This one is for all those mamma's out there that want to strengthen, tone, and tighten their core areas. You're probably thinking, yep thats me, and thats largely due to the fact that it's an area of concern for most mums, women, and men. All of us.
This is all about making your core muscles stronger, which in turn will help them to tighten and reduce your waist line. What it wont do, is spot reduce body fat around the mid-region. It's important to be clear on this as many seem to be under the impression that by doing heaps of sit ups, you will reduce belly fat. Unfortunately this is not the case. Abs are made in the kitchen, and we must be diligent with our dietary requirements if we want to reduce belly fat. Put it this way, the first place (in general) we deposit fat is through our mid region... it also the last place we lose it. In order for us to uncover our abs, we must train hard, eat clean, and repeat until we get our body fat percentage low enough to evaporate the 'icing on the cake.'
That said, here are a range of exercises you can do in the comfort of your own home, from beginner to advance, to help improve tightness of your mid region.
Beginner
DRAW INS – DEEP ABDOMINAL ENGAGEMENT
1) Lay on your back, knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Relax your muscles, focusing on relaxing your abs, lower back, and glutes.
2) ‘Draw’ the lower abdominals (area from your belly button to your groin) in towards your spine. Focus on keeping your upper abdominals and glutes as relaxed as possible.
3) Hold for 5–10 seconds while breathing normally (You will feel a tightness/clamping of the deep core muscles around your lumbar spine when done correctly)
4) Rest and repeat 8–12 times. Repeat this set of exercises 4 times each day.
As you become proficient at activating your deep abdominals from this position you can attempt the same contraction sitting or standing. Once you have mastered this you will be able to activate your deep core muscles when walking, even running.
HIP THRUST – TRANSVERSE ABDOMINIS STRENGTHENING/ GLUTE STRENGTHENING
1) Lay on your back, knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Relax your muscles, focusing on relaxing your abs, lower back, and glutes.
2) Drive your hips upward, away from the ground. Hands laying flat by your side. Consciously squeeze your glutes. Your body should create a straight line from your shoulder to your knee.
3) Hold for 5–10 seconds while breathing normally (You will feel some pressure on your lower back and glutes), release slowly until your bum just touches the ground, and drive upward again.
4) Complete 6x10seconds hold. Rest for 30-60seconds and repeat 3 times. Repeat this set of exercises 4 times each day.
PLANK – CORE, ABDOMINALS, HIP FLEXORS
1) Lay stomach down on the floor.
2) Resting on your elbows, forearms flat along the ground, lift your entire body up of the floor. If done correctly you will be supporting your ‘plank’ of a body by your elbows and toes. Consciously contract and draw in your lower abdominals whilst holding the plank
3) Hold this for as long as you can. Stop when you feel like you have used about 70% of your strength. Core strength varies massively from person to person and this is a great indicator rather than planking for x seconds.
4) Rest for 30-60 seconds and repeat 3 times.
Intermediate & advanced
HOOK OUTS
1) Lay on your back.
2) lift your legs up and bend your knees at 90 degrees. Knees should be directly in line with hips (above), and lower legs sitting parallel to the ground. This is the 'hook' position. From here draw your spine into the ground minimising the gap between your lumbar and the ground. From here, keeping your legs locked at 90 degrees, slowly drop your left heel to touch the ground before bringing it back into the start position, and repeat with the right heel. Ensure that your lumbar spine stays flat to the ground, minimising hip involvement, and maximising core effort. This can be made harder by extending your leg straight out.
3) Continue until you feel a deep burn in your abdominals, then rest. If you experience discomfort in your lower back, you are not yet ready for this exercise, or you need more emphasis on drawing you lumbar into the ground.
4) Simultaneously switch legs and complete 3 rounds. There is no need to rest as this is a single leg exercise, and whilst we rest one, we work the other.
TOE TOUCHES
1) Lay on your back, feet up in the air.
2) Extend upwards into a crunch, with arms extended out in-front of you. The aim is to touch your toes, reset, repeat, and continue until you cant do anymore. If you cant reach your toes, extend as far as is possible for you. If you have a weak neck you will want to lightly support with your hands. This is a crunching movement, and not a sit up, and therefore your lower back should stay flush with the ground.
3) Do as many reps as is comfortable aiming for that deep burn, then repeat with the same number of reps on your opposing side.
4) Rest for 45-60 seconds, and repeat 3 times.
SIde pulses
1) Lay on your weaker side, resting on your elbow, with your free arm rising up into the sky.
2) Lift from your hip, driving upwards to the sky, extending as far as is comfortable for you. Control back to your start position and repeat.
3) Do as many reps as is comfortable aiming for that deep burn, then repeat with the same number of reps on your opposing side.
4) No rest for this one as we are working individual areas. So from one side to the other and repeat 3 times.
Thats a good start, and performing this routine from start to finish, twice per week, will help you immensely.
If you haven't yet tried Fit Mamma, you are invited to have a session on the house. Our Friday (9.30 or 10.30 class) consists of boxing and core work.. and we cover off on the above exercises and more. Please send me an email if you'd care to come along.
Stay healthy,
Jack Seymour