Tips for tightening the stomach?!
Question: Bathing suit season is coming up, and i am determained to be flat or near to it.
I am a teenager and 125 LB and 4'9".
I am a horrible runner so thats already crossed out.
I am outside playing lax everyday for school.
I really need some tips on what i can do to tighten up the stomech area.
Also does anyone know how to calculate body fat %?
Please and thank you!
Answers: Bathing suit season is coming up, and i am determained to be flat or near to it.
I am a teenager and 125 LB and 4'9".
I am a horrible runner so thats already crossed out.
I am outside playing lax everyday for school.
I really need some tips on what i can do to tighten up the stomech area.
Also does anyone know how to calculate body fat %?
Please and thank you!
Well, you are on the right track by incorporating some cardio exercise (lacrosse), although I don't know how you play lacrosse if you are a terrrible runner :-) On your other question...you should go to a local gym (for free) or your doctor to get your body fat checked (the other way is water displacement but it's more expensive)
To get abs (including obliques) you need a proper balance of good eating, resistance and cardio excercise, and sometimes supplements (you're to young for most supplements though but I'll provide the info for when you hit 18). You need to add resistance excercise as that is the best way to reduce fat (muscle burns fat/calories) and change body shape.
Different people hold fat in different places and that last little bit of fat is usually the hardest to lose. There isn't any definitive way to 'spot' reduce body fat but here are some things I have found useful (to get lean and get 'abs'):
- Do sprint repeats. It's starting to get warm enough to do these outside so that's good. Jog to warm up (~1/2 mile). Then do 8 sets of repeat sprints (start with ~100m and gradually move up to ~200m as you get in better shape). Basically you sprint all out, then slow jog (really slow) back. Repeat 8 times. The first one you want to go only ~3/4 speed since your body will still be warming up. Make sure you stretch afterwards as your hamstrings will be sore the next day (especially after the first time). This should also get you in better shape for your lacrosse.
- Resistance training: go for more reps (less weight), try drop sets, try circuit training. All of these are useful for getting more cut (and as a result will burn fat off your abs).
- Ab ball: do a lot of exercises using one of those ab balls...they work your core in every exercise. You can also do actual ab target exercises (twists, crunches, etc.). Get a trainer at your gym to show you some. Or you can get the CoreSecrets (ball/video) for ~$10-$20 online (just google it)
- Oblique exercises (twisting). Do a lot of these using the ab ball: sit on the ball hold a 10 lb weight and walk your feet forward. 'Lay down' and with the weigh above you twist to one side-up-pause-twist to the other side. Ensure you're using your obliques to do the work.
- Lower abs. Do leg lifts (hold weights in your feet, or lay on ball and do them). Leg raises (where you hang in the air and rotate your knees to your chest). Get with a trainer at a gym to show you some new funky ab exercises
- Improve your nutrition to mostly eat low fat protein (chicken, fish, lean turkey, etc.) and veggies (i.e. broccoli). Mix a little fruit in there for some sweetness. You can also buy whey protein and make whey protein smoothies (2 scoops protein, ice, skim milk - blend - little peanut butter, ripe banana, more ice - blend again: tastes great). Cut out junk food (especially soda, anything loaded with high fructose corn syrup, all sweets, etc.)
- Start taking a thermogenic fat burner (will burn fat faster when your body temp rises - i.e. working out), ripped fuel, or hydroxycut hardcore before your workouts. This will help provide energy for workouts during your cutting 'diet'.
have fun...and don't worry too much
Eat veggies and get exercise but most of all accept your body the way it is. Some people just can't get skinny.
People like you have serious mental problems. Please seek professional help.