The "lifebuoy" at the waist is a familiar problem for many women. You too? Then try these best abdominal and side slimming exercises.
How and why does body fat accumulate?
Understanding the mechanism of this process will make it easier to build a weight loss program and reduce the amount of problem areas. "Fat builds up due to too many calories in the diet. This is the extra energy that the body reserves, he explainsVictoria Kasilova,personal trainer and founder of the personal fitness laboratory.You can draw the following analogy: imagine you took money, bought gold bars and put them in a safe and locked them with a key. Now imagine that you decided to get that money back. First you need to find the key to the safe, open it, take out the bars and exchange it for money. The same is true with fat breakdown: to start the process of burning fat, a number of factors need to be activated: a certain hormonal background, a calorie deficit. Energy needs to be created so that the organization wants to spend these reserves itself. "
Removing the sides and abdomen: where do I start?
By understanding that the human body cannot lose weight locally, that is, only in a specific area. "You gain extra pounds and lose weight according to your build and genetics, " he saysEkaterina Demidova, master trainer for group programs.
To get rid of the infamous "sides" and make your stomach flatter, you usually need to lose weight - to transform your diet and exercise.
However, you need to choose them wisely. "There's a myth that where we train muscle, we burn fat, " says Victoria Kasilova. In particular, we can't burn fat somewhere because it leaves in a way that is calculated according to your body's capabilities. , and only then everything else. "
Therefore, a balanced weight loss program includes strengthening exercises, cardio exercises, and proper nutrition.
Loss of belly fat: Big mistakes
The most common mistakes made by coaches are:
Use of thermal string or plastic film during training."There’s a widespread misconception that where we sweat, we lose weight, " says Victoria Kasilova. "But that’s not the case. Fat does not go away with sweat. If everything were that simple, you could go to the sauna to lose weight. In fact, this only results in a liquid. And sometimes good, necessary. By being swept away by "sweat" means, it dries out the body and increases the load on the heart system. "
And it also risks damaging internal organs. "For example, a corset during exercise increases the pressure on the internal organs, impairs blood circulation, and prevents deep muscles from functioning, " warns Ekaterina Demidova.
Rejection of functional practices.The idea of losing belly fat fast is so captivating for some that they ignore all the exercises and just stay with the press in their training program. And in vain! "First of all, an untrained, loose body has no inflated abdominal muscles, " says Victoria Kasilova.
And all this can only be achieved if you have strength and functional training in your "sports menu", meaning you have to work with all the muscles in your body again.
Second, abdominal exercises themselves are not as energy-intensive as many basic movements such as squats, corpses, and supine support. "To achieve higher calorie intake (a key condition for weight loss on the abdomen, sides and whole body), you need to work with big muscles. It's similar to how a car engine works: a "small car" consumes little gas, an SUV multiples of it. So the SUV is the muscle of the foot and the "running" is the muscle of the press. "
In addition, if you overload only the abdominal area, there is a risk of injury to your back. "If you don’t know how to work with your body and fanatically strain your abdominal muscles, you’re more likely to get a waist injury, hernia or protrusion than a beautiful abdomen. Because these movements have a compressive effect on the spine, "adds Victoria.
Carrying out useless or inappropriate practices.The former include side bends with weights. "It’s not effective to fight the parties this way. That way, your waist won't be thinner either. Strengthen some muscle groups, but you will not achieve the expected effect. Bend with dumbbells if it doesn’t hurt, if there is no discomfort in the lower back, if it helps like a placebo. But there will be little benefit from this practice. Instead, it is better to twist it diagonally, it is safer for the lower back, "recalls Victoria Kasilova.
Experts also do not recommend doing too complex exercises that are only available to highly qualified people: athletes, fitness models. - Take the hanging legs, for example. It is believed that this is the practice of the press, says Victoria Kasilova. - But in fact, when you start to disassemble it from a biomechanical point of view, the key activity is hip flexion. The main muscle that bends the joint is the rectus femoris, the quadriceps muscle. Therefore, if the muscles of the foot are poorly developed, they will be the first to get tired, the press will simply not turn on. If this is done in a real sag and not supported, you need to have strong arms and back muscles to support your body. In addition, the body should be thin enough for the arms to support its weight. "
Who should do abdominal and lateral exercises
Experts advise you to focus only on training your muscles in the press only in certain cases. "This zone needs to be pumped separately for beginners, those who are not prepared at all - after rehabilitation, after childbirth. Here, simple twisting, planking and similar exercises on stable supports will be useful lying on the floor, says Victoria Kasilova. - This is necessary to unite the sternum and the pelvis into a single unit. The coupling between the zones is soft. To be tough and able to do the usual exercises, cope with housework without back injuries, and need simple exercises for the abdominal muscles. "
The same goes for performing athletes. "It’s also worth incorporating into press workouts for those preparing for competitions - such as fitness bikinis, " adds Victoria Kasilova.
If you’ve been training for a long time and won’t be taking part in fitness bikini competitions, there’s no point in further pumping the press. "Once a person has been exercising for a while, their coordination has improved, abdominal exercises are less of a priority out of the program. Because the abdominal muscles act as a stabilizer in large exercises, it supports the body when you perform weighted squats, pull-ups, bench presses, dead-pulls, push-ups. "
The most effective exercises for slimming the abdomen and sides
There are many practices in this area, but not all of them can achieve the desired effect. In addition, not all movements are available for training at home. "I suggest you do exercises at home that are technically simple. It is advisable to create a program consisting of various movements: the press consists of many small strands arranged at different angles. You can use all of them by combining different exercises, "adds Victoria Kasilova.
We asked professionals to compile a list of the most effective, easiest, and simplest abdominal exercises. Here they are:
- Board."This is a versatile exercise in which the deep muscles, including the transverse abdominal muscles and the oblique muscles, are actively involved. You can make different types of boards - classic, side or dynamic, the most important thing is to execute them skillfully and correctly. Instead of tiny planks, it will be more efficient to make several short planks with a break of a few seconds, the so-called "fragmentary" planks, "says Ekaterina Demidova.
- Incomplete crackling."If you do a twist, only rise to the lower edge of your shoulder blades, activating your straight abdominal muscles and oblique muscles, " Ekaterina comments.
- "Square"."In this situation, if you do it right, you can work your muscles in isolation, " recalls Ekaterina Demidova.
Exercises directly "not intended for this zone" also help in effective training of the abdomen and sides. This is almost the full force base - squats, pull-ups, etc. "It should be understood that abdominal exercises do not only train the abdominal muscles, butthe whole nucleus is involved in them - the muscles that are in the middle of the abdominal muscles. the body, connect the sternum and the pelvis. "- closes Victoria Kasilova.
We asked Victoria to show us a series of exercises that take all of these factors into account.
How to build a lesson
- Start your workout with a few simple joint exercises or a 10-minute cardio workout. This will help prepare your muscles and joints for stress.
- Perform all the exercises one after the other.
- Watch your breath: the main effort should be to exhale.
- Participate in this program 4-6 times a week.
- Gradually increase the load. "The adaptation of the body (and thus the change in appearance) only happens when we cause stress, overload, " says Victoria Kasilova. "
- Supplement your workout with cardio workouts. If your schedule does not include regular strength training, be sure to pick up cardio for the main complex - 40-50 minutes of swimming, cycling and running two to three times a week will suffice. "Cardio creates the use of just those calories, we can help get rid of some of the fat, but the press exercises help to strengthen the muscles, " concludes Victoria Kasilova.
You will need a mat and a fitball to complete the complex.
Straight turns
Lie on your back with your knees slightly bent. Press the lower back to the floor. When working with your abdominal muscles, when you exhale, lift your shoulder blades off the floor, extend your arms forward, touch your knees with your palms. Do not strain your neck and shoulders. Gently lower your back onto the mat. It will be a repetition. Implementation15-20 pcs.
Inclined twists
Lie on your back with your knees slightly bent. Press the lower back to the floor. When working with your abdominal muscles, when you exhale, lift your shoulder blades off the floor and twist your body to the right. Reach out in front of you. Do not strain your neck and shoulders. Return smoothly to the starting position. Implementation15-20 repetitionsin all directions.
Reverse cracking
Lie on your back, stretching your arms along your body. Bend your knees slightly and lift your legs. Press the lower back to the floor. When exhaling, using your abdominal muscles, lift your pelvis off the floor and pull your legs further behind your head. The abdomen should touch the thighs. Gently lower yourself to the starting position. Implementation15-20 repetitionstasks.
Twisting with pool lifter
Lie on your back, put your hands locked in the back of your head. Loosen your neck and shoulders. Press the lower back to the floor. Pull your legs up, cross your ankles. When exhaling, work your abdominal muscles to lift your shoulder blades and pelvis over the mat at the same time. Return smoothly to the starting position. Implementation15-20 repetitionstasks.
Dynamic sidebar
Lie on your right side, bend your right arm at the elbow and lie on your forearm. Stretch your legs and rest on the floor with the sides of your feet and place your left hand on your thighs. Do not lean on your lower back. Exhale, lift the pelvis off the floor, work the abdominal and back muscles. Record the top point for 3-4 seconds, then return to the starting position. Implementation20 repetitionsin all directions.
Rotate the legs from a horizontal position
Sit on a mat with straight legs. Sit back slightly. Bend your elbows, pull them back a little and lean on your forearms. Bend your leg at the hip joint and stretch it. Press the sacrum to the floor. Working with the muscles of the press, core, and thighs, smoothly move your toes and straight legs to the left, return to the center, and lower them to the right. It will be a repetition. Implementation10-20such.
Body lifts with fitball
Lie on your left side of the fitball, place your body and pelvis on the ball. Stretch your legs and relax on the floor with the side surfaces of your feet. Bend your left hand and place your palm on the back of your head. With your right hand, lean lightly on the ball in front of you. Working with the muscles of the press and core, gently tear off the upper body from the fitball as you exhale. Do not bend or bend your lower back. Inhale to return to starting position. It will be a repetition. Operated byOf which 20-30 pieces per direction. . .
Lifting the pool with a fitball
Stand on a plank resting on straight arms and place your foot on the fitball. Do not add an arc or slope. Bend your knees and work your abdominal muscles, pushing your pelvis up. Pull your hips toward your belly, rolling the fitball closer to your arm. Return smoothly to the starting position. It will be a repetition. Implementation20-30 of them.
Recessed legs with fitball
Lie on your back, stretch your legs forward, squeeze the fitball between your tibias. Extend your arms along your body. Using a fitball, raise your legs perpendicular to the floor and lower them at an angle of 30 to 40 degrees, exhale by moving your abdominal and torso muscles. It will be a repetition. Implementation20-30 of them. . .
Dynamic planks
Focus on lying on straight arms. Do not increase the arch in the lower back, loosen the neck and shoulders. Activates the muscles of the front surface of the body - the muscles of the body, the thighs, the arms. Then alternately bend your elbows and lower yourself into the forearm board. Return to starting position. Do the exercise as many times as possibleOne minute. . .
When is the expected result?
Many experts agree that rapid weight loss (in 10 days, for example) is detrimental to your health and leads to equally rapid weight gain. In addition, there is a high risk that the pounds brought back will "bring friends" - the body stores fat in the event of another hunger strike or an exhausting workout.
It makes more sense to lose weight gradually. "Our efforts are always directly proportional to our results. With proper nutrition and 4-5 workouts a week, you are sure to see the first results in a month. But keep in mind that the process of losing weight is very individual, you should always consider the characteristics of each and say the "initial data. " The most important thing is to focus on what you want to achieve and not the difficulties, and then certainlyreaches the goal "- comments Ekaterina Demidova.
So take our workout program, do it regularly, and you’ll notice the first results of weight loss in just a month.