| "Crunches. He's going to tell me to do lots | | | | that do don't know how to train it. |
| of stomach crunches isn't he? Man if I hurt | | | | |
| my neck doing another pointless crunch I | | | | Well here's how.... |
| swear I'm gonna...." That is what many people | | | | |
| think when they first hear someone telling | | | | The 7 Second Stomach Flattener |
| them the secret to flat toned abs. And I'm | | | | |
| right there with you. Crunches are boring, | | | | 1. Stand or sit tall and straight. 2. Breathe |
| unproductive and shockingly ineffective | | | | in and as you do so pull in your stomach. 3. |
| compared to the two techniques I'll reveal | | | | Keep this tense and held in place 4. Contact |
| later in this article. | | | | the abs as hard as you can, you rib cage will |
| | | | dip down slightly and your pelvis may rotate |
| The truth is the most effective abs exercises | | | | upwards 5. Breathe out making an "sssss" - |
| are performed Standing Up. But no gym | | | | this will cause inter-abdominal contraction |
| instructor or personal trainer will tell you | | | | 6. Continue this for 7 seconds. 7. Once |
| that and the reason is, most don't know. | | | | finished keep the stomach in tight and repeat |
| Pilates and stability ball instructors are | | | | ten times. 8. Do NOT relax the stomach until |
| perhaps closer to the secret of the six pack | | | | completely finished all 10 reps. |
| than anyone else. In both, you are taught | | | | |
| basic pelvis and abdominal tension, but they | | | | The All Natural Tummy Tucker *Do this ONLY on |
| never get further than that. They never get | | | | an Empty Stomach* |
| to the good stuff. | | | | |
| | | | 1. Stand up straight with your feet wider |
| The secret to a well toned waist, a firm trim | | | | then shoulder width. 2. Exhale all the air |
| tummy, and strong sexy six pack - is all | | | | form your lungs 3. As you do so bend over as |
| contained in 1 word - Isometrics. Isometrics, | | | | though trying to touch your toes 4. Once you |
| defined as the contraction of a muscle | | | | are as low as you can bend and have breathed |
| without moving the joint, is the | | | | out all the air you can, pull in your stomach |
| scientifically proven fastest way to build | | | | as much as you can 5. Hold this tension and |
| strength and muscle. | | | | slowly stand up 6. You want to keep you |
| | | | stomach in as tight as you can 7. Tense your |
| Before I explain step by step how to perform | | | | stomach keeping it in tight. 8. Hold for ten |
| an isometric contraction for the waist I | | | | seconds. 9. Slowly relax and capture your |
| wasn't to explain a little bit about the | | | | breathe 10. Repeat 10 times. |
| actual muscles you will be working. One you | | | | |
| will be familiar with, and it's the less | | | | That's it. You just need those two exercises |
| important of the two. The other, well it's | | | | and they can be performed virtually anywhere. |
| crucial for developing a flat stomach. | | | | You can practice in the shower, in the car, |
| | | | in the office, anywhere. |
| In the following exercises we will be working | | | | |
| the Rectus abdominus and the Transverse | | | | Now I will mention one thing - you won't see |
| abdominus. The Rectus is commonly called the | | | | visible results if you have a high body fat |
| six pack. It's a sheet of muscle running from | | | | %. You will of course feel the results and |
| the base of the rib cage (sternum) the | | | | quickly too. Your stomach will naturally |
| pelvis. It gets the six pack look from the | | | | begin to pull inwards, and become firmer. But |
| tendons running across it. Here's the thing | | | | guys you need your body fat % close to 8% and |
| though - the rectus naturally curves outwards | | | | gals you need it about 12% to really see |
| when developed - meaning you get a muscle | | | | chiselled definition. |
| belly! | | | | |
| | | | The best way to do this is enjoy a nice walk, |
| So how do you keep it in tight and flat and | | | | first thing the morning before breakfast. |
| develop the coveted washboard look? That is | | | | Refreshing, invigorating and slimming, and |
| where my friend the transverse abdominus | | | | combined with these two exercises which will |
| comes in. He connects the rectus to the lower | | | | improve digestion and fat burning you'll be |
| back and effectively pulls the abs inwards, | | | | trim and slim in no time. |
| towards the spine. The problem is very few | | | | |
| people even realise they have one, and those | | | | Copyright 2006 Paul J. |