Your Abs: The Inside Story

Who wants a pot belly? No one, right?

If you’re like most people, you probably wish you had some killer abs. Unfortunately, genetics plays a strong role in your ability to achieve a washboard stomach. If you’re apple shaped, for instance, you’re more likely to carry your weight around the middle part of your body.

Don’t worry, we’re here to teach you the basics behind your abdominal muscles—as well as how you can maximize results.

But let’s first cover the basics.

The Anatomy of Abs

The abs are located on the front and flanks of the lower portion of the torso, the rectus abdominus, the transverse abdominus, and the obliques. This entire muscle group attaches in different ways from the ribs down to the pelvis.

Rectus Abdominus

This muscle is responsible for flexing the spine and bringing the rib cage closer to the pelvis. It also provides the impression of deeply cut muscles between the six visible heads of the muscle.

Transverse Abdominus

This is the deepest core muscle that wraps around the entire abdominal area. This muscle is responsible for supporting the core of the trunk. This muscle has one major purpose – to keep your guts inside your body.

Obliques

These muscles allow us to move our core in numerous directions. They run diagonally across the body and also work to support the core during common motions and heavy lifting.

Which exercises will blast those abs into shape?

There are a variety of different ab exercises to help you flatten your stomach. Some of the most effective ones include:

Downward-Facing Dog

Place your hands and knees on the ground, and then walk your knees back a few inches until they’re behind your hips. Inhale, tuck your toes, and slowly exhale, straightening your legs as you bring your hips toward the ceiling. Keep hands firmly rooted to the mat. Remain in this position for three full breaths, come down, and sit back on your heels.

Bicycle Crunches

Lie on your back, with your hands clasped behind your head. Lift your shoulders up and bring your left knee to your chest, then extend your right leg out and twist your right elbow to your left knee. Repeat on the other side. Do a set of 10 on each side.

Hula Hoop

Hula loop for ten minutes and you’ll strengthen your abs, get a cardio workout, and improve your core body strength.

Scissor Lifts

Bring your legs straight up into the air so that they’re at a 90 degree angle to your torso. Engage your transverse ab muscles and lower your right leg down so that it’s just off the ground. Hold it there for a few seconds while keeping your pelvis stable, your tummy taut, and your back flat. Snap your right leg up, and repeat with your left leg.

Butterfly Abs

Lie on your back and place the soles of your feet together; relax your knees out to the side. Place your hands behind your head, with your elbows out. Tighten your abs, lift your chest and shoulders up, and then release back down.

Exercise Is Only Half the Battle

The other half? Diet. If you exercise but don’t follow a healthy diet, you’re not likely to get very far.

Happily, we’re here to help. Here’s some proven diet tips:

• Eat more fiber. To ditch the fat and show off chiseled abs, you need to eat at least 25 grams of fiber daily. Fiber, which is the indigestible part of fruit, vegetables, and whole grain foods, helps you show off your muscles. It’s important to add fiber slowly but consistently to prevent gas. For best results, increase your fiber intake slowly over the course of one month and drink lots of water to keep food moving through your system.

• Focus on eating a balanced healthy diet. Eat at least three to five servings of veggies, two to four servings of fruit, and one cup of complex carbs per meal. Avoid processed foods like fast food, snack cakes, cookies, and candies.

• Drink at least ten glasses of water per day. Beverages with little or no calories, caffeine or sodium, including herbal tea, are best. Avoid high sodium soups or sodas. Also watch your intake of alcohol and caffeine. Because both promote dehydration, alcohol and caffeine also can fatten abs.

• Eat five times a day. Your body needs food every three to four hours, so instead of eating three large meals a day, try scheduling five smaller meals throughout the day. You should also eat 2/3 of your calories before dinner. Your body needs calories when you’re active, not at night, when your metabolism is slowing down.

Need Help with Your Abs?

If exercise and diet aren’t producing noticeable results, then you may need a little extra help getting the stomach you’ve always wanted. Luckily, there are three med spa procedures that produce amazing results:

VelaShape

VelaShape is the only FDA-cleared body contouring device. It effectively and safely contours, shapes and slims the body by reducing cellulite and firming problem areas — all in as little as four treatments.

With VelaShape you can expect excellence.

That’s because VelaShape boasts four different components – radiofrequency, infrared light, vacuum suction and mechanical massage. The infrared light and radiofrequency energies allow VelaShape to precisely heat dermal and hypodermal tissue in the treatment area. This heating effect boosts fat cell metabolism and reduces the number and size of fat cells, thereby eliminating cellulite. At the same time, VelaShape’s mechanical massage rollers gently knead the area, increasing circulation, encouraging lymphatic drainage and eliminating fat cell byproducts and toxins. Finally, the vacuum suction technology smooths out dimples by stretching fibrous bands in the epidermis, reducing the appearance of cellulite. The end result of these high-tech applications is a significant reduction in body circumference and cellulite, and smoother, firmer skin.

Science supports VelaShape’s effects. People in clinical trials experienced an average of half an inch to a full three inches of circumferential reduction in treated areas after a series of four treatments. What’s more, their cellulite was reduced by up to 63%. Another clinical study showed that 85% of patients saw their thighs shrink up to three inches!

Thermage

Thermage is clinically-proven, unique radiofrequency treatment that can firm sagging, wobbly stomachs. Best of all, only one treatment is needed, and results last up to ten years!

Thermage often seems to work magic, but the science behind it is simple. Thermage works from the inside out. It transfers heat to the epidermis, which not only encourages collagen production, but also tightens existing collagen. Thermage effects this partly through radiofrequency technology, which produces electrical currents that causes collagen within the skin to contract and gradually reform. This is why most individuals experience dramatic tightening and smoothing of the skin over the six months following treatment. Since the outer layers of the skin are unaffected, there is almost no recovery time involved.

You’ll need only one Thermage treatment to reap all the benefits of its innovative technology. During the several months following treatment, you’ll see dramatically tighter, firmer and smoother skin on your stomach.

Zerona

Zerona is a cutting-edge body contouring procedure that effectively removes excess fat without any negative side effects. It emulsifies fat, enabling patients to lose inches from their waist, hips, thighs, and most importantly, the stomach.

Zerona utilizes cold laser technology, which emulsifies fat and allows it to move to interstitial space.

How does Zerona work? Zerona utilizes cold laser technology, which emulsifies fat and allows it to move to interstitial space. More specifically, the cold laser technology’s low-level laser stimulation exclusively releases the cellular contents of fat cells while leaving the capillaries and other cells within the interstitial space intact. By disrupting the cell’s membrane, the cell then releases its fat contents. Once the fat contents are released, the body’s lymphatic system absorbs it. Basically, Zerona procedures cause fat cells to shrink, resulting in a loss of inches on areas such as your waist and stomach.

Zerona treatments are so effective that most patients experience an average loss of 3.64 inches on their waist, hips, buttocks and thighs in a matter of weeks. Some patients even witness a nine inch circumferential reduction after their first series of treatments, and results can be seen in as little as fourteen days.

Get Your Killer Abs Back with LaserAway!

If you want a washboard abs, look no further. Make LaserAway a part of your killer ab routine.

LaserAway offers the most service options of any national skincare provider. Our staff is highly trained, experienced and certified in administering laser and other dermatological procedures, and we only use innovative techniques and cutting-edge laser technology. Our aim is to make your experience with us comfortable, enjoyable and satisfying. If you would like to set up a free, no obligation consultation, please email us at LaserAway.net or call us at (888) 965-2737. We look forward to your business!