pooch" or pot belly as it can be referred to may be deceiving. A body fat skin fold measurement of this area, on some individuals can be surprisingly low, yet the "pooch" remains, this can be attributed to poor gut health and inflammation that has reflexively inhibited the deep abdominal wall musculature, and allowed the altered posture to occur.

How do I know what’s right for me

If you feel that this can be affecting you get a referral from your doctor to the appropriate allergies tests, or seek out a qualified naturopath or homeopath.

The Key is Functional Fitness & Progression

What is functional exercise? Exercise movements that simulate our everyday actions. We perform many good exercises in our everyday lives without even knowing it - like twisting, walking, jumping, turning and bending.

If you want to enhance your shape, forget about targeted or isolation-based exercises on the areas that you want to target like your stomach. Isolation exercises (exercises targeting one muscle group) are out. Instead, progress towards multi-joint exercises that use many muscles at a time to create the movement. The benefit of training this way is that you create symmetry and balance in the muscle groups.

Progress through the 5 exercises (see the workout) starting with getting your inner unit to work (Progression 1) then advancing to a bigger movement (Progression 5), not only do you work your abs the way they are meant too, you also get the great benefit of burning more calories with a bigger body movement.

The ultimate five moves for a flat stomach

Start at the first ab exercise progressing through to the next level once you are confident. Each level becomes harder and more challenging. Complete your ab exercises minimum 3 x a week with your exercise regime or on there own.

Progression 1 - Core Activation

Aim: Train the muscles of the inner unit

• Assume 4 point stance take a deep diaphragmatic breathe
• As you exhale, make an "S" sound, and draw your abdomen in as if to pull your belly button closer to your spine
• Do not concentrate on pushing your back flat but rather on lengthening you torso while drawing up and in
• Progress, Lift opposite arm and leg off the ground
• Sets 3, Reps 15, Tempo 10 second holds

Progression 2 - Ball Crunch

Build on core stability

• Position yourself with lower back on the ball with feet flat on floor hip-width apart and knees aligned over the toes.
• Keep abdominals drawn in, chin tucked to chest with arms crossed and hands on opposite shoulders.
• Crunch forward only to a level at which you can maintain abdominal control.
• Sets 3, Reps 15, Tempo 4-2-2

Progression 3 - Resistance Side Bends

Aim use your abs in a multi direction

• Attach resistance band to a secure place e.g. Top of Door.
• Stand with feet shoulder width apart and parallel to the door.
• Keep feet flat on floor pointing forward with knees bent slightly and hips back
• Hold one strap in each hand and clasp hands together.
• Bend upper body at the waist toward door while reaching above head with hands
• Keep lower body stationary
• Sets 2, Reps 15 each side, Tempo 4-2-2

Progression 4 - Oblique Swiss Ball Crunch

Aim, use your abs in a multi direction in an instable environment on the Ball

• Stagger feet slightly and slightly rotate hips to one side.
• Stabilise the neck and pelvis. Anchor the lower hip into the ball.
• Think of moving the rib cage at a diagonal moving in the direction the legs are pointing (right elbow to right inner thigh).
• Sets 3, Reps 15, Tempo 4-2-2

Progression 5 - Resistance Band Wood Chop

Aim, use your abs in a multi direction Total body movement

• Attach resistance band to a secure place e.g. Top of Door.
• Stand in a wide stance with the feet parallel to the door.
• Shift body weight to foot closest to the door with knee bent, body slightly forward, hip back, and opposite leg straight.
• Slowly rotate upper body and pull diagonally downward with hands toward opposite knee.
• Simultaneously hinge forward at the hips and shift body weight to the foot furthest from door.
• Sets 2, Reps 15 each side, Tempo 4-2-2

I don’t feel my abs when I work them

Back tightness is problematic for an abdominal curl because it reduces the ability of the abs to contract, when the abs contract the back has to release to let the contraction to happen. If the back is tight you end up cheating and moving at other parts of your body to complete the crunch. Here are 3 simple back stretches to help loosen up your back before your abs workout.

• Warm up at an easy pace for 2-5 minutes (Walking, rowing cycling)
• Sit cross legged with good posture
• Draw your belly button in
• Stretch your arm over your head and lean to the side
• Return to the start and lean across and over your knee
• Return to the start and lean forward in front of your body
• Repeat opposite side
• This is a short active stretch just before the ab exercises; hold each stretch for 4 seconds only with no rest between each pose
• Complete 5 times each position