Does Tightening Your Stomach Make You Get Abs?

A lot of people wish for flat abdominal muscles. But what about achieving flat abs without having to work much at it? You may have heard that merely tightening your ab muscles while standing, sitting, or lying down is an effortless (if not magic) way to get drum-tight abdominals.

Although it sounds too good to be true, there are simple stomach-tightening exercises that can indeed contribute significantly to the muscle tone of your abdominal wall. Just don't expect to get flat abs out of it if stomach tightening is all you're going to do.

Getting strong abs takes work. Here are stomach-tightening techniques you can try to help the abs along.

Stomach-Tightening Methods

The muscle-toning benefit from stomach-tightening exercises is real, despite not giving you washboard abs. The two main approaches to doing this are called hollowing and abdominal bracing. Both have been shown to increase abdominal muscle mass and stability in research.

What's more, consciously clenching your stomach muscles while doing abdominal exercises enhances activation of the muscle fibers, adding to your progress. Len Kravitz, PhD, professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, New Mexico, suggests that even visualizing your stomach muscles in a state of taut contraction will add to your workout.

Holding-Your-Stomach-In Benefits

The review in the Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology examined the effects of the hollowing exercise, which researchers found to be effective for reducing lower back pain. The exercise can be performed sitting, standing, or lying down, according to the American Council on Exercise.

To do the move, draw the navel gently toward the spine while maintaining relaxed, normal breathing and avoiding pelvic or rib movement. The stomach should be contracted slowly; avoid movement of pelvis and chest. The exercise is also known as “abdominal hollowing” and the “stomach vacuum.”

Researchers found that both hollowing and bracing strengthened the transverse abdominus, which is the deepest abdominal muscle and is often implicated in lower back pain. Hollowing also strengthens the internal and external obliques.

Brace Yourself for Strength

Abdominal bracing is the second way to strengthen your stomach with simple tightening maneuvers.

To do the move, imagine preparing your stomach muscles for a punch in the gut, according to Burlington Sports Therapy. You’d automatically contract and stiffen your midriff to brace for the jolt, right? You simply tighten your tummy muscles.

That’s abdominal bracing, which is a key component of the plank and its many variations, as well as pushups. Abdominal bracing activates all three layers of the entire abdominal wall, causing them to bind together. It works both the deep and superficial muscles.

Unlike hollowing, bracing doesn’t require you to suck in your gut. Another way to think about it is clinching your waist to lock in a belt hold that’s just a little too tight. Like hollowing, bracing can be done standing, sitting, or lying down. You can even do these particular stomach exercises while sitting at work.

These exercises can support back health and core function but won’t by themselves reduce abdominal fat or create visible six packs. You can strengthen all you want underneath, but if you don’t reduce the fat over the top of your abs, they won’t be visible.

These exercises can be a great way to start core strengthening for someone who is not currently exercising, but post-injury or post-surgery use should be guided by a physician. Please advise to check with your physician if you are recovering from surgery or another injury.