tummy toning

HisJellyBean

This is really embarrassing but I cant do a sit up I get a few inches off the ground and cant pull myself up any higher... I try but it just don't work. Is there something I can do to tone my tummy other than sit ups? This girl needs abs lol

ShawnaRaeDunn

Start with the crunches. Try lifting light weights and strengthen your back and core. that should help. Even I can't do a sit-up! But crunches are golden.

LiftHuff

lucky for you, sit ups will never give you abs.

Reduce bodyfat and concentrate on isometric core work, like planks, squats, and deadlifts. You won't see abs until you're in the teens in bf% anyhow, so if your ticker is right it's not something you need to worry about anytime soon. Lift heavy, eat at maintenance, and watch the fat turn to lovely, shapely muscle.

Drastiic

You already have abs. In order to see them, reduce your body fat percentage.

nehushtan

Abs are made in the kitchen... I say wait on toning those muscles until the diet has done its work.

Mist1981

Clean eating will definitely getting you to notice your abs quickly. You can try planks, they are great for all over. I would say keep at it, you will continue to get stronger. A true crunch doesn't have to be crazy high off the ground if done properly.

Pisc2749

Work on core strengthening - basically everything that wraps around your middle section, belly to back. A strong core helps hold everything in better, like a girdle. Planks and side planks are the way to go. Just concentrate on holding them a little longer each time. Crunches and other ab work can be supplements to this, but a strong core is essential for being fit overall. It helps you run better, it helps balance, it helps prevent injury.

SergeantSunshine_reused

That is not going to help tone. You need to lose the fat around it, and with a high amount of weight to lose "toning" isn't really going to happen yet.
Eat a moderate calorie deficit, lift weights (heavy compound movements) and give it time.

tinytemple

Try the plank - very simple holding position but very effective!


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1120673/How-perfect-plank.html

Also try leg raises - lying flat on you back raise your legs up and down, imagine that your core is a lever pumping the up and down.

Hope that helps!

islandpwp

My personal trainer suggested starting with a partial plank for 10 sec twice a day, I can realy feel it on my abs

zoeelizabeths

I built up to being able to do sit-ups by using the abdominal crunch machine in my gym. It gave me a little extra support to give those muscles some strength. But like others have said, just doing sit-ups won't give anyone abs. You need to do cardio to burn off the stomach fat first.

thetheatricsofbrooklynking

Crunches! Once you get used to those, you can try sit-ups again Planks are great for abs, too, and they have the added bonus of working out your arms.

rmartin72

I built up to being able to do sit-ups by using the abdominal crunch machine in my gym. It gave me a little extra support to give those muscles some strength. But like others have said, just doing sit-ups won't give anyone abs. You need to do cardio to burn off the stomach fat first.

I honestly agree with you Zoeelizabeths

chachita7

he below is a copy and paste cuz I get that question a lot, lol.... hope it helps you

I myself never thought I would be able to get rid of my belly until I read an article which talked about the importance of getting off the floor to accomplish stomach fat burn - at first I was thinking these people are crazy but as you can tell they were right... when you do crunches you are developing the ab muscle but not burning the fat covering that muscle - but I won't get too much in to that.

So... no matter what exercise you are doing, always and I mean ALWAYS have your core engaged (stand up straight and suck in that belly) - on the treadmill, while lifting weights... ALWAYS...





Here are some of the exercises I do -cable machine (I am not sure if you use the gym or not) it is the motion what really works so free weights are ok...

http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view/name/standing-cable-wood-chop
http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view/name/standing-cable-lift
http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view/name/pallof-press-with-rotation
Cruches on a stability ball holding a weight straight up over you chest
Standing side crunch - weight over head as if pulling down to the side as I lift straight to the side the leg of the same side (hope you understand that explanation, lol)

it will take time to see the results... there is plenty of fat that accumulates to the mid section. Drink plenty of water and if you have any stressors learn how to fight them - via working out, music, what every you have to do - I can tell when i am stress, my mid section blows up immediately

HisJellyBean

I do lots of cardio.. dancing 20 min a day 7 days a week.. 10 min wii fit every other day.. walking 10 min everyday.

engineman312

I do lots of cardio.. dancing 20 min a day 7 days a week.. 10 min wii fit every other day.. walking 10 min everyday.

yeah, that sounds like a lot!! keep up the good work!!!

SergeantSunshine_reused

Keep doing your cardio, and add in some strength training. And give it time.

Canuckgirl77

bump

CoryIda

When I first started, all I could manage was a walk around the neighborhood.

Over time, it got easier to go farther and faster, and I was able to add in more things.

At this point, just focus on getting healthy - eat well, exercise (include some strength training), drink water, and be patient.

That is a million times more important than whether or not you end up with awesome abs or not. You are going to get healthy, and that is a big deal.

UponThisRock

You have far too much weight to lose to even begin to concern yourself with problem areas. Just focus on dropping pounds, for now.

987Runner

Planks are HUGE core builders. I was in a class the other day doing assessments and we tried to see who could hold the plank position the longest. I did but I tell you what, my abs were SOOOO sore the next day.

Elizabeth_C34

I think the best thing you can do is work on fat loss for now and keep trying to do crunches as best you can. You're lifting a lot more weight off the ground than someone who is lean and thin doing a crunch. Your muscles have to work much harder as a result, making situps difficult.

Just keep trying and focus on fat loss first. Keep doing your cardio and bustin your bum. It'll get better in time, I promise. :flowerforyou:

Elizabeth_C34

I do lots of cardio.. dancing 20 min a day 7 days a week.. 10 min wii fit every other day.. walking 10 min everyday.

Try to build up to doing more as you go along. Keep pushing yourself as best you can and keep your eating under control, and you'll see the pounds come off in time.

odusgolp

I do lots of cardio.. dancing 20 min a day 7 days a week.. 10 min wii fit every other day.. walking 10 min everyday.

That is good work if you're just starting out! Keep it up and eventually you'll be able to do more and more

2April

This is really embarrassing but I cant do a sit up I get a few inches off the ground and cant pull myself up any higher... I try but it just don't work. Is there something I can do to tone my tummy other than sit ups? This girl needs abs lol

Hold in your stomach whenever you think of it. You can lie on your back and raise one leg at a time or march (high knees). I wouldn't try planks yet.

sarah44254

Hey jelly bean,

I can't do a sit up. I'm in a healthy weight range and decent body fat %. I seem to be fit when people look at me. But I can't run very fast and I can't do a situp and I can't do a pull up, either. I can barely do 1 pushup. But I can do other things really well.

Find things you can do really well and focus on those. Then, when you get to the end of the weight loss and into the fitness / toning part of this whole thing, then you can work on trying to get abs to show and leaning out more specifically to work on muscle definition.

For now, that is awesome you are doing wii fit and 20 mins cardio. I remember trying to beat my own record on the wii fit jogging every single day. Just keep doing things you feel good at, make exercise fun and something to look forward to. It will take time but you can get this done. Stay focused.

taso42

eat at a calorie deficit

LiftHuff

meh if I were you I'd knock off the cardio and start lifting, but a lot of people like to ignore that as viable advice. Do yourself a favor, whatever you decide, and read this:

http://startingstrength.com/articles/abs_rippetoe.pdf

HisJellyBean

Hey jelly bean,

I can't do a sit up. I'm in a healthy weight range and decent body fat %. I seem to be fit when people look at me. But I can't run very fast and I can't do a situp and I can't do a pull up, either. I can barely do 1 pushup. But I can do other things really well.

Find things you can do really well and focus on those. Then, when you get to the end of the weight loss and into the fitness / toning part of this whole thing, then you can work on trying to get abs to show and leaning out more specifically to work on muscle definition.

For now, that is awesome you are doing wii fit and 20 mins cardio. I remember trying to beat my own record on the wii fit jogging every single day. Just keep doing things you feel good at, make exercise fun and something to look forward to. It will take time but you can get this done. Stay focused.

thanks right now I dance... I love to dance! I do Zumba 1 & 2, just dance 3, country dance, MJ Experience, and Soon Im going to get the Black eyed peas experience, the rest of the just dance's, and country dance 2.. It really works I just don't think its enough

HisJellyBean

meh if I were you I'd knock off the cardio and start lifting, but a lot of people like to ignore that as viable advice. Do yourself a favor, whatever you decide, and read this:

http://startingstrength.com/articles/abs_rippetoe.pdf

I want some muscle but there's two things.. Muscle weighs more than fat and I really need the weight off good weight or bad weight its still weight. and two I want a little muscle but I don't wanna look like those chicks that have so much muscles they look like men.

I have muscle.. I'm stronger than my dad... But its surrounded in fat and that's the problem.

BJPCraig

Hey, JellyBean! Sounds like you're looking for alternate ways to strengthen your abs. Here's a YouTube video for a standing ab workout (so no situps/crunches):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HK6mKUEY09o

The video is @ 4 minutes. You're supposed to run through it 3 times for a 12-minute ab workout, but if you feel your abs are too weak for that, I don't see why you can't start off doing it once and then slowly work your way up to 3.

For the record, I currently work my abs 3 times a week (Mon, Wed, Fri), only for @ 10 mins each time, and I feel I'm getting some decent definition and definitely feel that they've gotten stronger. As much as we'd like this to be the case (and as much as some programs may give you this impression), I've found that you can't just work your abs once a week and get any kind of results.

Good luck!