To those with abs!

amillionmegs
amillionmegs Posts: 59 Member
edited September 21 in Fitness and Exercise
How did you do it?

I've been doing regular situps/crunches and am starting to see a little bit of difference... I was just wondering what the most effective workouts are for abs. What worked for you???

Replies

  • Oompa_Loompa
    Oompa_Loompa Posts: 1,099 Member
    i would like to k now too!! I do 5 pilates moves that target the stomach and thats all i do for them...
  • T_R_A_V
    T_R_A_V Posts: 1,629 Member
    Need to mix it up....incorporate different exercises that incorporate obliques, upper, and lower....the exercise ball is perfect for many variations....also diet is key along with cardio

    my prob is I like beer to much
  • roadchic18
    roadchic18 Posts: 128
    I got mine with P90X, running, and most importantly clean and lean eating. I also cut out even diet soda because of the carbonation.
  • UltimateLover
    UltimateLover Posts: 306 Member
    I was wondering the same thing myself. That is the area that I have to work on the most seeing as that's where all of the weight seems to lie on me.
  • Oompa_Loompa
    Oompa_Loompa Posts: 1,099 Member
    Need to mix it up....incorporate different exercises that incorporate obliques, upper, and lower....the exercise ball is perfect for many variations....also diet is key along with cardio

    my prob is I like beer to much


    meeeeee too lol
  • pmaria10
    pmaria10 Posts: 784 Member
    I don't have a six pack, in fact I still have a way to go, but I found that a variation of plank exercises , crunches, and a lot of stretching has given me noticeable results even under the layer of fat. I can now see lines on the sides of my stomach. I started in January so it has taken this long.
  • questionablemethods
    questionablemethods Posts: 2,174 Member
    Everyone has abdominal muscles and if you have been doing exercises targeting that area, chances are they are really strong too. But if there is fat covering your abdomen, the muscle definition isn't going to show. It is an area where a lot of us tend to store our last bits of excess fat and thus it is also the last place where that fat leaves when we lose weight. I know that I can get nice looking definition in my arms a lot easier than I can in my abdominal area because that is where by body likes to stick its "survival fat". So, essentially, the answer is that you have to get down to a pretty low body fat percentage. To do that you have to lose fat while maintaining your lean muscle mass. So, cardio and weights and good, clean eating! "Abs are made in the kitchen" as they often say.

    I'm still working on dropping the last bit of body fat from my abs, but I can see decent definition most of the time. I do a lot of high intensity bodyweight circuit training and plyometrics. I don't really do a lot of crunches because I hate them, but I do a lot of exercises that require balance and stabilization, so my core is working the whole time. I mix in variations on planks like mountain climbers, plank jacks, burpees into my circuits to target my core.
  • mlove1307
    mlove1307 Posts: 151
    I still have a bit of stomach flab that I'm working on through cardio but I have GREAT abs underneath.. Haha.

    I'm a full-time college student and I sit on a balance ball at my desk.. I also use the same ball to do crunches on a daily basis. Whenever I get bored of doing homework and before bed I do a few sets. I reallllly recommend using a balance ball to get you up off the floor. It makes your back feel better AND you have to do wayyyyyyyy less crunches to see results. :]

    If you do get a balance ball though, make sure you get the right size for your height. :]
  • upsy
    upsy Posts: 42
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWjTnBmCHTY
    Does miracles on my abs. No more "6 mths pregnant" look after eating, and i excersised just for week!
  • T_R_A_V
    T_R_A_V Posts: 1,629 Member
    Planks are prob my fav exercise right now for my abs becasue they work every aspect....and there are many variations of planks to do as well
  • msciccone1
    msciccone1 Posts: 288 Member
    I noticed my stomach has gotten a lot flatter from doing Insanity because he focuses everything on the core. Its all about mixing it up though because abs are just like any muscle that need change and rest to recover. Hope that helps!
  • BR1986FB
    BR1986FB Posts: 1,515 Member
    Washboard abs are built in the kitchen with some sweat & hard work in between.
  • lvfunandfit
    lvfunandfit Posts: 654 Member
    Planks, Running, Planks, Running, Planks, Running .... Oh, ab exercises with the fitness/stability ball

    http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/fitness/stability-ball-exercises
    http://exercise.about.com/cs/abs/l/bl_core.htm
    http://pfitzinger.com/cc.shtml
  • fitinyoga14
    fitinyoga14 Posts: 448 Member
    along with the obvious exercises and diet, make sure to keep your posture in check. with good posture, you are building your core muscles in the long run as well as appearing instantly slimmer. people with good posture generally appear to have better looking bodies.
  • elizamary77
    elizamary77 Posts: 76 Member
    P90X really brought mine out, I'm guessing it was a combo of that and Zumba cause you work you middle in that class too. However for me at least I think a lot of it is genetics. Also you can do all the crunches you want and have great muscle underneath but you need to burn the fat to show the work you’ve done so a lot if it is cardio and diet as well.
  • T_R_A_V
    T_R_A_V Posts: 1,629 Member
    I agree with most too, that p90x and insanity has definitely assisted in this matter
  • CasperO
    CasperO Posts: 2,913 Member
    Everyone has abdominal muscles and if you have been doing exercises targeting that area, chances are they are really strong too. But if there is fat covering your abdomen, the muscle definition isn't going to show.
    Yup yup,,, anybody with low bodyfat has abs.
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    For me to see my abs, I have to get down to a fairly low % body fat. It doesn't really matter which ab exercises I do, so I rotate around all of them just to keep from getting bored.
    Right now I am happy, as my abs show up pretty good. I plan to keep it that way over the summer.
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