Zumba & Abs ?

swagner73
swagner73 Posts: 43 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Those of you who have done Zumba, how well does it work your abs? I HAVE GOT TO find something that will work on my stomach. I have started Jillian's 30 Day Shred but I have A LOT of fat around my middle that has got to go.

Replies

  • mgoetsch1982
    mgoetsch1982 Posts: 339 Member
    30 Day Shred will do a good job on chiseling away a waist line. Just keep your calories in check and don't eat back your exercise calories and you will do great!
  • BradHallFitness
    BradHallFitness Posts: 152 Member
    Those of you who have done Zumba, how well does it work your abs? I HAVE GOT TO find something that will work on my stomach. I have started Jillian's 30 Day Shred but I have A LOT of fat around my middle that has got to go.

    Sorry, but you can't spot reduce. Simply working your abs won't remove the body fat from around that area. Your body decides where it wants to eat the body fat. It will take proper nutrition and exercise and time to melt it away. Took me almost 20 months. For others it happens faster and still some others it takes longer.
  • claricecollins
    claricecollins Posts: 54
    Zumba really tones up your abs well. I've been doing it for a bit and it's the best cardio to get some nice chiseling done.
  • laura_lynn66
    laura_lynn66 Posts: 175
    Pilates is great for working out and strengthening your core...with pilates, you are constantly working your core..I recommend giving it a a try, if you haven't already.
  • Lula16
    Lula16 Posts: 628 Member
    30 Day Shred will do a good job on chiseling away a waist line. Just keep your calories in check and don't eat back your exercise calories and you will do great!

    ^^^ agree with this.


    also zumba does work if you know how to do the moves right. It is a great core workout
  • 3under2
    3under2 Posts: 133
    Those of you who have done Zumba, how well does it work your abs? I HAVE GOT TO find something that will work on my stomach. I have started Jillian's 30 Day Shred but I have A LOT of fat around my middle that has got to go.

    I did 30 day Shred first and then moved right on to ripped in 30. For me, RI30 toned me up a bit more than Shred. I followed Shred to the T without missing a workout in the 30 days. I did Ripped 6 days a week.

    Good Luck!

    Scarlet
  • obsidianwings
    obsidianwings Posts: 1,237 Member
    Those of you who have done Zumba, how well does it work your abs? I HAVE GOT TO find something that will work on my stomach. I have started Jillian's 30 Day Shred but I have A LOT of fat around my middle that has got to go.

    Sorry, but you can't spot reduce. Simply working your abs won't remove the body fat from around that area. Your body decides where it wants to eat the body fat. It will take proper nutrition and exercise and time to melt it away. Took me almost 20 months. For others it happens faster and still some others it takes longer.
    Agree with this.
  • SARRY562
    SARRY562 Posts: 123 Member
    I dont only do Zumba classes but i also do ab class to forcus on the lower abs.. zumba is a great was to burn cals, however 30 mins of abs is a great way to burn fat..
  • naschulze
    naschulze Posts: 98
    I do a lot of zumba, but with most cardio exercise it's really how much you are activating your ab muscles that determines how much of a workout they will get. If you just let them hang loose you won't give them much of a workout.

    Also, a good way to fight belly fat is to eat a MUFA with every meal. MUFA's are found to specifically target belly fat.
    http://www.fitsugar.com/Foods-Battle-Belly-Fat-5462383

    I add one serving to every meal (one serving goes a long way), and it definitely helps (as long as your not counteracting the good food you eat with fatty foods).

    Most of the mufas I eat are
    - Avocado
    - Oils (olive, flaxseed oil mostly)
    - Nuts (almonds, peanuts, pecans, sunflower seeds, almond butter, peanut butter)
    - Dark Chocolate
  • LeighAnna115
    LeighAnna115 Posts: 149
    Hey there, I am actually a Zumba instructor so I have done LOTS of Zumba, haha! Zumba is quite effective for your midsection. Toning your stomach is really all about cardio and fat burning. Ab muscles will never be visible until you burn the fat layer on top of your muscles. Zumba is primarily a aerobic workout, but the type of moves you do activate the muscles of your midsection very well. I'd definitely recommend it for working around your middle.
  • kjannan
    kjannan Posts: 248 Member
    I noticed the change in my belly within weeks of starting zumba, I've got that line in the middle up the top that I've never had before :)
  • Angie_Fritts
    Angie_Fritts Posts: 263 Member
    I got a great cardio workout with zumba. But I never felt it was a good ab workout specifically. 30 day shred should give you some good results.

    I been taking Body Combat classes at the gym (videos are available les mills body combat) and RIPPED classes at the gym. Both are GREAT workouts.

    But anything that helps you lose the fat will help you have the abs that you are looking for.

    Good Luck!
  • DaddyM1
    DaddyM1 Posts: 18 Member
    Zumba can be a great workout, but that doesn't seem to be the specific concern. It's "spot reducing", which can't be done.

    Sorry, doesn't work that way. However, cardio, like Zumba, can help with the job of overall fat reduction.

    Something tells me none if this information will matter. When people get certain ideas in their head, it's hard to let go, regardless of all the information to the contrary.

    I wish you luck.
    Ed.
  • ladyluch99
    ladyluch99 Posts: 264 Member
    I do Zumba classes regularly and I feel it has helped some with my belly fat. However, I do agree that doing some kind of strength training in conjunction with aerobic exercise is the best way to go. I now take a Total Body class and Zumba (back to back) on Monday and Wednesday nights and then Zumba on a couple of other nights during the week. I have begun noticing differences in my belly and I'm definitely gaining more upper body strength as well as toning. It is said that people can not spot reduce and that the weight wlll come off as it is lost in the reverse order of how it's put on. Not sure that's true.

    My advice is to just keep working on weight loss and make sure you switch up your exercise routines because your body can get used to it and not yield results. Everyone is different, though, so what works for you may not necessarily work for me. It's a day to day thing we have to do and find what works best.
  • byHISstrength
    byHISstrength Posts: 984 Member
    Those of you who have done Zumba, how well does it work your abs? I HAVE GOT TO find something that will work on my stomach. I have started Jillian's 30 Day Shred but I have A LOT of fat around my middle that has got to go.

    Sorry, but you can't spot reduce. Simply working your abs won't remove the body fat from around that area. Your body decides where it wants to eat the body fat. It will take proper nutrition and exercise and time to melt it away. Took me almost 20 months. For others it happens faster and still some others it takes longer.

    Well said.

    Edit to add: I do love me some Zumba. For me, it is great calorie-burning cardio and super fun!
  • amann1976
    amann1976 Posts: 742 Member
    no exercise is going to reduce your stomach... you can improve your core strength with ab exercises but your stomach will not get flat from it... plenty of football players have great cores and big bellies. if you want to get 6 pack abs or a flatter stomach it is going to start in your kitchen with what you are eating. eliminate the processed foods, eliminate any and everything white from dressings and sauces to pastas and rice, reduce and or eliminate your refined sugars, add lots of lean proteins and fibrous carbs like broccoli and spinach


    that is the only way it is going to happen all those p90x and other latest fad workouts you see infomercials for dont mention that the workout comes with a giant diet book.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Zumba is great for your abs. It's a great calorie burner so it will help get off that fat, plus all that twisting, turning and booty shaking works your entire core. I love what Zumba did for my core and abs.
  • vickyfw326
    vickyfw326 Posts: 10
    Zumba is SO much fun! It's high energy and exciting. I love it :) Unfortunately us ladies who want some nice abs gotta get rid of a little chub before we can start working on toning. But if you want to sweat and burn calories, Zumba is very beneficial. I never go to class without an industrial sized bottle of water and a wash cloth to wipe the massive amounts of sweat lol
  • kawaiinekochi
    kawaiinekochi Posts: 15 Member
    Zumba is fun! I think that is the most important when you workout. It is also good you got another program that can help target the abs. It is also important that you make healthy choices with food too. I agree that you have to keep track on what goes into your body because that can be a factor as well. Also, other parts of the body (like legs and arms) are important too because that will also help strengthen your abs, as well as tone it. Also be sure to change up your routine day by day because after awhile, you body will be used to the workout and reach a plateau. My trainer told change up my routines day by day because of that. I hope that helps!

    Have fun with Zumba! I enjoy it too!
  • swagner73
    swagner73 Posts: 43 Member
    ....

    Thanks for all the help.
  • swagner73
    swagner73 Posts: 43 Member
    .
  • kjwillie
    kjwillie Posts: 106 Member
    Try a Kickboxing or Mixed Martial Arts class! They're awesome for tightening up the legs and abs! It will be really hard at first, but stick with it and you will get results.
  • Julicat6
    Julicat6 Posts: 231 Member
    Zumba is great for abs. First, it is an aerobic/cardiovascular exercise so you are torching calories and sweating like crazy(even I sweat, and no other workout, even the elliptical with hr 170's, has ever made me sweat. I'm a true southern Lady, I glisten, but don't sweat:wink: second, it does help with pulling everything in and reshaping the midsection. I started Zumba in earnest(3 classes or more) a month ago. I had already lost about 35-40 lbs, but thought my stomach looked worse, kind of baggy skin and soft, it looked worse than it did at my heaviest weight:grumble: Now, i can really see a difference. Its getting more toned and lost the mushy look that followed the first weight loss, and I'm burning more calories so dropping more lbs and its helping also. I still have a way to go to have a six-pack, but i bet under all the fat it will be there waiting to show itself when I reach my goal:happy:

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