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Stretching is a type of exercise program in which you assume exaggerated postures that stretch muscles, joints, and connective tissues, hold these positions for several seconds, relax and then repeat the postures.
Learning to vacuum your stomach is necessary to offer greater symmetry and control lower back pain. This article is short but to the point. Learn more...!
A picture is worth a thousand words, but four pictures in a series can speak volumes.
Click To Enlarge. Ellington Darden PhD. Shows His Ability To Perform The Stomach Vacuum.
Learning to vacuum your stomach is necessary to offer greater symmetry and promote a better look for the judges. It also helps to control lower back pain.
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While any form of back pain should be assessed by a qualified medical practitioner, certain exercises can greatly reduce the pain. There are many exercises you can do to improve and prevent back injuries. [ Click here to learn more. ]
If your waist is thicker or you have smaller hips, this can offer you an improvement on your ability to maintain a better look while on stage or for the photo shoot, or just that someone special you want to impress.
Using this method will help develop the muscles in your stomach. Some other suggestions are to attempt to vacuum your stomach while you have no food in your stomach.
Variation:
Have a friend gently push down on your belly button and attempt to hold the stomach in.
Relax, we are not going to pump or vacuum your stomach. The Stomach Vacuum is an isometric contraction (tenses the muscle without moving it) of the Transversus Abdominus.
A stronger Transversus Abdominus can create a stronger Valsalva Maneuver (the powerful exhale necessary to contract a muscle during an intense workload).
This is one of the best exercises you can perform to shrink your waistline in a very short amount of time. Many can knock 2 to 4 inches off their midsection in as little as 3 weeks with this technique.
Also, building this area of the abdominal muscle will help you gain more control over your "abs" and assist you better in explosive lifts. Stomach Vacuums take practice, but they are extremely effective.
EXERCISE DEMONSTRATION VIDEO
Click Play To Start The Video.
Standing Stomach Vacuum
Exercise Data
Main Muscle Worked: Abdominals
Other Muscles Worked: None
Equipment: BodyOnly
Mechanics Type: Isolation
To execute the Stomach Vacuum, stand upright and place your hands on your hips, and exhale all the air out of your lungs, completely. Expand your chest, and bring your stomach in as much as possible, and hold.
Visualize trying to touch your navel to your backbone. One isometric contraction of "X" seconds is one repetition.
Once mastered, the Stomach Vacuum can be performed in a standing, kneeling, seated, and lying position. Now you will have no excuse to avoid abdominal training if you are stuck in traffic.
As an added bonus, you can use the Stomach Vacuum when doing your regular abdominal work. Focus on pulling in on the Transverse Abdominus. Simply do this by pulling in your stomach as far as you can and flex your groin muscles, as if you are trying to stop the flow of urine.
Training Guide For The Stomach Vacuum:
Training days for the Stomach Vacuum are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
Click To Enlarge. 
Variation:
