Exercise of the Month

 

TVA....... not TBA!  Your Transverse Abdominis (TVA) muscle is one of the most important muscles in your body.  It is the deepest muscle of your abdominal wall and circles around your waist at belly button height.  It is very important to make sure that you engage your TVA and regain strength in it because it is the main stabilizer for your lower back.  You will perform your exercises with better quality, and have an overall better look to your core.  Think of your TVA as your body's natural weight lifting belt.  Needless to say, the exercise for this month is a TVA contraction.  This is one of the very first exercises that I share with my clients when they start with me so I thought I should do the same for all of you!  Check out the link below for correct form and explanation of how to do a Transverse Abdominis contraction.

www.get2thecorefitness.com/exercise-week-transverse-abdominis-tva-contraction/

 

 

 

Join the Mom Squad as we take time September 20^th to Re-Ignite the fire in our hearts for Christ and His presence in our homes and families.  Registration is kicking off, so make sure to sign-up quickly, availability is limited to 100 participants!  We can’t wait to start off the fall season by fellowshipping with you and setting our hearts ablaze for Him! Check this out: Re-Ignite Registration

Jelly Belly

If I could only share one thing with you it would be that you don't need to do a ton of sit-ups.... "What?  You're not having me do sit ups today?"  NO!  Done with the sit-ups!  Why you may ask?  Well, when you do your exercises correctly, you don't need to.  You are activating your core muscles more by contracting them during your regular workout than doing a crunch.

Everyone has muscle in their stomach - for some people you just have to find it.  Pregnancy and hysterectomies have led some women to be completely out of touch with their abdominal muscles. 

To find them again, below is a video on transverse abdominis (TVA) contraction, one of the most important muscles and exercises you could ever learn.  Once you have mastered the TVA exercise just add saying "shhh" like when you are shushing your kids, or "hah" when you are laughing with your kids, then you are contracting your core muscles correctly. (You'd think we'd all have super- model flat stomachs then wouldn't you?!?)

http://get2thecorefitness.com/exercise-week-transverse-abdominis-tva-contraction/

But it's more than that to get rid of the Jelly Belly.....

A University of Virginia Study found that women who did high-intensity workouts had significantly less belly fat than those who worked out the same amount of time and calories but at an easier level.  For those who don't get how intense "high intensity" is, it's not a "la la la" stroll in the park.  It's a suck in the oxygen, feel the lungs burn, kind of exercise......... I've been telling my clients this forever.  Well, at least now I have proof!


So here are my tips for the day:

1. Learn to engage your TVA correctly and contract the abs all the time. 
2. The harder you work, the less belly fat you'll have.  So don't just workout.  Workout HARD!  That being said if you are working out for more than an hour, you probably are not working hard enough.  Because if you are pushing yourself like you should, you wouldn't have the strength and energy to keep going longer. 
3. It's cardio too...... not a ton of sit-ups!!!!