The truth be told, there are no special abdominal exercises for women. Any ab exercise can be used by anyone trying to tighten up their midsection.
Women tend to carry more bodyfat in their lower abdominal area, so exercises that focus on the lower region of the abs are usually a priority. Unfortunately, there is no such thing as spot reducing. You can, however, spot tone. So performing exercises for particular areas will "tone" the muscles, but not wipe out those fat cells.
Ab exercises are great for toning and strengthening the abdominals, but in order to see the muscles, you need to focus on losing the body fat that covers them up.
"Uncovering layers of fat requires a three-pronged approach"
1) Burn Calories a.k.a. aerobic exercise otherwise known as cardio
2) Support your metabolism through proper eating!! Very Important!!
3) Permanently increase your metabolism by building lean muscle
Working your abs all day and night won't give you the six pack or even a noticeable difference in definition. So quite thinking you need to train your abs every day...you don't.
Spot reduction doesn't work!
Achieving tight abs comes from a combination of the above three steps. Cardio, nutrition and weight training. Combing these three with the ab exercises below, will help you get strong, solid, defined abs.
There are no best abdominal exercises for women, but here are some great basic exercises you can perform anywhere:
1) Reverse Crunch - Lower Abs
2) Twisting Crunch - Sides (Oblique)
3) Floor Crunch - Upper Abs
4) Russian Twist - Oblique
Don't get caught up in the latest ab exerciser as seen on tv, just follow a basic diet , perform cardio 4-6 times per week for 20-45 minutes and weight train 3-4 days per week for 20-45 minutes.
Don't over complicate the matter. Decide on a program. Pick a supportive nutrition plan. Stick to it consistently.
With the amount of information at your disposal, it's no wonder women are confused. Read can read an article on nutrition and the very next one will give you a completely different approach. Don't get caught up with information overload.
I'll reiterate it. Pick an exercise program that fits your schedule. Get yourself dialed into a reasonable supportive nutrition plan that you stay consistent with and keep plugging away.
Expect realistic changes in your body. A good rule of thumb is 1-2 lbs per week. If you're a bit heavier to begin with, then that number will most likely be higher the first several weeks as you'll lose additional water weight. Just think. In 6 months of pluggin' along, you'll have lost 24-48 lbs at only 1-2 lbs per week!
Eric Gelder has been involved in the fitness industry for over 14 years as a certified trainer, club manager, fitness director, published author and business owner. Having worked hands on with over 518 clients and logging over 11,000 training sessions, Eric has developed a total weight loss solution for those seeking a healthy permanent lifestyle change. To learn more about training with Eric or additional services, visit www.ChandlerBootCamp.com
