Help, I want toned abs!

bgtorres
bgtorres Posts: 186 Member
edited September 23 in Fitness and Exercise
I do Zumba every day but I would love a workout that will actually get my abs tones. I was looking into TurboFire or Chalean Extreme. (One of my co-workers let me borrow p90x, but I'm scared to get hurt or to try it) So what do you guys recommend TurboFire or Chalean Extreme for toned/flat abs?

Replies

  • tammyc1979
    tammyc1979 Posts: 1
    I'm doing a mix of Zumba Cardio, Zumba Sculpt & Tone and Also Hip hop abs by Shawn T. Hip hop Abs really works your Abs.
  • ashlee954
    ashlee954 Posts: 1,112 Member
    I do sit ups. ;)
  • Reese2008
    Reese2008 Posts: 33
    Get a bender ball. they are $19 at Target and come with three 15 minute dvds. I swear by this thing.. 2 weeks into it and I already am noticing a difference!! I do ONE of the dvds every other day. check it out! :):happy:
  • ♥Violette♥4Ever♥
    ♥Violette♥4Ever♥ Posts: 457 Member
    I do sit ups.
  • hpsnickers1
    hpsnickers1 Posts: 2,783 Member
    Jillian Michaels has a DVD called 6-Week 6-Pack Abs. Don't know about the 6-pack part but it's a pure ab workout. I haven't tried it yet because I've been working on No More Trouble Zones and 30 Day Shred but will eventually start it. You can find it for about $9-$10 dollars at Target, Walmart, Amazon, etc
  • backinthenines
    backinthenines Posts: 1,083 Member
    For women to have visible abdominal muscles their bodyfat has to be quite low.

    I began to have visible obliques when I was down to about 17% BF.

    I'm sure there is a degree of individual difference in terms of the exact percentage, however the general deal is that whatever will show off your abs the most is what burns the most calories for you.

    You can do any number of sit ups, they will make no difference to the visibility of the abs... that's all about body fat.
  • Frozenmango
    Frozenmango Posts: 207 Member
    For women to have visible abdominal muscles their bodyfat has to be quite low.

    I began to have visible obliques when I was down to about 17% BF.

    I'm sure there is a degree of individual difference in terms of the exact percentage, however the general deal is that whatever will show off your abs the most is what burns the most calories for you.

    You can do any number of sit ups, they will make no difference to the visibility of the abs... that's all about body fat.

    This is exactly it. Sit-ups/crunches will help to tone, strengthen and define your ab muscles, but none of that will be visible under body fat. Cardio is needed to burn off the excess fat, and when that gets down to the point where your muscles are closer to the skin, you'll see more definition. I'll never forget an old friend of mine who had what looked like a beer gut, but when you pushed it, it was hard as a rock! He did sit ups every single day, but hated cardio so he ended up with rock solid ab muscles but no way to show it under the fat!
  • fasttrack27
    fasttrack27 Posts: 324
    There are tons of variations of crunches/sit ups. Maybe do some searching online for examples (if you dont want to go buy dvd's). Not only will it spice things up a little from plain, boring sit up's but they will work different areas of the core too.

    Planks are good too. Try holding your forearms on an excercise ball instead of just the ground. You'll be shaking/jittery within 15 seconds! As you progress, roll the ball further away and they will get harder to do. You can also do alternating leg lifts while doing a traditional plank (on floor, not ball).
  • fuzzymel
    fuzzymel Posts: 400 Member
    I started getting some stomach definition when I hit about 20% body fat last year. I loved working on my core. I would do lots of plank (in the many variations) to strenghten my core and also lots of sit ups. Its quite a lot of work though and takes a while.

    Last night I did my first lot of ab work since recovering from the flu and even though it was light and fairly brief I can really feel it today.
  • kdiamond
    kdiamond Posts: 3,329 Member
    Abs are made in the kitchen!! I agree with the AP in saying as soon as I lowered my bodyfat to under 17% (mine is currently 16%) I started to see the 4-pack (trying to get to the 6-pack but for women it is pretty tough!).

    I do Crossfit and follow a Paleo diet and I fully believe the combo of the two of them made it possible to see my abs in a pretty short amount of time (2 months). I hardly ever do "situps", mostly I do core exercises.

    Good luck!
  • catysthename
    catysthename Posts: 278 Member
    Get a bender ball. they are $19 at Target and come with three 15 minute dvds. I swear by this thing.. 2 weeks into it and I already am noticing a difference!! I do ONE of the dvds every other day. check it out! :):happy:

    Does it help your lower abs?? (the pooch)
  • pkpzp228
    pkpzp228 Posts: 146 Member
    For women to have visible abdominal muscles their bodyfat has to be quite low.

    I began to have visible obliques when I was down to about 17% BF.

    I'm sure there is a degree of individual difference in terms of the exact percentage, however the general deal is that whatever will show off your abs the most is what burns the most calories for you.

    You can do any number of sit ups, they will make no difference to the visibility of the abs... that's all about body fat.

    +1

    Abs are toned in the kitchen not the gym. Work on your diet and lower your BF% and just about any ab exercise will produce results. IMO planks are one of the most effective.
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