How to Get Your Abs to Flatten Forever

To keep this article manageable, I will focus on teaching exercises that help specifically flatten the abdominals. For more information, my book How To Eat Move & Be Healthy! ² is a great resource to learn about to improve your internal health. The book provides a series of questionnaires that allow you to identify which nutrition and lifestyle factors are most likely to be obstructing your ability to achieve optimal results and a beautiful body.

Figure 11a See All Figures

To get the most of the exercises below, I recommend following these programming suggestions:

1. Try each of the exercises starting with the 4-Point Tummy vacuum. If you can perform this exercise for three sets of 10 reps with 1-minute rest and not get sore the next day, you are ready to move forward to Lower Abdominal 1.

2. Don't perform any of the exercises here, if your muscles are sore from your last abdominal training session.

3. Once you begin Lower Abdominal 1, you may do it every day until you get sore. Then, as with any of these exercises, switch to a day on, day off program or wait until your muscle soreness doesn't impede your training.

4. Progress to each succeeding lower abdominal exercise (2 and 3) as soon as you can perform the current exercise with good form.

5. Never perform any abdominal or core isolation exercises like these before or during a typical workout program. They should be the final exercises of your workout. Fatiguing stabilizer muscles while they are needed to condition your body during a workout is a great way to get injured.

6. If you suffer from any kind of back problems, get clearance from your doctor or therapist to perform these exercises first. Once you start them, always perform them at the end of your workday. Fatiguing a stabilizer group before performing any functional activity, even if it is a light or simple task like raking the yard, dramatically increases your risk of injury since fatigued stabilizers decrease your ability to stabilize your spine and extremities!

7. Once you can perform three sets of 8-12 reps of Lower Abdominal 3 with your legs straight, you no longer need to do these exercises. Just implement them once each season to maintain your strength and coordination.

8. Always work at implementing abdominal drawing and active stabilization into your functional exercise, recreation, work and sporting activities until it becomes second nature.

9. You can learn important tips for progressing from the isolation exercises shown here to functional integration exercises in my book, How To Eat Move & Be Healthy!

10. Before you begin, stand against a wall with your heels, butt, back and head touching the wall. Slide your hand between the wall and your back with your hand at the belly button level (Figure 11a and 11b, click here to see all figures). If there is too little room for the thick part of your hand to fit perfectly in the space between your back and the wall, you probably have a reduced lumbar curve and must modify the instructions below.

Flat back people need to lay on their back, slide their hand under their back at the belly button level and get a sense for how much curve that creates. Then, quickly slide the blood pressure cuff under your back and pump it up until you get the same basic feeling of arch in your back as when your hand was in there. Once that pressure is found, add an additional 30 mmHg to the cuff. That is your starting pressure.

This adjustment ensures that performing these exercises does not flatten your back further. It is a good idea to perform the wall standing test each week you do these exercises and adjust the cuff pressure accordingly (see product links below for more information).

4-Point Tummy Vacuum (Figures 12a and 12b)

• Assume a kneeling position with your hips over your knees and your shoulders over your hands. With your spine in neutral alignment, take a deep breath in and let your belly drop toward the floor.

• Exhale and draw your belly button in toward your spine, while keeping your back in the start position.

• Hold (with the TVA activated) for as long as you can comfortably.

• When you need to breathe in, relax your abdominal wall as you inhale and repeat the exercise for 10 reps.

Figure 13b See All Figures

Lower Abdominal 1 (Figures 13a and 13b)

• Lie on the ground with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.

• Place a blood pressure cuff under your low back, directly underneath your belly button.

• Pump the blood pressure cuff to 40mmHg.

• Exhale, draw your belly button in toward your spine and gently increase pressure on the blood pressure cuff (see link below) by rotating your tailbone toward the ceiling until the blood pressure cuff reads 70mmHg.

• Hold this position for as long as is comfortable, up to 10 seconds, then rest for 10 seconds.

• Repeat this 10 times.

• While performing this exercise, try to relax the entire body while holding the needle at 70mmHg (this includes your jaw, neck, shoulders, trunk and legs).

Lower Abdominal 2 (Figures 14a and 14b)

• Lie on the ground with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.

• Place a blood pressure cuff under your low back, directly underneath your belly button.

• Pump the blood pressure cuff to 40mmHg.

• Exhale, draw your belly button in toward your spine and gently increase pressure on the blood pressure cuff by rotating your tailbone toward the ceiling until the blood pressure cuff reads 70mmHg.

• Raise one foot off the ground until your thigh is perpendicular to the floor, keeping the needle of the blood pressure cuff at 70mmHg (a working range of +/- 5 mmHg is acceptable).

• Place the foot back on the ground and perform the same movement with the other leg.

• Alternate legs, performing 12-20 reps.

• If you have difficulty keeping the needle on 70mmHg, try using smaller leg movements.

• When it becomes easier to perform this exercise, straighten the lifting leg for an increased challenge.

Note: When this exercise can be done for three sets, progress to doing the exercise with both feet off the ground and only lowering one leg at a time. Adjust the size of your leg movements to allow staying in the target zone of 65-75 mmHg. Those with altered pressures to accommodate flat backs need to work within +/- 5 mmHg of their selected pressure.

Figure 15a See All Figures

Lower Abdominal 3 (Figures 15a and 15b)

• Lie on the ground with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.

• Place a blood pressure cuff under your low back, directly underneath your belly button.

• Pump the blood pressure cuff to 40mmHg.

• With your knees bent, raise both legs off the ground until your thighs are perpendicular to the floor. The blood pressure cuff should read 70mmHg.

• Exhale, draw your belly button in toward your spine and slowly lower your one leg to the ground while keeping the needle on 70mmHg; a working range of +/- 5 mmHg is acceptable.

• Raise your legs back to the starting position and perform 12-20 repetitions.

• If you have difficulty keeping the needle on 70mmHg, try using smaller leg movements.

• When it becomes easier to perform this exercise, straighten your leg for an increased challenge, or lower both legs at the same time.

• Remember to keep your body relaxed.

Enjoy flattening your abs forever! Remember, you can only truly flatten your abs from the inside out! If you need help developing your individual diet and exercise plan, visit the C.H.E.K Institute Web Site and locate a C.H.E.K NLC or C.H.E.K Practitioner near you. I urge you to learn more about C.H.E.K trained practitioners as well as my philosophy on health and exercise.

• Flatten Your Abs Forever: Secrets of Abdominal Training (Video)
• You Are What You Eat (CD)
• Equal, But Not the Same!: Considerations for Training Females (Video, Manual, Test)
• How To Eat Move & Be Healthy (Book)
• Blood Pressure Cuff
• Blood Pressure Cuff Extender Hose

Images of Neon are reproduced with permission from Neon. For more information on belly dancing and its benefits to your health and well being, visit Neon's website.

References:

1. Human Embryology and Teratology by Ronan R. O'Rahilly, Fabiola Müller Publisher: Wiley-Liss; 2 edition (January 15, 1996) ISBN: 0471133515

2. How To Eat Move & Be Healthy! by Paul Chek, H.H.P., C.H.E.K Institute, 2004.

Paul Chek, Holistic Health Practitioner and certified Neuromuscular Therapist, is the founder of the C.H.E.K Institute in Vista, Calif. He is also sought-after consultant to sports organizations, his services have benefited numerous professional sports teams, athletes and individuals seeking optimal health worldwide.

Paul has produced more than 60 videos, 17 correspondence courses and is the author of several books, audio programs and articles. For more information on Paul's popular "You Are What You Eat" audio/workbook program, or for any of his other health/exercise courses, videos and books, call 800/552-8789, 800/552-8789 (New Zealand or Australia), 44 (0)1273-856-860 (Great Britain) or visit online at the CHEK Institute Web site. Please feel free to request a catalog of CHEK Institute products.

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