There are thousands of websites devoted to achieving washboard abs, while magazine covers hook us in by promising to reveal the secrets of a tight, toned tummy.
Yet crunches alone aren’t enough to achieve those fab abs - cardiovascular exercise and diet play major roles too. And hundreds of sit-ups won’t make difference if your technique is wrong
When working towards achieving a flat tummy, you must get the basics right, says Ben Brown, of Pilates Works, one of Scotland’s leading pilates instructors.
“Posture is important. You can look taller and slimmer by improving your posture and when exercising, make sure you are doing intelligent exercise. For example, did you know you have four layers of tummy muscle? Most people only use one layer when exercising instead of all four.”
Ben has worked with Scottish football clubs, Olympic sports stars and elite athletes who have all used Pilates to improve performance.
Engage Your Core
You have four layers of abdominals. The rectus abdominus is your six-pack but you can’t see this unless the others are tight. Lie on your back with a pillow for your head and your knees bent which ensures your spine is in neutral. Put your fingers an inch or so apart by your belly button. Now do a small sit up and you will feel the tummy pop up. Keep your fingers on this muscle and breathe in to fill your lungs then breathe out slowly, as you do this draw your belly button down away from your fingers but do not flatten your back. You should feel your tummy tightening and the walls of muscle knitting together as well as drawing in, like a belt tightening around your waist. You can do this all day long, sitting at your desk or waiting for the bus and you should do it with every exercise. Its like doing hundreds of tummy exercises a day.
Sit Ups
Lie in a neutral spine, hands behind head. As you breathe out engage your core and curl up by lengthening the back of your neck, then curl your head and neck up a little leaving a gap that a peach could rest in between your chin and chest. Draw your ribs down as you curl up so your shoulder blades leave the floor remembering not to drop the peach or squash it. Imagine a see-saw and use the upper abdominals to draw your lower ribs down so that it pulls the other end (your head and shoulders) up off the floor. Do not pull yourself up with your arms – your head should feel heavy and shoulders relaxed. Maintain the position of the pelvis by engaging your core and keep your hip flexors off. Stay up for the in breath then breathe out to curl down. You should feel the top of your tummy by the ribs working to curl you up.
Obliques
It’s so easy to get this wrong and miss these muscles. Stay at the top of your 10th sit-up. Now use your tummy to draw your right rib to your left hip (a small twist) as you’re breathing out and drawing in your core, then breathe in to return back to the centre but stay off the floor. Your shoulder blades should not touch even when you twist. Avoid the temptation to pull with your arms or just turn your head. It’s the rib that needs to move – your arms and head are just the weights that need to be moved. Stay curled up and try five each side before coming back down. Breathe at a normal pace and twist with every out breath returning with the in breath. The longer you are up there, the harder it will be.
Always consult your doctor before embarking on any new fitness routine.
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