Il abdominal vacuum or "stomach vacuum", Literally thestomach aspiration, is a technique of belly breathing; this exercise helps tone the abdomen, especially the deepest part, the most useful for making the stomach flat.
A lot of people perform endless series of abdominal crunches of various types, without however obtaining great results; Incorporating the vacuum into your training routine will certainly help you achieve greater abdominal definition. 
Index
INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL ABDOMINALS
The abdominal region is made up of internal and external muscles; among the external ones we have the rectus abdominis and the external obliques, both stressed during the classic crunch sessions.
The internal abdominals include the transverse abdominis and the lumbar multifidus.
There is very little talk of these muscles and they are the most underestimated; they are located below the rectus abdominals and obliques, support posture and control deep breathing during exertion.
Strengthening the internal abdomen can help relieve back pain, add explosive power to workouts and help make the abdomen more defined.
HOW TO PERFORM THE ABDOMINAL VACUUM
The abdominal vacuum consists of one isometric contraction (stretches the muscle without moving it) of the transversus of the abdomen; a stronger abdominal transversus helps to better manage exhalation during an intense workload and to reduce the waistline in a short time.
Working on this abdominal area will also help you get a greater control over the abdominals and will give greater assistance in explosive exercises.
The abdominal vacuum takes a lot of training, but it is extremely effective. There are two ways to do it:
- Departure lying back on the ground: place your hands on your stomach, inhale and then exhale all the air from your lungs, expand your chest and try to push in the navel towards the spine.
- Quadruped departure: inhale and let the belly fall towards the floor when you exhale, now push the belly in while keeping the lumbar area still; it sucks in the navel and thus activates the transverse muscles. This position is more difficult than starting lying down, because there is a tendency to curve the spine, which, on the other hand, should always remain stable.
HOW MANY REPETITIONS?
If you are a beginner starts by running between 5 and 10 breaths; hold the position for 5 seconds and then gradually increase up to 30 seconds.
You can do the abdominal vacuum 3 times a week, also in conjunction with the other abdominal exercises; after a few weeks of exercise you will be able to do it too 3 sets of 60 seconds and you will already see remarkable results.
ABDOMINAL VACUUM: ADVICE
- Perform the abdominal vacuum preferably on an empty stomach and between meals;
- Do not vacuum if you suffer from inguinal hernia, as it could increase intra-abdominal pressure;
- Integrate vacuum exercises into your classic abdomen routine;
- Once you have mastered the technique well, you can also do it standing up and at various times of the day, even outside of training;
Have you ever tried to perform the abdominal vacuum? Let us know in the comments!
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