stomach vacuums for a smaller waist ?

Z

Zenith

0
Hi! So this "stomach vacuum" exercise is something that supposedly works by training the transverse abdominal muscles, making them tighter/leaner and thus reducing waist circumference. Essentially all one has to do is exhale and then hold their breath and suck their abdomen in for 10 - 60 seconds. (Google searching "stomach vacuum exercise" will yield more in depth results; I'm not the best at explaining.)

I'm trying to shrink my 23 inch waist to 22 inches. So really just one inch, I'm not hoping for some super dramatic / impossible reduction. Also, I hope this is the right forum for such a topic even though I'm not exactly trying to achieve fat-loss. I thought it would still be relevant because I am trying to lose an inch.

Anyway, I am wondering if anyone else has tried this and if it has worked for them. And even if you have not tried it, I appreciate your opinion.

Cheers and thank you!
 
I saw the thread title and thought this was about that new "stomach pump for weight loss" I heard about. (That one made me die a little on the inside.)

Unfortunately, this doesn't sound plausible to me. You're not working your abdominal muscles very much, so you won't see a dramatic increase in muscle tone and certainly none in mass. And you're also not burning much more energy than you would be at rest, so there won't be any fat loss by doing this.
 
I used to keep a constant tight core, basically continuous good posture to aid my general shape.
I won't say this was responsible for it, as I still use the same posture and have since gone from 27 to 32/33 inch waist by doing higher load squats and deadlift. It did however help with a number of things and I would recommend it.
 
Luckily I already have good posture - I'm told so quite often, and it certainly helps with looking taller. Hahah~ The trouble is that I don't even have an inch of fat to pinch on my waist/stomach (at least when I stand up). I could be described as a 'pear' I suppose because the only obvious fat I have is in the bum+thigh area, which is fine by me it can stay there. Yet I would love that inch off the waist.

I hear that sit-ups, oblique work, etc make the waist bigger. Actually I know that they do. I used to work my abdominal muscles often due to sports and had a 24" waist, and once I stopped working them the muscle went away and it shrank to 23" in a few months. (I'm really hoping these transverse abdominals are the secret muscles that get smaller when you work them instead of bigger. Maybe?)

Realistically, is the only option to lose fat? There's no muscle work that will shrink the waist instead of building it? As I mentioned I hardly have any abdominal fat to work with; I’m 5’4” and 104 lbs with a small frame. I’ve never intentionally tried to lose fat before, but perhaps I could lose 3 - 5 pounds if I worked hard enough though.

( Sorry I’m not very knowledgeable with regards to exercise, I’m a newbie with these things :] )
 
If there is basically no fat around the middle and you are that small waisted now it is time to consider the possibility that going smaller could be dangerous.
The core muscles are the only thing giving support to your lumbar spine. If they are taking up that amount of room there is a good chance they have to in order to provide this support and avoid you becoming one of millions with serious back issues.
The transverse are the muscle that pulls everything in, and pulling in constantly, not just at workout times, could help tighten that up and shrink your waist a little. If it doesn't time to be glad your spine is supported.
Sorry if this is not the news you wanted.
 
Hey no worries. Gathering information is all about hearing different, and even conflicting, opinions. I'm glad to learn what I can, and I hope to receive more input on this topic as well. : ]

Thanks~!
 
An update. I have been doing the stomach vacuum daily for a few months - usually every morning while brushing teeth, etc.

And my waist has been 22.5 or 23 inches every time I measure lately.

I don't own a scale, as I only get weighed at the doctor's office, so it could be weightloss I suppose. Or the stomach exercises could be doing their job of keeping my middle small and taunt. Either way, my waist has gotten a tiny bit smaller without compromising my curvy hips, so I'm super happy.

Maybe this can work for others too! It might be worth a try if anyone is after a low waist-hip-ratio.

Cheers ~
 
Yeah, it's a convenient exercise because you can do it nearly anywhere once you have it down. Even while you drive!
 
Zenith said:
I hear that sit-ups, oblique work, etc make the waist bigger. Actually I know that they do. I used to work my abdominal muscles often due to sports and had a 24" waist, and once I stopped working them the muscle went away and it shrank to 23" in a few months.
Click to expand...

Crunches make your waist bigger by building abdominal muscles. So no, I will not do crunches; I want to avoid having a thick waist. I have known girls who think working obliques constantly and doing crunches everyday will get them a tiny feminine waist, but it turns out it just makes the waist bulky. Not a pretty sight.
 
^ A lot of people actually do stomach vacuums and other transversus abdominis exercises to reduce back pain. Physios recommend these exercises a lot for that very purpose.
 
That's really cool! I didn't know stomach vacuums helped with back pain as well. Good to know. :]

I'm so glad they're working to make my waist smaller too.
 
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