On top of genetics, eating too many calories or too many fatty foods can cause you to store excess fat and gain weight. These factors will contribute to a larger waist size. Doing Russian twists or any abdominal exercises will only help tone your core, not shrink your waist.
Many people struggle with finding an effective way to target stubborn belly and waist fat. The good news is that exercises like crunches, Russian twists, and planks can help tone the muscles in your abdomen, which can make your waist appear slimmer.
To make the waist smaller, abdominal exercises such as sit-ups, bicycle kicks, Russian twists, crunches, planks, and leg raises. These target the core muscles and can use up the fats on the belly. But, to make the waist lean, a steady kind of calorie deficit is needed.
Russian twists target all three groups. “The primary muscles targeted during Russian twists are your obliques, which are the muscles on the sides of your abdomen,” says Emma. “They also engage your rectus abdominis (the 'six-pack' muscles) and your lower back muscles to stabilize your spine.”
Activities like running, cycling, and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) burn more calories and fat throughout the body, including the upper belly, lower belly, and obliques. So, while ab exercises can help define your core, it's a holistic approach that will help you lose the fat covering those muscles.
Go for twist exercises like the Russian twist, plank twist, and tummy twist exercises. These moves can help you get closer to your desire of a slimmer waist. They can also build core strength and burn calories. Begin incorporating these twist exercises to lose weight and tone your abs.
The proven strategies to reduce waist size are eating healthy and regular physical activity. Aerobic exercise burns overall calories and helps you reduce total body fat, especially if you make changes in your diet at the same time.
The Russian Twist engages your core muscles, including the obliques, abs, and lower back. These dynamic core moves improve your rotational strength and stability and isometric core strength, essential for a well-rounded fitness routine. By performing the Russian Twist, you're not just working your abs.
Incorporate strength or resistance training to build your upper and lower body muscles to create that silhouette. Add core workouts such as reverse crunches, leg raises, Russian twists, V-holds, weighted crunches, and planks to chisel up your abs. Consistently do cardio to burn up those calories and shed extra fat.
Russian twists are an effective exercise for targeting the obliques and transverse abdominis, helping to cinch the waistline and create definition.
1) Doing planks will shrink your waistline.
As the transversus abdominus gets stronger from doing planks, it will tighten your waistline all the way around in a way that crunches never could.
On average, one can expect to lose between 0.5 to 4 inches in a month.
Causes of a High Waist Circumference
A larger waist circumference is often caused by intra-abdominal visceral fat. Visceral fat is fat that develops between and around internal organs. This type of fat differs from "regular" fat that sits just beneath the skin and can be pinched.
Waist trainers can temporarily give you an hourglass shape by compressing your waist, but the effect is only temporary. Despite company claims that waist trainers can help you lose weight, strengthen your core, or burn fat, there's little scientific evidence to back this up.
Heel Grabber Waist Exercise
Lie on your back with your feet flat on the ground and your arms by your sides. Crunch up by raising your chest towards the ceiling. Engage your abs. Reach for your right heel with your right hand by gently sliding it.
The Science of Fat Loss
Think of it like a balloon losing air—it deflates, but doesn't disappear immediately. Over time, your body adjusts, but the jiggly feeling can be a temporary step along the way.