Hi

Does anyone know of any really good targeted exercises for the abdomen. I store all my weight there and I look disproportionate...can anyone give me any good exercise tips to complement the Atkins diet?

I do 30 mins on the cross-trainer 2xweek and 30 mins on the weights but nothing was happening when eating a regular diet... hopefully being on Atkins will speed things along. I also do some ab work but nothing (and I mean nothing so far) has shifted this paunchy thing called a stomach.

Any ideas or any help would be so greatly appreciated.

Daschnook

Hi!

Are you doing your exercises in a gym or at home? If in a gym they should have those big balance balls. I was doing my sit-ups using them and after just 2 weeks I could wear my hipster jeans!

There's no easy way unfortunately and just 20 of those 'bad' moves on the ball are much harder than on the floor, as you have to keep the balance involving deep muscle tissue. I did 3 sets of 25.

The boat pose in yoga is great too for that bulging lower abdomen

You can find lot of tips on General Exercise Forum on this site.

Good luck!

HI Ella

Im working out at the local gym (Esporta) and have the Swiss Balls but I cant do the sit ups on them. I do crunches with them by laying on my back and putting my feet over the ball to help support my back. I have a marked curve in the spine and so my back is weak.

I do not know which position you mean in yoga but I will have a look at the fitness links.

Tonight was my first time back at the gym in a week because I was feeling tired the first few days of changing diet. I think I am back to normal energy now (or maybe even slightly more)but it is a different type of energy - *

If this new lifestyle can finally help me shift that horrible stomach I will finally be free of all my internal hassle.

Good luck to you in your workouts too

Daschnook

Hi Daschnook

I dont have a problem with my lower abdomen but I store a lot of fat on the upper part

I use this thing I bought ages ago called ABDOMINIZER. Like you I have very weak back and having an accident few years ago did'nt help much

But this abdominizer is just great, you obly have to spend few minutes a day and boy you'll fel the pain on your muscle next day.

I just used it again after a long time and I'm still in pain after two days....

BTW, I also seem to be carrying a lot on my back... sometime I think I need to wear a bra for my back Does anyone know any exercise for that.....?

Ciao
Sheila

I'd suggest you pay a visit to the General Exercise Forum of this Board. Lots of information there.

If you do not find the answer to your question, you could post a specific thread to Dan and/or Fern, who are both on leave until 20Feb.

Better still start a Gym Log - which is like a Journal but specific to exercise. Helped me a great deal with motivation and persistence.

Take care.

Daschnook,

Do the induction, stay with LC, and the tummy stuff will definitely tighten up and you'll be exceedingly pleased! Your body will slim up the most in the neck, legs, and arms initially, but you will lose in the thighs, buttocks, and abdomen, too. You will have a good clean cut before long. No high intensity exercise will be necessary to accomplish this. In low carb weight loss, your object is not to exercise to burn fat, but rather to exercise to release fat stores for use in the bloodstream. Stretches of all muscle groups you can find and very light short duration exercise will be just fine. There is alot of fat under as well as over the abdomenal muscles, as well as under the rib cage, and believe me it is going away, too. There are some posts that relate - fats that are streaming from other body areas take a pit stop in abdomenal region, so you may fluctuate from feeling trimmed up in the abdomen to feeling a bit puffy or flabby. You'll see it if you are paying attention, and it sounds like you'll be staring at the tummy region each and every day, and whenever you can.

Oh, Sheila...

you will lose that flab in upper back, too. Don't you worry about that! It comes off. You may experience tight muscles extending from the base of your neck to about mid-back just above the bottom of the rib cage. stretching is all that you need. my problem was, like you, how in the world do you stretch those? I discovered that I need to do two things (first one first! or you'll get them into spasm): slowly lower your chin to your chest until you feel some stretching pain - hold against light pain for about 5 seconds. Do this at least a couple days before moving on. Next, turn your head to the side, touching chin to the shoulder then stretch opposite shoulder as far forward and down as you can. you'll feel it when you have been successful.

Hi

The Swiss Ball is great for the back.

Lie (front facing) on the ball and get your balance. Put your hands on the sides of your temples (keep your balance) and lower yourself down from the waist and then resume back to start position whilst stretching the back and elongating it. It really works.

What is this 'abdominizer' (sp???) you are talking about and where do I get one.

I also use those green bands to help me do my ab work but I am still so weak in that area.

Thank you for pointing me in the direction of all these great links...its brilliant.

If I can truly get the abs I want I am gonna be so thrilled...Im so sick of my stomach. As I said to my partner, Ill fix this even if it kills me (lol)

Daschnook

Many mnay mnay thanx LCer and Daschnook,

gosh I will be so glad to get rid of this flabs from my back and just under the ribcage (both back and front). I just tried the stretching suggested by LCer and yeh it does strentch (did'nt feel much pain though, m I doing it wrong then... ). Life will change so much if I can get this FAT off me, gosh that will be such a dream come true.......



Sheila

you would only feel *much* pain if you were really tight or doing stretch wrong (too much). better I should tell you to go slow. as you stretch these muscles routinely, you'll probably begin to notice they'll tighten up a bit. then you might even feel pain of tight muscles before you stretch. then your stretching will be more like relieving the pain. nearby fat stores will be slowly liberated.

when head is fully forward, place your hands behind the head and lightly increase the load on your head until you feel slight additional tension.

give it another day and if you seriously don't feel tight, I'd move on to the head turning and shoulder stretching.

LCer,

you're not gonna be happy to hear his, hi hi, I also tried the shoulder stretching one, just to see (I know stupid me) and boy did it hurt... so, turn head tuching shoulder with chin and then the other shoulder goes to the front and low, yeh? That did hurt.

Thank you very much, its so great to get help from total strengers. Well, I suppose we're not really strangers but friends, all of us in this circle, yeh?!

Ciao
Sheila