People will do anything to get the body shape they desire, usually resorting to hazardous extremes to do so - and I'm not just talking about dieting, plastic surgery or muscle-toning systems that send mild electric shocks that can cause brain hemorrages.
If you're going to obtain a physical injury in very little time, you're more likely to do it when utilizing various gradual body-molding exercises ranging from intense muscle-building workouts in the gym (known to cause muscle tears or fractured bones in the libs or chest) to simple walks or jogs in the park. In certain cases, a little trip on your foot due to unawareness of the surface environment is all you need to go soaring onto the ground and landing in the emergency room with a severed arm or shattered leg. That, and the possibility of skull injury or the splitting of the skin on your forehead, on account of walking into hard or sharp surfaces that could be dangling in front of your face without you knowing it - until it's too late.
That doesn't mean you should quit exercise altogether - exercise is extremely essential for the body and allows for a prolonged life, helping large numbers of people to live until their late 80's or 90's, sometimes sometimes even past age 100. The problem is that there's a risk for almost every exercise and you have to be immensely cautious. And that especially applies to models who feel that their bodies are not fit to match those constantly promoted in media such as films, television, magazines and the internet.
Although a lot of people who go into modeling focus on strengthening the muscles in their arms, legs and chest when exercising, there's no doubt that the section beginning models are most concerned with is the abdominal region. If there's one thing concerning appearance that any model dreads, it "ab flab" - and that's a particular problem that emerges for men or women posing in swimwear and undies. Has anyone ever seen a Victoria's Secret ad featuring an Angel with flab in her abs? It's no wonder so many lingerie models tend to go anorexic, and even some of those models can still have a serious case of flabby skin to pinch.
Fortunately, there is a method of exercise where both men and women can get the strong abs they want and have a 0% risk of physical injury - and no, I'm not talking about yoga. In fact, it constantly mentioned by people either as a joke or light-hearted suggestion whenever their friends are making important public appearances and tend to grow nervous, or by doctors doing physical exams on patients -
"Suck in the gut."
Yes, it's true. The more you become a casual gut-sucker, the more you're likely to get the abs you want than if you walk, run or pump iron. The method works as a simple three-process: Squeeze-Hold-Release (SHR for short).
And the best part about it, aside from the fact that it's a quick exercise and you can actually do this while either standing up, sitting down, walking or lifting weights anywhere - even when you're eating and drinking! - is that the arms, legs and chest benefit from it too!
How does it really work? Just follow these simple instructions, memorize the info and you can't go wrong:
1) Squeeze your muscles beginning with your abdominal region, and working your way slowly to the muscles in your hips, legs, arms, hands and fingers. The abdominal region will act as a core from which all the muscles will be tightened. Certain exercises work only for certain muscles - walking, jogging, running, and hiking for legs; weight lifting for legs and arms - but you'll feel a bigger difference by squeezing in the abs and spreading out, like an earthquake in the middle of the ocean that grinds beneath the water and sends out tsunamis across the water surface.
2) Hold those abdomindal muscles and all the other muscles in tight for 30 seconds to 2 minutes. Breathe regularly, and don't stop to hold your breath - breathing is not the same as muscle tightening, and the body needs plenty of oxygen in order for the muscles and other organs to function properly. You can, however, close your eyes and think pleasant thoughts to take your mind off the strain if you think it's too much.
3) Release slowly, letting out some air as you do so. If you release too quickly, you're likely to get stomach cramps.
It's better to start the SHR method with 2-3 repetitions per day, and increase the number gradually. If you must, try doing it while gently walking in place or lifting small cushioned weights. If you want to eat something, make it light and avoid lifting weights during SHR.
And whatever you do, don't drink any alcoholic beverages, as you may feel dizzy while following the method if you do so - you're doing SHR to get wonderful abdominal muscles, not nuke brain cells. If you're going to drink alcohol, do it afterwards, and make sure the alcoholic beverage has plenty of antioxidants. If you want to drink during the exercise, make sure that the beverage is something like fruit juice, tea or water (soda's ok too, just as long as you don't drink it every single day).
It might take a while before you get the desired smooth, sexy and sometimes ripping results, but mark my words, after using this totally safe and doctor-recommended method, you won't be disappointed at all.
