I have developed a "pod"

bug

Has anyone any ideas on how to get rid of a pot belly, the rest of my body is fine and I'm not overweight but my belly is distended, otherwise I'm in proportion. I have that round mid-pregnancy look:)
Anyways I can't do sit-ups as I have a weakness in my lower back-(which is all the more reason to stenghthen my stomach muscles), I've given up cycling due to being knocked down three times, and I cant swim, any ideas?

Amz

I find running great for toning up my tummy.

Also a rowing machine might help

Stark

Yeah running's pretty good for toning up. Maybe learn to swim as well, it's worth it and can be picked up fairly quickly. As for the lower back, try changing your sit-up technique to take the pressure off your back, there are a variety of techniques. For example secure your feet under something, and only lift your torso slightly off the ground while keeping your back straight, this will put a lot of strain on your tummy muscles while putting very little strain on your back muscles. This will only tone the upper part of your stomach though, you will have to do leg raises and oblique crunches and stuff to tone the rest. The most important thing though is to burn off the fat, no point in toned abs if they're trapped under fat.

Jak

Well cardio is likely to help.

I would suggest rowing (on a concept II Ergometer) as the best all round solution for losing a little weight and developing back and stomach in the process. Try doing some 2000m sessions with strict form - good form can be found atConcept II

Cardio does not always take weight from where you want it taken though.

So to go alongside this you should be doing some specific abs and lower back weight training. A weakness (unless by this you mean crippling injury) in your lower back is no reason to avoid sit ups.

Just remember that with sit ups - there is no need to bring your entire back up off the ground. All you are looking to do is to contract the stomach muscles - be it obliques or upper or lower abs. In order to do this keep you back flat on the ground - knees bent with feet on the floor. Keep your hands just touching the sides of your temples (not holding your neck) - pick a point on the ceiling to look at - and raise your shoulders and neck off the ground to get the contraction - just focus on the part you are trying to work and that's it.

Try a few sets of 25 - taking it slow and varying by going on to your side to do obliques. I'm sure there are links around for this.

There are some machines that can be used to train lower back - but you'll need to ask in your gym if they have any. In my gym we have a custom built lower back hyper extension machine - which is just about the best piece of kit you can get for training your lower back. The excercises I use to work lower back are pretty much listed here - get advice on all of them though if you decided to try them.

A less extreme approach is to buy an Abs ball (they come with videos of excercises for back and abs etc. - which you can do at home)

Failing all of this - a good general physio routine for lower back injury recovery and muscle development can be found
here

JAK.

bug

Thankyou, some good tips there