Secret
Training Tip #240 - Waist Your Breath - Breathing
For A Thinner Waist
This
is a great technique for tightening up the waist
by teaching your abdominal muscles how to truly
stay tight! All you need is the floor and the
ability to do a basic crunch.
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The
crunch exercise is the backbone of abdominal training.
It develops the muscles of the abs to help you build
that much-desired six-pack. But did you know that there
is a way to do crunches that can actually decrease the
size of your waist?
The
key to this technique is the top position of the crunch
where your abdominals are contracted as hard as they
are able to.
When
you're in this top position, I want you to breathe in
and out slowly a few times. Try to relax every other
muscle except the abs. This breathing in and out will
intensify the contraction (as you will find out very
rapidly).
Here's
how it works:
The
muscles of the abdomen are arranged in layers around
your midsection, similar in concept to the rings in
a tree. While you are contracting the rectus abdominus
(the top-most front layer of your abs, also known as
your six-pack) continuously, the deeper abdominal muscle
fibers are relaxing and contracting each time you breathe.
Each
time the deep fibers relax, your rectus abdominus (because
it is contracting so hard) will squeeze them in a little
more, making your waist-area a little smaller and tighter.
The
reason this works to decrease the size of your waist
is simple. Usually, most people's abdominal muscles
just kind of sit there. They don't stay tight, therefore
your midsection tends to slouch forward and outward.
This
technique teaches your abdominals to maintain a degree
of tightness and tone in them even when you are relaxed.
This keeps your abs in, leading to a visually smaller
waist.
For
more information on how to properly execute the Abdominal
Crunch, go to
http://www.fitstep.com/Library/Exercises/Crunches.htm
