Where old school bodybuilding meets cutting edge sports science…
The stomach vacuum exercise is one of the most classic bodybuilding ab exercises of all time, but should you be doing it? Well, if your goals are aesthetic and athletic, there just might be a better way to perform the stomach vacuum to get the most out of it.
In this video, I show you how to perform a modified version of the stomach or ab vacuum exercise to not only engage the internal obliques and transverse abdominis but also how to perform it so that you get the external obliques and rectus abs involved as well. The key to performing or learning how to do the classic bodybuilding version of this ab exercise involved sucking in your stomach. That is not enough if you want to get functional abs.
A bodybuilding stomach vacuum can integrate the core muscles together and get them to perform the way they were meant to. The internal oblique stability developed with the arnold vacuum as some like to call it (or the gironda vacuum) helps to create a tighter waist. The activation of the overlying abs and external obliques once this is done adds a whole new level of activation.
The key difference between these vaccum exercise variations is really the sequencing in the muscles being fired to perform the ab movement. If you fire your deep abdominal muscles first, you set the stage for proper stability so you can exert more power in your more superficial ab muscles second.
Try to incorporate these vacuum tips and you might just be showing your friends how to do a stomach vacuum in no time. If you want to get a ripped core that has maximum muscle tension even at rest, then it’s time to start training your abs like an athlete. Head to to get a complete 90 day workout program for both your abs and total body.
To see the benefits of the stomach vacuum exercise in action and get many more videos on how to get six pack abs, be sure to subscribe to our channel here on youtube at
28 comments
Go to the next level; do abdominal churning (nauli). Try yoga-shala.net. Also, an abdominal lock (bandha) is no good without anal and throat locks. Just sayin'
Sir i do abb workout regularly now can i do stomach vacuums daily on morning with empty stomach? wont it spoil my ab workout??? pleaseeee respond
U the best, best, best……..best best ❤️
Came here after realizing I have dominant rectus that stick out and now trying everything to correct it
Made it look easy but, you got to do it right! I think the trick is to remember to release slowly. Thanks! 😀
If you have breathing problems, what alternative could you do instead of holding your breath
I have heard some say that Jeff is on gear, and I’ve heard some say he’s natty, which one do you think?
Hey Jeff I did this belly excercise for 3 months but it didn’t work at all, and I really want to let you know that losing belly fat is in Gods Hands, he probably told me no!!!! And to be honest to you I did that back in 2011 and I’d lost over about 40 pounds but I was still on my meds but it’s not the food really making you gain weight and it’s definitely not the meds, it’s probably the aging, I’m 35 years old and I just turned 35 years old on November, 1 last year, I just wanna tell you something I’ve gained my weight back and not just because of my eating and my meds, my mom told me,” listen it’s not the fault that weight gain happens it’s you getting older now, we all tend to gain weight when we get old and there is a lesson to learn for everybody,” you’re not always gonna have a glowing skin, nor a faster mabolitism, nor a perfect body, nor a lighter weight, God made us in our image and we need to learn from that so!!!! I’m being deeply honest about it, That’s the honest truth
So when you lock it in are you still holding your breath?
Takes a lot to keep that type of body lots of fasting and workouts that vacuum are really good when you got that type of body
Thanks for this video. It's really helped me identify some problems I have been having with my core stability. Other core excercises haven't really helped but this one has. It has also addressed my sensitive bladder, which I always suspected was caused by a weak core. From someone who plays a lot of sport (but not so much gym time) however, I don't know how that happened.
Is it okay to do stomach vacuum while lying flat on my back? When I'm standing, it hurts my back.
My stomach is actually a vacuum… it sucks in everything 🙁
That’s how I got a sports hernia. This video is exactly what I needed!
How do we do this @1:56 🙂
common you didnt even vaccumed
I use to contract my abdominal muscles. But not the vacuum I actually felt the muscles contracted.
I put one hand on my belly button and one on my back as a way to feel exactly where I'm pulling from and keep form
Didn't get the point of how to get back vertical.
This is the hilarious vacuum ever seen. Its not vacuum it's lower abs Contractions. Vacuum is all.about Diaphragm and upper abs are first gets inside automatically. If not classic era Bodybuilders, learn from authentic Yoga Nauli Kriya.
thank you
Been thinking it for days gotta say it. You are the best free anatomy model an artist could wish for. I'm a fairly healthy guy. But i do not have muscle definition like that. But thanks to you i can watch your videos and study anatomy for hours. While also learning about how that anatomy works.
Excellent, sir!!!!
How do you do very far? Cause I find that impossible, I think you need to be super skinny
2021
But Jeff, you do not ever seem to stand up tall as you said!
but wait its its a vacuum exercise isnt it supposed to suck? suck in stomach? Ill let my self out the door now
Are you telling us to do this with a full or partial vacuum?