How to tighten your abs so that your muscles start working?

December 15, 2019
Home workouts
Valeria Dashkevich

Who among us hasn’t dreamed of having those treasured six-pack abs? Just behind this beauty there is a lot of work. And here it’s not only a matter of low levels of subcutaneous fat, but also the ability to tense the abdominal muscles when necessary. Only when you learn to feel your abdominal muscles will you be able to perform a variety of abdominal exercises of varying complexity much more effectively. The main problem is that in order to see those same cubes, you also need to control the layer of subcutaneous fat. The larger it is, the more difficult it will be for you to engage your abdominal muscles.

The eternal question: diet or sports?

We all know that beautiful abs can be hidden behind a layer of fat, and to make them visible, you just need to reduce the amount of subcutaneous fat in the abdominal area. It turns out that the thinner the skin fold, the more noticeable the abs. On the other hand, you can’t live without physical activity, because the abs are a muscle that needs to be pumped and strained. Despite the fact that there are whole sets of dynamic abdominal exercises, it is static exercises that work most effectively.

When will the effect be visible?

In a few months you can change the appearance of your belly and get much closer to your ideal, but the result and its speed will depend on several factors:

Amount of adipose tissue. The abs are better visible if there is a minimal amount of subcutaneous fat. The lower the percentage of fat in the body, the more clearly the relief is visible. And note - throughout the body, since exercise alone cannot burn fat locally only in the problem area. To reduce the amount of fat, you need to adhere to the right diet - exclude simple carbohydrates and leave complex carbohydrates in the first half of the day, increase the amount of protein in the diet, and, of course, reduce the consumption of animal fats, saturated and trans fats.
Expected result. If you have a high metabolic rate and a small amount of subcutaneous fat, then you will be able to see the relief of your abs in 2-3 months, but if you want to have deeply developed abs and distinct large cubes, the process can take from six months to one.

And also read: Exercises for the lower abs at home → 9 exercises for the abs with a kettlebell → The best exercises for the abs on parallel bars → How many times a week should you pump the abs → 10 exercises for the abs without putting stress on the back →

How to properly strain and pump your abs?

Of course, the best option to get abs of steel is a competent combination of dynamic and static exercises, as well as exercises to develop the internal abdominal muscles. To get rid of subcutaneous fat, you need to combine exercise and proper nutrition. And here cardio exercises are of great importance, and not the usual plank or crunches. The most important rule in a set of abdominal exercises is the ideal technique for performing the exercises. Here, the weight with which the exercise is performed or the number of repetitions is not even so important; special attention should be paid to the technique. And this can only be achieved if you keep your muscles tense all the time. What happens if you strain your abs every day? Firstly, your muscles will become much stronger, you will become more flexible, and your posture will improve. Secondly, it will be much easier for you to perform other exercises, since the muscles will already be prepared for the load.

Make your exercises as effective as possible

The more time your muscles spend under tension, the better. To do this, follow Lifehacker's advice:

Before you even begin the movement, tighten your abs as hard as you can. Imagine that you are about to be hit in the stomach.
Take your time. Concentrate on feeling the tension in your muscles and not relaxing them until the end of the approach.
Don't use inertia. In any exercises, completely eliminate swinging. Perform all repetitions smoothly and under control, maintaining tension in the muscles.
Don't help with your hands. Do not put pressure on the neck: let your fingers only touch the head, but do not press on it, and certainly do not move the neck. When you lift your legs while lying down, do not grab the floor with your hands. They should lie freely along the body or to the sides.

Correct technique

How to tense your abs correctly? In order for the muscles to work, you need to learn how to tense the muscles, and static crunches will help in this matter. This training will help you consciously tense and relax your abdominal muscles in the future. How to tighten your abs? The exercise is performed as follows: lie on the floor, bend your knees at a right angle and lift them up. The main thing is to keep them in this position. Clasp your hands and place them behind your head. If you feel discomfort, place your hands on your temples. Press your knees together. Your task is to tense your abdominal muscles as much as possible and focus on this feeling. Now slowly and, most importantly, consciously lift your shoulders up and lock in this position. For beginners, it will be enough to repeat two or three approaches for fifteen seconds, gradually increasing the number of approaches and the duration of work on the abs. If you are wondering how to tighten your abs while standing, the “vacuum” will be the ideal exercise for these purposes.

Complex load on the rectus abdominal muscle

To effectively work out the abdominal muscles, it is also advisable to use movements that simultaneously load the upper and lower parts of the rectus muscle.

The best exercises for pumping up the abdomen are leg extensions, vacuum, plank and pelvic lift.

Leg stretching

The exercise creates a static load on the entire area of the rectus abdominis muscle, leading to contraction of hard-to-reach muscle fibers.

Technique:

Lie on a gymnastics mat on your back.
Place your hands behind your head.
Bring your shins together and raise your legs straight up about 45 degrees.
Fix in this position for 45-60 seconds.
Take a short break to rest (no more than a minute) and repeat the static exercise another 3-5 times.

Vacuum

The exercise is performed in a standing position.

To implement it you need:

Tilt your upper body slightly forward.
Exhale deeply.
Make a powerful pull of the abdominal muscles into the abdomen.
Hold this position for 20-25 seconds.
Relax for 40 seconds and repeat 3 more times.

It is most effective to perform it at the very end of the workout after strength exercises.

Plank

The exercise should only be performed on an empty stomach. To avoid pain in the elbows, it is recommended to use a soft support: a yoga mat, a towel.

Technique:

Lower yourself to the floor in a prone position.
Rest your forearms on the surface.
Spread your feet shoulder width apart.
Raise the body up until it is completely level in the horizontal plane.
Hold the position for about a minute.
Rest for about 40 seconds and perform the plank 4 more times.

Raising the pelvis

By performing the exercise, contraction of the muscles of the upper and lower abs is achieved.

Implementation algorithm:

Sit on a sports mat lying on your back.
Place your palms near your buttocks, fixing your body position.
Raise your legs up, bending them at the knee joint at an angle of 90 degrees.
Secure your torso with your palms on the sides of your buttocks.
As you exhale, lift your pelvis up (the highest point should be the position of your shins, in which they assume a vertical position).
As you inhale, lower your butt down.
Repeat the movement 15-20 times.
After a minute's rest, perform the exercise in 3 more approaches.

How to properly tense your abdominal muscles?

Experts advise performing static crunches until you learn to work your abdominal muscles without the help of various exercises. How to properly tense your abdominal muscles to lose weight? The ideal option is a plank and a couple of dynamic abdominal exercises daily. Another exercise that will teach you to tighten your abs is the “vacuum”. It is performed as follows: lie on the floor, place your feet on the floor and, as you exhale, pull in your stomach as much as possible, as if you are trying to glue your navel to your spine. The basic rule that will help you achieve beautiful abs is the ability to consciously tense your muscles.

Vacuum

The exercise is performed on an empty stomach and is an excellent option not only for muscle development, but also for the prevention of various diseases of internal organs. While standing or sitting, exhale deeply, then you should pull your stomach in, as if trying to bring your navel to the spine. This way they keep the available amount of time.

Suck your stomach in

Try to make sure that every time your phone rings or you receive a notification, pull in your stomach and keep it tense for at least a couple of minutes. The more often you do this, the faster you will learn to tighten your abdominal muscles so that they work. This simple action will help tighten your abs, and if you do this regularly, your muscles will become much stronger.

Keep your back straight

Even at school, we were constantly scolded for slouching. And all this is not just like that. Your stomach will bulge treacherously if you don’t learn to keep your back straight. For any person, posture is the basis of beauty. See how a person changes when he straightens his back. You'll also want to keep your abs tight to help you look even leaner. The next habit that is worth introducing in life is the habit of ensuring that your back is always straight. This may seem surprising, but simply holding your back straight allows you to tighten your abs so as to work all your abdominal muscles.

Sports are everything

A slender waist and strong abdominal muscles are the result of exercise. And here it doesn’t matter at all where you work out - at home or in the gym, it’s important to do it regularly. To pump up your abs and learn to tighten your abdominal muscles, you need to devote only seven minutes a day to exercise. Anything will do: crunches, sit-ups, jogging, or even walking. Try to practice daily for at least a month, and you will notice the first results.

The right approach to training

Following a diet does not mean depriving yourself of food. We are by no means talking about grueling fasting or anything like that.
On the contrary, you should eat often. An undernourished person will experience a lack of vitality and will never achieve significant success in sports.
Experts recommend eating six times a day. Three standard meals and three snacks throughout the day.

Proper nutrition and regular exercise will prevent a person from gaining excess weight.

But he will have enough strength for daily sports. All great athletes are well aware of this.

To build abdominal muscles, proper nutrition alone will not be enough. It is necessary to train daily, paying attention not only to the abs themselves, but also to the muscles of the torso.

In general, training the abdominal muscles should not be an end in itself.
Ideally, you will need to pay attention to training all the muscles of the body.
Physical activity must be carried out with a sufficient degree of intensity, otherwise it will not give the desired effect.

Experts recommend developing a personal training system, placing stress on different muscle groups on different days.