Flat tummy?

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I'm curious if any fellow wishers who previously had a belly or more than just a pudge tummy ever successfully flattened it out.

I'm in Physical therapy and we are really working on my core in order to stabilize my lumbar and sacral areas of my back. I've made it a goal to try to get that washboard (or close to it) for health reasons. Currently we are doing "pre"Pilates work as I don't have the strength to do actual Pilates. The goal is to migrate into actual Pilates work.

Has anybody been successful and how long did it take you? I'm looking for a realistic time frame. I'm familiar with the losing weight part of getting healthy and the getting aerobically fit and how long all that takes....I'm a stranger on getting physically (muscles) strong.

I still find that I do slouch a bit and find my abs relaxed when they shouldn't be.....so I'm nowhere close at this point.

Looking for the realistic possibilty of actually having working muscles in my torso and looking like I have them and use them---I'm virtual skin and bones as you can see the bones in my shoulders, ribs and upper part of the hips. I need some meat on those bones!

Pear shaped, so the lower half of my body is a different story. I swear you could take a picture and snip it at the waist and you wouldn't match the lower half of my body to the upper half.


I hope this has made sense. So what is the reality?

 

[Tiger Lily 03]

First, I will tell you that we had a coworker who was doing her workouts for about a year before we really realized that she was looking quite sculpted. Give yourself about that long. You will begin to see results if you take your measurements and such on a monthly basis. It does take time.

Well, I don't think you want to hear from me.
I'll give it to you anyway. When I was most fit I had those exceptionally toned abs and such. You just couldn't see them all that well bc of our family genetics.

DH even went and asked the doc as I was splayed open with c-section about the little fat nodules he could see later in my lifetime. Doc said I was exceptionally fit and just had that genetic thing going. I had a below 18 bmi and still had a bit of the pouch. DSs while in gymnastics were rock solid all around and still you could not "see" that six-pack abs. Sometimes it just does not show although it IS there. DS #2 has a very lean look and his bmi is so low it scares me and he does his workout thing and still does not show his rippled muscles. Both DSs are flat though and quite lean. Your bmi might have to come wayyyy down before that flatness comes in and the rest of you might not be looking all that proportionately good then. Don't fret too much about that sculpted look. We all have a different genetic look. You WILL tone in time with continued workouts and good healthy eating choices.

Keep at your strengthening program and your movement will definitely tell you it is there. You WILL look better, just not maybe that total flatness you seek.

You will begin to notice, but realistically give yourself a year of dedication to these strength and toning exercises before you really expect to look sculpted.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Thanks Lily!

I stand corrected--I did "sculpt" my arms once--and it took only 3 months. They are fairly scuplted now--just needs a little help in the tricep area.

 

[calena]

Don't forget we all have different body types. I am a pear too! I know there are specific exercises which will target different areas, but we won't all look the same. I always thought I would just kill for long lean legs, but others like my small waist so...
I do T-Tapp at least once a week. She talks about different body shapes and the things we deal with. It is a video system - not cheap - but makes a lot of sense to me. She also works with the core muscles.
When you have your back situation taken care of with the physical therapy, the therapist can probably recommend safe exercises to you for the tummy without harming your back. DH had some therapy last year and the physical therapist said a lot of those with the washboard abs are doing it to the detriment of their back... so talk to your physical therapist.
Good luck.

 

[Tiger Lily 03]

I would be interested in knowing what those ab exercises are that would not cause back complications.

 

[JMD]

Thanks Lily!

I stand corrected--I did "sculpt" my arms once--and it took only 3 months. They are fairly scuplted now--just needs a little help in the tricep area.

Don't forget, you can't "sculpt" or "tone" anything. When people use those words they are usually referring to muscle definition, which is result of low bodyfat. Low bodyfat comes from a good diet and cardio.

 

[septbride2002]

Lisa how did your scuplt your arms? I'm doing Curves but I don't think it is doing enough to get there really firm. I would love to actually show some muscle.

~AManda

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Lisa how did your scuplt your arms? I'm doing Curves but I don't think it is doing enough to get there really firm. I would love to actually show some muscle.

~AManda

I wish I knew..as JMD pointed out--it is body fat percentage. B/c the rest of me is in quite the opposite direction of sculpted--unless you count the interesting shape my body fat appears--my legs do look like "scuplted" drum sticks after all .

My particular body style--I have almost no fat in the upper body--but carry quite the caboose. So I'm asking the same question for tummy and thighs.

My arms/shoulders first ever became "scuplted" in Physical Therapy many years ago (for a neck injury)--it was the combined effort of that machine that is like an exercise bike for your arms, exercise bands and free weights. Then I got strong enough for push ups. I'm too weak for push ups now---but I could have my arms scuplted again in a month or two once I get strong enough to do it again. The free weights were nice for maintaining--and for building my triceps. But 4 minutes forward and reverse on that "bike" machine with the arms---whoa was that a workout for the muscles. Some gyms have that machine if they happen to be a facility with physcial therapists. I found only one gym locally with it and it was at a hospital. It is a coordinated effort of all your arms muscles to get that thing going as fast as possible.

I wish my arms would share some of their genes with my thighs.
I can still make a mean muscle with them--and I do keep my arms and shoulders minimally strengthened to avoid neck problems...though I have been slipping (neck pain is back ). So as I get my trunk stronger, I will be incorporating my arms once again.

 

[gemjoy]

my legs do look like "scuplted" drum sticks after all

Lisa loves pooh ~ I think you must be my long lost twin

 

[calena]

Lily, I don't know any ab exercises in particular, but check out T-Tapp.com and the "Try before you buy" section where she has the trim torso and the flat stomach exercises. I think that will be a start. She always talks a lot about avoiding back injury and healing from back injury.
I just usually do her 50 minute workout once a week. I find it really helps balance my wogging... I am also drenched in sweat when I do it even though it is low impact.
My trouble spots are more my legs and I find the running/jogging has helped me firm up there. Still not worrying about the abs too much! Maybe I am in denial because I wore a bikini yesterday when I was swimming with the kids and it felt great!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Lisa loves pooh ~ I think you must be my long lost twin

Gives new meaning to the phrase "chicken legs".


I have looked at the T-tapp web-site and last season before marathon training....I did her "organs in place" bit---and it was quite helpful b/c my tummy was sagging awfully law. I did that one particular exercise (I don't recall how often or for how long) and it made a HUGE difference. I just never did anything else. It is super super weird--but the philosophy behind it makes sense--to me at least.

 

[anniet]

While I can't speak specifically for the core area (one of my worst body parts) I can relate my experience on weight training.

About two years ago I was "heavy" into weight lifting- I had a personal trainer who's mottos were "Don't be a wimp" and "Shut up and lift it!" Eventually I found myself doing 25pound bicep curls on an incline bench- something some of the men in the gym couldn't do. I was doing it to strenghten my upper body because of some degeneration I have in my cervical (neck) area and found the only way that I keep pain free is to keep a strong upper body, and to keep myself proportionate I worked hard on my legs too.

Anyhow my point is- while I actually GAINED 7 pounds (and still had quite a bit of fat on me) people kept asking me how much weight I lost!!!!

If you are looking for a "flat" stomach, I would say if you work hard you should see good results in 12-16 weeks. If you want the six pack, well I think that's a combo of muscle tone, low body fat and genetics. Good luck!!!

 

[gshoemate]

Lisa how did your scuplt your arms? I'm doing Curves but I don't think it is doing enough to get there really firm. I would love to actually show some muscle.

~AManda

Curves.....thats weight circuit machines right? I have been doing the circuit at the Y for a while now and I have noticed that after my arm muscle's reached a certain point.....they didn't get much bigger. After talking to one of the trainers they told me that the circuit will only get toned to a certain point. After that, you will need to switch to free weights.

 

[septbride2002]

Thanks to both Lisa and Ginger. I think I will probably start using free weights at home for some extra toning. Rightnow my arms do feel great but they don't look like I want them to.

Lisa you and I are opposites. My butt, and legs are usually the first to tone up. It takes forever to get my upper and lower abs to do anything and my arms have never been very tone. Fat parks itself right in those areas. *sigh*

~Amanda