Stomach, butt
 

I'm getting a personal trainer in the fall, but till then it's just me so I need some help! I have a lot of fat on my stomach especially the sides(lovehandles) and I want to lift my butt and make it firm. Right now I'm doing situps the kind Brittany Spears does you touch your knees? I do not know what to call them. I'm also doing the scissor leg thing. I don't think this is targeting the sides of my stomach. Also how do I lift and firm my butt?

I have no clue what the exercise is called, but I believe it is supposed to target your obliques(?) sides of your torso. You lay on your back, knees bent as though you are going to do a sit up... then you roll your body either to the right or the left so your weight is on your hip. Then do a crunch in that position. Like doing a sit up, but at an angle. I know that will help tone and slim down the waistline. As far as actually losing fat on the waist, I think that generally good nutrition and good exercise routine will slim you down all over. And if you carry a lot of your weight in your stomach, I think that is where you will notice the most change. That's just my uneducated opinion...

The squat is one of the very best exercises for the backside. You can do them without weight or with. The key is to squat "ass on the ground low" as my workout partner calls it. You don't REALLY put your ass on the ground, you just squat till you're as low as you can go. If it is hard at first, you can do what is called a "box squat"- use a low seat or bench and squat down to it (as if sitting down) and then back up.
While you squat, you must keep your abs TIGHT and don't let your back roll out.
Oh, and sit up SLOWLY, while squeezing your glutes.

When I was first learning how to exercise, at the advice of a friend, I went out and bought Weights for Dummies. This tape has 12 basic exercises on it. Squat, Lunge, Pilea (spelling), push ups, sit ups, obliques, arm, chest and back exercises. I started out doing it with 3 lb weights and worked my way up from there. I think it's a great tape to get the basics down and make sure you are doing it correctly. I am sure you can find this at Walmart, I think that's where I got it.

The FIRM also has a lot of tapes that focus on all areas of the body for toning. The FIRM tapes move pretty quick and can be kind of complicated the first few runs through if you aren't used to exercising, but very very well worth the effort.

You could always Bend knees lay them to one side while your on your back, proceed with cruches, then switch legs to next side and proceed with 2 sets of 12 reps. This has helped mine some.

I didn't have time to read all the replies to this so I'm sorry if I duplicate what others have said.....

What you want is EXACTLY what I want.....lose the belly and tone and lift the butt. Well, I read you said you are doing sit-ups? I don't knwo if you mean sit ups, or crunches. If it is indeed "sit-ups", ALL professional and serious exercisers and trainers say they are worthless. So make sure what you are doing is crunches. So target the sides lay on your side, knees raised and "crunch" to the side. Make sure to squeze your abdominals in. If you do the crunches w/o holding your ab's in the muscle you build will be sticking out rather far. That's the best way I can think to describe it. The muscles will build that way. if you want them flat and hard, hold them in.

Squats and lunghes (spelling ?) are great for the butt. I personally hate them! :roll: They are hard and that's why they work! Another that's great is on all fours, start with one leg raised and bent 90 degrees, and lift. Another way, do all the above and then turn the leg out (so it's parallel with the floor) and lift. Even harder is to lower the upper part of your body to the floor so you are resting on your forearms. Even better for the butt!

One more word.....not to discourage you.....but this things will not cause you to lose WEIGHT in those areas. You can not spot reduce.....but it's great to be doing what you are because once you get the weight off you will have beautiful muscles that you will finally be able to see.

Keep it up. You seem really focused and that's what it takes! BEST of luck!!! :wiggle:

May I recommend two previous threads?

http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=164162 - abs

http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=168349 - butt

I'm not trying to do exercises to spot reduce or lose weight that will come with exercise and eating right, I just need to tone up BADLY. Thanks for the help guys. Yes I am doing crunches, I doubt I could get my self off the ground to my knees to do the old kind of sit ups! I've lost 32lbs and my stomach is the same, I hate this. From what I get here I need to do the crunch I'm doing now just a little differently. I saw Extreme Makeover last night the exercise guy said lunges are a waste of time for the butt and to do some odd 45 degree thing. I have no clue either way what it does, but I will definitely try it and check out the links.

Thanks!

Hi there - my goals are like yours and I'm already starting to see results.

For the butt - walking lunges! Start out without adding any weight, and lunge about 15 steps or the length of any room - I do 5 sets of these, and you can add weight by holding dumbbells while you "walk". It is challenging to say the least - I started the first couple of months with no extra weight, and really had to work on balance. I now can do my last set with 15 lbs in each hand - and do you ever feel it!

For abs, I do a superset 3 times. I start with crunches, then go immediately into side crunches, then leg lifts. Rest for 1 minute, then repeat. I started with 12 - 15 crunches, 6 - 8 side crunches each side, and 12 - 15 leg lifts. I can now do my first set at 30, 15 and 30 then the last 2 sets at 20, 10 and 20. It's amazing how quickly your body adapts.

I've lost a total of about 60 pounds so far so I am starting to see the muscles I'm building under all the fat. It definitely works, in conjunction with overall weight loss.

Good luck to you!