Just wondering if anyone had any tips on maintaining/reattaining the flat stomach that made a brief appearance late in my marathon training. I don't want to keep up 35 miles a week but I do want to look fab in my bikini. Will stomach crunches do the trick? Or some other gym routine? I'm currently doing about 15 miles a week plus the odd swim.
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Keep up a good level of CV exercise and remember that the best way to "re-shape" your body is to add a couple weights sessions per week (with weights heavy enough to leave you unable to keep lifting after 8-15 reps).
Good luck!
I have kept up my stomach routine (which consists of 3 sets of 20 crunches every day, more if i have the time) for nearly a month now which is a record for me.
Its definition im after, which is there already, just hiding under a layer of 'insulation' lol!
Listen up! You have already experienced the first rule of getting a flat tum - you need quite a low body fat - and that is what marathon training does for you. (Think Paula Radcliffe - very little body fat and her tummy is like a stretched drumskin!)
Sad fact - this entails lots of cardiovascular exercise and lots of care and knowledge about diet.
The next rule is abdominal muscle tone - running strengthens this to some extent without specific exercises. Abdo crunches are OK for the upper muscles (just below your ribcage), but if overdone they can leave you with relatively weak lower transverse and deep abdominal muscles - and the effect is a rather unsightly "pot belly"! So if you intend to do abdominal exercises, try to get a knowledgeable gym instructor to demonstate a balanced program -
- sorry - long answer to short question -
Although saying that, i can feel my crunches most in my sides and very low abs, dont know why this is?
What about the swimming? Any particular strokes that are better than others (backstroke?)
Maybe you feel the crunches lower down because your upper abs are already toned from running, DBSA?
There is another thread on here somewhere, not that long back, i was quite concerned that i wasnt doing them properly and am putting to much strain on my back, should the back be straight or cruved?
since i started swimming it _has_ helped my abs/core stability. in theory crawl should involve a rolling action which i'd have thought helps.
wish i looked good in a bikini :-)
I'm a very bad swimmer, not helped by the fact that I can't see a thing without my contacts so not even the sight of you in a bikini could scare me...
Even early on in Pilates, you learn a lot about lower abs. It's a refinement of "crunches" I believe, takes a bit of learning, does not involve the six-pack, but once learned, does not need 35 miles per week, nor particularly horrible dieting. I say this because it's made a noticeable difference for me, and I'll never hit 35 miles per week, and I've never successfully followed a slimming diet in my life.
And its good for running as well. (Strong core makes moving the legs easier.)
RD
I would recommend trying a class for a while rather than just using a DVD because you can't watch the screen all the way through the movements, and the DVD won't tell you when you're doing it wrong!
When you first start doing pilates it really makes a difference having an instructor who can re-position you when you're wrong - otherwise you strengthen the wrong muscles and end up either hurting yourself or ruining your posture.
The moves aren't generally complicated, but you do need to be very aware of the muscles that you're working and concentrate really hard on your body. I find it easier to do in front of a mirror because then you can see if you're out of line, or if your shoulders are creeping up to your ears!
I would definitely recommend a class - most gyms, and local leisure centres will have a class I expect.
Opinion is divided on the subject - some believe that by exercising certain muscles (eg Abs) the fat in that area of the body is used up first, others believe that regardless of which part of the body is excercised the fat is burnt evenly throughout the body.
I have deduced that different things work for different pople and the best option is to give it a try and see what works for you. - now is that the least useful reply youve ever read or wot?
Andy