Getting that enviable flat stomach may be the dream of most women, but what are the ab workouts for women that really work? We look at exercises and gadgets that simply do not work and at exercises and gadgets do in fact work to reduce stomach fat.
Specific ab workouts for women
Ab exercises
The basic ab crunch with its several variations, such as the bicycle crunch, the reverse crunch, crunch with heel push as well as the plank and the ab roller are effective for tightening and toning the stomach muscles. What these exercises also do is to help give you a strong core, which helps protect the spine, reduces backache and other discomforts and keeps your body healthy.
Exercise ball workouts
These ab workouts for women can include exercises such as knees to chest abs exercise, back extension exercise, pass the ball exercise and so on. These can also be very effective.
Cardio workouts
No matter how toned and taut your stomach muscles are, that flat, beach-ready belly will only be a dream unless you have an effective program for all over weight loss. Cardio exercises may not be specifically targeted at working out the abdominal muscles, but they help reduce overall body fat that will help reduce fat from the belly area also.
Cardio exercises such as brisk walking, cycling, swimming, jogging and running are all great for you and will eventually get you that flat stomach you crave.
Weights and resistance workouts
Doing weights and resistance exercises are not usually recommended ab workouts for women, but weights are useful for these goals as well. As you do weights and work against other types of resistance, the growth of lean muscle is stimulated. Lean muscles need more energy (read calories) even when they are at rest, when compared with other body tissue. So having a significant proportion of muscle will help increase your metabolism and in this way also, help you keep off the belly fat.
A good diet
Probably as important as the abs exercises are the right diet. There are certain types of fats that tend to accumulate around the waist, which you should eliminate from the diet. Instead have a sensible diet that is balanced, contains plenty of fresh produce and whole grains as well as lean protein, eggs and nuts.
Ab workouts for women that do not work
Ab exercise machines
All of the infomercials that tell you about wonder machines that help you lose fat from the belly, or which promise to ‘melt’ fat off the waist and other problem areas are to be disbelieved completely. These are a waste of time and money, nothing less nothing more.
All ab exercises
None of the ab workouts for women that we listed above will work if you don’t achieve all over fat loss. Accept the fact that spot reduction is not possible. To get flat abs you need to lose weight overall from the entire body. So even a 1000 crunches a day will not help if they are not supported by some cardio and a sensible diet.
