Vacuum– one of the most effective exercises. It arose from the ancient practices of yoga, and gained its popularity during the “golden era of bodybuilding.”
The calling card of athletes of that time was the so-called V-shaped figure: developed shoulders, wide and, of course, flat. sculpted belly And . Bodybuilding legend Arnold Schwarzenegger admitted that such an aesthetic combination is achieved largely through the “abdominal vacuum” exercise.
To understand why to do a vacuum, how to do it and how the effect of its implementation occurs, let us turn in the article to the structure of the abdominal muscles.
Anatomy of the abdominal muscles
The abdominal press consists of external and internal muscle groups:
- External abdominal muscles:
- Straight.
- External oblique.
- Internal muscles:
- Internal oblique.
- Transverse.
The deepest layer is formed by the transverse abdominal muscles, which encircle the waist and act as a natural corset. That is, it is this muscle group that is responsible for support internal organs and a flat stomach.
The absence of loads on the transverse muscle group contributes to:
- The appearance of excess weight at the waist, since the fibers of these muscles are of the slow type, using subcutaneous fat as an energy source.
- Lack of strength in the muscle corset, which leads to the internal organs squeezing the abdomen forward.
Classic ones (lifting the body, legs, twisting, etc.) mainly work only the external muscle groups that form the relief.
For effectively strengthening transverse muscles need to do static (isometric) exercises. Along with the bar, the best example static exercise for development internal muscles the press is vacuum.
What is the “abdominal vacuum” exercise?
A vacuum for the abdomen is:
- Static(isometric) exercise, i.e. an exercise in which tension in the muscles occurs not through movement, but through retention in a certain position.
- Respiratory exercise.
Features of the exercise
The main feature of the vacuum is its technique, based on maximum abdominal retraction and proper breathing.
At the same time correct breathing involves “belly breathing,” i.e., when inhaling, air is directed into the stomach, due to which the diaphragm moves not back and forth, but up and down. This not only helps to strengthen muscle corset, but also develops the muscles of the diaphragm.
How is it useful?
Systematic implementation of abdominal vacuum allows:
In addition, vacuum gymnastics classes do not require special equipment and are suitable for performing at home and in the office.
How many times to vacuum the abdomen?
The slow twitch fibers of the internal abdominal muscle groups are best worked with daily training and long-term static loads.
Therefore, to achieve the result it is necessary:
- Hold your breath and hold the contracted position for as long as possible (it is optimal to perform 3-5 sets of 1-2 minutes each).
- Do a “vacuum” as often as possible (preferably at least 5 times a week).
How is it done?
In order to do a stomach vacuum correctly, you need to understand its technique. Although at first glance it seems simple, this technique consists of many nuances, mainly related to the intricacies of proper breathing, and includes the following steps.
Namely:
It is necessary to make a vacuum on an empty stomach or 3-4 hours after eating.
Depending on starting position Abdominal vacuum is divided into four types:
- lying down;
- on your knees;
- sitting;
- standing.
The technical component of the exercise in each position remains unchanged. The only difference is the complexity of its implementation.
Vacuum lying down
The supine vacuum is considered one of the easiest to perform and is suitable for any beginner. In this position, gravity itself helps to retract the abdominal muscles.
How to do:
- Sit on a flat surface.
- Straighten your arms along your body.
- Bend your knees or stretch your legs forward.
This option is considered somewhat complicated, because in this case you need to create a vacuum against gravity.
How to do:
- Sit on your knees.
- Place your palms on the floor at shoulder level.
- Do not bend your elbows and make sure your back is straight: do not slouch or arch your lower back.
- Apply the vacuum using proper technique.
Vacuum sitting
Vacuum sitting- another complicated option that uses stabilizer muscles responsible for maintaining the balanced position of the spine.
How to do:
If desired, you can complicate the task and increase the load in this position. To do this, you need to sit not on a chair, but on a surface that provides unstable support, for example, a fitball.
You can also do a vacuum in the abdomen while sitting on your knees (not to be confused with a vacuum “on all fours”, where the body is parallel to the floor):
- Get on your knees.
- Take a sitting position.
- Move 20-25 cm away from the heels.
- Make sure that the body is perpendicular to the floor.
- Apply the vacuum using proper technique.
Vacuum standing
As you progress, move on to the most difficult type - standing vacuum. This option will allow you to maximize the use of the internal abdominal muscles and back stabilizer muscles.
How to do:
- Stand straight, shoulder-width apart and slightly bent at the knees.
- Straighten your arms along your body.
- Make sure to remain straight and lowered.
- Apply the vacuum using proper technique.
There are several more variations of performing a vacuum from a standing position:
- Simplified standing vacuum. are placed on the knees, the body moves forward, resulting in additional support.
- Complicated standing vacuum. The hands are placed behind the head, which allows the upper abdominal muscles to be even more involved in the work.
Efficiency
The result of performing a vacuum will appear even earlier if you control the internal transverse muscles throughout the day. To do this, you don’t need to hold your breath or suck in your stomach, you just need to always keep your abs tense. After some time, this will become a habit and the key to a flat stomach and a wasp waist.
The best tips for performing a vacuum and subsequently losing weight:
Is vacuum gymnastics safe for the abdomen?
Abdominal vacuum– an exercise that does not require professional coordination, specialized equipment or knowledge. Subject to correct technique implementation, as well as the absence of contraindications, discomfort and unpleasant sensations, vacuum gymnastics cannot harm the body and is safe.
In yoga, it is generally believed that vacuum helps rejuvenate internal glands and nerves gastric tract and intestines, removes toxins, improves blood supply to internal organs and strengthens the back muscles.
Is it possible to do a vacuum during menstruation?
Despite its safety, benefits and effectiveness, vacuum has its limitations. In women, tension in the internal abdominal muscles as a result of performing it causes contractions of the uterus.
- During menstruation (menstruation, because the vacuum will increase bleeding).
- During pregnancy (since a vacuum can provoke some undesirable consequences, including miscarriage).
- Immediately (for how long after childbirth only the gynecologist will determine).
Contraindications
There are several other contraindications for which vacuum gymnastics should be abandoned:
- Stomach ulcer.
- Duodenal ulcer.
- Other diseases of the abdominal cavity.
- Recovery period after surgery.
- Diseases of the respiratory system.
- Diseases of the cardiovascular system.
- The period of exacerbation of chronic diseases.
- Infectious disease.
- Dizziness, abdominal pain, and other discomfort, arising during the execution of the vacuum.
It should be understood that the absence of the above circumstances is not a guide to action. And before you start regularly doing a vacuum, you need to consult a doctor.
Vacuum– an extremely effective and easy-to-perform local exercise for the abdominal muscles. But, of course, it does not get rid of subcutaneous fat on the stomach and body.
In order for your waist to really become aspen and beautiful, you need a whole range of measures: regularly engage in cardio training ( aerobic exercise) and adhere to proper nutrition.
Vacuum is great exercise, appeared in bodybuilding from yoga. It specifically works the transverse abdominal muscle, which holds the internal organs.
Vacuum- this is the only exercise that helps you do it. If during training the abs the waist always only grows, since hypertrophy occurs during training muscle fibers, That this exercise It really helps to visually reduce your waist. You can also find information that it removes visceral fat, but this is not so, fat, be it subcutaneous or visceral, does not matter, the body accumulates any fat when there is a lack of calories, and it does not matter at all whether you work out your abs or not.
The vacuum exercise was especially popular in the 60s and 70s; it was practiced, which provided him with a luxurious waist, with large muscle volumes. Today's athletes, in pursuit of huge muscle mass, do not practice such exercises, the result is large bellies even during competitions. Moreover, the stomach “sticks out” not because the athlete has a lot of subcutaneous fat, but because transverse muscle I just can't handle such a large stomach.
1) Lie on the floor, bend your knees, rest your heels on the floor, and lower your arms along your body, your head pressed to the floor.
2) As you exhale, draw in your stomach, tensing the transverse muscle, and then relax it and exhale, thus doing 10 short repetitions to feel the muscle.
3) Exhale the air, relaxing, but without deliberately drawing in your stomach, stay in this position for 25-30 seconds.
4) Take a short and shallow breath, and then pull your stomach in, repeat the procedure after 15 seconds, and after another 15 repeat again to finally deepen the load.
5) Slowly relax the transverse muscle and push your stomach out as much as possible, then repeat the exercise 7-8 more times.
Exercise vacuum – notes
1) The exercise does not have to be performed lying down, there are also options sitting and bending over, but lying down the athlete gets the opportunity to focus only on the transverse muscle.
2) Never let yourself go into a state of lack of air, as this will force you to concentrate on the work of the respiratory system instead of concentrating on the work of the muscles.
3) The transverse muscle rarely receives signals from the brain to perform any action, so the neuromuscular connection is poorly developed, so try to concentrate on the target work muscle group.
4) Do not lift your head off the floor when performing the vacuum exercise while lying down, and also do not talk while performing the exercise.
Anatomy
The transverse muscle is located behind the abdominal muscles, so it is not visually visible, but it performs a very important function. In addition to the fact that a strong transverse muscle will help you improve the aesthetic component, it will also remove the load from the spine while performing basic exercises, especially squats with a barbell, since in this exercise it acts as a stabilizer in the abdominal muscles. Thus, the vacuum exercise allows you to develop two whole functional qualities: respiratory system and strength endurance.
The vacuum exercise does not need to be performed during drying; on the contrary, it is best to perform it while gaining muscle mass. The bottom line is that the athlete has to eat a lot when he is working on the hypertrophy of muscle fibers, as a result of which the stomach becomes larger, especially if the athlete eats incorrectly, eating in large portions and irregularly, but the vacuum exercise allows you to neutralize the negative effects of an increased diet.
Exercise vacuum - Video
Plank exercise - execution technique 
Effective exercises for thin waist
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Today's article will focus on the vacuum exercise.
Its main feature is that it can reduce your waist. You heard right - reduce your waist. So, without any diets, one exercise can remove several centimeters from the waist area. Let's figure out why this reduction occurs and how to properly perform a vacuum.
Features of the exercise
What is the essence and how can you reduce your waist? Frankie Zane, demonstrating his famous "vacuum" pose, strongly sucked in his stomach, as a result of which his transverse abdominis muscle contracted violently.
Anatomically, the transverse abdominis muscle functions as a weightlifting belt and runs across the abdomen from left to right. It holds the entire peritoneum and internal organs, preventing them from “falling out”. In untrained people it is weak and stretched.
As a result, the stomach hangs, even in thin people. The transverse abdominis muscle is located under the rectus abdominis and oblique abdominal muscles. Those. is the deepest muscle. Plus, it does not work to bring the bones of the skeleton closer together. Its only task is to increase intra-abdominal pressure during tension and support the spine.
The essence of the vacuum exercise is to give the transverse abdominal muscle tone and elasticity. After just a few weeks of regular practice, her condition will improve, she will tighten up and thereby reduce her waist size.
Waist width (front to back) is not genetically fixed, and you can control it by making vacuum exercise a priority in your training and preparation. By training the transverse abdominal muscle, you also prevent back pain by relieving the load on your lower back.
Mastering the abdominal vacuum exercise
Vacuum lying
To master the vacuum exercise, start with the easiest option - lying on your back (it’s easier to pull in your stomach under the influence of gravity).
As your training level increases, move on to performing a vacuum in the “on all fours” position, then sitting and finally master the most difficult option while standing.
Lie on your back, bend your knees, place your feet on the floor, arms extended along your body. Exhale forcefully, trying to expel all the air from your lungs, and draw in your stomach with effort. Imagine in your mind that you need to touch your navel to your spine. When lying down, gravity will help you.
Keep your stomach pulled in for 15 seconds. Don't let lack of air ruin the exercise, so take small breaths. Concentrate on your diaphragm, feel how it is drawn deep into your abdomen.
Perform 3-4 sets several times a day (at least twice). It is better to do it in the morning on an empty stomach (you can immediately after waking up), and during the day at any time when the stomach is not full of food.
Over time, increase the exercise time, going from 15 seconds to 1 minute or more. Main criterion– Your comfort and pleasure from the exercise.
Vacuum on your knees
After you can easily do a vacuum in 5 approaches of 1 minute each, move on to a more difficult option - on all fours. Here you will be going against gravity.
Get on your knees and place your hands on the floor. Do not bend your elbows. The wrist, elbow and shoulder are in line, and the hips should be perpendicular to the shin.
Take one powerful exhale and draw in your stomach. Lower your head slightly and arch your back. Start with 30 second approaches, gradually increasing them to 5 for 1 minute.
Vacuum sitting
The sitting position engages the stabilizer muscles, which keep the spine straight in space. This makes the task more difficult. In addition, gravity will also not be able to help you.
Sit on a flat and hard surface. Do not lean your back anywhere. After exhaling powerfully, pull in your stomach and hold this position for about 1 minute.
Exercise constantly. Don't switch out of your mode various types vacuum.
Vacuum standing
The standing vacuum is performed in the same way. You take a comfortable standing position and, as you exhale, draw in your stomach, trying to hold out as long as possible. Don't limit yourself to 1 minute.
Perform the vacuum throughout the day. Just control yours abdominal muscles, during all the movements you make. Try to pull in your stomach constantly, no matter whether you are standing or sitting. Over time, the transverse abdominal muscle will acquire tone and a tense state will become natural for it.
Conclusion
A narrow waist combined with a flat stomach allows you to form beautiful proportions and the coveted male triangle “shoulders-back-waist”. For girls, this exercise will be a revelation, because... will allow you to create a beautiful flat tummy and reduce your waist.
Don't say that the vacuum exercise doesn't work. Do it regularly and with all seriousness, and then you will see the result.
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What results can be achieved by performing the “abdominal vacuum” exercise? You will find how to do it correctly (technique), photos and videos in our article.
A narrow waist and flat stomach are a mandatory attribute of an athletic figure. But not a single training program “flat stomach in 15 minutes a day” will help here, no matter what the advertising promises. The main condition for burning belly fat is proper nutrition(). You must expend more calories than you take in from food. At the same time, abdominal exercises pump up the abdominal muscles well, but heavy exercise(squats, for example) burn much more efficiently.
But there is one exercise that, even during the “classic era of bodybuilding,” athletes used to reduce their waistline and create flat stomach. This is a “stomach vacuum” exercise and is borrowed from yoga. It was also used by Arnold Schwarzenegger, who, despite his enormous muscle mass, the waist seemed very narrow. It was because of his narrow waist that he had that same, desired by many, V-shaped back. And according to reviews, the vacuum exercise can help reduce your waist by 1-3 cm.
To understand how to properly do a abdominal vacuum, let’s first study the anatomy of the abdominal muscles.
Anatomy of the abdominal muscles
By using classical exercises on the abdominal muscles (crunches, leg raises, etc.) you mainly work the rectus abdominis muscle (often it is conventionally divided into “upper” and “lower” abs). The “abs vacuum” exercise will allow you to work the transverse abdominal muscle. If you have a strong transverse muscle, it will be easier to “hold your stomach” – i.e. visually your waist will seem narrower, you won’t “pop out your belly.” The transverse abdominis muscle is located under the rectus abdominis (“upper” and “lower” abs) and obliques, and serves as a natural “belt” that visually narrows your waist. Another bonus of training the transverse muscle is that research has shown that it helps prevent and reduce lower back pain.
Abdominal vacuum: video
Vacuum exercise for the abdomen - video
How to do the abdominal vacuum exercise correctly
The best time to do the abdominal vacuum exercise is in the morning on an empty stomach. Do not eat or drink before performing the vacuum.
The main feature of the vacuum exercise technique is proper breathing. First you need to take a deep breath and then exhale through your mouth, emptying your lungs of air. You press the front wall of the abdomen against the spine as much as possible, at this time the internal organs seem to be pushed upward, under the ribs.
Variants of performing the “vacuum for the abdomen” exercise:
- lying down (with legs bent or straight)
- on the floor on all fours
As a rule, it is easiest to start with a abdominal vacuum while lying down, sitting or on all fours. The most difficult option is standing.
How to do the “abdominal vacuum” exercise correctly (technique)
- take the starting position;
- take a deep breath through your nose;
- exhale sharply through your mouth (you need to empty your lungs as much as possible) and hold your breath;
- At the same time as you exhale, pull in your stomach strongly, as if you want to press your navel to your lower back;
- hold in this position for 15 seconds (if at first you cannot help but breathe for so long, take a small breath, but do not relax your abdominal muscles);
- exhale slowly and gradually relax your muscles (do not exhale sharply);
- take a couple of breaths and exhale and repeat the abdominal vacuum exercise again.
Video of the exercise Vacuum for the abdomen from
How many times to vacuum the abdomen?
Hold your breath longer each time, starting with 15 seconds and working your way up to 60 seconds. This is one repetition. You need 3-5 such repetitions. Do the exercise at least 5 times a week.
Of course, the results from performing the “abdominal vacuum” exercise can only be obtained if you do it regularly. Make yourself a habit - wake up, do a vacuum, and then have breakfast and other things to do.
Start with the easiest option - a vacuum lying on your back with legs bent. When you can do a vacuum with this technique for 60 seconds, move on to the version on all fours. Then sitting on a chair (without leaning on the back). And the most difficult option is standing.
When you have mastered the most difficult option, begin to strain the transverse muscle throughout the day (a “lighter” version of the vacuum, without holding your breath or strongly retracting your abdomen). If you have sedentary work, then this is especially useful. Don't slouch and hold your stomach. Over time, you will begin to do this automatically. But without fanaticism, you don’t need to constantly press your navel to your stomach as much as possible. This can disrupt the functioning of internal organs, even to the point of their prolapse (visceroptosis).
Vacuum exercise: results
1 narrow waist and flat stomach (without pumped up abdominal muscles)
2 will tighten the lower abdomen
3 good posture
4 burning visceral fat(this is “internal” fat that is dangerous to health and accumulates around internal organs)
5 it becomes easier to “hold” your stomach
6 prevention and reduction of lower back pain
All the results you get from the abdominal vacuum exercise will be due to the fact that you will strengthen the transverse muscle.
Contraindications:
- pregnancy
- stomach ulcer
- recovery after surgery (1-2 months)
It goes without saying that if you have a stomach ache after the vacuum, then you need to stop doing it and consult a doctor.
Remember that the vacuum exercise, no matter how much you do it, will not give you a flat stomach without proper nutrition. Abdominal exercises alone do not help, if you want narrow waist, but at the same time you have a high % of body fat. Exercises strengthen your abdominal muscles, but do not burn fat. Fat burns in a calorie deficit—when you expend more energy than you consume through food. Therefore, stop pumping up your abs every day, hoping to achieve the desired abs. Start instead. And the “abs vacuum” exercise will help get rid of a “falling out” belly, but will not burn fat.
Svetlana Markova
Beauty is like a precious stone: the simpler it is, the more precious it is!
Content
There are many ways to reset overweight: heavy physical activity, proper nutrition or in general strict diets. But often in the struggle for beautiful body people are faced with the problem of a sagging belly, which no diet can cope with.
Abdominal vacuum exercise
Reach excellent results weight loss is possible thanks to a special breathing technique that has many positive feedback. At first glance, such information may cause mistrust, but the mechanism of action is very simple: by saturating the body with oxygen, you help it burn excess fat. There is a special vacuum gymnastics for the abdomen, performing which you not only train deep muscles press, but also saturate the body with oxygen. Arnold Schwarzenegger himself loves the abdominal vacuum exercise and performs it in the following positions:
- standing;
- on your knees;
- lying down;
- sitting.
During the execution, you need to create a vacuum in the abdominal cavity, and not just breathe, tightening the muscles. Proper retraction of the abdomen using this method will help not only make the muscles strong, but also remove extra centimeters in waist size. During the process, not only the deep muscles are trained, the elasticity and tone of which increases, but also the diaphragm itself, which is responsible for supporting the internal organs.
Abdominal vacuum - benefits
If we talk about the result that you get after several weeks of regular exercise, then this is not only a toned abs, but also significantly stronger abdominal muscles. By training using this method, you will significantly reduce the load on your spine, your posture will become straighter, and your silhouette will become slimmer. Therefore, it is useful for women to perform the abdominal vacuum exercise after the birth of a child - the benefits of which after childbirth are much greater than exercises aimed at pumping up the abs.
Vacuum for the abdomen - technique
Before starting classes, you need to familiarize yourself with step by step instructions execution, since the vacuum in the abdomen technique, which at first glance is simple, has its own nuances of implementation. Master the right technique It’s simple, if you initially perform it in front of a mirror: you need to pull in your stomach so that your ribs are visible. Main secret how to correctly do the vacuum exercise for the abdomen - holding your breath while exhaling completely while tightening the muscles.
How to do a stomach vacuum
For such a workout, the stomach must be empty, so train better in the morning on an empty stomach. To master the basics, try doing the exercise first while lying on your back to feel your muscles, and then check the correctness of the actions while standing in front of the mirror. There are some differences in the method of performing retractions after childbirth to restore tone and to pump up the abs, so find out how to properly do a vacuum for various purposes.
Press vacuum
Maximum effective method making a beautiful tummy is a vacuum exercise for the abs, which is popular in bodybuilding, yoga, fitness and home body shaping programs because it is aimed at strengthening muscles that are inaccessible to other techniques. You can get the desired result after just a couple of weeks of perseverance - your abs will tighten, become flatter, and your waist will be noticeably thinner. How to do the abdominal vacuum exercise correctly? You need to do the vacuum press exercise in the morning on an empty stomach according to the following method:
- Take as deep a breath as possible, then release all the air from your lungs. To do this, it is better to use the bodyflex technique, in which, after exhaling completely, take a full, quick breath in through the nose, then immediately exhale sharply through the mouth, at the moment when the stomach is drawn in.
- As you exhale, you need to draw in your stomach as much as possible and stay in this position for 5-8 seconds. In this position, due to vacuumization, the transverse abdominal muscle is tightened.
- Exhale slowly, take a break for a couple of free breaths, and repeat the breathing technique at least 5 times. For the first week, five times is enough, from the second you can increase the number of repetitions and not take a break to restore breathing.
Vacuum after childbirth
The usefulness of the vacuum technique for women after childbirth is undeniable, because... The technique is aimed at relieving pressure from the muscles pelvic floor, pelvic organs, this contributes to the correct and rapid recovery a woman's body after the birth of a child. The complex has no contraindications, does not cause harm, and can be performed even by girls during menstruation. Abdominal vacuum after childbirth is performed in a lying position as follows:
- Lie as comfortably as possible on your back, bend your knees and focus on them.
- Take a deep breath, feel how your ribs expand along with your lungs, remember this position and stay in it.
- In the same position of the muscles, exhale as hard as possible to feel how the diaphragm tightens. Stay in this position for 5 seconds. You also need to do what is described on an empty stomach, every day, in order to get the result that you will feel.
Video: how to do a belly vacuum for the press
Reviews
Alla, 26 years old To recover after pregnancy I learned how to do breathing exercises, at the same time I did fitness and pumped up my abs in the morning. After a couple of months of persistent weight loss, I lost 5 kg, my waist became noticeably thinner, and my stomach became flatter. I still have the habit of pumping my abs, doing gymnastics and vacuum exercises in the morning.
Anastasia, 36 years old Started studying breathing exercises for weight loss due to reviews from girlfriends: most of all they liked the ease of implementation. I tried it and saw the first results after 2 weeks. Now I myself can recommend this method to make your stomach flat, because after a month I began to feel my muscles in good shape quite simply.
Marina, 35 years old No matter how much I pumped up my abs, I had the same effect as breathing technique I didn't receive it. It all started with simple video lessons at home, now I go to yoga and practice breathing exercises at home, doing gymnastics in the morning. Several months have passed since the start of my classes, I feel great, my abs have become more noticeable.Found an error in the text? Select it, press Ctrl + Enter and we will fix everything!
