 waistline
Some things you already know but I'll say it for others who wonder the same thing: We all store fat differently--under the skin and in the body cavity. Some have high under the skin storage but have overall low levels of body fat. A great example is the swimmer body. A swimmer is lean but smooth because they store what little fat they have right under the skin as a defense against hypothermia over years of swimming. Some people have this problem just genetically. Then, there are those who are opposite. They have little fat under the skin and look tight but store their fat disportionately high in the body cavity. It is not seen but it pushes the stomach out. If you ever see a guy with a huge beer belly it may not look all that gooey. That's because he stores the fat around the organs. Thus, losing weight/fat will shrink that gut. Then there is the thick waisted build. Some people have short waists and low hung ribs that give them a thick waist that cannot be helped. The thick waist may have some mechanical advantages for what it's worth.
Then there are those who are just fat. Then there are those who just keep their stomach relaxed and so it hangs.
My suggestion for those with a lazy stomach: train the abs 5-7 days a week. I'd do 1-2 days a week "heavy" either weighted or on an incline sit up board. Then, the other days go light with higher reps, say 20 for 1-2 sets of various exercises: cable crunches, swiss ball crunches, floor crunches etc... This will keep your abs tight feeling everyday. I have found that a little ab work a day goes a long way. Another "trick" I've learned to train the stomach is to pull your belt around your pants a little tighter than usual (just a notch--don't strangle your waist). This reminds you throughout the day to hold your stomach in.
 |