How to get a beautiful belly press

Since the middle of the 20th century, the ideal of women's beauty has been closely linked to a slim, athletic body and a flat stomach, so abdominal press exercises have become equally popular for both men and women.

Trained abdominal muscles not only provide aesthetic beauty, but are also an indicator of health, as they allow you to maintain a beautiful posture and a healthy spine. Any movement of our body begins with the abdominal muscles - it stabilizes all our movements - so we train the abdominal muscles continuously.

So why do some have such a beautiful, sporty waist with visible "cubes" and others don't?

What is an abdominal press

Contrary to popular belief, there is no such concept in anatomy. By "pressed" we usually mean "six-pack" or "cubes", which are made up of the rectus abdominis, one of the components of the abdominal muscles (musculi abdominis).

The anterior, lateral and partially posterior wall of the abdominal cavity is made up of shallow or superficial abdominal muscles (which are visible) and deep muscles that support the internal organs like a corset. The superficial and deep muscles work together as a functionally integrated system and provide both support for the spine and internal organs, as well as good posture and joint stability - so it is necessary to train both the superficial and deep muscles.

The abdominal muscles that should be recognized are:

1 Abdomen straight musclei (rectus abdominis) - two parallel postural muscles that are responsible for bending the lumbar spine. They play an important role in breathing, they help protect the internal organs and put pressure on the abdomen, for example, when exercising, lifting weights, defecation or during childbirth.

2 Abdominal muscles of the abdomen (serratus anterior) - are technically classified as shallow pectoral muscles, but well developed they perfectly complement the appearance of the abdominal press.

3 Abdominal oblique muscles (obliquus externus abdominis) - helps you bend and rotate your body.

The oblique muscles of the abdomen (obliquus internus abdominis) - Auxiliary breathing muscles that help reduce the volume of the thoracic cavity during exhalation and work together with the external oblique muscles of the opposite side to turn the body and bend the sides.

Abdominal muscle (transversus abdominis) - The deep muscle of the "corset" ensures the stability of the chest and pelvis and helps pregnant women to give birth. If this muscle is not trained properly, you will not be able to get a "flat" stomach.

How to get a firm belly and a beautiful press?

The truth is that each of us has press "cubes" - they are just hidden behind a layer of subcutaneous fat. If you want a less pronounced press relief, just limit your calorie intake - consume 10-15% fewer calories than you need, the subcutaneous fat layer will decrease and the press will become visible.

If you want more pronounced relief - you will need to train the abdominal muscles together with the back and pelvic muscles. As an added bonus, you will also get better posture, improved respiratory muscle function and easier births in the future. Appetite is also reduced - if the abdominal muscles are in good tone, they protect the stomach from stretching during meals, thus reducing the risk of overeating.

It is more difficult for women to create a pronounced press relief than for men. First, women have lower testosterone levels than men, but directly testosterone is responsible for building muscle and burning fat. This makes it harder for women to build muscle and reduce the layer of fat under the skin. Secondly, men usually have less subcutaneous fat than women, so women need to do more to reduce it.

Start with diet

No matter how trained your press is, no one will appreciate it if you don't reduce the layer of fat on your stomach. Start with a low calorie deficit, then switch to a low-intensity workout (pulse about 120 - 135 beats / min.) - for example, walking at a moderate pace for at least 40 to 60 minutes.

Correct your posture

For example, sitting constantly in a chair at a computer transfers body weight from the front of the abdomen to the lower back, causing the abdominal muscles to stretch. This can be corrected with exercise to improve posture - stretching in the morning or evening. YouTube - There are hundreds of such video lessons.

Breathe properly

In the starting position - inhale, stand up or exhale - exhale.

Don't pay your press

The belief that training the press for more repetitions will give better results is nonsense. As I said, you train the press all the time, because it is involved in all your movements. The key to success is the optimal number of approaches and reps. For example, 3 - 4 walks 15 - 20 times. If you want the muscles to grow - you need to allow them to regenerate - so a heavy load, but not more often 3-4 times a week. If you don't want a big press - train it at least every day.

Keep the muscles of the press tense

At least give it a try. In all workouts and exercises.

Do not strain your neck

If the abdominal muscles are not yet strong enough, it is the neck muscles that support the weight of the head. Keep your chin close to your chest when exercising.

Do not lift your body too high when performing press exercises while lying on your back

To train the press, do not lift your lower back off the floor. Follow the movements smoothly, without jerking.

Follow the feelings

Even the simplest press exercises can be performed incorrectly. Try to feel your body - exercise slowly, as if trying to connect the point in the middle of the chest to the navel. You should feel your abdominal muscles if you do not feel them - you are doing something wrong.

Misconception about press training

I often hear that the press is divided into upper and lower parts, claiming that different exercises affect mainly one of the parts. This is wrong, because the straight muscles of the abdomen are always tense along the entire length - it is one muscle from the pubic bone to the sternum, the only difference is the degree of tension.

It is not possible to "pump" the press quickly because the muscles grow slowly. When starting press training, the abdominal muscles are felt with almost every movement - even sitting on a chair or sneezing.

Many people believe that training the press will burn fat on the abdomen faster - it is nonsense - fat cannot be "burned" locally.

Many people who want to "train the press" are already quite slim, but the layer of fat on the abdomen does not allow you to see the outline of the muscles there. Such people do not want to lose weight, but want to make the press more visible. Remember - a beautiful body is first formed by already developed muscles. Train, develop your body - muscle mass will increase, the layer of fat will decrease and the image in the mirror will delight you more and more.

Conclusions

To get a beautiful press, you need two things:

• The first step is to get rid of the extra layer of fat under the skin - and this can be done not by "torturing" the daily press, but with proper nutrition and regular cardio training.
• Secondly, of course, it is necessary to train the press. But do it 2 - 4 times a week with 3 - 4 walks and 15 - 20 repetitions. That's enough. By increasing the number of workouts and repetitions, the result will not be achieved faster.