No matter if you want a ‘Six Pack’ or just trying to improve your balance, the ab workouts are mandatory. We have a misconception that only visible abs are strong. But no. Some people have strong abs but they are not visible due to their genes.
If you want a strong core, mix the abs workouts, and make your plan with your preferred exercises. The regular workout session not only strengthens the core but also extracts fat from the body.
For some valid reasons, the ab workouts for women are slightly different from the men’s. If you want to get the best abdominal exercises, give it a read. You will get everything you need to know.
Benefits of Abs workout
The ab workouts are beneficial to you in many ways. For example:
◾ The ab exercises make your body posture better and reduce your back pain.
◾ The abs workouts make you more stable and strong. As a result, you will see improvements in your sports.
◾ Your ability to bear heavy weights will extend a lot.
◾ You will get a lean body and firmer waistline by practicing ab workouts.
◾ The abdominal and core exercises are the most effective options for weight loss.
Ab workouts for women at home
Who does not love the opportunity of working out at home? But we often get confused while choosing our daily workouts. We do not understand which one will be good for us or which one to avoid. To clear all your confusions, here are some of the ideas that you can follow.
Bird dog crunches
People also know this as a quadruped or isolation exercise. The moves focus on the abdominal muscle, lower back, thigh, and gluteal muscle. Practicing these bird dog crunches every day will help you recover from a back injury. Also, these crunches offer you good spinal stability and a strong core. These crunches are considered one of the best ab workouts for women.
Instructions
✔ Get on the tabletop position with your hands and knee. Your wrists should be shacked under your shoulders and knees under your hips.
✔ Extend your one arm forward and the opposite leg backward. The knees should be raised about 5 to 6 inches up from the floor.
✔ While lifting your arms and knees, maintain a flat back, and keep your hips squared with the floor. In case your lower back can not bear the pain, raise the leg only as high as you can.
✔ After getting stable at the position, hold there for a few seconds,
✔ Return to the very first position. And repeat the moves with the opposite arms and knees.
✔ You can practice a total of 3 sets, each with 10 reps (5 reps each side).
Bicycle Crunches
Even though theese crunches look simple, it takes a lot of practice to perform the perfect move. The workout mainly focuses on the abdominal muscle and obliques as well. If you want a strong core, then these crunches are the best option for you.
Instructions
✔ Lie flat on the floor on your back. Press your lower back to the ground and keep your knees bent.
✔ Place your feet flat on the ground and hands behind the head.
✔ Contract your core muscles and stabilize the spine by drawing in your abdomen.
✔ Lift your feet from the ground and bring your knees up to a 90 degrees angle. Also, pull the shoulder blades off the ground by gently holding your head with your hands.
✔ Now try to mimic padeling a bicycle. Straighten the right leg at a 45-degree position. Move your upper body to the left side by bringing the right elbow close to the left knee.
✔ Keep alternating the position.
✔ You can perform 3 sets of crunches, each with 10 to 12 reps.
Dead bug
The dead bug is one of the best ab workouts for women. This exercise targets the core muscle, spinal erectors, and abdominal transverse. The moves are very effective to build a strong core and grain stability.
Instructions
✔ Lie on the mat on your back. Make sure your lower back is fully pressed to the ground, and there is no gap between them. Maintain the contract between the lower back and the floor.
✔ Raise both your arms straight out, pointing at the ceiling.
✔ Now lift your feet, knees, and hips and maintain a 90-degree position.
✔ To engage your core, exhale hard. Ensure that your spine is stable while you are doing this workout.
✔ Rotate your pelvis up and squeeze the glutes. Maintain that position for a few seconds. Consider this as your beginning position.
✔ Slowly move your right arm back over your head. Also, extend your left knee, hip, and try to reach the floor. While making this move, keep your left arm and right leg as they were before. If you feel stressed, release the position.
✔ Reverse the movements and return to the first position. Now repeat the same moves with the opposite arms and knees.
✔ For a better result, do 3 sets of dead bugs each of 8 to 12 reps.
Beginners flat stomach ab exercises
Abs workouts are pretty intense and give good results in weight loss. If you want a flat and solid stomach, start doing the ab workouts.
Plank
There are many types of ab workouts for women available, but the plank is the most practiced one. The plank has some variations. This one is called hover exercise or front plant. This workout is for everyone and works on the core muscles. It also improves the power and stability of a body.
Instructions
✔ Lie on the floor facing downwards with your forearms and toes. Keep your elbows directly under your shoulder, and your forearms should face the forward direction.
✔ Your legs should be straight. Now raise your hips a little to create a line from to head.
✔ Keep your head relaxed and facing down to the floor.
✔ To engage the abdominal muscles, draw your navel towards the spine. This is the plank position.
✔ Hold that position for as many seconds as you can.
✔ Then release on the ground and repeat the moves.
Abdominal crunches
You can practice the abdominal crunches if you want a strong back, stable body, and flat stomach.
Instructions
✔ Lie flat on the ground bending your knees. You can place your hands on the back of your head or across the chest.
✔ For the preparation of the next move, pull your navel towards the spine.
✔ Now lift your shoulder blade 2 or 3 inches up from the ground. This will create a contraction in your abdominal.
✔ You need to exhale while coming up. Also, try keeping your neck straight and chin up.
✔ When you reach the top position, hold there for a few seconds. Also, breathe continuously to avoid any unexpected circumstances.
✔ Now slowly return to the neutral position and repeat 10 to 20 reps.
Side plank, oblique crunch, and stomach crunch with legs are also great stomach flattening ab workouts for women.
Lower ab workouts for women
With crunches and planks, you will undoubtedly get a strong middle. But what about the lower abs? Performing the lower ab exercises are as important as the other ones. Here are some of the best lower ab exercises that you can follow.
Flutter kick
The flutter kick is actually a set of leg movements. This is a simple yet effective lower ab exercise.
Instructions
✔ Lie flat on the mat.
✔ Make a fist and place then between the glutes and lower back.
✔ Straighten the legs and raise them about 4 to 5 inches off the ground.
✔ Now lift one leg and another one down in a steady movement.
✔ Do it for 50 seconds or more.
Mountain Climber
You can also call this as the running plank. The mountain climber exercise works on the full body. For stabilizing and strengthening your core, this workout will be the best option.
Instructions
✔ Start with getting into a pushup position. Distribute your whole body weight evenly between your hands and toes.
✔ Make sure your hands are at shoulder-width apart, ab engaged, back straight, and head in a line.
✔ Raise your left knee onto your chest and pause for a few seconds.
✔ Return to the first position and pull your right knee towards your chest.
✔ Now keep switching the legs and continue the climbing exercise.
Ab workouts at home with no equipment
All the exercises I have mentioned need no equipment at all. But if you want more, here is a list:
◾ Scissor kick
◾ Side plank
◾ Frog crunch
◾ Bird dog
◾ Toe touch
Ab workout plan for female
Many women can not find the perfect ab workout plan for them. And so, all their efforts go in vain. Here I am adding an ab workout plan to lessen your troubles. No matter if you want a strong core or lean figure, this routine will work perfectly.
◾ Plank: 2 to 3 sets, each of 30 to 60 seconds
◾ Cable crunch: 2 to 3 sets, each of 15 to 20 reps
◾ Weighted sit-ups: 3 to 4 sets, each of 20 to 30 reps
◾ Hanging knee raise: 2 to 3 sets, each of 10 to 20 reps
Staying fit is the precondition of a happy life. Ab workouts can make your daily exercises more effective. I hope this article on the complete guide of ab workouts for women has been helpful to you.