Easier than jogging during your telecommuting break, you have recently decided to tackle a particular mission: the work of your abs.
The goal of the maneuver is simple, to get them out of their den – in short, to get the waistline drawn – and improve your posture.
When looking for exercises to start, you quickly come across various cladding challenges, requiring daily planks and
crunches
(
bust lifts, editor’s note
) when you get out of bed.
But do we really have to do abs every day to get a return on investment?
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In video, floor exercises to work the abs
A single key, regularity
In reality, it would seem that it is not as simple as that. Obviously, if the work of the abdominals is carried out correctly and that the hygiene of life follows, doing it every day will logically bear fruit. But is the habit of much interest? Not so sure. “In general, it is better to do little, but to do it correctly, warns Séverine Augoyat, certified sports coach Pilates. If, while doing
crunches
, you don't bring in your stomach and you don't bring your navel closer to the spine, for example, the movement will push the viscera down and damage the pelvic floor. In the same way, someone who suffers from back pain, will have to do sheathing and not
crunches
.”
Not to mention that the sequence of abs on a daily basis may put motivation to the mat.
Le Coq Sportif dresses the French athletes at the Winter Olympics in Beijing
Le Coq Sportif dresses the French athletes at the Winter Olympics in Beijing
Le Coq Sportif dresses the French athletes at the Winter Olympics in Beijing
Hooded parka in the colors of the French flag.
Le Coq Sportif / Photo Press
Le Coq Sportif dresses the French athletes at the Winter Olympics in Beijing
Low sneakers in the colors of the French flag.
Le Coq Sportif / Photo Press
Le Coq Sportif dresses the French athletes at the Winter Olympics in Beijing
Navy blue polo shirt flocked with the Le Coq Sportif logo and that of the French team at the Olympic Games.
Le Coq Sportif / Photo Press
Le Coq Sportif dresses the French athletes at the Winter Olympics in Beijing
A pair of navy blue gloves.
Le Coq Sportif / Photo Press
Le Coq Sportif dresses the French athletes at the Winter Olympics in Beijing
Le Coq Sportif dresses the French athletes at the Winter Olympics in Beijing
Le Coq Sportif dresses the French athletes at the Winter Olympics in Beijing
Le Coq Sportif dresses the French athletes at the Winter Olympics in Beijing
Le Coq Sportif dresses the French athletes at the Winter Olympics in Beijing
Le Coq Sportif dresses the French athletes at the Winter Olympics in Beijing
Le Coq Sportif dresses the French athletes at the Winter Olympics in Beijing
Le Coq Sportif dresses the French athletes at the Winter Olympics in Beijing
Le Coq Sportif dresses the French athletes at the Winter Olympics in Beijing
Le Coq Sportif dresses the French athletes at the Winter Olympics in Beijing
Le Coq Sportif dresses the French athletes at the Winter Olympics in Beijing
Le Coq Sportif dresses the French athletes at the Winter Olympics in Beijing
Le Coq Sportif dresses French athletes for the Winter Olympics in Beijing
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In addition, the movements to be performed will be different depending on what you want.
The flat stomach option requires focusing on the transverse, a deep muscle, by doing front and side planks.
For the famous "chocolate bars", we take care of the "abdominal right", by performing flexions of the trunk.
The speech is the same for Karine Hellebuyck, sports coach in the Paris region: “There is no point in working the abs too much.
We must not forget that we solicit them every day without feeling it, when we walk, when we breathe, when we laugh, when we cough, etc.
They must be able to rest to avoid contractions and pain in the back.
Food, 80% of the work
Movements that work the abdominal area effectively.
iStock
No need to sweat three times a week if the contents of the plate do not follow. When it comes to drawn pruning, nutrition is paramount. “Sport is not a miracle cure for having a flat stomach. It helps, but the way we eat, lifestyle and genetics play a lot, ”recalls Séverine Augoyat. In practice, we start by not skipping any meals, and by eating a balanced and varied diet. Great concept, but it's definitely the only way to keep a drawn size. Then, no restriction on cooked vegetables, on the contrary, their fibers will promote transit. Better to avoid raw vegetables in the evening, which tend to swell the stomach, and eat them instead at lunch. We think of consuming a little starch and ensuring its protein intake with fatty fish for example.For the rest, obviously, sugar and bad fats are to be banned.
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To observe results, Karine Hellebuyck advocates two to three sessions per week of 30 minutes each, dedicated to the abdominals and lower back to avoid any injury.
“We can start with sheathing, with the work of the transverse, follow up with the obliques by doing twists (1), and finish with the rectus with bust statements, indicates the professional.
For those who are content with sheathing, it is better to increase the duration of the boards as they go along.
We start by holding 30 seconds, recovering ten seconds, all ten times.
Then we go to 40 seconds, 45…”
Work each muscle group severine augoyat, sports coach
Séverine Augoyat, she recommends “working each muscle group, legs, shoulders, etc., for about a minute, then changing and coming back to it afterwards”.
Finally, we do not forget that toned abs go first and foremost through good breathing.
The professional clarifies: “We have to engage the transverse.
We inflate the belly while inhaling, and we bring the navel towards the spine while exhaling.
(1) During the twists of the busts to work the obliques, it is essential to maintain the lumbar zone well on the ground.
People with a herniated disc should not perform the exercise.
*Originally published in 2018, this article has been updated.
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