New Coming Year, New Better Belly! - Contracting Exercise

Link to 1st Part: MEN & DIASTASIS: What Are Diastasis Safe Exercises For Men? Exercise 1: The Elevator Exercise[1st OF 3 PARTS]

Contracting is done in the same seated position as Elevators, with back support, a neutral spine, and knees at a 90-degree angle.

1. Ribs are in and hands are resting on upper and lower belly to ensure backward movement. (You should feel a shallow movement of the upper abdomen and a deep movement of the lower abdomen.)
2. Belly goes from 3rd to 5th floor.
3. Squeeze and hold the backward movement. To strengthen a muscle effectively you need to provide resistance. Squeezing and holding at 5th floor does exactly that. So imagine there is a piece of Velcro on your inner spine so your belly button gets stuck there for a moment. That is a good image to help you squeeze and hold your belly button at 5th floor. Many of my clients actually do the exercises and say”squeeze and hold 1”
4. Control the release. When you release do not release to 1 st floor. Just release it alittle. It is a small movement.
5. Count out loud. Remember the louder you count the more oxygen you get.
6. 1 set is 100 of these squeezes.
7. Takes 2 1/2 minutes.

If you feel out of breath you are probably doing the exercises too fast. Slow it down and count louder. After the exercise you should be feeling it in both your back and your belly. If you are not feeling it, you are probably not squeezing and holding it for a moment.

If a muscle is weak (which is probably true of your transverse muscle), it will ask another muscle to help do the exercises. So your abs will probably ask your shoulders, legs or buttocks to help. Their top choice is usually the shoulders. That is why it is so important to have your back rest on a pillow so the muscles in your back are not working to support your back which is what they have to do if you are sitting in the proper position without a pillow. Whatever body part your abs ask, …… have them just say no….you are on your own! Initially you may want to do the exercises in front of a mirror so you can see if you are lifting and tightening your shoulders. You will know if you are because you will feel lots of tension in your shoulders and upper back if you are doing this. I have my clients close their eyes when doing these exercises so they can see the transverse muscle working and also to get more of an awareness if they are working other muscles. My cue is to soften your chest and shoulders.

Remember you are starting with a weak transverse muscle. Just like any other muscle your are strengthening for the first time, so it may get sore.

If you have any type of pelvic floor prolapse you will want to decrease the number of repetitions. Start with 25 repetitions and work your way up. You do not want to feel pressure in your pelvic floor. If you do, you want to stop. To test what I mean by pressure, put your hand on your pelvic floor and do the exercises. If you feel something moving into your hand that is a sign of pressure. You will want to engage the pelvic floor before you start the exercise. Visualize the muscle lifting as you engage it.

WATCH OUT FOR THE 3rd PART "What Are Diastasis Safe Exercises For Men? [PART 3] Exercise  3: Headlifts "

The Tupler Technique® is a prescription for core-strength to treat abdominal separation for women, men, & children wanting a flatter belly, strong back & smaller waist.

To learn more about Diastasis Recti & the Tupler Technique® read this article: DIASTASIS RECTI RESEARCH AND EVIDENCED BASED EXERCISE PROGRAM

To view my programs click this link: Program Packages for Men

Watch the short video below to know what a diastasis is.