Ab Exercises for Women

You've tried all of the miracle diets. You have done all the special ab exercises for women recommended by the experts. You have spent uncountable hours on stair machines and treadmills. NOW its time to learn the secrets that will get you the sexy stomach you so desperately want and ab exercises are only part of the solution.

Why are you searching for ab exercises for women? Check out the poll on the right for some of the top reasons women want to have great abs. If your reason isn't listed, leave a comment at the bottom at let us know what your WHY is.

The reason I put this at the top of the page is to get you thinking about it. If you don't know why you want a sexy stomach, chances are you won't get one.

Research has shown that if you have a strong enough picture of what you want, you can actually convince your brain that you already have it.

Once this happens, you will automatically do the things you need to do to get it.

There are 5 key facts that keep ab exercises for women from making most women sexy.

• Most "health foods" are closer to junk food than health food.
• You have to do more than just crunches to get great abs.
• Boring cardio exercises aren't the best way to get sexy abs.
• Fat burning pills won't help unless you exercise too.
• Fancy ab machines won't help if you keep eating junk food.

I am going to go over each of these below, but the key to remember is that there is no one thing that is going to give you the body of your dreams. You have to have a complete health and fitness plan and I want to help you create that. It will be different for each person and I will try to give you as many ideas as possible.

The biggest problem with health food is the buzz words are "fat free", "sugar free", and "low calorie".  These terms are used out of context so often it makes me sick.  Often times, "fat free" means there is extra sugar or corn syrup.  "Sugar free" often means there is corn syrup.  "Low calorie" can mean it is just a smaller portion that won't satisfy you so you wind up having 2 instead.  You really need to use your brain when looking at these labels.

Artificial sweeteners are acidic.  Your dentist has probably told you that acidic foods and drinks eat throught the enamel of your teeth.  Just ask him or her what "sugar free" Diet Coke will do to your teeth.  If it eats through your teeth, you know it can't be good for the rest of your body.

The perfect example of how bad "low calorie" can be misused is the 100 Calorie Twinkie pack.  If you really think 100 calorie Twinkies are health food, I can't help you.  Now, if it is a once in a while treat to help you from eating something worse, that is ok.  If you think you can eat them whenever you want because they are only 100 calories, you are going to have a hard time losing weight and getting a great midsection

I am not saying that doing ab exercises are bad. What I am saying is focusing just on your abs isn't the best way to trim the fat on your stomach. You need to look at your whole body and how it works together. In fact, you can have a full body workout that doesn't focus on your abs one bit and still get a flat stomach.

The key is to have a strong healthy body. Muscle burns calories 24 hours a day so if you build a little muscle, you will start burning more calories even when you sleep and the weight will start coming off. You don't have to train with heavy weights or try to look like a body builder. Doing simple, body weight only exercises like squats and lunges will help you get stronger, build muscle, burn fat, and get a flat stomach.

One way to get a great ab workout is pilates.  This will strengthen your whole body while focusing on your core.  Doing a pilates workout a few times a week is a great way to supplement the other workouts you do.  If you need a compact machine that doesn't take up a lot of space and can be stored under your bed or in a closet, check out Malibu Pilates.

When you first start out, you will probably have to do low intensity cardio. That is not a problem. What is a problem is that I see too many women who have been exercising for months doing the same slow paced walking that they did when they first started. While anything is better than nothing, why not make the most of your exercise time and kick up the intensity. It will burn more calories during the workout and continue burning fat after you are done.

Let's say intensity 5 is the top level of exercise you can do and you can only do it for a couple of minutes at a time. Intensity level 1 is a slow walk. What I see a lot of people do is start out with a level 1 walk to warm up for 5 minutes then increase to a level 2 for 20 minutes while talking to the person on the machine next to them. The workout ends with a cool down at level 1 walk for 5 minutes. This is a 30 minute workout. This will yield the absolute minimum result from your 30 minutes, but at least you have done something so all is not lost.

Now, lets see what we can accomplish in that same amount of time. Start out with the same level 1 warmup for 3 minutes. From there do 2 minutes at level 2 then do 2 minutes at level 3. I would say level 3 is a brisk walk that would make it difficult to carry on a conversation. Now kick it up to a level 4. This would be a very fast walk or even a slow jog. At this point, you aren't thinking about anything other getting throught the next 2 minutes and certainly can't talk to your neighbor. Once you hit this level, cap it off with 1 minute (2 if you can manage) at intensity level 5. If you are walking or jogging, you will be going about as fast as you can. It is only for a minute though so I know you can do it.  Now, slow back down to your level 2 and start the cycle over.  This will allow you to catch your breath, but you are still moving so your heart rate will stay up the whole time.  After you finish your 2nd cycle, cool down for 3 minutes and you are done.  This is a 20 minute workout that is way more intense and burns more calories than the 30 minute socializing workout.  Try this for a couple weeks and I bet you see a difference.

If you are looking for a rapid weight loss pill that is going to melt off the pounds while you sit on the couch and eat bon bons, you are never going to reach your goal of a flat stomach. If you use a weight loss supplement in combination with a healthy diet and exercise, you can get rid of a lot of fat quickly and get the body that you want.

I do believe that health supplements are very important. You need to make sure your body gets the nutrients it needs an often times the only way to do that is to take nutritional supplements. There are some things that I think are very important and you can get them all in one supplement. Multiple studies have shown that antioxidants and omega fatty acids are very important to overall health. Fiber is another important supplement for your digestive health and it can even help you lose weight. There is one supplement that is very popular right now that has all three of these elements. You may have heard of it . . . the Acai Berry.

Lots of people have been helped by this supplement.  You should feel better which will lead to you being more active.  Also, when you feel better, it will be easier to get a good workout in.  It isn't a miracle drug, but it can be very helpful if used with an overall health and fitness plan.

Great Abs - You Know You Want Them, Now Go Get Them!

Go back to the survey above and look at the reasons listed to get great abs.  If your reason isn't listed, no problem, just make sure you know why you want to lose the belly.  Keep focused on that reason for motivation and inspiration.  Find a picture of somebody that has the physique you want and put it on your mirror so you see it every morning and remind yourself of what you want.  You can also put a picture of somebody you don't want to be like (ie. overweight) to remind you of what you don't want to become.

The battle for great abs is just that, a battle.  Don't fight the battle alone.  Check out the links below for some resources that can help you get the results you deserve.

I am not a doctor and have not had any medical training.  I am not making any health or medical recommendations.  You need to contact your doctor for any health or medical advice.  Also, I do operate other websites including some of those linked to in this article.  If you click on a link on those sites, I may be compensated if you make a purchase.