Distended Stomach, Sucking in, and Daily Life

[BigA]

Hello Rip,

I have been reading about stomach vacuums recently and tried them out. This experiment left me with a few questions. I would just like to say first though that I fully understand that one should not lift this way and that it would be stupid to do so.

Overall, I have gained around 75 pounds in total (started at 175) after starting lifting and eating more food. I am 6 ft 1.5 inch so I used to be quite skinny. However, after around somewhere in early 200's mark, my stomach started to get bigger. I never really noticed it until lately when I have reached my currently stable weight of 250.

When I am fully relaxed, I have quite a big gut. It's actually kind of disconcerting to see, especially after eating. Breathing from my diaphragm is second nature to me (due to breathing exercises I do on my own for other purposes and the Valsalva maneuver) so my belly increases in size with each inhaling breath. At first, I thought it was just the way I am since I don't take any drugs like HGH that would cause organ hypertrophy (I don't take anything at all) but still, it was kind of bizarre because the rest of me is not fat. I am not ripped but I have reasonable muscle definition, it's just my gut sticks out absurdly.

So, after trying out these vacuums (I don't do a full one, I am just basically trying to pull my lower abs into my navel), I noticed a dramatic change in my belly size. Sucking in my lower abs makes my stomach look flat and consequently, the rest of me looks a lot better. I almost have abs at 250, it surprised me. It was, in fact, such a dramatic change that it made me wonder if humans are supposed to walk around like this and sit like this at rest? How many guts have I seen in my daily life that were not because of fat but just because of lack of voluntary control (not in the sense of muscles not firing, just that people didn't actively try to do this vacuum). I can still breathe although it's a bit more constricted but I imagine with practice, it becomes second nature.

My lower back also feels a bit better in this position and it automatically improved my whole posture (slouching down with a contracted TVA feels very unnatural). Do you do this in your daily life or are you totally relaxed all the time?

If we are, in fact, supposed to brace to like this throughout our daily lives, that would mean a lot of bigger lifters are not actually fat and people's perception of them would change. The trainees who are afraid of gaining weight wouldn't have anything to worry about since they would still have flat stomachs (but not abs).

I am sorry to bother you with this question of aesthetics, it's just that I have gotten a lot of flak from friends and family about my gut and it really made me wonder why the hell my gut is so big when the rest of me is fine. I admit I was a bit self counscious about it as well.

Thank you for your time!

[Mark Rippetoe]

Craziest thing I've ever heard.

[JohnStrangeway]

Hello Rip,

I have been reading about stomach vacuums recently and tried them out. This experiment left me with a few questions. I would just like to say first though that I fully understand that one should not lift this way and that it would be stupid to do so.

Overall, I have gained around 75 pounds in total (started at 175) after starting lifting and eating more food. I am 6 ft 1.5 inch so I used to be quite skinny. However, after around somewhere in early 200's mark, my stomach started to get bigger. I never really noticed it until lately when I have reached my currently stable weight of 250.

When I am fully relaxed, I have quite a big gut. It's actually kind of disconcerting to see, especially after eating. Breathing from my diaphragm is second nature to me (due to breathing exercises I do on my own for other purposes and the Valsalva maneuver) so my belly increases in size with each inhaling breath. At first, I thought it was just the way I am since I don't take any drugs like HGH that would cause organ hypertrophy (I don't take anything at all) but still, it was kind of bizarre because the rest of me is not fat. I am not ripped but I have reasonable muscle definition, it's just my gut sticks out absurdly.

So, after trying out these vacuums (I don't do a full one, I am just basically trying to pull my lower abs into my navel), I noticed a dramatic change in my belly size. Sucking in my lower abs makes my stomach look flat and consequently, the rest of me looks a lot better. I almost have abs at 250, it surprised me. It was, in fact, such a dramatic change that it made me wonder if humans are supposed to walk around like this and sit like this at rest? How many guts have I seen in my daily life that were not because of fat but just because of lack of voluntary control (not in the sense of muscles not firing, just that people didn't actively try to do this vacuum). I can still breathe although it's a bit more constricted but I imagine with practice, it becomes second nature.

My lower back also feels a bit better in this position and it automatically improved my whole posture (slouching down with a contracted TVA feels very unnatural). Do you do this in your daily life or are you totally relaxed all the time?

If we are, in fact, supposed to brace to like this throughout our daily lives, that would mean a lot of bigger lifters are not actually fat and people's perception of them would change. The trainees who are afraid of gaining weight wouldn't have anything to worry about since they would still have flat stomachs (but not abs).

I am sorry to bother you with this question of aesthetics, it's just that I have gotten a lot of flak from friends and family about my gut and it really made me wonder why the hell my gut is so big when the rest of me is fine. I admit I was a bit self counscious about it as well.

Thank you for your time!

Sounds like your abdominals etc are weak/lazy.
Someone once said, don't recall who, that your abs should be like a dial. Depending what you are doing ie, lifting they'd be 8-10 in tension, while relaxing the tension would be lower but there'd still be tension. Sound like you might be operating on zero.
Work on mentally keeping some tension there(not so it inhibits your breathing) just enough to not sag, don't let your butt stick out either, keep a neutral pelvis.
I think the short list for lower body posture is;
Strengthen abs
Strengthen glutes
Stretch lower back
Stretch hip flexors
When one of these are weak/tight they can mess up the others somewhat.

I'm no expert tho, just some ideas for your to research.

[Mark Rippetoe]

What are the OPs numbers? if he's squatting 600, his abs are neither weak nor lazy.

[JohnStrangeway]

What are the OPs numbers? if he's squatting 600, his abs are neither weak nor lazy.

Never thought about it that way Mark, good point! So what about hanging out in a lordosis position? Just appears like the stomach is bulging but really it's just poor posture.

[BigA]

Craziest thing I've ever heard.

But why? Maybe the word "sucking" in wasn't the best one to choose but in general, I am referring to not letting your stomach hang out. Doesn't your belly change in size if you squeeze versus if you are totally relaxed?

My current numbers are:

370 x 3 x 2 Squat
420 x 4 SLDL (I know, I know, I like it more than regular.)
165 x 3 x 3 Press
Weighted Pull-ups w/ 15 - 10 pounds x 3 (in one session)

I am by no means strong but
All lifts are currently beltless.

[Mark Rippetoe]

You went from a bodyweight of 175 to 250 and are only squatting 370? Age?

[BigA]

You went from a bodyweight of 175 to 250 and are only squatting 370? Age?

I am 23. I do high bar so it's a bit less (again, I like it more than low bar). I took some lay-offs this past year so I did not make too much progress on it but I am working on it now. I am fully aware of my weakness and am quite displeased with it. Hopefully, I will turn from weak to decent soon.

[BigA]

Whoops, I realized that in post number 6 I didn't finish a sentence and it would give a different impression "I am by no means strong but... all lifts are currently beltless". The beltless was just a statement in case of relevance, it was by no means intended to excuse my weak lifts.

[SamuraiMark]

I think I get what you are saying. My midsection is usually active/semi-active all the time, and that makes it look 'flat', despite the flab I've put on in recent years. But fully relaxed?

6de363305f914fa5ca3904e655a9693a.jpg

Also, diet will bloat you up like a land whale.

Also also, I imagine Coach would look something like this if we were discussing this in the gym:

mark-rippetoe1.jpg

- Mark