Exercises To Reduce The Waist And Stomach

The muscles of the abdomen form a flexible wall that holds in the internal organs. If this flexible wall is weak, it bulges under the pressure. If it's strong, it holds the organs in tightly. While exercising the abdominals will make the muscles larger, it will make your waist and stomach smaller. To achieve a slender, more athletic appearance, you must reduce your body fat and compose your ab workout of effective exercises.

Running

Running should be your top cardiovascular activity. Running burns a lot of calories. According to a study published in December 2009 in "Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism," running is also an effective core exercise. Running fits the criteria of both a fat-burning and muscle-building exercise, and the repetitive lifting of the legs develops the hard-to-target lower abdominals; all these factors make running an efficient way of reducing the size of your waist and stomach. If you are unable to run for very long, try running intervals: run for a certain period of time, then walk for an equal period of time.

Bicycle Crunches

Efficiency in exercise is important. Unless you want to spend hours in the gym, it's best to stimulate as many muscles as you can at the same time. A study led by Peter Francis, Ph.D., at the Biomechanics Lab at San Diego University and published in the May/June 2001 issue of "ACE Fitness Matters" found that the most efficient and effective abdominal exercise is the bicycle crunch, which activates two and a half times the muscle of a traditional crunch. This is because the bicycle crunch works the upper, lower and oblique abdominals all in one movement.
To perform a bicycle crunch, lie on your back. Bend your legs at the knees and pump them in and out as if you were riding a bike. Keep your torso crunched up and rotate, moving your left shoulder toward your right knee and vice versa. Perform sets of 10 to 20 reps. Add resistance by holding a weight to your chest.

Hanging Leg Raises

Hanging leg raises are a good exercise for working the lower abdominals, which are often under-developed compared to the upper abdominals. This causes the internal organs to bulge out, creating a pot belly and increasing the size of your stomach.
To perform leg raises, hang from either a captain's chair or a chin-up bar. Lift your legs to the front, far enough that your abs begin to crunch forward at the top. To make the exercise easier, bend your knees. To make it harder, don't let your legs drop. Hold them straight out and only crunch your abs. Perform in sets of 10 to 20 reps.

Trunk Rotations

Trunk rotations target the oblique abdominals. The obliques sit at the sides of your waist, and by strengthening them, you will make your waist slimmer when viewed from the front.
To perform a trunk rotation, hold a light bar across your shoulders as if you were going to do a squat. Twist from side to side deliberately, being careful not to swing your body back and forth. In "The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding," Arnold Schwarzenegger explains that you should consciously contract at the farthest point of the rotation on each side to build strength without much resistance. Perform sets of 10 to 20 reps. Don't perform trunk rotations if you have back problems.

Squat

Squats are effective at reducing the size of the waist and stomach, despite not being an abdominal isolation exercise. "Strength Training Anatomy" explains that exercises like the squat and deadlift require you to perform "abdominal blocking." This means that you expand and flex all of your abdominal muscles to create pressure inside the core that protects the spine from folding forward. This strengthens the entire wall of muscle of your abdomen. A study led by J. L. Nuzzo, performed at the Neuromuscular laboratory at Appalachian State University and published in January 2008 in the "Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research," found that the deadlift and squat are more effective at developing the core than fitness ball exercises.
To perform a squat, place a barbell across your shoulders at a squat rack. Keeping a straight back, squat down until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Stand back up. Perform squats in sets of eight to 20.