Real Men Vacuum

[All you needed to do is vacuum for great abs.]

Most people look at me like I have 3 eyes when I tell them the secret to great abs is to start vacuuming. Especially most of my male clients since many of them have never touched a vacuum in their life (Joking!....sort of).

While most people are struggling away with endless crunches, situps and twist variations, you can now vacuum your way to the stomach you’ve always desired. By incorporating this simple technique into your current routine, you can create amazing results.

Of course I’m not referring to running a vacuum over your home floor or worse, somewhere where the sun doesn’t shine.

Instead I’m referring to an ancient ayurvedic yoga muscle activation technique that allows you to develop your inner abdominal muscles while giving you a lean strong outer stomach.

Why Vacuuming

This technique has continuously been used by many of the world’s top bodybuilders, including Arnold Schwarzenegger, to sculpt narrow V-cut abdominals while maintaining a small waist.

Vacuuming focuses primarily on developing the Transversus Abdominus (your true core.

The deepest layer of muscle beneath your abs) and the Lumbar Multifidus (the muscle chain that incases and runs between each vertebrae), which by the way, you owe a great deal of gratitude and praise for their continual commitment to maintaining your posture and controlling deep breathing during power movements like heavy squats.

Don’t even get me on my soap box about the health benefits of vacuuming for your digestive tract and your breathing, which affects everything. (See my blog post “ Core Values”)

Since these muscles rarely get the proper attention it's important to develop them to reduce, if not fully relieve back pain, remove inches off your waist and add explosive power to your training.

So whether you are a professional body builder or desk jockey, now you can achieve a proper ab workout anytime, anywhere.

How to vacuum

There are two areas of the core that you must understand to execute and receive the benefits of vacuuming. Yoga refers to the sections of the stomach responsible for the vacuum by their Sanskrit (considered to be the oldest known written language) terms; the “Mula Bandha” (pelvic floor and lower abs) and the “Uddiyana Bandha” (Upper abdomen and serratus).

In yoga, the vacuum technology is a sequence of conscious abdominal contractions drawing energy up from the earth and locking the energy in the body to energize, cleanse and transform.

Most people will not be capable of performing a full yogic vacuum in the beginning and may need to consult a yoga practitioner or strength training coach if they desire to learn the complete vacuum described below in step 3 (Uddiyana Bandha).

That being said, the steps leading up to properly activating the bandhas, steps 1 and 2, will give you the proper foundation and versatility to progress and thrive in any fitness modality while achieving the stomach you’ve always desired. Think of this as a modified vacuum, a.k.a. life hack for today’s fitness world.

Step 1

To properly execute the vacuum we first must learn to set the foundation by engaging the mula bandha (pelvic floor and lower abdomen). The most simple way to describe this is to do a kegel or gently engage your groin as if to stop the flow of urine, while simultaneously drawing your lower abdomen toward your spine.

Step 2

Next take a breath in, keeping the mula bandha engaged, and then exhale the air completely out of your lungs. As the air leaves you will notice your top abdomen beginning to contract.

Continue until the air is out of your lungs and your top abdomen and serratus is fully engaged. Keep your entire abdomen engaged and engage your muhla bandha. Consciously draw your navel and top half of your stomach back toward your spine. Once you feel your top abdomen draw back, begin drawing them up into your ribcage.

Accentuate this by closing your throat and gently inhaling your abdomen upwards.

Hold for up to 5 seconds and then release your contraction slowly bringing your breathe back into your lungs.

Vacuum Workout

• Vacuum 3 non consecutive days each week. Preferably Monday, Wednesday & Friday
• 1 isometric contraction of “X” seconds = 1 repetition ( start at 5 seconds building to 10)
• 1 set of 10 repetitions each training period

Step 1 & 2 are the modified and safe version of the vacuum that will support you in learning to functionally brace your core in various strength training poses as well yoga asanas (poses) all while creating the abs of your dreams.

Master this portion of the vacuuming technique and then you can try it in a multitude of ways. Sitting, athletic stance, tabletop, lying face down and lying on your back are all great ways to utilize the vacuum for different effects.

* I also want to note that using this technique improved my Valsalva Maneuver (bracing the core) tenfold. This technique is used when preparing for a rep on a pushing, pulling or squatting movement. You engage your mula bandha, take a full breathe in, consciously engage the upper abdomen and serratus and begin lifting. Once you move 4/5 of the way through the lift exhale quickly drawing your entire abdomen in and then up while tightening the rib cage. I believe this technique is the main reason I have progress steadily throughout my fitness journey.

Step 3 (Professionals only - do not try this alone)

As I mentioned before most people will not be able to complete this step nor find benefit from attempting it without a professional teacher. However I would like to illustrate the full experience of a vacuum (uddiyana bandha).

Instead of returning the air back into your lungs as instructed on step 2 you should maintain conscious contraction of your entire abdomen into your ribcage.

Then begin to release only the serratus contraction letting the rib cage flair out creating more space for your contracted abdomen to draw higher up into your ribcage.

Once you have relaxation of the ribcage slowly breathe in while keeping your throat closed.

Instead of breathing in air you will actually draw your abdomen higher into your ribcage thus performing a full vacuum.

Make sure when releasing to release the contractions slow and breathe back in slow to allow your body to properly adjust.

I told you this 3rd step was a bit tricky, and it honestly should be taught to you in person. So for now stick to steps 1 and 2 and enjoy creating the abs you’ve always desired! I know it sounds too simple to be true, but honestly that’s the key to life. Keep it simple!

Josh was born and raised in Lexington, KY. He played collegiate soccer at Transylvania University where he also studied business and psychology. Upon graduating college in 2002 he chose to begin a professional career as a restaurateur. Josh watched his business grow exponentially over the course of a decade, while he watched his health steadily declined. In 2011 Josh developed a mysterious disease, that modern medicine could not explain. He decided to embark on an optimal health journey to discover a cure. His journey lead him to receive his certifications as a personal trainer, RKC Kettlebell instructor and Yoga Alliance instructor. Josh’s unique combination of business, personal training and ayurvedic nutrition experience organically spawned a system that is guaranteed to upgrade the life of everyone from office executive to professional athlete. Josh now pursues his passion in teaching others to find their perfect work, life balance.

Main Photo Credit: cristovao/shutterstock.com; Second Photo Credit: Jasminko Ibrakovic/shutterstock.com