Not only men, but also many girls dream of a beautiful press with embossed cubes. After all, a thin waist and a tightened sports belly are the limit of the brightest dreams of any woman, especially after childbirth. If you have firmly decided to put yourself in order, then you have only one way out - go to the gym and start training. The female press is a rather responsive muscle, which means that even with a minimum of effort, you can achieve good results.
What you need to know about the press: anatomy and muscle mechanics
In general, the press is a rather important part of our muscle corset, because together with the muscles of the core, this muscle holds the internal organs and forms a posture. If you delve deeper into the anatomy, then the press consists of three sections:
- rectus abdominis muscles (from chest to groin);
- oblique muscles of the abdomen (from armpits to the groin);
- transverse muscles (located inside);
But the most important in the figure of the girl are the rectus muscles, because it is they that make the tummy athletic and embossed. There are two types of female abs: the upper (from the chest to the navel) and the lower (inguinal region). Separately, you can consider the side press. It is noteworthy, but the muscles of the press work better in static types of load than in dynamic ones. In general, the peculiarity of this anatomical group is that no matter what exercises you use, they will affect the muscles in exactly the same way. The main thing in pumping the press is not the way of pumping, but the technique of exercises, the right approach to training and nutrition.
The fundamental differences between female and male training
The press is precisely that muscle that requires a fundamentally different approach to training for men and women. If the guys need to focus on basic exercises in which this anatomical group acts as a stabilizer, then this is not very suitable for girls. Also, men should pay as much attention as possible to training the oblique muscles of the abdomen, because they stand out very favorably against the background of the general relief of the body. All this is not suitable for women, because ladies do not strive to increase waist sizes, but, on the contrary, are actively fighting against every extra centimeter.
In addition, women's training does not welcome work with excessive weights. But if your press does not respond to work with its own weight, then you can safely connect the "heavy artillery". If we consider some variations of the exercises, then many of them are not suitable for girls. For example, a press roller for women is a very difficult kind of training, since not every lady can bear such a load.
True or false: the most common myths about pumping the press
The training process is a rather complicated and constantly evolving topic, because time does not stand still and there are more and more new studies on the effectiveness of various types of training. There is a lot of information on how to pump up the women's press, but not all statements are true. Here are some of the most common myths about training these muscles:
- Be sure to download the press every day. This is a big mistake. Like other muscles, the press needs rest and recovery time. Otherwise, you run the risk of overworking and putting yourself in a state of overtraining.
- The more repetitions, the better the result. In fact, multi-repetition is not the key to effective training. It is better to make a minimum number of approaches, but so that the muscles become tired immediately.
- It is necessary to swing the upper and lower press separately. In fact, this is only partially true. This muscle participates in all exercises as a whole, and therefore it is not necessary to train each section separately, however, when working on the relief, you can diversify your exercises and use various variations of the exercises.
The basic principles of training: intensity, number of repetitions and frequency
In order to pump up the ideal female press, it is important to correctly build the training process. To do this, you must follow the basic principles of effective training:
- Exercise is necessary in low intensity. And that means: no sudden jerky movements and haste. All movements should be slow and smooth, and the muscles must be in constant tension.
- At the top point of the amplitude, try to pause and free the lungs with the diaphragm from the air.
- A lot of attention should be paid to the negative phase of the exercise, the body must also be lowered slowly and the spine should not be straightened to the end.
- The number of repetitions should be minimal, but each movement should maximize the involvement of muscles in the work.
- Try to train your abs no more than three times a week, remember that muscles need rest and time to recover.
For lovers of the classics: ordinary twisting
If we pump the female press, then you need to start with simple and understandable exercises. Classic twisting is a universal type of load that works on each muscle section. If you do not have time for a varied training, it is enough to include only this exercise in the program. You can perform it anywhere: at home, at least in the gym. If you want, then train in a Roman chair, just on the floor or even on a gym ball. Indeed, in any modification, this exercise has the same effect.
Lower press driving: reverse twist options
Reverse twisting is a good exercise for the female abs, but it is only suitable for those who already have some experience in training. After all, if the muscles are poorly developed, then it will be very problematic to perform it, especially for girls with excess weight. After all, the essence of this exercise is to raise the legs and pelvis, using only the contraction of the abdominal muscles. There are several training options:
- Reverse twisting on the floor. A kind of dynamic variation of "Birch". It is necessary to raise straight legs and lower back, while transferring the body weight to the shoulder blades, then very slowly return to the supine position.
- Leg raises with emphasis on the forearm. They are carried out in a special frame for pulling up and working out the press. In the exercise, you just need to raise straight legs to parallel with the floor, while holding the body in a rack on the elbows on special supports for the hands.
- Leg lifts in a roman chair. To do this, you hold the body on an inclined bench, for fixing you can grab the roller behind your head. The technique remains the same - it is necessary to perform the lifting and lowering of straight legs.
Dynamic Training: Exercise Bike
To pump the female press into cubes, it is necessary to combine strength training and cardio. Exercise "Bicycle" combines both types of load, which means that we are simultaneously working both on the mass and on the relief. The technique of this type of training has been familiar to us since school:
- Lie on the floor, legs raised up and bent at the knees.
- Begin to rotate your legs as if you were pedaling a real bike.
- To increase the load, you can combine this exercise and twisting. To do this, simply raise and lower the upper body throughout the entire movement of the legs.
We combine dynamics and statics: exercise "Scissors"
As mentioned earlier, the press prefers static types of load, which means that you need to strain the muscles in a state of immobility. Exercise "Scissors" will allow you to feel the lower parts of this anatomical group. The main thing is to follow the technique:
- Starting position - lying on your back, legs straight and raised at an angle of 30 degrees, the lower back should not be torn off the floor.
- Begin to move your legs up and down and from side to side, crossing your ankles, while in no case do not change the angle of elevation.
- Try to do the exercise as long as possible, while keeping your whole body tense.
The Most Effective Exercise for Muscle Cortex - The Plank
This exercise trains not only the female abs, but also the core muscles. This is how we strengthen and shape our muscle corset, and this has a positive effect on posture and overall physical development. Both the classic and the side bar are useful for the press, the main thing is to follow the general technical principles:
- If you are new to this exercise, start with an emphasis on the elbows, more experienced athletes can perform the bar on straight arms.
- Always control your back and pelvis. Your body should be like a straight line. No deflections or bulges are allowed. Get together and strain from all sides, because the essence of training is a static load.
- If you want to complicate or diversify the exercise a little, then you can combine the bar with raising your legs. This is quite possible to carry out both in the classical version and in the lateral modification.
We form the thinnest waist: exercise "Vacuum"
Even the most effective abdominal exercises will not help to reduce your waist, especially if you have already lost fat. The next step is the training of the internal muscles of the abs (transverse). It is they who attract the abdominal wall to the spine, if you train them, then your stomach will be constantly "retracted". If you like it, then do not be lazy, but regularly do a vacuum. Allocate at least 20 minutes a day to this exercise and after three months you will not recognize your waist. It is better to train from the very early morning and on an empty stomach.
This exercise consists in the fact that after inhaling through the nose you need to make a sharp exhalation, trying to release the lungs as much as possible from the air and draw in the stomach as much as possible, and hold your breath for several seconds.
It will ruin your figure: stop press exercise list
There is always something that should not be done in any case, otherwise you risk greatly ruining the figure:
- Side twisting. This exercise trains the oblique muscles of the abdomen, and if they increase in volume, then the waist will constantly grow.
- Slopes with dumbbells. This is also a strength exercise on the oblique muscles. Contrary to rumors, this type of training does not remove the sides, but only increases their size.
- Classic deadlift. It is better to leave this exercise for men, the Romanian version is more suitable for ladies. The traditional technique of the exercise greatly strains the oblique and transverse muscles, and this will negatively affect the volume of your abdomen.
Perform only the right abdominal exercises and do not forget about regular aerobic exercise and nutrition. If you strictly adhere to the sports regime, you can achieve a stunning result in an extremely short time.