With most parts of the body, the more you work it, the larger it gets. But that’s because the muscle is situated over bone. With the torso, although the abdominal muscles get larger when exercised, they reduce the overall size of the waist. This is because they are situated over a cavity containing your organs, and one of the purposes of the abdominal muscles is to hold in your internal organs. To narrow your waist, you need to burn more calories than you take in and perform effective ab exercises that tighten the abdominal girdle.
Ball Passes
Ball passes require a lot of concentration, which is good because it allows you to forget just how hard you’re working both your upper and lower abs. The “Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding” describes the ball pass as being one of the most difficult and effective of all ab exercises. Lie on the ground, stretched completely out with your hands over your head holding a medicine ball. Crunch your abs and perform a leg lift to place the medicine ball between your ankles, then straight back out. Perform the same action to return the medicine ball to your hands, and repeat in sets of 10 reps. Be conscious of keeping your lower back flat on the ground, not arched.
Plate Twists
Plate twists also work the upper and lower abdominals, along with the oblique abdominals, making it a very efficient exercise for slimming the waist. To perform a plate twist, sit on the ground holding a plate or medicine ball. Bend your knees so that the soles of your feet are flat on the ground. Lean back, then rotate as far as you can to each side. If you can, touch the plate to the ground. To increase core and lower abdominal activation, lift your feet off the ground and balance on your butt. Perform in sets of 10 to 20 reps.
Heel Touchers
Heel touchers cause the upper abs to contract intensely over an extended period of time as you work your obliques. Having strong obliques will make your waist appear slimmer when you are viewed from the front or back. To perform heel touchers, lie on your back on an exercise mat. Bend your legs so that the soles of your feet are on the ground. Crunch up, then lean from side to side and touch one heel, then lean to the other to touch the other. Because you stay crunched throughout the set, the contraction will go very deeply into the muscle, letting you know that your abs are working hard. Perform sets of 10 to 20 reps.
Inclined Leg Raises
Incline leg raises will focus on the lower abdominals, which are often overlooked even though they play an important role in holding in the belly. To perform inclined leg raises, lie on an inclined ab board with your head at the high end. Lift your legs until there is no arch in your lower back so that it fully presses against the board. That is the lowest point you’ll go to as you perform the exercise. Lift your legs, bending at the waist. At the top your butt should roll just a bit away from the pad as you crunch your abdominals. Lower your legs and repeat. Perform in sets of 10 to 20 reps.
Deadlift
There are many core muscles that don’t get properly worked during ab-specific exercises, but according to “Strength Training Anatomy,” they all get worked during the deadlift. Deadlift requires the use of almost every muscle group in the body, and it requires your core to flex all the way through in order to create an internal pressure that prevents your spine from folding forward under the very heavy weight. In fact, your core is activated to such a degree that a study published in the January 2008 issue of the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that deadlift is a more effective core workout than fitness ball exercises. Regular deadlifts will strengthen the girdle of muscles that hold in your stomach and narrow your waist.
