Toning lower stomach Tips - Hard!!

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rigby619
rigby619 Posts: 28 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi all, Used Fitness pal for a while and only just discovered this community!

Does anyone have any tips for lower stomach/muffin tops, I struggle to tone/flatten this part. Is this specifically related to my diet? I have a balance between gym and boxing classes 5 times a week and don't struggle to tone the top half.

any help (or friends here) appreciated :)

Thanks
Laura

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Replies

  • schpitt
    schpitt Posts: 37 Member
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    ab wheel
  • alyhuggan
    alyhuggan Posts: 717 Member
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    Toning is just a "female friendly" word for losing the fat that is covering a specific muscle.

    For a start your body fat percentage won't be low enough if you still have fat over the bottom half so a deficit will be enough to get rid of the excess fat there

    You're lower abs may not be developed enough to get the look I'm guessing you are after. Once you are low enough a bf% you may need to build them up while in a surplus.
  • giusa
    giusa Posts: 577 Member
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    Very informative post -http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1161603/so-you-want-a-nice-stomach/p1
  • rigby619
    rigby619 Posts: 28 Member
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    very helpful! Thanks, I am lowering my body fat so I guess they might show through in the near future!
  • iLoveMyPitbull1225
    iLoveMyPitbull1225 Posts: 1,691 Member
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    Definitely diet. Abs are made in the kitchen, as the saying goes!
  • HardcoreP0rk
    HardcoreP0rk Posts: 936 Member
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    rigby619 wrote: »
    Hi all, Used Fitness pal for a while and only just discovered this community!

    Does anyone have any tips for lower stomach/muffin tops, I struggle to tone/flatten this part. Is this specifically related to my diet? I have a balance between gym and boxing classes 5 times a week and don't struggle to tone the top half.

    any help (or friends here) appreciated :)

    Thanks
    Laura

    Two that I find helpful...

    The V Up (model in video is actually not that great at it)

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iP2fjvG0g3w

    And Leg Drops (I do mine SLOWLY with a 10lb barbell between my feet)

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPdpsvOxMoI
  • rigby619
    rigby619 Posts: 28 Member
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    oh will be using them!! thank-you. Looks like i will need to focus more on my eating too.

    Any tips helpful!
  • HardcoreP0rk
    HardcoreP0rk Posts: 936 Member
    edited July 2015
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    rigby619 wrote: »
    oh will be using them!! thank-you. Looks like i will need to focus more on my eating too.

    Any tips helpful!

    Definitely do both. Dieting will show off your hard work, and the strengthening exercises will improve your posture and prevent injuries.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,566 Member
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    You can't spot reduce with exercise. If your lower abs are holding on to fat, it's due to genetics. You can legitmately blame mom and dad for this.

    Just keep lowering body fat to get there.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png
  • rigby619
    rigby619 Posts: 28 Member
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    Will try! Need to add some weights too after reading other forums posts
  • HardcoreP0rk
    HardcoreP0rk Posts: 936 Member
    edited July 2015
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    Just to avoid killing yourself... establish a baseline with your workouts and work your way up to doing the exercise below. When you are doing ankles to the bar successfully, you'll know your abs are 'strong enough' and any lack of visual progress is just diet / fat / genetics. I think it's a good indication, anyhow...

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0Lywt1YDfk
  • rigby619
    rigby619 Posts: 28 Member
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    HardcoreP0rk thank-you - that's good idea building up. I need to do more core excersizes and build back muscles up, it is like a dull ache when I start situps.

    I guess this could be technique too
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
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    ninerbuff wrote: »
    You can't spot reduce with exercise. If your lower abs are holding on to fat, it's due to genetics. You can legitmately blame mom and dad for this.

    Just keep lowering body fat to get there.

    And this^^^^
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
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    Lose body fat through calorie deficit, and work on muscle building through lifting. You can't spot reduce, as others have said, but if you reduce your body fat through diet, and body recomp through lifting, you'll likely find yourself happier with your overall appearance, and have a much stronger core.
  • vadersaysno
    vadersaysno Posts: 1,965 Member
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    HardcoreP0rk wrote: »
    Just to avoid killing yourself... establish a baseline with your workouts and work your way up to doing the exercise below. When you are doing ankles to the bar successfully, you'll know your abs are 'strong enough' and any lack of visual progress is just diet / fat / genetics. I think it's a good indication, anyhow...

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0Lywt1YDfk

    People at the gym would enjoy watching me do this routine. I'd do it one time, slip off the bar and hit my head for concussion #7 (or 8...I've lost count).
  • DoreenaV1975
    DoreenaV1975 Posts: 567 Member
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    I'm 5'1", 109.8 pounds, and I still have a bit of a belly and some flab on my thighs and butt. I don't want to lose much more weight... maybe 2-3 pounds as a buffer so that I have a goal weight range instead of a goal weight number...
    I have been advised by many MFP peeps that I need to lift weights to help burn off the remaining fat.
    For some reason I can't find a routine that I can ease into.
    It is so much easier to jump on the elliptical than to keep track of different weight exercises and numbers of sets.
    I realize it's my own laziness and fear of trying something new that's holding me back.

    Maybe you can do it though and that's why I am suggesting it.
    Others will probably be able to give you more specifics...
    Good luck!
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,220 Member
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    DoreenaV1975 wrote: »
    I'm 5'1", 109.8 pounds, and I still have a bit of a belly and some flab on my thighs and butt. I don't want to lose much more weight... maybe 2-3 pounds as a buffer so that I have a goal weight range instead of a goal weight number...
    I have been advised by many MFP peeps that I need to lift weights to help burn off the remaining fat.
    For some reason I can't find a routine that I can ease into.
    It is so much easier to jump on the elliptical than to keep track of different weight exercises and numbers of sets.
    I realize it's my own laziness and fear of trying something new that's holding me back.

    Maybe you can do it though and that's why I am suggesting it.
    Others will probably be able to give you more specifics...
    Good luck!

    Pick a plan to start with that doesn't require you track the weights.

    http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/find-a-plan.html

    Here are some suggestions:
    http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/jamie-eason-livefit-trainer.html
    http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/erin-stern-elite-body-4-week-fitness-trainer.html
    http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/the-ultimate-30-day-beginners-guide-to-fitness.html
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
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    DoreenaV1975 wrote: »
    I'm 5'1", 109.8 pounds, and I still have a bit of a belly and some flab on my thighs and butt. I don't want to lose much more weight... maybe 2-3 pounds as a buffer so that I have a goal weight range instead of a goal weight number...
    I have been advised by many MFP peeps that I need to lift weights to help burn off the remaining fat.
    For some reason I can't find a routine that I can ease into.
    It is so much easier to jump on the elliptical than to keep track of different weight exercises and numbers of sets.
    I realize it's my own laziness and fear of trying something new that's holding me back.

    Maybe you can do it though and that's why I am suggesting it.
    Others will probably be able to give you more specifics...
    Good luck!

    It's called body recomposition. Heavy lifting causes a change in the shape of your body's muscles and your overall appearance. Working muscles will demand more energy.
    You don't need to do a lot of reps, just a routine of heavier weights with short bursts of a few reps. And you don't do them every day. You'll do alternating days of the week, different parts of the body.
    Cardio isn't going to burn that fat off of you, it's for fitness.
    Honestly, as far as losing more fat, it's still in the kitchen.
  • skysiebaby
    skysiebaby Posts: 88 Member
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    The title of this thread made me think of an Instagram post I just saw...sooo much mis-information there.

    u9o3gkrch2w0.jpg
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,220 Member
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    skysiebaby wrote: »
    The title of this thread made me think of an Instagram post I just saw...sooo much mis-information there.

    u9o3gkrch2w0.jpg

    5, 6, 7, 8 are good steps.

    The others are garbage.

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