Hello my darling!
Are you one of the countless many that both wish for a flatter or more defined abdomen?
And do you also believe that crunching up a storm is the way to get you there??!?
IF that approach has not been sending you to washboard heaven – this post might be worthy of note.
2 things will help w ab definition.
#1. Getting rid of the fat covering them.
#2. Using them.
Now please believe me when I say that #1 is WAY more important than #2, especially in the beginning stages.
And #1 will invariably take much more time, ESP if you’re solely focused on using your abs to lose the fat over them – as abdominal muscles are small (= get conditioned/deconditioned quickly) which is why we can exercise them each day.
However a larger muscle group has the opposite situation where it will take a while longer to get it up to speed/strength, but that level of conditioning will last longer with less upkeep.
ADDITIONALLY working those larger muscle groups is a fabulous idea, as exercising those areas expends far more energy. & if fat loss is your goal, sweating up a storm while exerting yourself is certainly helpful in the effort.
Additionally to note – when you stress any muscle it will invariably grow.
If you do NOT wish to have muscles popping out from your belly, or a wider waist due to doing oblique exercises – please don’t use additional resistance or push OUT when you do these exercises.
Lastly doing a substantial amount of abdominal exercises can put strain on your lower back. 😬
Increasing the amount of shortness & strength in your abdomen will more than likely PULL on a reliably weaker spot on the body.
Boo to that!
So…should you be doing ANY sort of abdominal exercises??
YES!
If your, “core”, has held any interest – the best way to activate/strengthen that is as such:
Think about pulling in the section of your abdomen that’s above your pubic bone & below your belly button.
Think about pulling it gently (& slowly please!) back towards your spine.
Look to feel a slight sensation in your lower back, as that indicates you’ve actually contracted the only abdominal muscle that goes all the way around your midsection (= your transverse abdominis).
So did we get all that?
Use bigger muscles to burn more fat off your belly, & do more gentle contractions of your core to create a trimmer tummy & happy back.
AND the bonus when you have less fat on your stomach is you’ll actually have less everywhere else as well.
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(Oh!!! Â And Power & Pain = ebook, is now available!! Â If you wish to prevent injuries & understand how to be stronger in any given move, this “might” be right for you. Â Check it out!)
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To getting you clearer on how the body works, & how to make it work for you. Â xox, M