Vacuum of the abdomen. How to do the exercises correctly, the technique of performing for weight loss, pumping up the press, lifting the abdomen after childbirth

A set of exercises using the “vacuum” technique for the abdomen among athletes is considered to be the most effective way to restore or acquire tonus of the muscles of the press. How to perform it correctly and what mistakes in using exercises in regular classes should be avoided – further in the article.

What is a stomach vacuum

The vacuum for the abdomen initially began to be used as a breathing technique in yoga, based on the competent organization of slow filling and emptying of the lungs. An adequate understanding of how to do it correctly, as well as what sensations are signals for stopping the use of such breathing exercises, is the key to success in the formation of a tightened abdomen.

Observing competent technique, as a result of classes, it is possible to achieve significant strengthening of the internal muscles of the abdominal and the “muscles” of the diaphragm.

Regular vacuum is recommended for owners of sagging skin on the abdominal or for holders of a rounded, protruding abdomen, namely its lower part. Currently, athletes and people who want to stay fit use a variety of variations in vacuum performance.

The main essence of all such exercises is considered to be the maximum pushing of the accumulated air from the lungs, followed by pulling the front wall of the abdominal inward by means of muscle tension in the press and fixing the position for 10 or 15 seconds, based on the general preparedness of the person performing this breathing exercise.

Exercise Effectiveness and Involved Muscles

The vacuum of the abdomen (how to do it correctly – it is important to understand the athlete before the start of classes) brings a qualitative result, visible to the naked eye. The effectiveness of the technique consists in the competent distribution of the load on the muscle corset of the abdomen, taking into account the anatomical features of the structure of the human body, namely the maximum effect on the transverse muscle of the press.

The usual “pumping” of the muscles of the abdomen stimulates exclusively oblique and rectus muscles responsible for relief. However, it is precisely the transverse muscles, which are mostly loaded when the vacuum is applied, that prevents the displacement of internal organs from their physiological places and contributes to the formation of a toned silhouette with a thin waist.

Therefore, including the breathing practice under consideration in the list of “everyday activities”, the athlete will be able to achieve positive changes not only in his appearance, but also in his well-being and state of health in the shortest possible time.

Exercise options

The basic algorithm that underlies all variations of the breathing technique involves the following steps:

1. Position the body in its original position (IP): stand straight, make sure that the distance between the feet matches the distance from one shoulder to the other. Hands relaxed or located on hips.
2. Breathe in as slowly as possible, filling the lungs as much as possible. Then, with a powerful jet, exhale the accumulated air. At the same time, it is important to draw the front wall of the abdomen inward along with the emptying of the lungs, figuratively connecting the navel with the inner surface of the back.
3. Lock position for 7 seconds if possible. (for beginners) or 20 seconds (for experienced physically trained athletes).
4. At the end of the respiratory complex, you should gently inhale and return to PI.
5. Repeat the vacuum as many times as required by the training program.

It is worth noting that in addition to the traditional scheme for performing breathing exercises from a standing position, there are other variations of PI:

• sitting on a hard surface;
• half sitting on a chair;
• in a position, standing on his knees or, so-called, “all fours”;
• lying on your back on the floor or a hard bed.

How many times do the abdomen vacuum

The vacuum of the abdomen (how to do it, in particular, how many times, given the previous physical activity of the athlete) must be performed after consultation with a competent specialist, for example, a sports doctor or a professional bodybuilder.

In the absence of contraindications or some restrictions, it is customary to consider from 3 to 7 approaches per cycle as an appropriate number of vacuum repeats. If it is necessary to achieve the maximum effect of the technique in question, it is recommended to repeat the cycle 5 to 7 times a day for 6 days a week.

With regular classes, despite possible pain at the initial stage of the vacuum, after 2 to 3 weeks, these repetitions should be increased to 10 times per cycle, repeating 8 to 10 times a day, 6 days a week.

The benefits of exercise

It is important to understand that solely as a result of regular work on your body with the help of the breathing technique in question, as well as a well-chosen load, you can achieve a visible effect and get invaluable benefits not only for your appearance, but also for overall well-being.

Most athletes who include such breathing exercises in their training program, among the main beneficial effects, note:

• bringing into tone the transverse abdominal muscles, which as a result makes it flat;
• prevention of displacement of the internal organs of the abdomen, in particular, the pelvis;
• a significant decrease in the visceral type of fat; normalization of the digestive tract;
• the formation of a beautiful silhouette, emphasizing a slim waist;
• improvement of posture, as a result of strengthening the muscular corset of the trunk;
• supplying the brain with sufficient oxygen necessary for normal blood circulation and the functioning of internal organs;
• prevention of deviations in general well-being, resulting from stagnant processes in the pelvic area;
• providing a calming effect on the athlete’s nervous system.

Contraindications

Despite the fact that the vacuum is not considered a strength exercise, its implementation is not safe for everyone. In the presence of some deviat
ions in the physical state of performing these physical elements, a vacuum for the abdomen will not only be ineffective, but can also cause significant harm to a weakened body, exacerbating the condition of a progressive disease.

Vacuum for the abdomen (how to do the exercise in order not to cause harm to health, it is important to understand before starting it) is not recommended in the presence of some pathologies.

These include:

• any chronic diseases of the abdominal or pelvic;
• gastritis;
• ulcer;
• dysbiosis;
• kidney disease
• deviations in the functioning of the biliary system;
• spinal diseases;
• insufficiency of the cardiovascular system, including heart defects of any degree;
• ischemia;
• deviations in the venous system that impede normal blood circulation in the body;
• the period of the menstrual cycle;
• pregnancy;
• full stomach;
• operations in the abdominal and pelvic area, the statute of limitations is less than 6 months;
• endocrine system diseases;
• frequent dizziness, fainting, or fainting.

Vacuum in a lying position for beginners

Having decided on a daily vacuum, it is advisable for a novice athlete to start with his simplest variation – from a lying position.

A competent technique for beginners implies strict adherence to each step of the following algorithm:

1. Take the starting position (IP): sit on your back, while being preferably on the floor. The back and shoulders must be fully extended and pressed as much as possible to the surface. Hands relax and put them along the torso. There should be a free position in the legs.
2. Make a deep air capture through the nasal passage and, without holding your breath, exhale, emptying the lungs as much as possible.
3. When exhaling air, it is necessary to press the stomach to the spine as tightly as possible, as if wrapping it under the ribs. In the case of insufficient muscle strength for the required “gluing”, a slight pressing of the abdominal with a third-party object towards the spine, but exclusively in the navel, is allowed.
4. Hold your breath, maintaining the position for 10 – 15 seconds. (or any other time determined based on the state of health and the presence of contraindications for the athlete).
5. Slowly inhale the air upon completion of the exercise. It is important not to take sharp breaths, due to the possible occurrence of dizziness due to the large amount of oxygen entering the body at one time.
6. Having restored breathing, the vacuum should be repeated the required number of times indicated in the athlete’s personal training program.

In a pose on all fours

One of the more complicated variations of the traditional vacuum is its implementation in the so-called pose on all fours.

Choosing this option, you should also adhere to the generally accepted technique:

1. Place the body in its original position (IP): knees and palms are on a hard surface, the back is straight, the shoulders are straight, the face is down, the neck is parallel to the floor, that is, the head is a kind of continuation of the back. Make sure that the shoulders are strictly above the hands, and the knees under the buttocks.
2. Collect as much air as possible through the nasal passage, filling the lungs as much as possible, and then exhale through the oral cavity, in a strong stream, emptying them.
3. At the moment of air release, the “facial” part of the abdominal should figuratively come into contact with the spine due to strong tension, due to pulling up the muscles of the abdomen.
4. Hold in a similar position for 9 – 17 seconds., Making sure that the abdominal was in an immobilized state. Otherwise, the vacuum will lose its effectiveness and turn into an “ordinary” strengthening of the lungs.
5. After the necessary time has passed, relax the tense muscles and, having normalized the respiratory process, repeat the above cycle a specified number of times.

Sitting

The vacuum of the abdomen (how to properly do it from a sitting position is described in detail below) can be performed in several poses. Athletes who practice the breathing technique in question for a long time will change their position for greater effect.

The algorithm for performing the described breathing technique in this position requires the following:

1. Taking a stable stool or sitting on any other hard surface, it is necessary to place the body in its original position (IP): sit down, while controlling the position of the back, which should be extremely straight, given the need to straighten the shoulders. Make sure that the knees form an even angle of 90 degrees. Hands relax and put on your knees.
2. To collect air through the nasal passage, filling the lungs with as much of it as possible and, without fixing the position, exhale the air they fill.
3. In parallel with the emptying of the lungs, it is necessary to compress the outer wall of the abdominal as much as the muscles of the press allow. With an ideal exercise, the stomach should figuratively wrap under the ribs, through the contact of the navel with the spine.
4. Fix the position, excluding any relaxation of the muscles of the press, for 10 – 15 seconds.
5. Slowly and gradually refill the lungs with air.
6. After making sure to restore even breathing, repeat the above sequence as many times as necessary, on average 5 to 7.

Standing

Vacuum for the abdomen, performed in a standing position, is considered an exercise for the average or above the level of “domestic athletes.” In this case, due to the increased complexity, it is more important than ever that strict adherence to a specially developed technique for performing the respiratory complex is important.

The technique for performing the exercises is as follows:

1. Place the body in its original position (IP): position the feet strictly under the shoulders, rest the h
   ands in a relaxed state on the hips, the back is straight, the crown extends to the ceiling.
2. Collect as much air as possible through the nasal passage.
3. Without being fixed for a long time in the obtained position, exhale the accumulated air, while simultaneously drawing in the front abdominal wall, figuratively trying to connect it to the spine.
4. Keep this position for 15 – 20 seconds, making every effort not to breathe. If holding the breath seems difficult, it is allowed to take several small breaths without relaxing the stomach.
5. At the end of the exercise, slightly inhale the air, and slowly bring the body into the above IP.

How often to train

Training, including the regular repetition of several vacuum cycles, is recommended to be performed at least 5 days a week. A break for 2 days off, especially at the initial stage of training, is necessary to restore the muscle corset, in order to avoid excessive pain.

After some time, making sure of the normal reaction of the body to the given loads, you can increase the number of approaches and the frequency of training itself. For trained athletes, the optimal number of days for a vacuum is considered to be 6 – 7 days a week.

What can be mistakes when doing the exercise

In order to avoid harm to your body, it is advisable to keep in mind the most frequently made mistakes in the implementation of the vacuum to obtain the elasticity and tightness of the abdomen made by people who monitor their appearance even outside specially equipped gyms.

The most common mistakes include:

1. Rounding of the back in the thoracic spine. This error is fraught with incorrect installation of the anterior abdominal wall, which inevitably entails a significant decrease in the effectiveness of the performed respiratory complex.
2. Practice the exercise in question after a heavy meal or liquid . In the described case, the athlete will not only be able to disrupt normal digestion processes, but also significantly reduce the effectiveness of the vacuum, due to the physiological impossibility of maximizing the tension of the abdominal muscles with a full stomach and intestines.
3. Sharp breathing. Uneven inhalation of air and its subsequent exhalation are unacceptable when a vacuum is performed, due to the unpredictable reaction of the body to unexpected oxygen saturation in a large volume.

Training program

If the athlete does not have obvious contraindications to the vacuum, it is advisable to take as the basis the training program below, which also includes the respiratory complex considered in the article.

Training Order:

1. Warm up.
2. The horizontal bar, maintaining the position for at least 2 minutes.
3. Twisting lying on the press – 20 – 25 times.
4. Vacuum in the position on all fours or sitting on a solid horizontal surface for 3-5 repetitions, the maximum duration of fixation of the key position of the vacuum.
5. Raising the legs on the back for pumping the lower part of the press – 15 – 20 times.
6. Cardio exercises (for example, running on a track) for 10-15 minutes.
7. Hitch, breathing recovery, smooth muscle stretching.

results

Exceptionally regularity and a competent approach to the distribution of physical activity on the body can subsequently bring visible results. Public statistics show that people who regularly perform vacuum to restore tightness of the abdomen noticeably decrease the volume of the lower abdomen, increase skin elasticity in the abdominal, and also reduce the waist.

In addition to external changes, athletes practicing the respiratory complex considered in this article also note an improvement in overall well-being and health status, in particular, getting rid of headaches, migraines, and, in some cases, even normalizing blood pressure.

Proper adherence to the vacuum algorithm for the abdomen, as well as careful adherence to generally accepted rules governing the issues mentioned in the article, in particular, how to properly perform it or what contraindications it has, can bring visible results for the athlete already during the first 2 weeks of regular exercise.

Video about the vacuum of the abdomen and how to properly perform

Options for performing a vacuum of the abdomen: