tummy troubles

[shelli]

i'm a pretty active person and i'm always on the go. I play basketball for a couple hours a day and ride a bike 20 miles 5 days a week. i eat healthy and stay away from junky food. i'm happy with the rest of me, but i just dunno how to flatten my stomach. is there any training or tips anyone can suggest?
thanx,
~Shelli

[gregl515]

The key is diet. As a very wise man once said, abs are made in the kitchen.
HIIT is very helpful as well. This is High Intensity Interval Training. You can read about it at: www.cbathletics.com/issues/80. htm

There are alot of good abs programs. I would suggest surfing past issues of t-mag www.t-mag.com for some good examples.

[Tina Marie]

There are other factors to consider as well. Did you have children? I have two kids and I was on a very healthy diet, I did Tae Bo and Pilates and still wasn't able to lose my tummy. I visited my doctor and asked what I was doing wrong. He took a look and determined the only way to lose my tummy was surgery. I tightened my abs up through exercise, but because of the muscle laxity in my abdominal wall from having children, there was no way to get a flat tummy. So if exercise isn't doing it for you, ask your doctor. If you had children it may be why you can't tighten and tone that area.

[matador1]

One other thing to resaerch is the transverse (msp?) abdominals. May be different with women but I know fo rmyself working these muscles is helping me. I had been overweight by 20 -25 lbs for a few years and had developed a "paunch". No matter how tight my abs were I still had that bread basket sticking out. Once I started exercising the trans abs, I started seeing a difference.

[Cindy]

I am having the same problem..i have to come to accept the fact that I will never have a sixpack..or a super flat tummy. I have had 2 children and a full hysterectomy and its not getting any flatter!!!! AAAUUUGGG

[Kaiser]

Transverse abdominus work is a great idea for women post pregnancy. Helps to loose the 'pooch' that many women develop, especially if they've undergone ceaserean sections. The TA is a band of muscles that runs horizontally across the abdomen. It is a stabilizing muscle and working it is one of the only ways to pull in that sag that occurs below the bellybutton. Look for exercises (like the plank) that emphasize the TAs. (Can you tell that I worked with a trainer for a number of years whose specialty was pre-and post-pregnancy training? Plus my wife's last delivery was an emergency c-section.)

Finally, the fat has to go with a change in diet, as greg has mentioned. Check out the diet subform and the FAQ subforum for more info. Good luck!