Nicki Waterman’s Flat Stomach Plan: The Ultimate Abdominal Workouts and Diet

You are able to bend from the waist thanks to the action of the rectus abdominus. This is a very strong and long muscle that appears to be divided in two down a line running between your sternum and navel. In fact, it is one big muscle joined by thin sheets of muscle fibre. (It can, however, separate along this ‘join’ during pregnancy – see Chapter 98 Exercise and Pregnancy.) This is the muscle that is strengthened and toned during forward curls.

Rotation and forward flexion – bending and twisting

The internal and external obliques not only ensure that we can rotate our torso (for example to turn sideways when driving so we can look behind us) but they also assist in forward flexion. A nice bonus of well-toned obliques is that your waist gets slimmer and more defined. We strengthen and tone these muscles by adding a twist to the basic curl. (Note: whenever you work one side, you should always work the opposite side.)

The breathing powerhouse

The transverse abs, which fan out from the middle across the lower half of your abdomen to the sides of your pelvic girdle, do the most work in protecting your internal organs. At the same time, they assist in breathing. The diaphragm is known as the bellows of the lungs, but if you take a deep breath and then exhale you will be able to feel the transverse abs helping to expel the air. It is these muscles that work hard in a basic curl and that make the lower half of your tummy flat.

Curls vs sit-ups

It was once widely thought – and still is amongst a few trainers who aren’t all that well-informed or up to date – that sits-ups were the ideal means of strengthening the abs. Undoubtedly, sit-ups do have a role in advanced sports training – but they are not the most efficient or effective way of working the abs or getting a flat tummy.

Research has shown that sit-ups use the hip flexor muscles (at the back of the thighs) and the quadriceps, or quads (at the front of the thighs), more than the abdominals. This is because the abdominal muscles are only used to start the sit-up (the first 30–45 degrees). In addition, since the hip flexors are attached from the thigh to the lower spine, a sit-up exaggerates the natural curve of the spine thereby increasing the risk of injury in that area. Hence, doing too many sit-ups or doing them incorrectly can put too great a strain on the back and the stomach muscles, leading to injury.

There is no doubt – and science has proved it – the curl is a far safer and more effective way of strengthening and flattening your stomach.

Some myths about abs training

Before we move on to the practicalities of using this book, there are a few misunderstandings about abs training that I must dispel upfront.

Curls will give you a flat stomach

Yes, they will – but not on their own. Sadly, you can’t spot reduce fat. When you lose weight, the fat is taken from all parts of the body equally. Specific exercises tone up and de-flab the targeted area, but if that area is hidden beneath a thick layer of fat, no amount of exercise in the world will make it look all that much flatter. You will get stronger muscles and a better posture, which are worthwhile achievements, but only ab training combined with a sensible eating programme will ultimately lead to a flat stomach that you can see.

Curls burn calories fast

Curls are not a high calorie burner. Yes, ab training does take a great deal of effort and effort does burn calories – but the key to a good ab session is slow and steady, not fast and furious. Ab training is the most effective way of toning up your abdominal muscles, but aerobic workouts raise the metabolism and therefore burn fat more efficiently. So ideally, if you want to lose your fat and flabby tum, you need to combine regular ab training with aerobic exercise and a sensible diet.

You need to do ab training every day for quick results

You should never work the same group of muscles day after day and certainly not on two consecutive days. This is because muscles develop during rest. When you train, muscle tissue is broken down. It then recuperates and strengthens during the following 48 hours – if it is allowed to rest.

It is best to put your hands behind your head during a curl

This isn’t always necessary. When you are told to put your hands behind your head, it is for support. However, when you’re a beginner and still struggling, the natural reflex action is to pull on your neck muscles as you come up. To prevent this, never clasp your fingers together – your hands should be open, your fingertips splayed and not touching and your head just resting in them for balance and support. Practise the correct position until you get it right. In many exercises you are asked not to put your hands behind your head – for example, sometimes it is recommended that you place your forearms alongside your ears for balance. Some trainers will suggest that it is best to put your hands on your chest or your fists at your ears. All you need to remember is to not pull on your head and neck when lifting. Let the contraction of your abs bring you up smoothly.

The upper and lower abs are two separate groups of muscles

The abdominals are one long sheet of interlocking muscle fibres. If an exercise says it works the upper or the lower abs, it simply means it works that area of the abdomen more. Curls target the upper abdominal area by bringing the upper back towards the pelvis. Reverse curls target the lower abdominal area by bringing the pelvis (hips) up towards the chest.

Is the curl safe?

In a nutshell – yes. But, as with all forms of exercise, seek the advice of your doctor, especially if you have an existing medical condition or orthopaedic limitations, such as a bad back or hip problems. You should always ask your doctor’s advice if you are pregnant.

There are, in fact, very few people who are unable to do the curl and it is one of the few exercises that most people can do safely – whatever their age. Whether you’re a teenager or an 80 year old, you’ll find the curl can flatten your stomach, improve your posture, strengthen your back and curve in your waist.

How to Use this Book (#ulink_e78043f2-eaec-5c9e-a673-3677a6018dcd)

First, read it. That may sound obvious, but that is exactly what you should do. Too often people just flick straight to the first exercise and get started without understanding what they are doing, or why they are doing it – and if you don’t understand this it’s very easy to do it wrong.

The exercise section of the book is designed in careful stages to take you through an entire abdominal workout programme from being a novice to becoming an expert. The core of the exercise section consists of four stages of development (see chapters 2–5), each of which you should complete and be comfortable with before moving on to the next. For the experienced, I have also included some very challenging curls and a total three-in-one routine (Chapter 6: Fab Abs Challenge).

There is an important chapter on preventing back problems, which includes back-strengthening exercises and specific cool-down techniques for the back. Additional chapters include ab training during and after pregnancy, and belly dancing – which I thoroughly endorse as a good form of aerobics combined with abdominal training. There is also a Curl-Free Workout, which is useful for challenging your ab muscles to do something a bit different.

The diet section of the book looks at healthy eating, and provides practical suggestions for delicious meals that are low in calories and fat. As I pointed out in the introduction, you can work hard to achieve a toned tum, but if it’s hidden under a layer of fat you will not get that flat look you are aiming for. However, short-term, very restrictive diets are not the answer. In order to lose fat and keep it off, you need to adopt a healthy diet – the last two chapters show you how. The recipes are healthy and simple and provide an illustration of how easy it is for a sensible diet to become part of your everyday routine. And, of course, if healthy eating and exercise become second nature, you’ll have that flat stomach for life.

Now before you’re tempted to just dive in and get started, let’s look at some of the practicalities of exercising those abs.

Warming up and cooling down

As always when working out, you should start your session by warming up and finish it by cooling down. Warming up is a kind of rehearsal for the actual exercises you will be doing. It raises your body temperature to ensure good circulation of blood and serves to lightly stretch the muscles you will be working, making them supple enough to prevent injury and minimize soreness. Cooling down eases everything back into place and relaxes you. Sections on warming up and cooling down for general ab training, as well as for back training, are included to teach you the correct techniques for each.

The four main abdominal training plans are as follows:

• Stage 1 is for beginners. It shows you all you will need to know and do to start a basic ab programme.

• Stage 2 is intermediate and focuses on increasing your strength. More areas of your abdominal muscles are brought into play as different and more complex techniques are introduced.

• Stage 3 is for the more experienced and focuses on ‘shocking’ the muscles by introducing more challenges in tempo, endurance and position, all of which encourage progress to new levels of fitness.

• Stage 4 is as demanding as it gets. Not to be undertaken by the inexperienced or unfit, this is your ultimate goal and when you have reached it you will have a truly awesome figure.

When you are ready

Before you begin your first workout, familiarize yourself with Chapter 2, Stage 1: Beginner’s Curls. In this section, you will find advice and directions on how to breathe (it’s not as simple as it sounds) and how to do a basic curl. It also illustrates how to position your body for the best effect and to avoid injury. Read, absorb and understand. When you have absorbed all this on paper, you will be ready to start. But don’t proceed yet. First, comes the warm up. Before you do anything else, you should always warm up. Chapter 1 is devoted to warm-up stretches specifically designed for your abdominal workout, so this is where your routine should always begin.

Now that you are ready to start, take it slowly – don’t try to run before you can walk. Work your way through each stage, never moving on until you are completely confident and strong enough for each new and tougher challenge. If you have moved on too fast, stop, go back to the previous stage and do it all over again. It’s quality not speed that counts in abs training. Your abdominal muscles will still get stronger and your stomach flatter, even if you always stay at Stage 1.

This is a good place to mention that if you have reached Stage 4 and need to stop for any length of time, it is advisable not to just throw yourself back in at the deep end when you start again. I strongly recommend that you start over with Stage 1 and work your way forward as a refresher. In fact, even if you are a Stage 4 super ab demon, it’s good for your muscles to do a variety of exercises, so return to the exercises in the earlier stages now and again.

As you read all the various sections of this book, you will note that many of the warm up and cool-down exercises are similar and are repeated in full. This is to make using this book easier, so you don’t have to keep flicking back and forth between sections.

Questions and answers

How often should I curl?

For maximum benefit, you need to exercise your abs three to four days a week, but not on consecutive days. Leave at least a day between each session (so, Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and so on). As I’ve already explained, your muscles need time to recover.

How long should I work my abs?

Not less than 10 minutes. If that is all the time you can spare, it’s still worth it. Beginners should train until they feel tired and then stop. Each exercise gives guidelines as to how many repetitions (reps) you should do, starting with about four and gradually increasing as you get stronger. Fifteen minutes overall is about right, especially if you are going to include abs training in with a workout plan that works all the muscles in your body. The main thing is never to strain or to keep on going if you are in pain.

What is the best time to do the curl?

Any time that you can set aside to exercise will do. However, I always suggest that early morning, as soon as you rise, is best because the rest of the day can get very crowded, especially if you lead a busy life. It’s all too easy to tell yourself, ‘I’ll do it tomorrow’ and often tomorrow ends up stretching into a week or a month of tomorrows and you just give up. If you really have no time, get up half an hour earlier. Exercise should be a regular part of your day.

How long will it take to get a flat stomach?