It is almost impossible for a girl to pump up her abs at home - this is a stereotype that has become an excuse for many. This is precisely what is cited as an argument when it is not possible to get a powerful and beautiful abdominal relief. Girls simply do not want to accept the fact that the lack of results is due to incorrect training methods and schemes.
Abdominal exercises performed at home are in no way inferior in effectiveness to those performed in the gym. Some, of course, have to be adapted to work at home, since some exercise equipment and equipment are not available. This does not negate the effectiveness they provide. The main thing is the right approach and systematic training. If you do everything correctly, absolutely every girl can pump up her abs at home.
Physiology of abdominal muscles
Forming beautiful abs requires regular training according to an individual plan and proper nutrition. In the process of working on the body, the right habits are developed that help keep the body in good shape and lead a healthy lifestyle.
Before selecting exercises, you should familiarize yourself with the structure of the abdominal muscle corset. You can start with the main abdominal (abc) muscle - the rectus muscle. It is demonstrated in pictures in glossy magazines by bodybuilders and fashion models. Other important muscles in this area are the obliques (external and internal).
The external obliques start from the armpits and run toward the bottom line. They are seen in people who regularly and correctly train their abs. The internal ones are located underneath them and are invisible even in thin people. They are antagonists of the extrinsic muscles.
For people who train their abs, the rectus and external oblique muscles are important. They form a sporty profile and are responsible for a toned stomach. Another abc muscle that is used during training is the transverse muscle, located in front of the rectum. Its regular exercise eliminates the problematic “bottom” of the abdomen.
How to quickly and correctly pump up your abs to a six-pack at home
Recommendations for beginners
People who exercise on their own complain that their efforts to pump up their abs are in vain. Despite the regularity of training and painful sensations indicating muscle work, the cubes are not visible. Experts recommend not quitting classes, but changing your routine. The appearance of the abdomen does not depend on the work done. The result is determined by the percentage of fat in the body.
You can quickly get six-pack abs at home if you follow these recommendations:
- Normalization of body weight. If your body contains more than 25% fat, you must initially lose weight. To do this, you should exclude trans fats, harmful and fast carbohydrates (fast food, margarine, sweet carbonated drinks) from your diet. You need to learn to eat small meals (4-6 times a day and at the same time maintain a drinking regime). You can't go hungry.
- When you reach 20% fat, you can begin actively pumping your abdominal muscles. The diet should contain at least 30−35% proteins, the source of which is low-fat cottage cheese and meat, fermented milk products, eggs, fish, shrimp, and legumes. The supply of carbohydrates (50−55% of the daily diet of BZHU - proteins, fats, carbohydrates) will be replenished with porridge, new potatoes, and non-starchy vegetables that are rich in fiber. Permissible fat content is up to 20%. They should be ingested with olive or sunflower oil, meat, and fish.
- Control your salt intake. Its excess causes fluid retention in the body, which is undesirable for the process of pumping muscle mass.
- Strength training should be combined with aerobic exercise. You should spend at least 30 minutes on a treadmill or exercise bike. The intensity of the load should be average. Otherwise, it will be a short cardio workout, not fat burning.
L-carnitine and other similar products will boost your metabolism. Their selection should be discussed with a sports nutrition specialist. When consuming, it is important to follow the instructions and recommendations of specialists.
How to Pump Up Abs in 8 Minutes at Home?! HELL!
Proper nutrition
Quite often there are situations when a person has been working out according to a good program for a long time, but the cherished outlines of the abdomen still do not show themselves. Perhaps they exist, but they are hidden under a layer of fat, which you cannot get rid of with just training. If you wake up and fall asleep thinking about how to get your body in order, paying special attention to a balanced meal plays a key role in this.
Protein is an important micronutrient that allows you to not only preserve existing muscle mass during intense calorie burning, but also build new fiber.
Comment by Elena Morozova:
If there is a lack of protein, the previously accumulated muscle volume will be lost along with fat, slowing down the metabolism. Be sure to take this fact into account.
Not everyone is able to count calories correctly and consistently. An alternative is to simply eat most of your carbohydrates at the end of your workout. In this case, the body absorbs them much faster and directs them not to the sides or stomach, but directly to restore lost energy.
Abs workout
Physiologically, the abs are one muscle (rectus), worked in different places during training. It is impossible to load only one part. There are many exercises that allow you to transfer the load to a specific part of the muscle, achieving pumping of the top and bottom. However, such body control is only possible for professional bodybuilders.
When performing abdominal exercises at home, all parts of the rectus muscle work 100%. The vector of deviations in a specific part is no more than 3%. However, in 9 out of 10 cases, the top is easy to pump up, while the bottom is lagging behind. Difficulties with elaboration arise for the following reasons:
- From an anatomical point of view, the rectus muscle is developed in the upper part (from the thoracic region to the navel). In the lower part up to the pubis it consists of thin fibers, so the upper part is more suitable for intense load.
- Physiologically, the upper press is superior to the lower one. Thanks to this, the functionality of the case is ensured, and it becomes possible to perform twisting.
Before making a training plan, you should consider this information. Knowledge of anatomy will allow you to achieve success in pumping without causing harm to your health. The entire press is involved in the work, contracting along its entire length, regardless of the exercise chosen. Its lower section is more difficult to ride for both women and men. When you focus on this part, the upper section of the muscle automatically receives the load. For training, it is enough to choose several effective exercises to pump up the lower part.
How to pump up your abs and lose belly fat quickly at home?
Step by step plan
Beginners are interested not only in how to quickly and correctly pump up their abs, but also want to know the time it takes to see positive changes. When it comes to a well-defined six-pack with split ends, it will take years of dedicated training. Beautiful relief and a flat stomach without excess fat tissue can be achieved in 4-6 months. To do this you will need to follow a diet and exercise regularly.
An action plan should be written in advance, indicating the time and duration of training, carefully considering the diet and daily routine. When planning, you should consider the following points:
- proper nutrition and diet;
- proper rest, eight hours of sleep;
- regularity of classes (every other day);
- choose 4 good exercises: 2 static and 2 dynamic, for variety you can change them periodically;
- the first week you should swing in three sets of 15 times, gradually increasing the load;
- observing breathing techniques while performing exercises (will allow you to quickly burn excess fat and build muscle mass, but not pump them over);
- include cardio training and exercises for other muscle groups in the complex to achieve a proportional, beautiful body.
The results of the training will be noticeable after 1-2 weeks. The stomach will become more toned, activity will increase, and you will feel better. If achieving results is delayed, do not quit training. Much depends on genetics and the tendency to be overweight. In this case, you need to invest energy in the fight against excess weight.
Often the reason for poor abdominal definition lies in hypothyroidism (insufficient production of thyroid hormones by the thyroid gland). Symptoms of this disease are drowsiness, shortness of breath, anemia, obesity, menstrual irregularities in women, dry and brittle hair. If you cannot lose weight and build up your abs for a long time (a year or more), you should contact an endocrinologist and get tested for thyroid hormones.
Indications for use
Regular pumping of the abdominal muscles may be necessary for a girl who has health problems, is dissatisfied with her appearance, or simply wants to maintain excellent physical shape.
There are the following direct indications for the use of exercises on the muscle fibers of the anterior abdominal wall:
- the presence of excess body weight , which is localized not only in the abdomen, but also covers other parts of the body (most exercises for developing the abs require a lot of energy, so rapid burning of fat reserves is ensured);
- accompanying activities in other sports that require strong and developed abdominal muscles (weightlifting, boxing, kickboxing, freestyle or Greco-Roman wrestling);
- too slow metabolism , which leads to rapid accumulation of adipose tissue;
- problem areas of the body , when an excess amount of adipose tissue is localized exclusively in the area of the front of the abs, as well as on the sides of the torso;
- lack of a muscular corset of the anterior wall of the abdominal cavity , which increases the risk of hernia formation when lifting heavy objects, bags, and other loads;
- rehabilitation period after undergoing surgery or other type of treatment , which subsequently requires strengthening the abdominal muscles;
- sedentary and sedentary lifestyle , requiring additional physical activity and strengthening the abdominal muscles;
- diseases of the endocrine system, which lead to the gradual accumulation of adipose tissue in the front of the abdomen and on the sides (ovarian pathologies, hyperthyroidism of the thyroid gland, dysfunction of the reproductive system organs);
- stretch marks and aesthetic defects that formed after bearing a child and childbirth (sagging lower abdomen, sagging skin, loss of elasticity of epithelial tissues);
- the presence of a flat stomach without excess adipose tissue , but when there is a desire to achieve abdominal definition with the release of the muscle layer.
The selection of physical exercises and the development of a training program should be carried out together with a personal trainer or fitness instructor. A specialist will help you choose exactly the set of loads that will be useful for a girl with a specific body type and aesthetic defects.
Diet features
Fat burning occurs on the basis of a low-carbohydrate diet. Subcutaneous fat cannot be melted and shaken, as they promise in saunas, steam baths, and beauty salons. Getting rid of it is a biochemical process that involves the breakdown of triglycerides into fatty acids. To do this, the body requires a low-calorie diet, which will allow it to spend excess savings to ensure the functioning of muscles and internal organs.
Awakening metabolism leads to weight stabilization in both adults and children. Subsequently, body weight must be maintained by observing the caloric intake of the diet. The body needs proteins and slow carbohydrates, which are the main suppliers of energy. Animal fats (lard, butter, cream, sour cream), egg yolks, cocoa and palm oils are prohibited. Legumes, fiber, greens, cereals, low-fat fish, and fermented milk products will benefit.
For those who have lost weight and are working on beautiful abs, you can focus on the following menu:
- breakfast: protein shake (350 g);
- Snack No. 1 (after 2 hours): peanut butter or a handful of nuts, raw vegetables (can be chopped, but without dressing);
- lunch: grain bread, skinless poultry, apple, yogurt or low-fat milk;
- snack No. 2: seasonal fruits or berries, a handful of nuts (almonds, walnuts or hazelnuts);
- dinner: steamed meatballs (you can add onion and garlic cloves to the minced meat), grain bread, black rice, grated mozzarella cheese (100 g), flax seeds (1 tbsp);
- before bed - a protein shake (350 g).
A protein shake for building muscle mass should be prepared independently from the following products: 200 grams of milk (1%), ¾ cup oatmeal pre-soaked in water, 2 tbsp. l. yogurt, 60 g protein of any flavor, 50 g peanut butter, 6 crushed ice cubes. The ingredients should be mixed in a blender. The resulting amount should be divided into 2 doses (morning and evening).
Press at home in 10 minutes a day! Training program
Dietary changes
- Avoid refined and processed foods such as frozen processed foods, sausages and sausages.
- Replace refined carbohydrates with whole grains such as brown rice, quinoa and oatmeal.
- Limit your grain intake to ½ servings.
- Eat six small meals a day instead of 3 large meals.
- Eat lean protein, chicken, fish or eggs should be the basis of every meal.
- Fill ½ of your plate with vegetables.
- If you need a snack, eat a handful of raw nuts, avocados, olives or green peas.
- Drink at least 1.5 liters of water per day.
- Eliminate beer, wine and alcoholic beverages from your diet.
- Do not wash down your food with water. Drink water 20 minutes before meals or only 60 minutes after your last meal.
- Eliminate all foods containing sugar. Replace the usual sweets from the supermarket with fresh fruit, but in limited quantities.
Exercises for pumping
Since the rectus abdominis muscle performs a simple twisting function, choosing exercises to pump it up is easier than for other muscle groups. This allows you to exclude up to 80% of exercises from the training program, leaving the simplest and most effective ones for abc pumping. They allow the rectus muscle to very precisely reveal its functionality (pulling the upper body down or twisting down).
Two exercises fall into the most effective category:
- Lying crunches. A basic exercise that contracts a muscle through its maximum range of motion. Its use gives quick results, which is important when you are short of time. There are several options for performing the exercise: lying on the floor, a Roman chair, an inclined bench. The intensity of the swing depends on the position of the abdomen in relation to the legs. The lower it is, the greater the load and amplitude of movement. The easiest form of execution is from a lying position with legs bent on an elevated surface. Beginners can place their hands near their abdomen to help ease the twisting moment. Gradually they need to be moved further away or kept at the back of the head. The intensity of the load during twisting can be increased by placing a roller under the lower back, keeping the head and torso below the pelvis, and placing the legs on a horizontal surface.
- Reverse crunches. They consist of twisting the pelvis in relation to the torso. Variations of the exercise are raising the legs perpendicular to the floor from a lying position, as well as raising the legs 90 degrees while hanging on the horizontal bar. Beginners are advised to lie on the floor with support for their arms nearby (for example, the legs of a bed). This will ensure the fixation of the torso and the most accurate reproduction of twisting movements. The main goal of the exercises is to lift and twist the pelvis (not the legs) in a vertical position. To do this, you should forget about your legs (they can be bent) and concentrate on the main thing.
Push ups
Effect: the muscles of the arms and chest are strengthened. It is important to do push-ups after squats in order to unload the leg muscles and load the upper shoulder region - this will evenly distribute the load on different muscles.
Technique:
- depending on the width of your arms, you can choose the load: if your arms are close to each other, then the biceps are worked, if the arms are spread wide, the chest is worked
- the body should be in a straight position, only the arms are bent
- perform a maximum of 10 times
- Another option is to smoothly lower yourself to the floor in this order - knees, pelvis, body, you also need to smoothly go up to the starting position
Terrain training
In order to achieve a flat stomach and beautiful relief, it is important to pump up your abdominal muscles efficiently and regularly. The exercises should be performed in 4 sets, achieving a slight burning sensation. The range of motion should be full, with maximum acceleration to load the muscle. Rest between sets should be no more than 60 seconds.
Training should be carried out according to one of the following schemes:
- crunches in a prone position (4 sets of 50 repetitions, reaching failure within 30 seconds), leg raises on the bar (4 sets of 15 repetitions);
- lifting the pelvis from a supine position and pressing on a Roman chair (each - 4 sets of 15 repetitions).
HOW TO PUMP UP YOUR PRESS IN 2 WEEKS?
Using one of the two described methods, you should pump up your abs three times a week. A steep workout will take no more than 30 minutes, but it is recommended to include warm-up, stretching, and working out other muscles of the body in the exercise program to maintain good physical shape. Using these recommendations, you can improve your body for the beach season and maintain ideal shape all year round.