For any exercise, technique is important. You need to consider how to properly vacuum a man’s abdomen and what mistakes you might encounter. Such physical activity helps to achieve a narrow waist and reduce it by 2-3 cm. These workouts were invented by Arnold Schwarzenegger, and they quickly became popular in bodybuilding.
Basic technique
To do the abdominal vacuum exercise correctly, you need to understand the features of human anatomy. When twisting and pumping up the press, only the rectus abdominal muscles are worked. When performing a vacuum, the transverse muscle is used, which improves the retraction of the abdomen - this allows you to visually reduce your waist.
To do the exercise, you need to learn to breathe correctly - inhale deeply through your nose, exhale forcefully through your mouth . Movements are made slowly, smoothly and at a calm pace. The classic version of the vacuum is performed while standing.
To do this, you need to place your feet shoulder-width apart, place your hands on your hips, after which you need to exhale the air and draw in your stomach as much as possible. The body is held in this position for 5-10 seconds, then slowly exhale and relax the muscles.
You should not do approaches often; maintain an interval between them. The body is given a short rest and only then begins a new task. Good body control is important for vacuum. A person should literally feel how the walls of the abdomen are pressed against the spine and tense.
When performing the exercise, your back must be straight, otherwise you will not be able to take the correct starting position. To achieve the desired result, you need to practice for at least six months.
There is another version of vacuum performed in yoga - uddiyana bandha. It is different from the classic one. For this technique, a person must start by adopting the correct posture:
- legs slightly bent and shoulder-width apart;
- the body leans slightly forward;
- hands rest on hips.
It is necessary to take several vigorous breaths and exhalations, then draw in your stomach and try to lift it up a little. The body is held in this position for 5 seconds, then relaxed. Between approaches, leave one minute for calm breathing exercises.
Both the classic version and the yoga exercise can be beneficial for the body. What matters is how they are performed and how well a person understands why he is doing it.
Video: breathing exercise “Bodyflex”
Bodyflex is a special weight loss system, the basis for its success lies in proper breathing. Essentially, each exercise requires a “vacuum in the stomach,” and in this video you can find detailed information on exactly how to implement this breathing technique.
>
Second option (the initial body position is the same):
- completely exhale the air from the lungs, then take a very small breath and hold your breath;
- while holding your breath, tense your abdominal muscles as much as possible (for a few seconds).
- after holding your breath for a few seconds, continue inhaling, repeating the same steps as indicated in the first paragraph.
- We do the above until we inhale completely. On average, a simple, untrained person splits one breath into three parts.
- We perform the same actions while exhaling.
The second option is quite complicated, despite the illusory ease of this exercise, so most trainers advise starting with the first. How to do it is up to the athlete to choose. You need to do a vacuum for the press every day. There is no specific number of approaches; it all depends on the desire and well-being of the person performing the exercise. One of the important conditions is that you can start training only on a hungry (empty stomach). This means that the best time for training is in the morning after sleep or after at least three hours after eating.
Alternative options
There are different ways to perform a stomach vacuum. For beginners, it is easier to do the exercise while lying down. To do this, you need to lie on a hard surface, bend your knees and spread them slightly. In this position, slowly inhale and exhale air, controlling the retraction of the abdomen. Some people prefer to perform the vacuum while lying in bed - this is accessible to experienced people.
Another option is on all fours. For him, a person lowers to the floor, the torso should be straight and parallel to the horizontal surface. The body is relaxed, the stomach slowly retracts and touches the back; it is held in this position for 15 seconds.
When performing it, it is important to control the position of your back. It should not bend or change its position. Only the abdominal area moves, so beginners need to do the exercise slowly and at a calm pace.
A more complicated version of the vacuum is performed in an inclined position. To do this, take the starting position - feet shoulder-width apart, back straight, hands on hips. With a slow exhalation, the body is lowered down and fixed in this position. It is advisable to try to hold your breath.
Experienced people can do the exercise in a sitting position. To do this, you need to sit on a chair with a straight back. The chair will not work, as you can lean on it. The hands are calmly placed on the knees. First, the air is exhaled noisily through the mouth, then slowly inhaled through the nose, straining the stomach at the same time. You need to hold your body in this position for 10 seconds, after which you can relax.
If painful sensations appear during the exercise, this means that the person is doing something wrong. He needs to analyze his actions and repeat the vacuum. If the discomfort does not go away, you should consult a doctor.
Experienced people can do this exercise in any conditions. For example, while driving a car or at work.
Feature of the vacuum exercise
The abdominal vacuum exercise is rather a combination of several techniques that must be performed in a certain way. This technique came to fitness from nauli yoga and uddiyana bandha. Similar exercises are also found in gymnastics based on aerobic breathing.
The essence of this technique is extremely simple. All that is required of you is to pull your stomach in as far as possible and hold the muscles in this position for about 20-30 seconds. But it is very important to master the breathing technique.
Any vacuum exercise is performed with a full exhalation.
This technique allows you to work the transverse abdominal muscle, which holds all the internal organs. In fact, it is precisely because of the relaxation of this muscle that the stomach looks imperfect. The fact is that when playing any sport, be it fitness or performing strength exercises, the main load falls on the external and oblique abdominal muscles. Having pumped up these muscles, the stomach, of course, will look more toned than before training, but due to the relaxed transverse muscle, it will still not be flat.
In mastering the art of holding the stomach in a complete vacuum, the most important thing is consistency. Despite the apparent simplicity of this technique, it is unlikely to be performed correctly the first time. However, do not despair, because judging by the results of people who actively engage in these exercises, after about a month of constant training, the stomach will not only be toned, but perfectly flat. This technique is often used in their training by professional bodybuilders and bodybuilders whose belly appears too large due to overtraining. A striking example of this was Arnold Schwarzenegger, who not only actively used this technique, but also complicated it a little, adding various exercises, twisting and lifting. As a result, a vacuum in the abdomen - the Schwarzenegger exercise - allows you to work the transverse muscle, at the same time eliminating fat deposits and tightening the abdominal muscles.
Advantages and disadvantages
The main advantage of the abdominal vacuum is its versatility and high efficiency. To perform it, you don’t need any special equipment or environment, just a home environment is enough. Exercise has a positive effect on the body:
- normalizes the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract;
- improves peristalsis;
- burns visceral fat;
- strengthens abdominal muscles;
- improves posture, etc.
The benefit of the vacuum exercise is that when performed regularly it reduces the likelihood of hernias. But there are also certain disadvantages - this is a complex technique, it takes time to get results, as well as the presence of contraindications. Those who are interested in losing weight should be especially careful. If you are obese, you should not try to pull in your stomach too much, as this will create excessive pressure.
The disadvantages of a vacuum include contraindications. For girls the list is more impressive than for men. Representatives of the stronger sex should not do this exercise if they have problems with the cardiovascular system, neoplasms in the peritoneum and pelvis, or pathology of the biliary tract.
It is useful to do a vacuum only if done correctly. There are several variations of the exercise, and each has its own characteristics. With its help, you can not only achieve a flat stomach, but also narrow your waist by 2-3 cm. Such physical activity can pleasantly complement daily exercise.
Why exercise is effective for weight loss
The “vacuum” exercise has come into widespread use in fitness and bodybuilding from yoga. Its meaning lies in a clear study of the transverse abdominal muscle, which is responsible for holding the internal organs of the abdominal cavity. Regular exercises usually lead to the fact that due to pumping up the muscles, the waist increases, but thanks to the “vacuum” the opposite happens - centimeters disappear from the waist, and at the same time the stomach becomes flat and attractive.
As for losing weight, it is worth noting that fat in the body is divided into two types. The first is adipose tissue, which can be observed under the skin, and the second is visceral fat, which surrounds the internal organs, covering them with a layer of varying thickness. If there is a large amount of the second type of deposits, the stomach can be bulging even in thin people, as the muscles simply weaken. It is in this aspect that this exercise helps, tidying up muscle tone and ensuring a flat stomach.
Some recommendations
Experienced trainers know how to create a vacuum, but it is not always possible to turn to them. When performing the exercise, you should not bring your body to the point of severe pain . You need to start with a short period of time - 10-15 seconds, gradually increasing the period. Breathing exercises are performed at intervals of 40 seconds.
Before performing a vacuum, you should not eat or drink water. Therefore, it is better to do it in the morning or evening before bed. You don't even have to get out of bed. Within two weeks, slight lethargy and drowsiness may appear - this is a consequence of receiving additional oxygen. Gradually the body adapts.
It’s not enough to learn how to make a vacuum correctly. Just one exercise will not allow you to radically improve your appearance and get beautiful abs. It is important to change your diet and add other types of physical activity. Only the complex will have a positive effect. Using a vacuum, you can remove a “bulging” belly, make it pumped up and highlight your waist. To do this you need to constantly work and study.
Possible problems
Beginners do not always understand how to make a vacuum correctly. For example, a person can round the spine, this will fix the body in the wrong position. There will be no particular harm from this, but the exercise will not bring any benefit either.
Another common mistake is doing gymnastics after a heavy meal. You should not eat anything before performing a vacuum or other physical activity. Training should be stopped if the following symptoms appear:
- nausea;
- pain in any part of the body;
- dizziness.
If you experience any discomfort, you should stop using the vacuum and then consult a doctor. Proper breathing is important for performing the exercise; without it, you will not be able to achieve good results.
A common mistake among beginners is irregular execution. If you do the exercise from time to time, there will be no effect. Arnold Schwarzenegger recommended including a vacuum in your daily training plan.
Beginning athletes need to pay attention to the technique of performing the exercise. It is important to understand each stage, this will help to avoid mistakes. Instead of a vacuum, you can use a bar or twisting.
Why pumping up your abs is not enough
In the human body there are four groups of muscles that form the abs: straight, oblique (internal and external), as well as the deepest - transverse. They are interconnected, and each is involved in creating the press. The emphasis of the load is shifted to the desired abdominal muscle.
By performing traditional abdominal exercises, the rectus and oblique abdominal muscles are loaded. They provide body movement and are responsible for aligning the contour of the sides, forming the coveted cubes, and sculpting the figure. The transverse muscles are also involved, but their task is to support the internal organs and spine in a natural position. This muscle group is responsible for keeping the waist narrow and the stomach reduced in volume.
Regular abdominal training is useful, but only exercises to develop the transverse abdominal muscles will give a “flat” result.
Benefits and harms
In addition to losing weight and strengthening underdeveloped abdominal muscles, exercise has a general healing effect on the body. When performing a vacuum, the following positive effects appear:
- the functioning of internal organs is improved;
- digestion and intestinal function are stabilized;
- blood supply improves;
- the lumbar region is strengthened;
- toxins are eliminated;
- posture is corrected.
Vacuum exercise is especially useful for women: it is a good prevention of congestive processes in the pelvis, increasing the body's resistance to stress due to its beneficial effect on the nervous system, and improving sleep quality. Abdominal vacuum exercise allows you to recover faster after childbirth.
Contraindications to abdominal vacuum exercises include gastrointestinal diseases and problems of the genitourinary system. It is dangerous to make a vacuum if you have a peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum. Harm is possible during menstruation and pregnancy. You should not do the exercise if your stomach hurts. If pain is persistent, you should consult a doctor.
