How to tone tummy fast

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toomanycurves
toomanycurves Posts: 110 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Greetings, all!

I am hoping that someone well versed in exercise can help me. More than 16 months ago, I fell and sustained a brachial plexus (nerve plexus in neck) injury that left me in excruciating pain and with little use of one of my arms unless I had just received a cortisone shot. I also severely damaged both knees. I have now healed to the point that I am able to exercise in a pool and do a few crunch or Pilates-type exercises on the floor.

I am hoping to be able to wear "normal" clothes this summer rather than the shirt dresses of last summer. While I'd like to lose about 15 - 20 pounds, according to the BMI, I'm currently of "normal" weight. It will soon be very hot here in NYC. Does anyone know of the quickest way to tone one's abs (mine could be called "flabs")? I tried on a few skirts today and the waistbands are about four inches tight. Is there a specific exercise regimen that I could do at home to quickly tone my abs? Because of my shoulder injury, I cannot do planks or certain yoga poses.

Thanks so very much!:smile::smile: :smile:

Replies

  • JenMc14
    JenMc14 Posts: 2,389 Member
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    No amount or type of exercise will "tone" your abs. To lose body fat, you must eat at a deficit. Exercise can help create a bigger calorie deficit, but it doesn't matter if their abs or cardio or whatever. Eat at a deficit, do some sort of resistance training to hang onto muscle as you lose, and do some cardio. I'd highly suggest lifting heavy (for you) weights if you're able.
  • toomanycurves
    toomanycurves Posts: 110 Member
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    Thanks, JenMc. I'm eating at a slight caloric deficit and I'm losing weight. I'm sure that I'll lose weight from my abs as well as other places. What I had been wondering was whether there were specific exercises that could tone one's abs in a crunch (sorry, bad pun).:bigsmile:
  • leantool
    leantool Posts: 365 Member
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    With a brachial plexus injury i doubt if you would be able to lif heavy,swimming is a good way to lose fat,i suggest you consult a rehabilitation therapist before you go for some kind of resistant trainings.good luck and hope you recover soon
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
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    What people usually mean by "toning" is losing the fat that is covering muscle, in order to make the muscle a little more defined. (Adding muscle mass can also be prart of the process, if there's not much there to begin with). The way you lose fat is simply with a calorie deficit, and you cannot choose where the fat comes off. You just have to keep losing until you're satisfied with the results. Many people tend to store fat around their abdomen first, so it ends up being the last place for it to come off.

    You can target muscles with specific exercise to make them stronger (and, if you're bulking/gaining, to make them bigger). Again though, this won't target the fat in that area. Basically, try to orget about "toning abs" - the whole concept of toning body parts is a bit of a gimmick. You lose fat, or gain fat, or build muscle mass, or lose muscle mass. That is how you get more or less muscle definition. (Plus you get a little more temporarily by working the muscles hard enough for them to swell.)

    Some good exercises to target your core strength would be compound lifts with heavy weights.

    See also this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1161603-so-you-want-a-nice-stomach

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