Some of the Most Effective Ab Workouts for Women

It's unfortunate, but as women get older, they often begin to accumulate excess weight around the lower part of the body. It's common for weight gain to settle on the thighs, hips and the belly. It's difficult to lose fat in these areas, with belly fat being the hardest to lose. While ab workouts for women can help, it's often not enough. These workouts will tone the abs, but if there is too much fat in the area, the toned abs will not show. To remedy this, combine the following ab workouts for women with a healthy eating plan that will help you lose excess weight.
There are many reasons that women want to lose weight and flatten their abs. Some of the most common reasons are as follows:
• Improve overall health
• Post partum recovery
• Upcoming events
No matter why you want to flatten your stomach, the following ab workouts for women can help you reach your goals.
Exercise Ball Crunch
This workout uses an exercise ball to support your body during the workout. Lie on the ball, carefully positioning it under the lower back. The feet are placed flat on the floor, shoulder width apart. Cross your arms either behind your head or over your chest. Next, contract the abs, lifting your torso upward, off the ball, then lower yourself back down onto the ball. Repeat this movement 12 times, completing 1-3 sets.
Plank on Elbows and Toes
This is one of the most effective ab workouts for women when done properly. Lie face down on the floor, with your weight resting on the forearms. Push your body from the floor using your arms and toes, resting your full weight on the elbows. You body should be kept perfectly straight, resembling a plank of wood. Make sure your back is not arched and your but is not up in the air. The position should be held for 20-60 seconds before lowering to the original position. Do 3-5 reps.
Vertical Leg Crunch
Lay on the floor, flat on your back, ankles crossed and legs extended straight up, toward the ceiling. You can place your hands either flat on the floor or behind your head. The abs are then contracted, shoulders lifting from the floor, legs holding the original position, before lowering the legs. Complete 1-3 sets of 12 reps.
Reverse Crunch
This workout starts with you lying on the floor, hands behind your head or beside you on the floor. Bend the knees, bringing them to your chest, creating a 90 degree angle. Your feet can be crossed if desired. Contract the abs, lifting the hips from the floor. At the same time, reach the legs upward, toward the ceiling. Complete 1-3 sets of 12 reps.
These are just a few of the ab workouts for women that can help your reach your goal of having flat, toned abs. There are a number of online resources that can be used to learn the proper form for each of these workouts. With a little bit of effort and a reasonable diet plan, you can reach your goals.

By Matthew Mitchells .

Want To Know The Best Ab Workout For Belly Fat Loss?

It's a common request: "Hamish, tell me the best ab workout for belly fat loss".
Well, guess what I tell them?
There isn't one! There is no ab workout that can burn enough calories alone to create a sufficient calorie deficit for noticeable belly fat loss.
As a self-proclaimed fitness fanatic and avid researcher of the best ways to flatten your stomach, people constantly grill me for info on the best exercises and workouts to shed stubborn stomach flab and unveil a trim and sexy waistline. While the questions aren't exactly "wrong", the issue is that most folks with unwanted belly fat think there's some kind of "magical ab workout" that will whittle their waistline down to visible abs while still eating hamburgers and guarding the couch (by sitting on it for extended periods).
Sorry people... You need to look at the problem from a different angle. See, ab workouts alone just won't cut it.
And while you folks keep spending your time and energy purely on ab workouts to get your excess love handles handled, you're missing out on the easiest and quickest way to strip stomach fat - through correct full body workout routines that will do the job safely and effectively.
Simply put: the best ab workout is actually a full body workout and would include the following multi-joint exercises:
Different types of squat, the lunge, the dead lift, the clean and press, the snatch, the kettlebell swing, different types press and pull exercises, the mountain climber, the semi-occasional sprint, and more.
Personally, I'd use this list to make up the majority of each workout and then chuck in some direct ab workout stuff for fun. See, a workout made up of exercises from the list above massively increases the calories burned during, and long after, each session. And the more calories you burn the more belly fat you're likely to lose. Sound fair enough? Great!
Please understand... I don't have anything against direct ab / core work, but I wouldn't base a whole workout on it because there are better options available to get better results faster. Whole body exercises elicit greater changes to your metabolism and hormone profile to create the best environment for fat loss. Plus, most whole body exercises greatly tax the midsection anyway - so you get your ab workout without having to do a single crunch!
Now you're clear about exercise there's another thing to consider, nutrition is probably the most crucial part of belly fat loss. In fact several scientific studies have proven, no matter how many crunches you do, if you're eating sucks you will never get a flat stomach - simple as that. Strangely, I think almost everyone knows this but some choose to ignore it. The availability of sugar laden / fat filled processed food makes healthy eating a lot harder (and maybe even a lot less enticing) than it used to be. However, if your diet isn't right the belly flab will not budge.
Summing this all up:
Crunches, leg raises and all that direct ab stuff is great as part of a whole body workout program. But steer away from ab workout routines where you're only doing abs and nothing else. Go for intense full body workouts made up of compound (multi-joint) exercises combined with a sound diet. Stay away from processed foods and drink plenty of water rather than sodas. Do all the things above and you'll be on the path a flat stomach and visible abs in no time.

By Hamish Shephard.

Lose Your Beer Belly - A Simple Secret to Lose Your Beer Belly

So you want to lose your beer belly using this simple secret. The truth is, that you're not going to be too surprised when you read what this simple secret is. But I will nonetheless state it here for you together with some addition advice. I read an article recently that gave advice on "how to lose your beer belly without giving up drinking beer". I had to laugh because to me, it was like saying, "how to get rid of your smoker's cough without giving up smoking 40 fags a day". It's a bit oxymoron if you asked me!
Sometimes I think it's necessary to mention the obvious, as we can tend to look for all kinds of solutions that just won't work and don't make a lot of sense. That said, I'm going to be a bit direct now and hope you don't take offense as it's not meant to be impolite in any way, it's just my way of stating what you already know, but won't admit to your self that it is is the correct solution. If you are sincere in wanting to lose your beer belly, then you need to do one or both of the following: Either quit boozing or cut down. That's it! The simple fact is that this will work in every case and you know it.
The real problem is that we love a good splosh-up. We like boozing with the boys full-stop! We like the associating and the company that we mix with in the pub/club. It's a way of releasing the tensions of the day's work and all the pressure that we get on a daily basis. It's our outlet and for a few hours or more each night and we get to forget about all the crap that's going on in our lives. Or sometimes, we use it to get away from the troubles we might be having in the home. Whatever! (The truth is, that boozing is one of the main causes for break-ups at home.) Going down to our local gets to be an enjoyable habit at a cost that is more than just money - it's our health as well, which is far more important. Just take a good long look at yourself (front and side) in the mirror without your shirt on. What a lovely sight. Ha!
We find ourselves out of shape and tired most of the time. We are getting fatter and less fit by the day and it's costing us an arm and a leg. When we realise that we're skint, we blame it on the fact that we're just underpaid and the cost of living is too high. We aren't likely to admit that our boozing habits are now the real problem. When you enter the pub do you ever notice what a nice warm greeting you get from the landlord? If you haven't been in for a few days, they'll tell you, "what a good night you missed the other day". I found that all the publicans were very much the same. You know why? Because it's us mugs who are fattening and filling up their wallets and bank accounts each time we knock out our money in the pub/s.
The only thing that they really miss when we don't come in, is our money! If you really believe that they're that genuine a friend to you, then pull them aside one night and tell the landlord (your very good friend) that you've got a spot of money trouble and can he lend you a grand until you get back on your feet. See how he reacts to that, eh? He'll definitely need a drink. He'll say something like, "if you'd only asked me a few days ago, I could have done it for ya, but I've just had to fork out a bundle for blah blah blah", and the other load of old cobblers.
If you are serious and really want to lose your belly blubber, then just quit guzzling lager and save yourself a bundle of dough at the same time. Go join a fitness club, get fit and lose that fat gut and start to feel great again. It don't take a genius to work that one out. Give the pub the finger and get a life! Associate with winners. Associate and mix with go-getters and people who care about how they look and feel. Like attracts like. Get yourself a good fitness workout program, get on the floor and do some useful belly fat exercises three times a week, eat a healthy diet and lose your beer belly. (Then go down the pub and pour a dozen lagers down your scrag to celebrate - I'm only joking!) Wishing you all the very best.

By Anthony Marquis.

Women Over 50 - Lose Your Flabby Belly, Here is How

Are you a woman over 50 with a goal to lose your flabby belly? It is no fun dealing with belly fat and unfortunately this becomes a growing problem for women as they age and approach menopause. Hormones begin to change the way a woman's body distributes fat making it less likely to get deposited in the legs and butt and more likely to get stored in the belly. Even though your body is shifting you can still get this weight off with the right steps. If you would like to learn more then I encourage you to take a couple of minutes and read on.
Lose Your Flabby Belly
1. Be smarter with carbohydrates. Carbohydrates offer a wonderful source of energy for your body because they are quick to break down to their basic element - sugar. However when you eat these later in the day when your body does not need as much energy they are more likely to go into storage and end up in fat cells on your belly. To be smarter with carbohydrates finish eating them in the first half of your day and limit or remove them from dinner and snacks in the evening.
2. Add a protein choice to every meal. Protein gives your body what it needs to maintain muscle (very important for your fat burning metabolism) and it also stimulates the production of a hormone called glucagon which can counter some of the fat-making properties of carbs.
3. Add 2 to 3 sessions of weight training to your week. Women lose muscle with age unless they take specific measures to build it up. Why is this important to belly flab? Well every pound of muscle on your body burns about 50 calories a day so the more muscle you have the easier your body will find it to burn off belly fat.
If you are a woman over 50 who needs to lose your flabby belly then get started with these great tips.


By Dr. Becky Gillaspy.

How to Lose My Fat Belly? 5 Powerful Enemies That Prevent You From Losing Your Belly

Let's face it-the jiggling fat around your waist is far from pretty. It's hardly attractive for the opposite sex and it often makes you feel uncomfortable in your own skin. Belly fat is also associated with a variety of health risks starting from heart disease, cancer, diabetes, elevated blood sugar levels, high blood pressure and so on. The list of potential health hazards is endless. That's why getting rid of the belly bulge is vital-it will boost you confidence as well as save you from a heart attack. However, before you embark on the hard task of fighting your belly fat, you should recognize your most powerful enemies.
1 Calories- in order to lose belly fat, you have to reduce your calories intake. Wow, that's a news! The problem lies in the fact that a lot of calories are not taken into account when you come up with a daily diet plan. Your Starbucks latte in the morning or tasty margarita cocktail at night constitute more than half calories you need for the day! So watch out-it all adds up in the end.
2 Alcohol-Alcohol can be a powerful enemy in any weight loss attempts. It slows down your metabolism. It can affect negatively the production of fat burning hormones. It also contains the so called empty calories-calories that have no nutrients and are immediately stored by the body in the form of fat.
3 Lack of water- Water is essential for a flat tummy. Research shows that you have to consume at least 8 glasses of water per day. It could be difficult the first couple of days while your body is adjusting to the increased water intake. But after that the habit will become natural. The reason that water is so important is the chemical makeup of your body. 70% of the human body is water. When we don't get enough of it, the body naturally holds on to its water resources, thus leaving you bloated . Once the water intake is sufficiently increased, the body releases water supplies which can result in the shedding of many excess pounds.
4 Lack of balanced exercise-working out is important. Balanced working out is even more important. The thing is you can't really spot reduce your weight by targeting just a certain group of muscles. Crunches, sit-ups and all kinds of ab exercise will help you strengthen your muscle abs. However, you have to combine them with all kinds of exercise-walking, cardio, aerobics, weight lifting etc. Only a balanced workout program can bring sufficient belly fat results.
5 Cortisol and stress- This is a big one. Stress and dieting in particular make the body produce more of the stress hormone cortisol. Elevated cortisol levels result in the deposition of more fat in the midsection of the body. It's a catch-22 situation. The more you diet, the harder it gets to lose belly fat. The only way to counter the effect of cortisol is to use potent cortisol blockers.
" How to lose my fat belly?" is not a rocket science. It's a simple set of rules that have to be followed. Good habits can be hard to form, but once in place they will bring the desired results.


By Irena Bocheva.

Find Out How to Lose Your Fat Belly & Get Your Slim Figure Back

Are you one of the many looking to lose your fat belly and get that body back you used to have? Today is your lucky day as we are going to tell you how to do just that. Now go and take a good look at yourself in the mirror, because in 60 days, you will not be seeing that version of you again!
Excess abdomen fat is a plague that is affecting over 45% of North Americans according to scientific reports. With worries of flu's, West Nile Virus and Aids, the health risks from excess body weight is almost ignored by the general public yet "more people die each year due to health complications from being overweight than all those other issues combined "(2002 article American Medical Association).
You are aware of the health risks of being overweight so we will not waste your time going over them. What you want to know is "How to lose your fat belly". The ability to lose excess fat is possible by everyone yet the rate of weight loss varies for each individual, so don't be discouraged if someone else is losing faster than you. When you start out, don't just focus on your stomach region as you might not see the weight loss that occurs in your face, neck, arms, legs, thighs or buttocks. I know that you want to lose fat belly yet your body uses the stomach area to store its main reserves of fat so it will use body fats found in other areas first. This is why you will see results in these other areas faster.
Exercises such as sit-ups or crunches will NOT help you target and lose fat belly faster. The exercise will build muscle and burn excess fat yet your body will determine what fat is to go first... and it will not be the abdomen if other deposits exist. This is why I requested that you look at yourself in the mirror before you start. You will notice the gradual changes to these areas yet there is not better feeling than having someone you have not seen in a couple weeks say to you "Have you lost weight?" That is when you realize that your weight loss is truly working.
So how do you lose fat belly and see results within 60 days? Let's start out by telling you what to avoid as these tend to be traps many fall into and don't get results they wanted.
Avoid The Following:

1. Expensive Exercise Equipment - Ab Blaster or any other TV infomercial promoting the next miracle flab busting machine. Exercise is good but these expensive gimmicks will not help you lose fat belly any faster than going for a 20 minute walk.
2. Anything that says it targets any specific area of fat - Nothing can target just your fat belly... not exercises, machines, pills or foods, nothing. They are just targeting YOU for a sale of their potentially useless product.
3. Expensive Weight Loss Franchises or Meal Programs - Weight loss franchises are very expensive and results are not guaranteed. Why? They make money by having you on the program not off it. Many provide meal programs (additional cost) that reduce calories but doesn't teach you how to eat and keep a healthy lifestyle. This is the main reason these franchises and meal programs end up failing you.

So what CAN you do to lose fat belly and start seeing results in 60 days?
What many of us don't focus on is healthier eating and lifestyle as we think that it is too difficult to maintain. The funny thing is, many of us started out eating better than we do today it is just that we have forgotten how or just don't have the time. To lose fat belly and see sustainable weight loss start a weight loss program that you can do from home, at work or anywhere you need to be. Find a balanced weight loss program that will allow you to eat everyday foods without the need for pre-packaged diet meals, supplements or the need to count calories. It must allow you to eat the foods that you would normally find in a grocery store (including treats) yet teach you what your body needs. If it provides additional tools to help make quick and healthy meals for those busy days then all the better. Make sure it is flexible for you so you want to stay with it to make it effective. Exercise is not necessary for weight loss yet will help you burn fat faster.

By John J Roberts.