I added this exercise to my daily activities last week. (It’s easy to do while sitting at my computer, driving my car, walking around town, taking a shower, between kettlebell sets, etc.)
Within about 5 days of starting I got a compliment that my stomach was looking especially flat and hard. And when I got that compliment I was not consciously putting it on display or sucking it in. It was a genuine, in-the-middle-of-real-life compliment.
So I dug up the original text from Farmer Burns’ mail order course from the early 20th century. This exercise has come to be known as “The Farmer Burns Stomach Flattener” although it was originally just called “Breathing for Internal Exercise.”
I thought you’d benefit so I’m sharing it here:
Breathing for Internal Exercise
Stand erect and inhale the breath until the lungs are fully expanded, and the abdomen drawn in.
With the lungs still full of air, CLOSE THE MOUTH AND THROAT TIGHTLY, and try to force the breath out, but RESIST SO THAT NONE ESCAPES. Force hard, and the muscles of the abdomen will be contracted until they are tight and rigid. FORCE THE AIR DOWNWARD WITH ALL THE POWER YOU POSSESS. Clinch the fists — and exert much strength.
The process consists of trying to exhale the breath, but you voluntary hold it in, and by this resistance most thoroughly exercise the muscles of the abdomen, stomach, and other internal organs.
Hold the breath in this way for two to five seconds, and then gently allow the breath to escape. Exhale as much as possible so that you will take in a new full quantity of fresh air.
This movement also exercises the chest, throat, and many body muscles, and if practiced energetically for some time will bring the sweat and make you tired. Keep it up for several minutes, and increase the time gradually from day to day.
When performing the breathing exercise, you should also frequently massage the abdomen with your fingers, while the muscles are hard and rigid. Rub, squeeze and work the muscles in all directions with the hands, but cease when you exhale the breath, and wait until you have forced the air downward again, then continue the massage.
Another movement of great value consists in raising and lowering the diaphragm and stomach by rapid contraction and relaxing the muscles of the abdomen WHILE YOU ARE HOLDING THE LUNGS FULL OF AIR. Force the air downward and you can feel the stomach raise and lower, as the muscles of the abdomen become first rigid and then soft. Remember that all this internal exercise is taken while holding the breath but at the same time trying to force it out. A little practice will quickly show you what I mean.
Some instructors will advise against holding the breath, as they claim the blood will not be properly purified while passing through the lungs, but in my opinion this objection is not worth considering, while on the other hand, the exercises outlined above are of great value and importance to everyone — men, women and children.
I wish to say further, that I consider this DEEP DIAPHRAGMATIC BREATHING the only method of properly exercising the muscles of the liver, intestines, kidneys and stomach. It causes the blood to flow freely, it cleans the organs and certainly is a wonderful preventative of indigestion and constipation and many other diseases of the organs of the abdominal cavity.
If you are constipated TRY THIS EXERCISE REGULARLY and let me know if it does not help you more than medicine and physics. It is common sense to believe that if the sluggishness of the stomach, liver and bowels is removed, and active circulation and muscular action is brought about, that these organs will perform their functions better, and the likelihood of disease will be greatly decreased.
I like to attribute my sources so if you’re interested in learning more about Farmer Burns, or downloading the entire “Lessons in Wrestling and Physical Culture,” visit this page on Farmer Burns from The Golden Age of Iron Men – Online Physical Culture Museum. (The Breathing for Internal Exercise is in Lesson 3.)
Stay strong!
