Upper Abs Exercises For Women
The abdominal muscles are referred to as the core muscles since they are central to all the basic activities performed by you. And as women are more fallible to bone and joint disorders than men, it is important for them to concentrate on strengthening the core muscles. However, it is not necessary for them to attend a boot camp to learn these simple exercises. Simple exercises that you could do at home to strengthen your abdominal muscles are listed below.
Crunches
Crunches strengthen the lower, middle and the upper abdominal muscles and hence are considered as one of the best core exercises. Crunches tighten the abdomen muscles and also help you strengthen the various muscles of the abdomen, simultaneously. Interesting variants of crunches have been recommended to enable you to easily strengthen the different sectors of the abdominal muscles. They include the basic crunches, bi-cycle crunches, oblique crunches and the vertical leg crunches.
Drawing In
Another simple core exercise that helps you in reinforcing the abdomen is the drawing-in exercise. This easy exercise is more of a breathing exercise, wherein you suck in the stomach muscles and hold on for few seconds. This exercise is to be repeated a few times for better results.
Plank exercises
The plank exercise in addition to strengthening the abdominal muscle strengthens the back too. This is like doing your push-ups, but here you additionally contract your stomach when the body is raised from the ground level. You are advised to hold on to the contracted position for nearly 30-60 seconds and repeat the exercise about five times, initially.
Side bends
Yet another uncomplicated exercise that you could do with just a dumb-bell is the side bends. By holding a dumb-bell in one hand, here you bend from one side to another simultaneously lowering the dumb=bell to knee height. By repeating the exercise till you feel comfortable, you strengthen your core muscles.
Holding sit-up
The holding sit-up is essentially for the lower abs and is another non-strenuous exercise that results in strengthening of your core muscles. However this is not recommended for women with weak back, as the condition could be aggravated as you raise your shoulder from the ground-level to sitting position.
Tips for abdominal exercises
It is important however to do the exercises regularly to reap the rewards of the exercise. You would not feel the positive effect of the exercises if you do not do these core exercises at least five times a week. But instead of doing every exercise on each day of the week you may choose three to four exercises for every day. You may repeat the exercises a few times at short intervals, without unduly straining yourself.
Apart from the top five core exercises listed above, there are few other equally good exercises that women may have in their repertoire. Exercises like alternate toe-touching, floor cycling, medicinal ball sit-ups, weighted curls with medicinal balls and reverse crunches could be tried out too in rotation. By rotating the effective exercises, you ensure that your exercise schedules do not go stale, but remains entertaining and lively.
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Can anyone give me sample Pilates Exercises to tone Arms,Abs, and Buns only? Just pilates No weights please.?
I have very broad shoulders for a women, and I dont want to bulk up on my arms and shoulders using weights. I know pilates tones and lengthens your body so I only want to do pilates to tone up with 45 minutes of cardio also. Im 25 lbs over weight by the way. I have a toddler at home and cant go to the gym yet so I do all my workouts at home. Could anyone please give me a few sample Pilates exercises to tone my upper arms, buns, and abs? I am also eating very healthy, cutting out all white carbs and doing only whole wheat and lean meats and veggies, fruits…the whole nine yards. Ive been eating like this for a few months now, but just started to work out a few days ago with just cardio. I am now ready to add pilates into my routine. Thanks a lot everyone for your help!!!
Well, this Pilates program might be what you’re looking for:
http://www.perfect-body-toning.com/free-Pilates-exercises.html
You can do it at home, 3-4 times per week for about 30 mins per session, after your cardio routine. Or if you prefer, split your cardio and Pilates – one day Pialtes, one day cardio and so on….
You’ll love the results of Pilates. I want to share with you the most powerful part about doing the exercise -
It’s in the sheer act of pulling in your navel back into your spine and keeping your belly always scooped, in every exercise movement, that’s gonna grow you real strength in your abs, butts, thighs/hips and back.
You’ll strengthen your abs, butts, thighs/hips and back and sculpt them into leaner, “longer”, slender shapes. You won’t bulk up.
Tips on how to exercise the UPPER abs?
Most women (and men, I suppose) always think their major weight problem is in their belly. But I was trying on some of my old jeans the other day. And I realized that many of them would fit pretty well, if it weren’t for my huge “muffin top.” haha!
So in other words I can get them over my hips and fasten them all right. It’s the fat that hangs over the pants that makes them so tight and uncomfortable. I think if I exercised my upper abs, some weight off my belly would naturally follow anyway.
Any AT-HOME exercises anyone can suggest? (No gym equipment suggestions, please. I’m not a member of a gym and don’t plan on joining one.)
jogging is an excellent exercise because it let you lose weight
evenly throughout your whole body. If you want to lose weight in
specific areas, you should target them with exercises. If they are
your problem areas, they will be very difficult to tone. You will have
to work double on them. The best approach is this:
1. Lower/control your daily calorie intake (control for normal
weight, lower for overweight).
2. Run/jog to lower your overall body fat percentage.
3. Target your problem areas with exercises.
an excellent exercise, you can do it in front of your TV: sit on a
stool, and put your toes under something (piece of heavy furniture,
for example). In your hands hold a little dumbbell. Please, make sure
that it is not very heavy, start with one kilo, for example, or you
will damage your back and spine! Slowly move the upper part of your
body back, until it’s parallel with the ground. Stop for a second and
move it back to the sitting position. Repeat ten times. Every week add
to the number of repetitions. You will see the results in a week,
guaranteed! You will see or feel under the fat – if you have any – six
pack and muscles. Dumbbells do wonders. Much better than these
crunches – I came up to three hundreds and there was no results AT
ALL. With the dumbbells you will see it in a week.
Which exercise is good for training lower abs and upper thights ( for women)?
So I’m losing the belly fat doing criss cross crunches, sit ups and push ups . But which exercise is best for the lower abs . And i need to lose the thighs too and If possible lose some of the booty.
Reverse crunches are best to strengthen the lower abs.
To tone the quads, hamstring and gluteus, do door squats.
Do leg extensions and lunges for the quads.
Use a Thigh Master for the hip adductors and do side leg lifts for the hip abductors.
For the gluteus, do butt/hip extensions and pelvic lifts.
Doing back leg lifts will strengthen your gluteus and hamstrings.
Do heel raises for the calves.
Also do as many exercises to strengthen your upper body to take advantage of building as much muscle mass as you can, which is the weight loss miracle. You do not lose fat reserves doing weight training but you lose a lot of fat reserves maintaining your extra muscle mass.
Once you get more muscle mass, your metabolism goes up on a 24/7 basis. Each pound of added muscle mass need 35/50 calories a day to maintain (not even counting the calories for the exercise). Think about this for a minute…it’s 12 to 18 thousand calories a year…it’s 3 to 5 pounds of fat reserves a year that you would either lose or at least not gain (if you eat it). And that is just for one pound of extra added muscle mass.
Also on those days when you’re resting and feeling a little soreness because your muscles are repairing stronger, you can rest assure that you’re burning a lot of calories even if you’re not moving.
For women who have had children. Did you lose your flabby abs?
Have any of your girls out there who had a flabby abdomen due to adult weight and c-section, etc. manage to flatten your lower abs through diet and exercise? I don’t want to get a tummy tuck unless I have no other alternative. I have that yucky hanging belly on my lower abdomen but I’m currently losing weight and exercising at Curves. I see muscle definition in my upper tummy and the rest of my body but not the lower abs. I’d also like to hear from any ‘tummer tuckers’ too. Are you happy with the results?
I have had 4 children. I didnot gain alot of weight and did not have a C-Section.Unfortunately I had abdominal surgery more than once, which included a hysterectomy. I certainly wish I could tell you how to get rid of the flab. I’d like to know myself. My doctor told me it had to do with the muscles being cut and the nerves being cut also. A plastic surgeon suggested surgery as the only answer. It is very expensive. Insurance will not pay for it. If you should go for the surgery please check the credentials and ask around.
Can a woman who works out get six-pack abs thru diet and exercise alone without steroids?
I think it is very hard for a woman to get a huge, muscular upper body without steroids, but I have seen athletic women with abs who did not have the steroid look.
Yes – aboslutely and it doesnt take that much effort. I have managed it on a normaly low-fat, high protein diet and do my ab exercises every day…..and I’m 52! Mind, in fairness I have always had an athletic build and kept fairly fit, but over 40, every year it gets a bit harder. Just keep the body fat BMI index under 22