Everyone has at least seen a pushup before. The real question is, why do them when you're working on slimming and firming your waist?
Productive waist exercise routines are multifunctional and diversified. There are many more ways to stress your abs than by performing crunches, and training your entire body through a variety of exercises won't only get rid of fat that will help show off your sculpted waistline, it will make you much stronger and enhance your overall physique.
That's the why. Let's discuss the how.
Positioning Yourself for the Pushup
Lie on the ground face down. Adjust your feet so you are resting on your toes, not your insteps. Set your hands on the ground just outside your shoulders and tighten your core so your backbone is set in a straight line.
Executing the Movement
Holding your core tight and your back straight, push away from the floor with your arms. No section of your body - your hips, mid-section, chest, or head - should droop. Continue pushing away from the floor until your arms are straight. At the top of the movement your body will be in what is known as a plank position.
To reverse the exercise, bend your arms and lower yourself to the floor until your chest meets the deck. Once again, be sure you are not cheating by arching or sagging your body.
When your chest touches the ground you have completed one repetition. Start another repetition by driving away from the floor again.
Modifying the Pushup
If you're not yet able to carry out the traditional pushup (yes, "yet") you may scale the pushup by using your knees as the pivot instead of your feet.
When on the floor, rather than contacting the ground with your toes, bend your knees so your feet are up off the ground and your knees are touching. As you push away from the floor you will pivot on your knees. If the surface is too hard for your knees you may want to experiment with a folded bath towel or cushion.
It's also advisable to experiment with different hand positions: on the knuckles (i.e. making a fist,) the fingertips, turning the hands so the tips of the fingers point out or even toward your feet, etc.
It's also beneficial to occasionally set your hands at a variety of widths. Generally speaking, the wider the hands are positioned, the greater stress on the outer pectoral muscles and the less on the inner pectorals and tricep muscles.
Alter your routine often, which will keep your body guessing and growing.
For more tips for a flatter stomach, be sure to check out the world's most effective waist exercise program.
