No More Muffin Tops! Lose Them Now!
Forget all the fads and gimmicks; they don't work in the long run. In fact, a lot of them actually do more long-term damage to your body, both metabolically and structurally, than benefit it.
Beyond this, there are a couple of issues that can cause the dreaded muffin top. One of them is poor posture. As a result of being part of a society that sits in front of computers for eight to ten hours a day, our hip flexors and sometimes the rectus femoris (i.e. a quad muscle that crosses both the hip and knee joints) can become tight.
The result is anterior pelvic tilt with a corresponding increase in lumbar lorsdosis (i.e. increased arch), which often leads to a more pronounced lower abdomen. In addition, from sitting for all of these hours, our glutes are often not engaged as effectively as they should be and therefore lose their tone, which can lead to a bit of a pancake butt as well. So, we will address this issue too.
First of all, a quick way to check to see if your hip flexors and/or rectus femoris are tight (i.e., short) is to perform something called the Thomas Test. Sit on the end of a table and flex one hip toward your chest while bending your knee. Grab the front of your knee with both hands; interlacing the fingers (Thomas Test start position, above image, left photo) and gently lie back on the table so that you are pulling one knee in toward your body just enough so your lower back is in contact with the table. The other leg should be allowed to fall naturally into position (Thomas Test finish position, above image, right photo).
Ideally, the thigh will be in contact with the table and the lower leg will be perpendicular to the thigh (see above image on right). The main tightness issues in this test and for this post will show up in the following ways:
a)Thigh will be elevated off of the table (Thomas Test positive shortness in hip flexor, top image).
b)Thigh is flat on table, but lower leg is extended (Thomas Test positive shortness in rectus femoris, middle image).
c)Thigh is elevated and lower leg is extended (Thomas Test positive shortness in hip flexors and rectus femoris, bottom image).
The solution is to create more range of motion in the hip flexor, and the rectus femoris and strengthen the glutes and core.
For the flexibility part, try using the Half Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch and/or the Standing Quad Stretch if you had tightness in the rectus femoris as well as the hip flexor. For the Standing Quad Stretch, stand in front of a wall or some other vertical support. Place your left hand on the wall, and grab your right foot with your right hand and gently pull your heel toward your butt. (Standing Quad Stretch, below) Make sure you maintain a tall spine. Hold the stretch for 10 seconds and repeat two more times. To increase the stretch, you can slowly push your hips forward. Repeat on the other side.
As for the strengthening of the glutes and core, try adding these two moves into your routine:
1. Supine Glute Bridge with Mini-Band: Perform three to four sets of eight to 10 repetitions. You will take one second to rise up; hold for three to five seconds; then take two seconds to lower yourself. Repeat for the prescribed repetitions. Rest 30 seconds between sets. Wrap a mini-band around both leg just above your knees and lie on the floor so that you are facing the ceiling; your knees bent; your feet are flat on the floor and your arms are extended away from the body at about a 45-degree angle with your palms facing up. Before you actually begin, pull your toes up toward your shins so that only your heels are in contact with the floor (Supine Glute Bridge with Mini-Band, Bottom Position, below photo top move).
Next, while pressing outward slightly against the mini-band, raise your hips so that your knees, hips and shoulders form a straight line. Pause for three to five seconds in this position and return to the start position (Supine Glute Bridge with Mini-Band, Top Position, above photo, bottom move). Make sure that you push down through your heels and squeeze your butt as you lift your hips.
2. Prone Pillar Bridge (a.k.a. Plank): Perform 3 sets of 30-second holds. If you are not capable of performing a 30-second hold, you can use several mini sets of three second, five second or 10-second holds in order to work up to the 30-second hold. Rest 60 seconds between sets.
Start in a push up position, but keep your forearms on the ground and rest your weight on them. Your elbows should be directly underneath your shoulders. Your body should form a straight line from your ankle to your shoulders. (Prone Pillar Bridge, Top Position, bottom image) Make sure you tighten your core; squeeze your glutes and work up to a 30-second hold in this top position.
If the Prone Pillar Bridge is too difficult, or you have other issues that would prevent you from getting into that position, you can use a 45-degree Incline Plank. (45 Degree Incline Plank, Top Position, top image). Everything is the same as the plank above except now your forearms are resting on a table or bench, allowing you to have to support less of your body weight.
Now that you ladies are standing up tall and proud, let's hear from my co-author Brooke Kalanick about why we lay down so much fat around our middles:
You've probably all heard that cortisol -- your main stress hormone -- is behind the belly bulge, but that's only part of the story. Cortisol is secreted in response to any stress: Cold, fasting, starvation, loss of blood, hemorrhage, surgery, infection, pain, inflammation, lack of sleep, emotional trauma and intense exercise. When you don't manage cortisol well, you start to store more fat around the middle and less in the extremities -- your arms and legs lean out and your midsection fat increases. You might also be achy and sore all over; don't tolerate exercise well; and notice a puffy look to your face.
But how does cortisol flab up your midsection? Despite popular notions, it is not cortisol alone that is the problem. More accurately, it is the combo of insulin and cortisol. Whenever blood sugar rises, because of what you've eaten or because you are under stress (wherein cortisol raises your blood sugar), you have a subsequent rise in insulin.
If at the end of the day you've secreted more cortisol, and subsequently more insulin, than you have lean hormones, such as testosterone, growth hormone and even progesterone to some extent, you will be in a relatively high cortisol state. The most important thing you can do to lower your cortisol levels is to manage cortisol with better diet, exercise and lifestyle choices -- particularly how you handle stress.
Do your best to keep stress in check, ask for support when needed and employ the diet suggestions below to manage cortisol, and insulin in particular, and melt away the midriff:
Control Cortisol
Eat regularly. Missing meals will increase cortisol, so eat every three to four hours to avoid adding more stress. This may just be the single best diet tip as it not only manages stress hormones, but it helps avoid overeating as well.
By all means, eat breakfast! Skipping breakfast will force you to secrete more stress hormones to get your blood sugar up -- after all you've been fasting for at least eight hours.
Get enough sleep. You've probably noticed when you're exhausted the donuts seem to call your name. High cortisol will increase your cravings for fatty and sugary foods -- making it a battle of wills to stay on track.
Work harder, not longer. Avoid too much moderate intensity, long duration exercise like jogging. Higher intensity, shorter bursts of exercise like intense weight training or sprint style cardio are stressful for sure -- but cortisol in this situation actually sparks more fat burning by triggering lean hormones like growth hormone and testosterone. Bring stress hormones right back down after these tough workouts with a Recovery Shake (more on this in "Ultimate You") of 30g whey protein, half cup berries and one teaspoon of honey made with ice and water.
Booze is no good for the belly. More than empty calories, alcohol turns fat storing into high gear by lowering testosterone. It also causes blood sugar swings. One reason you may find you wake in the middle of the night or have otherwise restless sleep after drinking alcohol: Your blood sugar dips and you secrete stress hormones to get it back up and those stress hormones, which wake you. Blood sugar swings will cause more stress and thus more cortisol, adding to belly fat. Ideally one to two drinks once or twice a week is the max for fat loss.
Manage Insulin
Don't be fooled by headlines. One of the most common article titles of late is "Flat Belly Foods" -- which is a bit misleading. Eating more of certain super foods will do less for the muffin top than skipping the muffins. For fat loss, keep starchy carb intake between one-third to a half cup per meal (remember, maintenance can mean more carbs, but keep it a bit lower to lose fat quicker).
Start the day off favoring fat burning versus fat storing. Experiment with a "low insulin breakfast" of veggie fiber, protein and some healthy fat. For example a veggie omelet with a quarter cup nuts would fit the bill.
Fill up on fiber. Fiber (and high quality lean proteins) is the true flat belly food -- and we're talking veggie fiber here, not grains. Fibrous veggies will fill you up, which helps you avoid overeating, but fiber also keeps your meal from entering your blood stream too fast. This slowing down of digestion keeps you fuller longer and avoids drastic dips in blood sugar -- which again trigger cortisol and carb cravings.
Don't Forget the Sex Hormones
If your cycle is irregular, your PMS is severe, you're breaking out, or your experiencing menopausal symptoms you may have low progesterone and low testosterone -- the forgotten hormones of belly fat. Keeping cortisol and insulin in check is job one, but if you're still struggling to lose belly fat, be sure to get these hormones addressed.
As you can see, at least four major hormones are at play -- this is a great example of the hormonal symphony. Body fat in general, but particularly belly fat, reminds us that all our hormones needs to be in tune to have the body and health we're after. Unfortunately, belly fat is often the last to go ... so don't despair, keep working to get everything in balance and most of all -- don't stress over it!
Find more ways to tone your lower half with these moves to get rid of saddlebags. Our friends at Stylelist also have great tips on how to pick the perfect pair of jeans to avoid the muffin top.
Originally posted on http://www.thatsfit.com
About Joe Dowdell
Whether you're looking to bulk up, slim down, or get fit for a particular match or race, That's Fit has you covered. Joe Dowdell, personal trainer, strength coach and co-owner of one of Men's Health's top 10 gyms in America, is available to answer all of your training questions. Please send your questions to personaltrainer [AT] thatsfit [DOT] com. You can also follow Joe on Twitter.
Additional Fitness Articles You Might Find Interesting: