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Quitabarrigas: the best exercises for the transverse abdomen
Fitness
To obtain optimal results in reducing abdominal fat, in addition to following a low-calorie and high-fiber diet, it is necessary to maintain adequate and regular physical activity
Reducing abdominal fat and having a flatter stomach is possible, but it requires effort and discipline. The fat accumulated in the belly is the most difficult to burn and the resistance increases if it is conditioned by genetics.
Body fat percentage changes based on age, gender, and body composition. Over the years our movement decreases, we lose muscle mass and we do not always reduce our calorie intake, leading to uncomfortable and unsightly “floaters”. To obtain optimal results in reducing abdominal fat, in addition to following a low-calorie and high-fiber diet, it is necessary to maintain adequate and regular physical activity.
And among the abdominal exercises that harden the core the most, where it stands out to do planks, push-ups or dominated, fitness experts advise not to forget the obliques, those muscles that are on the sides of the trunk. And it is that, beyond the search for a good slender and well-worked figureThis type of work is necessary because it will help us to have a better performance in all sports that we do.
Tips to reduce abdominal fat
Carim Cornelio, an expert at the Fast Costa Rica center, reveals his secrets to getting abs:
1. Exercise five days a week. Not all sessions must be of the same duration. Different tables can be made from 20 to 60 minutes, but it is essential that the practice be daily.
2. Find activities that you like. The most important thing is adherence to sports practice.
3. Combine strength, endurance, and mobility exercises. The resistance ones are essential to activate the metabolism, strengthen the cardiovascular system and lose fat at the same time. Those of strength are a great ally when it comes to losing weight while they tone and develop muscle mass, and those of mobility are essential for the joints to work at maximum performance, without damaging the structures (ligaments, muscles, capsules, menisci ) that form them.
4. Get moderate to low intensity physical activity fasting between 40 and 60 minutes.
5. Avoid ultra-processed foods.
6. Decrease or eliminate alcohol consumption.
7. Increase your NEAT, the energy expenditure of your daily activities, using the stairs more and walking to local errands.
8. End the days in a caloric deficit, spend more than you eat.
9. Increase muscle mass with exclusive strength training. For example: three sets of 15 reps are enough to engage the largest muscle groups. By practicing squats, dips, lunges, plank, shoulder bridge, deadlift and rubber row or TRX you activate the entire muscle group.
10. Perform high intensity activities in series of 10 to 15 minutes. Exercises like sprinting, indoor cycling, and cross training are very effective in burning visceral fat.
Oblique exercises
Ruben Rio, personal trainer, explains some of the exercises that help the most to strengthen this part of our trunk:
Press pallof. We stand in a standing position, and grabbing a rubber band previously tied / hooked to a fixed point (a column from a rack, or a gym machine), we will grab it with both hands and bring our arms to the front. Keeping this fixed position we will begin to move away laterally, looking for a point where the tension tries to rotate us towards the anchor point, and we will stay fixed avoiding that rotation. “In fact, this exercise is considered one of the best anti-rotation exercises,” says Rubén Río.
We will maintain the position for about 30 seconds and then we will repeat the same with the other side. Performing about 4-5 series per side.
Side plate. Many people perform this exercise by standing all the way up and keeping all weight of the body on two points elbow and feet. «In my case, I prefer to recommend the following form of execution. It is simpler for most people and it greatly facilitates not seeking compensation for lack of strength, “says the expert.
We will lie sideways on the ground, we will place knee over knee, then we will stretch the upper leg so that the foot makes contact with the ground. At that moment we will lift the hips, leaving the weight of the body in 3 supports. Elbow, knee and foot.
In this way we will activate the oblique area well without creating tension towards the shoulder due to decompensation and / or poor body control. We will maintain the static position for about 30 seconds and then we will repeat the same with the other side. Performing about 4-5 series per side.
Single Dumbbell Farmer’s Walk: It consists of holding a somewhat heavy dumbbell with one hand and trying to walk straight from point A to point B. And go back and forth while keeping the middle zone active.
By carrying that weight on one side, Rubén Río explains that our body will be “forced to activate the oblique on the opposite side well as a counterweight”, in order to compensate for this imbalance and stay upright throughout the execution of the exercise.
We will carry out 4 series, traveling for example, a distance of 10 meters (with its going and its return). If that makes you too short or too long, shorten or increase the distance. The weight that we use will be decisive in the difficulty of the exercise.