My circuit training for a flat stomach

Published on 04/21/2024 10:14

Some well-targeted exercises allow us to (re) find a flat stomach, as long as we know them and do them well. Emmanuelle Cabassut from the WOD - The Trapèze in Boulogne has concocted a tailor-made program.

To refine and display a flat stomach, we asked Emmanuelle Cabassut, coach at the WOD - The Trapeze of Boulogne-Billancourt, to advise us some good exercises. Result: a circuit training special little belly!

Above all, it is important to know and locate our abdominals.

"The abdominals consist of: the transverse (the deepest, the one that gives a thin waist), obliques (small and large) that are located on the flanks - and that we must work to erase the love handles, and and finally, the big right (the famous chocolate bars, "she explains.

To feel his transverse, just put his hand on the belly and cough, then feel the stomach come in and harden. To succeed in your abdominal movements, you must keep this feeling in mind. "The abdominals are mainly postural muscles, so it is essential to stress them without twisting the column to begin," says Emmanuelle Cabassut.

Then it will be possible to introduce exercises a little more complex mechanically to solicit the abdominals differently, without injuring the spine.

The right circuit training for beefy abs

To avoid getting hurt, a towel or rug is provided for the knees or forearms.

To draw your abs quickly, the ideal is to combine a regular cardio activity with muscle building exercises. For the cardio part, we can privilege intensive activities like HIIT which allows, on a very short training time, to burn a maximum of fat.

The jumping jack

Here is a good cardio exercise!

How? Standing, the feet are grouped and the arms aligned along the body. Then, we jump by spreading our legs while raising our arms above the head. To bring the legs and arms back to the starting point, we jump again. And so on.

How long ? Repeat the exercise for 1 minute, then rest for 30 seconds. This is repeated 4-5 times, approximately every other day.

The trick in addition: this very effective exercise is to integrate into the cardio training that we choose to achieve, whatever it is.

The board

It is a basic exercise to master to draw a muscular belly.

How? On the tips of the feet and the forearms (or the hands), one keeps the head in the natural prolongation of the column, the points of feet planted in the ground, the buttocks contracted, the basin in retroversion (spines of the basin towards the top) and the open chest. We enter the belly well (thinking about the sensation related to cough).

What? This so-called "frontal" board mainly uses the transverse - deep muscle - and the right one - the chocolate bars.

Variation: If the exercise is too difficult, it is possible to put on the knees instead of the toes, while making sure to keep your back straight. And to spice up, you can lift your legs alternately.

How long ? We keep 30 seconds in the first days, then we try to lengthen the time. The essential is the regularity!

The sideboard

This is actually the costal lying board or lying on the side.

How? We take two points of support only: one on the edge of right foot and the other on the right forearm. Keep your shoulder low: the forearm should be just below the level of the shoulder. Care must be taken to keep the pelvis lifted always without dropping the head. Keep your head, pelvis and ankles aligned.

What? This position mainly solicits the obliques and the transverse. Be careful, you have to make sure to get your stomach back.

How long ? As for the board, the essential is in the regularity. Initially, we maintain the position 30 seconds, then we extend on each side!

The crunch

Often popular, this exercise is yet to be done sparingly because it tends to solicit the majority right and bulge stomach. It is thus realized only every two days, and especially in the regularity more than in the quantity.

How? Lying on their backs on a carpet, their knees are bent and their hands are brought behind their heads. Then, gently roll up the shoulders towards the ceiling, while keeping your head upright.

How long ? We prefer to do a dozen rehearsals every two days rather than a hundred crunch once a week.

Variation: once you have mastered the movement, you can come to solicit the obliques by "crossing" the movement: same starting position, but we try to touch the right elbow in the left knee and vice versa.

The winding

How? Lying on their backs, the arms are spread in alignment with the shoulders and hands flat on the ground. We bend our legs (we can cross our feet) and we just lift our knees and feet. By contracting the muscles of the belly, we come to bring the knees of the chest, while "rolling": by taking off the lower back. We block, a few seconds (a dozen), then we unroll slowly.

How long ? We do 3 sets of 10 repetitions. Make sure to keep your head straight.