Tummy Firming??

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lilymoore
lilymoore Posts: 3
in Fitness and Exercise
I know I can lose the weight, but what I would love to do, more than anything else, is to firm up my tummy area. The thing is, I don't have a whole lot of time on my hands.
So, what are some good ways to firm up your midsection without having 2 hours to spend at the gym?

Replies

  • sendmoretigers
    sendmoretigers Posts: 48
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    planks are an awesome core exercise, alternate with a few sets of push ups and you can have a great core workout in about half an hour and you can do it on the floor in front of the tv, if that's your thing. keep in mind, though, that you can tone your abs all you want but you still need cardio to get the ol' heart rate up to lose whatever is covering those abs...
  • LaTerri
    LaTerri Posts: 42
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    Plank, lift put in the air, return to plank, 15 reps 3 times, takes about 15 min. Make sure you keep your back a little bit rounded, you don't want to dip, keep it straight. Practice sucking it in all day, every day, 24hrs a day to retrain those muscles to hold in your tummy.
  • clcastro
    clcastro Posts: 17
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    the key to a flat tummy is low body fat percentage - if ur body fat % isnt low enough, u wont be able to see any firmness, as for firming exercises, the upper abs are easiest to get so try adding more lower ab exercises (decline sit ups, reverse crunches are good) and dont forget the obliques!
  • getpumped
    getpumped Posts: 2
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    Don't forget the obliques. One of the best exercises to work all 4 abdominal muscles is the bicycle crunch
    slow and focused is the key. Not entering the Tour De France
    2 sets totalling 1 minute each and you'll be feeling those Abs you want to
    be seeing
  • sara_m83
    sara_m83 Posts: 545 Member
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    pilates pilates pilates! It's all about core strength and strengthening. Every single pilates exercise is done using primarily your ab muscles. There are tons of pilates DVDs you can get that are 20-30 minute workouts, up to 1 hour workouts, or take a pilates class at your local gym. They're low-impact, which means you won't be burning a ton of calories while doing this exercise, but you will definitely feel the results (if like me you still have fat covering my abs) and hopefully see them when you reach your goal weight!
  • sara_m83
    sara_m83 Posts: 545 Member
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    Plank, lift put in the air, return to plank, 15 reps 3 times, takes about 15 min. Make sure you keep your back a little bit rounded, you don't want to dip, keep it straight. Practice sucking it in all day, every day, 24hrs a day to retrain those muscles to hold in your tummy.

    Even harder than normal plank is 'lower plank' or 'combat' position: brace yourself on your elbows and toes keeping your stomach muscles engaged to support your back and maintain a perfectly straight (plank) position. VERY hard!
  • sendmoretigers
    sendmoretigers Posts: 48
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    Even harder than normal plank is 'lower plank' or 'combat' position: brace yourself on your elbows and toes keeping your stomach muscles engaged to support your back and maintain a perfectly straight (plank) position. VERY hard!
    [/quote]

    i though that was a normal plank!? i use a routine of alternating between the two basics. i do elbows and toes for 45 seconds, rest 15 seconds, then elbows and knees for 45 seconds and rest, i do three of each, takes about 6 minutes, obviously, and i do this three times between two sets of thirty pushups, so 2 sets pushups, the plank thing, repeat, x2more, it's really not a lot of time but it's a great, quick workout that i usually do at the end of the day in front of the tv(i'm lookin' at you, excuse makers!!!), the whole deal taking just about the same amount of time that it takes to watch the daily show, for example. lousy sneaky exercise

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