The "lifebuoy" at the waist is a problem familiar to many women. You too? Then try these proven belly and flank slimming exercises.
How and why does body fat accumulate?
Understanding the mechanism of this process, it will be easier for you to build a weight loss program and reduce the volume of problem areas. "Fat accumulates due to an excess of calories in the diet. This is the extra energy that the body reserves, - explainsVictoria Kasilova,personal trainer and founder of the personal fitness laboratory.You can draw the following analogy: imagine that you took money, bought gold bars and put them in a safe, locked them with a key. Now imagine that you have decided to get this money back. You need to first find the key to the safe, open it, take out these bars, go exchange them for money. It is the same with lipolysis: in order to start the process of fat burning, you need to activate many factors: a certain hormonal background, a calorie deficit. It is necessary to create such a need for energy that the body itself wants to spend these reserves. "
Remove sides and belly: where to start?
With an understanding of the fact that the human body cannot lose weight locally, that is, only in a specific area. "You put on extra pounds and lose weight according to your constitution and genetics, " saysEkaterina Demidova, master trainer in the direction of group programs.
To get rid of the notorious "sides", and the stomach became flatter, you will have to reduce weight in general - to restructure the diet and exercise.
However, you need to choose them wisely. "There is a myth that where we train a muscle, we burn fat, " says Victoria Kasilova. - This is not true. Because the process of fat burning occurs throughout the body, and not locally. But we can work on the problem area. In what respect? Form muscles there, develop strength or mobility. Specifically, we cannot burn fat in some place, because it leaves in the way calculated by the characteristics of your body. Someone easily and quickly loses volume in the area of the legs, someone - in the abdomen, and someone first decreases the chest, upper back, and only then everything else. The body first of all gives up fat from those places where it considers its storage less priority. And from the most important places for him (in women it is most often just the belly, sides and hips), he gives away "reserves" much worse. "
Therefore, a balanced weight loss program will include strength exercises, cardio exercises, and proper nutrition.
Lose Belly Fat: Major Mistakes
The most common mistakes coaches consider the following:
Use of thermo-corsets or plastic wrap in training."There is a widespread myth that where we sweat, there we lose weight, " says Victoria Kasilova. "But it’s not so. The fat does not go away with sweat. If everything were so simple, you could just go to lose weight in the sauna. In fact, as a result of this, only liquid is escaped. And sometimes good, necessary. By being carried away by "diaphoretic" devices ", you dehydrate the body and increase the load on the heart system. "
And also - you risk harming the internal organs. "For example, a corset during training increases pressure on internal organs, impairs blood circulation and does not allow deep muscles to work, " warns Ekaterina Demidova.
Refusal from functional exercise.The idea of losing belly fat quickly is so captivating to some that they ignore any exercise, leaving only crunches for the press in their fitness schedule. And in vain! "Firstly, there is no pumped-up abs on an untrained, loose body, " says Victoria Kasilova. "If a person starts to train, first he has a noticeable relief of his arms, legs, back, and only then - abs cubes".
And all this can be achieved only if you have strength and functional training in your "sports menu", that is, again, you will have to work with all the muscles of the body.
Secondly, abdominal exercises themselves are not as energy-intensive as many basic movements like squats, deadlifts, and push-ups. "To create a higher calorie expenditure (a key condition for losing weight on the abdomen, sides and whole body), you need to work with large muscles. This is similar to how a car engine works: a "small car" consumes a little gasoline, an SUV - several times more. So the SUV is the muscles of the legs, and the "runabout" is the muscles of the press. "
Plus, overworking only on the abdomen area runs the risk of hurting your back. "Not knowing how to work with your body, and fanatically loading your abs, you are more likely to get a lower back injury, hernia or protrusion than a beautiful belly. Because these movements have a compressive effect on the spine, "adds Victoria.
Performing useless or inappropriate exercise.The former include side bends with weights. "It's not effective to fight the sides this way. This way you will not make your waist thinner either. Strengthen some muscle groups, but you will not achieve the expected effect. Bend with dumbbells if it doesn't hurt you, if there is no discomfort in the lower back, if it helps you like a placebo. But there won't be much benefit from this exercise. Instead, it is better to do a diagonal twisting while lying down, it is safer for the lower back, "recalls Victoria Kasilova.
Experts also do not recommend performing too complex exercises, available only to highly trained people: performing athletes, fitness models. "Let's take, for example, hanging legs. It is believed that this is an exercise for the press, - says Victoria Kasilova. - But in fact, if you start to disassemble it from the point of view of biomechanics, the key action in it is hip flexion. The main muscle that flexes the joint is the rectus femoris, quadriceps. Therefore, if your leg muscles are poorly developed, they will be the first to get tired, the press simply will not turn on. If this happens in a real hang and not in support, you need to have strong arms and back musculature to support your body. Plus, the body must be slim enough for the arms to support its weight. "
Who should do abdominal and lateral exercises
Experts advise concentrating on working out the muscles of the press only in some cases. "It is necessary to pump this zone separately for beginners, for those who have no preparation at all - after rehabilitation, after childbirth. Here, an easy type of twisting lying on the floor, a plank and similar exercises on stable supports will be useful, - says Victoria Kasilova. - This is necessary in order to combine the sternum and pelvis into a single unit. The coupling between these zones is soft. To make it tough and be able to do the usual exercises, to cope with household chores without back injuries, and you need simple exercises for the abdominal muscles. "
The same goes for performing athletes. "It is also worth including in training exercises for the press for those who are preparing for competitions - for example, fitness bikinists, " adds Victoria Kasilova.
If you have been training for a long time and are not going to participate in fitness bikini contests, it makes no sense to additionally pump the press. "When a person has already practiced for some time, developed coordination, abdominal exercises are excluded from the program as less of a priority. Because the abs in large exercises works as a stabilizer, it supports your body when you do weighted squats, pull-ups, bench presses, deadlifts, push-ups. "
The most effective exercises for losing weight on the abdomen and sides
There are many types of exercises for this area, but not all of them are able to give you the desired effect. Plus, not all movements are available for training at home. "I would recommend doing exercises at home that are simple in terms of technique. It is advisable to make a program of a variety of movements: the press consists of many small fibers located at different angles. By combining different exercises, you can use them all, "adds Victoria Kasilova.
We asked the experts to compile a list of the most effective, easy, and simple ab exercises. Here they are:
- Plank."This is a versatile exercise in which the deep muscles, including the transverse abdominis and obliques, are actively engaged. You can perform various types of planks - classic, lateral or dynamic, the most important thing is to perform them skillfully and correctly. Instead of minute planks, it will be more effective to perform several short planks with a break of a couple of seconds, the so-called "fractional" plank, "says Ekaterina Demidova.
- Incomplete crunches."When performing twisting, rise only to the lower edge of the shoulder blades, so you activate the rectus abdominis muscle and obliques, " comments Ekaterina.
- "Square"."In this position, if done correctly, you can work the core muscles in isolation, " recalls Ekaterina Demidova.
Exercises directly "not intended" for this zone will also help to effectively work out the abdomen and sides. This is almost the entire strength base - squats, deadlifts, etc. "It should be understood that abdominal exercises do not always work out not only the abdominal muscles, we have the entire core involved in them - the muscles that are in the middle of the body, connect the sternum and the pelvis. ", - concludes Victoria Kasilova.
We asked Victoria to show us a set of exercises that took all these factors into account.
How to build a lesson
- Start your workout with some simple joint exercises or a 10-minute cardio workout. This will help prepare your muscles and joints for stress.
- Perform all exercises in sequence.
- Watch your breath: the main effort should be made on exhalation.
- Engage in this program 4-6 times a week.
- Increase the load gradually. "The adaptation of the body (and hence the change in appearance) occurs only when we create stress, overload, " says Victoria Kasilova. "Therefore, it is advisable to gradually complicate the lessons every week: use weights, increase the number of repetitions. "
- Complement your workout with cardio workouts. If your schedule does not include regular strength training, be sure to add cardio to the main complex - 40-50 minutes of swimming, cycling, and running two to three times a week will be enough. "Cardio will create the expenditure of those very calories, with its help we can get rid of some of the fat, but exercises for the press will help to make the muscles stronger, " sums up Victoria Kasilova.
To complete the complex, you will need a rug and a fitball.
Straight twists
Lie on your back with your knees bent slightly. Press your lower back to the floor. Working with the abdominal muscles, as you exhale, lift your shoulder blades off the floor, stretch your arms forward, touch your knees with your palms. Don't strain your neck and shoulders. Smoothly lower your back onto the mat. This will be one repetition. Execute15-20 of them.
Oblique twists
Lie on your back with your knees bent slightly. Press your lower back to the floor. Working with the abdominal muscles, as you exhale, lift your shoulder blades off the floor and twist your body to the right. Stretch your arms in front of you. Don't strain your neck and shoulders. Return smoothly to the starting position. Execute15-20 repetitionsin each direction.
Reverse crunches
Lie on your back with your arms extended along the body. Bend your knees slightly and lift your legs up. Press your lower back to the floor. Using your abdominal muscles, as you exhale, lift your pelvis off the floor and bring your legs further behind your head. The belly should touch the thighs. Smoothly lower yourself to the starting position. Execute15-20 repetitionsexercises.
Twisting with a pelvis lift
Lie on your back, put your hands in a lock at the back of your head. Relax your neck and shoulders. Press your lower back to the floor. Pull your legs up, crossing your ankles. As you exhale, working your abdominal muscles, simultaneously lift your shoulder blades and pelvis over the rug. Return smoothly to the starting position. Execute15-20 repetitionsexercises.
Side bar in dynamics
Lie on your right side, bend your right arm at the elbow and rest on your forearm. Stretch your legs and rest on the floor with the lateral surfaces of the feet, place your left hand on the thigh. Do not bend in the lower back. With an exhalation, lift the pelvis off the floor, work the abdominal and back muscles. Fix at the top point for 3-4 seconds, return to the starting position. Execute20 repetitionsin each direction.
Rotating the legs from a prone position
Sit on a rug with straight legs. Lean back slightly. Bend your elbows, take them back a little and lean on your forearms. Bend your legs at the hip joint and stretch them up. Press the sacrum to the floor. Working with the muscles of the press, core and thighs, smoothly move the toes and straight legs to the left, return to the center and lower them to the right. This will be one repetition. Execute10-20such.
Body lifts on fitball
Lie on the fitball with your left side, placing your body and pelvis on the ball. Stretch your legs and rest on the floor with the lateral 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, as you exhale, gently tear the upper part of the body from the fitball. Do not slouch or bend in the lower back. With an inhalation, return to the starting position. This will be one repetition. Run by20-30 of these in each direction. . .
Lifting the pelvis on a fitball
Stand in a plank with support on straight arms, placing your feet on the fitball. Do not add back arch or slouch. Bending your knees and working your abdominal muscles, push your pelvis up. Pull your hips towards your stomach, rolling the fitball closer to your arms. Return smoothly to the starting position. This will be one repetition. Execute20-30 of these.
Lowering legs with fitball
Lie on your back, stretch your legs forward, squeeze the fitball between your shins. Stretch your arms along the body. Raise your legs with a fitball up perpendicular to the floor and, working your abs and core muscles, as you exhale, lower them down to an angle of 30-40 degrees. This will be one repetition. Execute20-30 such. . .
Dynamic plank
Take an emphasis lying on straight arms. Do not increase the arch in the lower back, relax your neck and shoulders. Activate the muscles of the front surface of the body - the muscles of the body, thighs, arms. Then, alternately bend your elbows and lower yourself into the forearm plank. Return to starting position. Do as many repetitions of the exercise as possible inOne minute. . .
When to expect results?
Many experts agree: losing weight quickly (in 10 days, for example) will harm your health and lead to the same rapid weight gain. Plus, there is a great risk that the returned kilograms "will bring friends with them" - the body will store fat in case of a new hunger strike or a period of exhausting training.
It makes more sense to lose weight gradually. "Our efforts are always directly proportional to our results. Adhering to proper nutrition and exercising 4-5 times a week, after a month you will definitely see the first results. But do not forget that the process of losing weight is very individual, it is always necessary to take into account the characteristics of each and, let's say, "initial data". The most important thing is to focus on what you want to achieve, and not on the difficulties, and then you will certainly achieve any goal, "comments Ekaterina Demidova.
So take note of our exercise scheme, practice it regularly and you will be able to notice the first results of losing weight in a month.