Getting a Flat Tummy is Plank & Simple
There is one common problem area on most women – the dreadful pooch. Even when a woman’s body fat is low, they can still have a rounded tummy. Why? Because their muscles aren’t strong enough to hold their tummy flat.
Picture the ab muscles acting like tie down straps. As you engage your core muscles and tighten your tummy, it’s like cranking on the ratchet to pull everything in. As your muscles get stronger, it is easier to hold your tummy flat. But, if your abdominal muscles are weak, you only can hold your stomach flat for a few seconds or minutes – and some people can’t even pull the tummy in at all.
The more you work your abdominals, and engage the core, the stronger and tighter those muscles will get, making it easier to hold your stomach. Sit ups and crunches are always the go-to exercise, but there is one exercise that is often left out of routines that trains your core to improve posture, tighten the waistline, and flatten the stomach all in one exercise – it’s called a plank.
You’ll never work so hard staying so still.Β
It’s funny how holding a position still is so much work. Your arms will tremble, your core will burn, your body will wobble around and your body will drip with sweat. You’ll grunt, moan and pant – and you’re eyes will be glued to the clock until it reaches 0 so you can have relief. It won’t be easy, but it will be worth it. Give it a try today.
Try to do all three rounds with NO rest (don’t even let your knees or hips drop once). If you MUST rest, set rules, like only allow 5 seconds rest after round one. Set goals each time you do this workout. Slowly increase your time from 30 seconds each to 40 seconds each, etc until you reach 1 minute each for 3 rounds. This workout can always be amped up by increasing length of time, or number of rounds.
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Bonnie Pfiester
Owner of Lift Vero and motivational "pfitness, pfood and pfaith" blogger in Vero Beach, Florida.
9 Comments
saaj444
Flat tummy is all about calorie burning and diet, so whether it’s sit-ups or planks they don’t burn enough calories. They’re still important mind you but interval cardio and circuit training involve the most energy expenditure. A circuit like the one in this post will take you closer to a flat stomach where the crunch is more of a cool down before the dreaded squat-thrust.
http://sbfitnessblog.com/2012/07/08/3-ways-to-put-a-circuit-together/
Bonnie Pfiester
I’m guessing you didn’t read my blog and just looked at the exercises. I am not talking about burning belly fat or calories at all. I’m just talking about tightening and strengthening the weak core muscles for people who can’t hold their stomach flat. If you followed my blog, you’d know I preach against working abs to get rid of belly fat. Diet & cardio get rid of fat, not crunches. …and I love circuit training. π
julieblogsaboutnothing
I’m gonna try this. I am a stick figure with a belly… not cute at all.
Bonnie Pfiester
Let me know how they do! π
Alicia Heffernan Sullivan
just started adding planks to my routine this week!!! thanks for the reiteration that it’s the right move!!
Bonnie Pfiester
they suck and they are great – all at the same time. ha π
Jenni
Bonnie,
Is it true that if you work your abs and still have a layer of fat over it you will APPEAR fatter than you are because of the muscle hypertrophy? I just hearda trainer tell someone not to work their obliques at all until they reach 5% BF because it will give them a bigger waistline , but I dont agree. Thoughts!?
Sarah
5% bodyfat! woah!?!
Bonnie Pfiester
Jenni, I’m sorry I missed this. What the trainer is probably trying to prevent is widening the physique. Obliques are easy to build and when you still have fat covering them, they can just appear like love handles. I actually touch on this in this blog: http://pfitblog.com/2011/10/04/i-want-abs-5-mistakes-that-sabotage-success/ π Sorry for the delay in response!! Totally missed it!