Stomach workout?

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WhisperAnne
WhisperAnne Posts: 453
in Fitness and Exercise
Any advise on how to tone the stomach? my stomach is basically flat, but I'd like to tone it up a bit more. I hear crunches aren't effective. I'm not really trying to lose weight by the way, just tone up.
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Replies

  • SCV34
    SCV34 Posts: 2,048 Member
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    People say crunches are not effective, but I am here to tell you they work at toning your abs. I know this because every time I take a break from doing them, I can see and feel a difference. My stomach is flat too and I don't need to loose weight and maybe that's why crunches work for me. I am sure you will get other opinions, but I will keep doing what has worked for me over the years. Good luck, hope you can some good answers.
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
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    Can you be more specific as to what you mean by tone?

    Do you want to see the muscles?
  • kelly_e_montana
    kelly_e_montana Posts: 1,999 Member
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    My suggestion to you is to make sure you do various exercises to hit the upper abs, lower abs, and obliques. People always said old fashioned sit ups weren't that great because they used a lot of assisting muscles but I have seen major, major improvements since I added them to my routine. I also do bicycles, wall tappers, pike sit ups, hollow mans, and planks a lot. It's also good to do some work for the back as a counter-strengthening technique for the opposing muscles. Supermans are good for that. Are you on Pinterest? There are literally hundreds of 10-20 minute ab routines! Mix it up so you don't get bored.

    If I understand correctly, you are trying to build a little muscle. I know you have low body fat so that's not the issue (since we are MFP pals). :)
  • Smashley1947
    Smashley1947 Posts: 129
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    bodybuilding.com is a good resource

    I agree with Kelly regarding doing various exercises for all the abdominal muscles
  • edwardkim85
    edwardkim85 Posts: 438 Member
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    plank

    medicine ball (stability) crunches


    and what people say about abs... partially true. If you have a layer of fat around the tummy can never show 'abs' or look 'toned'.
  • bodyalmostthere
    bodyalmostthere Posts: 15
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    Decline sit ups is the master for abs do this every other day and u will see good results after u get good add weight
  • SCV34
    SCV34 Posts: 2,048 Member
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    Decline sit ups is the master for abs do this every other day and u will see good results after u get good add weight

    How does one do decline sit ups? I may incorporate those into my abs workout. Can those be done at home or is gym equipment required?
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    Decline sit ups is the master for abs do this every other day and u will see good results after u get good add weight

    How does one do decline sit ups? I may incorporate those into my abs workout. Can those be done at home or is gym equipment required?

    Decline situps require that you are laying with head below your feet... \ this position with head down but not such a "decline"

    But to be frank situps, planks and various different ab movements work but as you will probably eventually hear...abs are made in the kitchen...to see the effort you need to be at a low enough bf% to see them regardless of the amount of situps...

    I have found the most effective for me has been my lifting...I feel it in my abs all the time.

    I have recently been able to do chin ups as well and boy do I feel that.
  • emergencyninja
    emergencyninja Posts: 26 Member
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    plank

    medicine ball (stability) crunches


    and what people say about abs... partially true. If you have a layer of fat around the tummy can never show 'abs' or look 'toned'.

    I agree. There are many plank variations you can do as well.
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
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    I don't do any ab specific exercises other than an occasional plank once in a blue moon.

    If I were going to do an ab iso, it would be hanging leg raises.
  • SCV34
    SCV34 Posts: 2,048 Member
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    Planks, situps, crunches, exercise ball, kitchen, weights, cardio the list goes on. They are all key to success as well as consistency. Crunches have served me well, because access weight has never been an issue for me.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,622 Member
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    Any advise on how to tone the stomach? my stomach is basically flat, but I'd like to tone it up a bit more. I hear crunches aren't effective. I'm not really trying to lose weight by the way, just tone up.
    Crunches are effective if done correctly. Most people end up using their hip flexors more than their abs when doing them though. Raising one's feet off the ground helps to deter this from happening.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • bodyalmostthere
    bodyalmostthere Posts: 15
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    Yea what she said .. decline sit ups are great at building ab muscle but if your body fat percentage isn't around 20% "for woman" then your not going to see your abs anyway no matter how developed your ab muscles are so i d say hit the kitchen get your body fat down then worry about abs
  • PtheronJr
    PtheronJr Posts: 108 Member
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    Cable ab crunches work well because they force you to use your anterior core muscles directly, crunches kind of suck because there tends to be a very small period of contraction and the resistance is reliant on you being in the raised or "crunch" position for a minimal amount of time with your upper body weight primarily being moved, which doesn't lend well to stressing the muscles and encouraging development.

    Usually that's why I prefer exercises like the cable ab crunches, bottoms up , decline reverse crunches, hanging leg raises, hanging pikes (advanced only), Pallof presses, etc. etc.
    Essentially exercises that will force your body to contract and engage the abdominals more and with more resistance, and also force you to bring more stability into the movement in order to maintain it, your core muscles, the band that wraps around your waist essentially, are your overall stabilizers, that keep everything steady and strong, because of that, you should exercise them in a fashion that stresses and challenges that facet of their function. So exercises that force you to stay steady, and hold resistance in place while stabilizing the load, will be the best benefit for developing that area, both for strength and muscular development.

    That's also why exercises like squats, deadlifts, benching, overhead press, etc. all your big compound movements, will require a lot of work from your core muscles when done correctly. That area is essentially your foundation.
    Don't neglect your lower back either, as it's just as important a part of the core as your abdominals.
  • cafeaulait7
    cafeaulait7 Posts: 2,459 Member
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    Imho, one way or another, get some real weight on those suckers. Some folks see nice definition with just crunches, but mine don't get nice until I weight my crunches, for example. I weight all my ab moves unless the bodyweight itself is pretty extreme (those moves take a ton of flexibility, but I'd be happy to share them if anyone likes).

    Compound lifting apparently works more simply than the individual moves I do, btw! I have an upper back problem that limits my barbell work to stuff where I don't have to lift it with my arms, so I do separate weights for abs.
  • kelly_e_montana
    kelly_e_montana Posts: 1,999 Member
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    plank

    medicine ball (stability) crunches


    and what people say about abs... partially true. If you have a layer of fat around the tummy can never show 'abs' or look 'toned'.

    Okay, you are at a good weight so I think you just need to build more muscle though. :)
  • kelly_e_montana
    kelly_e_montana Posts: 1,999 Member
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    Yea what she said .. decline sit ups are great at building ab muscle but if your body fat percentage isn't around 20% "for woman" then your not going to see your abs anyway no matter how developed your ab muscles are so i d say hit the kitchen get your body fat down then worry about abs

    I know this person as an MFP pal (the OP). She is worried enough about her bodyfat for no reason. She needs to build muscle, not get skinnier. Please, please do not tell her to cut more calories or restrict. Muscle building would be good for her; more restriction would be severely detrimental. She is not fat, and she stated that in her original post.
  • whitebalance
    whitebalance Posts: 1,654 Member
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    http://pilates.about.com/od/pilatesexercises/tp/First-10-Classic-Exercises.htm
    Works all layers... Progressively challenging... Requires no equipment.
  • ReclaimingSarah
    ReclaimingSarah Posts: 250 Member
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    Jillian Michaels 6 Week 6 Pack. I'm nowhere near having a flat stomach, but I'm pretty sure that if I DID already have a flat stomach, this would do the trick. The ab muscles that are still buried under layers of flab SCREAM after I do this workout!
  • pinheadplanet
    pinheadplanet Posts: 24 Member
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    I hear crunches aren't effective.

    That might be true for the person that told you but that doesn't mean they won't work for you. The only way you'll know is by doing them. I use an app called Caynax A6W. It's been working for me. I've really enjoyed it though it is quite challenging, but then that's the whole idea, if it's easy it ain't gonna work.

    Mine's on Android, not sure about Apple, guess it'll be on there. It starts off slow but soon picks up pace and gets pretty hardcore, increasing every 4 days. You'll need to be dedicated but that's good for your discipline.

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