Exercises To Reduce A Man's Waist

In both men and women, the basic function of the abdominal muscles is to tilt the chest and pelvis toward each other. But certain exercises are better for men or women. According to "Strength Training Anatomy," sit-ups without a partner are easier for women because they have proportionately larger legs. A man will concentrate more on keeping his feet on the ground than on the contraction of his abdominal muscles. But some exercises are easier and more effective for men. By focusing on your particular needs, you'll reach your goal of a fit waist more quickly and with less frustration.

Press Sit-Up

The press sit-up can shock the abdominal muscles into growth, flattening the stomach and reducing waist size. The exercise takes advantage of a man's greater upper body strength by combining a bench press with a sit-up, increasing the resistance on the abdominal muscles and creating explosive strength. To perform a press sit-up, lie back on a decline bench. Lower a barbell to your chest. Sit-up and press the weight up at the same time. Lie back and lower the barbell to your chest. Perform sets of 10 to 20 repetitions, increasing the weight as you get stronger.

Gorilla Chin

The gorilla chin takes advantage of a man's upper body strength to increase both abdominal development and deeper core strength. This exercise will produce balanced development for a flat stomach. To perform a gorilla chin, grab a chin up bar with your palms toward yourself in a slightly wider than shoulder-width grip. Perform a chin-up, pull your knees towards your chest and use your momentum to crunch your lower body up so that your torso is almost parallel to the ground. Lower yourself back down in a controlled manner. Perform sets of up to 15 repetitions.

Abdominal Wheel Rollouts

The action of an abdominal wheel is almost like a pull-over performed with your body weight as resistance. It utilizes a man's upper body strength, and targets the lower abdominal muscles. Because men tend to store fat under the abdominal wall around the internal organs as visceral fat, it's especially important for them to develop the lower abdominal muscles. An imbalance in upper and lower abdominal strength results in a pot belly. To perform an abdominal wheel rollout, kneel on the ground while holding the handles of an abdominal wheel or a barbell loaded with equal-sized weight plates. Roll forward, extending your arms out in front of you until your torso and arms are almost parallel to the ground. Pull the abdominal wheel back in, using your pecs, lats and abdominal muscles. This is an intense exercise, so only perform a few repetitions at first. Progress to sets of up to 20 repetitions.

Deadlift

According to "Strength Training Anatomy," the deadlift utilizes almost every muscle group in the body. It both requires and produces a lot of strength. One thing that the deadlift can do better than any abdominal isolation exercise is strengthen the entire core of abdominal muscles. Most abdominal exercises develop the exterior muscles that tilt the pelvis and chest toward each other.
The deadlift causes your body perform abdominal blocking. All of your core muscles flex in all directions, creating internal pressure that prevents the spine from folding under the heavy weight you're lifting. This strengthens the entire web of muscles that hold in the internal organs and prevent a pot belly. A study published in the January 2008 issue of the "Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research" found that the squat and deadlift activated more core muscle than fitness ball abdominal exercises. To perform a deadlift, step up to a barbell on the ground. Bend down to it at the hips and knees. Grip it with a shoulder-width grip with your forearms outside your knees. Stand up, maintaining a straight spine. Follow the same path to set it back down. Perform sets of four to eight repetitions.