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

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       Contents

       Cover

       Title Page

Introduction

How to Use this Book

Chapter 1 Warming Up

Chapter 2 STAGE 1: Beginner’s Curls

      Chapter 3 STAGE 2: Intermediate Curls

      Chapter 4 STAGE 3: Difficult Curls

      Chapter 5 STAGE 4: Tough Curls

      Chapter 6 Fab Abs Challenge

      Chapter 7 Cool Down and Relax

      Chapter 8 Preventing Back Problems

      Chapter 9 Exercise and Pregnancy

      Chapter 10 The Curl-Free Workout

      Chapter 11 Tone Your Tum with Belly Dancing

      Chapter 12 Diet – A Crucial Part of the Equation

      Chapter 13 The Flat Stomach Recipes

       Index

       Copyright

       About the Publisher

Introduction

      So you want to have a nice flat tum? Well who doesn’t? If you want to look in the mirror and see a tummy you would be proud to show, then the best way of going about it is to do the ‘curl’.

      Of course, curls on their own aren’t a magic bullet to a wonderful new you. A firm tummy buried beneath a thick layer of fat will still protrude and look flabby. If you do the curl three or four times a week and don’t tackle the problem by any other means then, yes, you will still tone up your tummy (as well as improve your posture and help prevent backache). However, to really flatten your stomach and see the pounds drop off you need to take three steps:

      1. Do the curl three or four times a week.

      2. Do an aerobic workout every day.

      3. Eat sensibly.

      If you combine a regular abs session with healthy eating and an overall workout programme that includes aerobic activity, then not only will those pounds drop off, but your body shape will be transformed.

       What is the curl?

      So what exactly is the curl and why will it work for you? In simple terms, the curl is an exercise that tones up the abdomen by tightening and then relaxing the network of muscles of the stomach and waist – muscles known as the abdominals, or abs. And the stronger the abs, the flatter the stomach.

      The most effective way of toning up the abs is to shorten the distance between your ribcage and your pelvis by repeatedly contracting the muscles in your abdomen. Sports science has shown that the best and safest way of achieving this is by using your stomach muscles to lift your upper back off the floor towards your middle (curl) and to lift the hips and bring them up towards your chest (reverse curl). The best method of defining the waist is to subject the abdominal muscles that run around the midriff to twists.

      Achieving a flat, strong stomach may be your goal for the simple reason that it looks good, but it is desirable for other reasons too. Well-trained abs help to prevent lower back pain, as well as encouraging good posture, a well-aligned body and a general sense of well-being.

      Like all the best modern workout programmes, abs training has a lot of sports science behind it. It is carefully devised, well thought-out and safe. And, as I pointed out before, the curl – or ‘the crunch’ as it is also known – is recognized as one of the most effective forms of ab training.

       So how does ab training work?

      Let’s start with a quick anatomy lesson so that you understand what is going on inside you. The pelvic girdle – the ring of bone that your legs are connected to – is the bowl in which many of your vital organs sit. To keep them in there and to protect them from harm, you need more than your pelvis, backbone and your skin – you need a firm wall of abdominal muscles. These muscles also give you the ability to bend forward and to twist from the waist. (At the back of the body are the back СКАЧАТЬ