Healthy and Lean 4 Life

Tip #5 How to Flatten Your Stomach

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I’ve been a fitness and nutrition instructor for nearly 20 years, by far the most asked questions are about how to flatten, reduce, and develop the frontal mid-section. The answers are actually pretty simple,

Acquiring the flat stomach you desire will require time and effort.  Lets first do a reality check:  there is no magic formula, there are no magic potions, there is no magic machine !!!  I’m going to assume you are currently involved in some type of exercise program.  More than likely you’ll need to be ready and willing to make some changes in your current eating plan and adjust your exercise program to attain more muscle, or retain what muscle you have, or quite possibly increase the fat burning/cardiovascular time or intensity of your routine.

The waist is composed of front and side muscles.  The muscle of the front waist is the rectus abdominis.  The function of the rectus abdominis is to shorten the distance between the lower portion of the sternum and the pelvic girdle.  You duplicate this function by rolling your head and shoulders up and forward.  At the same time raising your hips up and back toward the chest. The side muscles of the waist are called external and internal obliques.  The function of the these side muscles is duplicated by slight rotation of the torso-forward and back.  Let me now state a fact that those selling the "the magic tummy flattening device" and the "great abs in minutes per week" don’t want you to know:  the most important factor in reducing your mid-section is lowering your overall body fat!  That requires lowering your overall caloric intake, or increasing the number of calories you burn, or in some cases-both.  Fact: your stomach will look its best as you lower your body fat.  While working the waist is recommended, it’s a much less efficient way to burn body fat than nutritional adjustments and/or increasing activity.  Another factor in flattening and developing the waist is muscle formation and shape.  A lot of people dream of attaining the so-called 6-pack Look.  Many people because of genetic factors can never attain this look.  However, don’t be discouraged.  By lowering your fat percentage and training the waist you can and you will improve the look of your Mid-section!

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