There are many ab workouts around, each workout has different results for different people.  This Ab workout is designed to focus on some of the harder areas of the abs for women to workout.  This being said, the workout can be done by anyone female or male and results will follow.  So any men out there who are reading this don’t be afraid to try it work out.  Just remember that this workout has women in mind.  After all, ladies first…

The Basics

This ab workout includes not only the abdominals but also the lower back; this is because the back is the antagonist to our core.  We must to be consistent in exercising both areas, front and back and not focusing on one area.  In order to achieve overall fitness it requires to work out all areas of the body and not just a few main muscles.

Leg Lifts

Start off to warm up the abdominals and lower body by preforming leg lifts.  Lay on your back, with your arms either extended straight out from your sides, along your torso or under the small of your back to help aid and support your back during leg lifts.

*Adduction/Abduction- Lift your legs about 6 inches off the ground, keeping your legs at this height throughout the exercise.  Separate your legs away from each other (abduction) then back together (Adduction).  Out and back is one rep.

*Extension- After finishing the first set move onto the next set immediately.  This set you will keep your legs straight, bring one leg up to about 18 inches off the ground while keeping the other a few inches off the ground.  Alternate legs up and down.

*Stale Mate- This time hold your legs about 12 inches off the ground, count to 5 then lower your legs about an inch then count to 5 again.  Continue this until your legs are just above the ground but hold for 10 seconds when your feet are an inch off the ground.

Set  1 and 2: Abduction/Adduction 15 reps, Extensions 15 reps, Stale mate hold for 10 seconds. Repeat this for 2nd set

Set 3:Abduction/Adduction do as many reps as you can in 20 seconds, Extensions as many reps as you can in 20 seconds, Stale mate hold for 20 seconds.

2-Reverse Sit-ups

Start laying flat on your back with your legs extended, your arms can be positioned where ever is comfortable for you just as with the Leg Lifts, under the small of your back, by your side or extended making a T with your torso and your arms.  Bring your knees to your chest about a 90 degree angle then lift your hips up off the ground towards the celling. bring your hips back down to the ground in a controlled motion.  This is one rep, complete 10-15 for

3 sets 10 to 15 reps

3-Kick Backs

This is where the ab workout shifts to the lower back and glutes more still involving the core but making this more appealing to women trimming and toning the butt and backside.

Kick backs are simple and can be done with or without weight.  Start face down on all fours (on your knees, with arms extended keeping your back straight or in a line parallel with the ground) keep your knee at a 90 degree angle and hinge at your hips.  By doing so you will engage your glutes and your hamstrings while at the same time flexing and strengthening your core.  Once you reach as high as you can keeping your leg at a 90 degree angle extend your leg  as high as you can.  Bring your leg back slowly to the position on the floor.

10-15 reps on one leg then switch legs, preform 3 sets

(If you want to add resistince you can always place a light weight 5/10 lbs in the crevese of the knee being extended back in between your hamstring and calf.  If weight is added then it wont be possible to extend your leg without the weight falling so extend your leg back as far as you can keeping the weight in the crevasse of your knee).

4-Hip Raises

This exercise is saved for the last to not only help with flexing the core but also to help tone the backside once again.  Lay on your back with both knees at a 90 degree angle, lift your butt and back while flexing your core.  Rise up until your shoulder blades are off the ground. Your torso and thighs should be in a straight line and your knees still bent at a 90 degree angle.  Return to the starting position slowly and controlled.

12-15 reps

Individual legs- Extend the right leg all the way so that the left leg is at a 90 degree angle and the right leg is parallel with the ground.  Lift your hips and back off the ground just like you did with the hip raises, remember to keep your abs active and flexed.  This will isolate the glutes, hamstrings and work your core all at the same time.  Do 12-15 reps on your right leg then switch legs and start again with the hip raises for the 2nd and 3rd set.

This ab workout is great for men and women.  If you are looking for something to do while you rest in between sets on the bench or if you are just looking for a new work out you need to try this out.

The exercises them selves are not very hard to do but when done right they help build your core and increase endurance while toning at the same time. Preforming the exercises in a circuit will help increase the effectiveness and intensity of your workout.

V-sits on a bench

Sit on the end of the bench, parallel or perpendicular to the bench, whichever is more comfortable for you.  Hold onto the bench with both hands at the small of your back.  Your upper and lower halves of your body should be at a 45% angle.  Extended your legs straight and lower your upper body until you are nearly flat.  From this position crunch up until you are back at the V position how you began the exercise.  12-15 reps

Leg raises on the bench

Lay down on the bench, hold the bench with your hands behind your head.  position yourself so your butt is on the edge of the bench.  From this position extended your legs straight so your body is in a straight line.  Hinge at the hips keeping the legs straight.  Lift your legs until your legs are perpendicular to the bench then lower your legs to the starting position slowly.

For added intensity you can lower your legs at an angle to the right on the first rep, to the middle on the 2nd and to the left for the 3rd.  This helps target the obliques and strengthen your lower back as well.  Turn your hips to the side left/right and this will allow your obliques to become more involved in the ab workout.

Performing ab workouts on a decline bench increases the g-force which causes your abs to work harder to lift your own body weight than normal flat bench ab workouts.  Good decline ab workouts are extremely valuable for anyone who is looking for great abs and a variety of ab workouts so your muscles don’t plateau.

Half way up

Start by laying flat on the decline bench.  Keep your arms crossed at your chest or have them even with your head but do not hold them behind your neck.  Crunch up until your torso is parallel with the ground, or half of a full sit-up.  Slowly lower your upper half back down to your starting position.  8-12 reps

• By focusing on the initial half of the sit-up the lower abdominals are engaged which is often a problem area for many people.

2nd Half

After finishing the reps of the first half of the crunch sit up to where your back is parallel with the ground.  This is your starting position.  From this position, sit up all the way keeping your hands crossed at the chest or even with your head.  Lower yourself slow to your starting point.  When working out your abs on the decline bench the key is to stay in control and lower your body at a slow tempo, this will help increase the effectiveness of each rep of each set. 8-12 reps

• The second half of the sit up will help define the muscles of your 6 pack

Full Sit-up

Next do full sit-ups, going all the way up and down for each rep.  Remember to keep your hands crossed at your chest or even with your head.  Lower yourself slowly after each rep. 8-12 reps

These 3 exercises should be preformed as a circuit, so there should be no rest until all of the reps are finished.  Rest for 1-3 mins before starting the next set.  Preform 4 sets

The amount of over weight people in the United States is increasing exponentially. I am one of those people and have tried several different methods to try and head in the opposite direction. The problem is that I look forward to eating. I just like to eat. It gives me something to look forward to when I have had a bad day. Eating also makes me feel happy for a little while. The problem is after I’m done eating I feel like crying because I have given into that same old temptation. For me it is either ice cream, candy and popcorn. Once I get started I just keep going at it until I have taken down the entire bag myself. It’s difficult for me to control my appetite. Sometimes I feel like never going out in public because I feel ashamed at how I look. It wasn’t until recently that I started to turn things around. I found out a few tricks to help me out.

Reducing Appetite

First I stopped trying to diet. I don’t mean that I stopped trying to eat healthy but I did stop trying to go for long periods of time without eating. Until I read an article from the mayo clinic about binge eating I thought going without food could help me lose weight. What would end up happening instead is that I would starve myself to the point that once I got around food I couldn’t control myself and I would force food down my throat as fast as I could without stopping to think what I was doing. So now I make sure to eat three meals  a day and have small somewhat healthy snakes that I carry around with me to hold off starvation.

Another trick is that I have worked hard on is to try and look forward to things other than food. Recently I have started to look forward to my evening walk which not only keeps me busy so that I don’t eat out of boredom but also helps me burn some calories. The last thing that I have found that helps is taking an herbal appetite suppressant. I’m not sure if it is just the placebo affect or something else, but it does seem to be working. The appetite suppressant seems to take some of that edge off that drives me to eat but that is just half the battle. Even though I don’t feel hungry I still want to eat when I have nothing else to do. That is why it is important for me to look for other things to do to keep me busy. I still break down sometimes, but that is alright because addiction is a continuous fight and I can truly say I have an addiction to food. If you are in the same boat as me don’t give up, it’s possible to turn away from food even if it has turned into an addiction for you.

We all know how difficult it can be to shed that last five pounds (for me 15lbs) to get that tight stomach look. If you are anything like me you can work out those abs all you want and get nowhere. The trick is getting rid of that last bit of fat and reducing some extra water weight. Yes that’s right, water weight. Some people hold an extra 10 to 15 pounds of water weight in their body. Why, you might ask. The reason is our diets. Almost all of us eat out or eat pre-made foods. Even though you may be dieting and eating healthier foods with less calories, these foods still may contain a lot of salt. Your body has to dilute the salt that is floating around in your system and it does this by holding onto water and increasing your thirst so you drink more.

Getting Rid of Water Weight

Probably the best way to get rid of that water weight is to eat foods that have no preservatives. Most foods that have preservatives contain either a lot of salt or a lot of sugar. That means you have to eat fresh foods. That can be difficult but it is the best way to reduce how much water your body is holding onto. The difficult thing about eating fresh food is that several people like to ad salt or sugar to their food to give it a little more taste. If you do this you are getting nowhere. If you are like me it is almost impossible to get sugar and salt out of your diet. So what I suggest is just taking baby steps. Try and add no extra salt to your food at the dinner table or to your fries. Next try making a vegetable tray that you leave in your fridge to snack on. This will help satisfy your hunger somewhat and it gives you something else to eat right away instead of those salty chips. A vegetable tray can last a week in the fridge before it starts going bad.

The Secret Weapon

The secret weapon to getting rid of that last 5 pounds is a weight loss pill. I know everyone says weight loss pills are a scam and don’t do anything, but for me they help. That doesn’t mean that I don’t have to work out and eat right, but weight loss pills give me that little extra edge that I just can’t seem to get just by working out and eating right. The important thing is not to overdue them or rely on them for long periods of time. I like to use them for one month and then go off for as least two months before starting up again. Depending on what you need help with will determine the type of weight loss pill that you need. For people that just need to lose a little water weight then a diuretic supplement would be best. A diuretic will help pull off any excess water you have in your body. For people that need to burn a little more fat a diet pill that can help you burn a few more calories and suppress your appetite might work best. In the end the most important thing is burning more calories then you are taking in and that means working out and eating right, but believe me weight loss pills can help boost your energy and get rid of that last 5 pounds.

How To Reduce Abdominal Fat

Abdominal fat can be very difficult to get rid of. There is no scientific way to chose which part of your body to burn fat from. Doing sit ups may help burn calories and increase your abdominal muscles but it won’t necessarily burn fat from your abdomen. Your body may decide to burn fat from your face or your legs first. This is why it may be discouraging when you do sit ups every day and you don’t notice your stomach looking any thinner.

Another thing that discourages several people when they start to diet and exercise is that their weight doesn’t seem to decrease after working out and eating light. The reason for this is that you are increasing muscle and retaining a little extra water for this process. So in reality you are burning off more fat but muscle weighs more than fat so you need to be patient at first and continue working out. Once your muscles have adapted to your workout routine the pounds should start coming off if you are really burning more calories than you are taking in.

Reducing Abdominal Fat

There really is no option in making sure that you burn fat just from your trouble places. You are going to have to go at it the hard way, and if you are anything like me you may have to start over a few times a month because you keep giving up. The most important thing is to not lose hope. You can do it, it just takes time. The best way to burn abdominal fat is to burn more calories than you take in. That means eating less and exercising more. One without the other usually doesn’t work. If you need some extra help burning calories then you could try some diet pills. Certain diet pills are designed to help you burn a few more calories a day and can also help you decrease your appetite. I know there is a lot of taboo about taking diet pills, but if you get the right kind, it can help you out. That doesn’t mean you don’t have to eat right or workout though. Dietary supplements work best when following a plan of working out and eating right.

Importance of Reducing Abdominal Fat

Reducing abdominal fat is not just a cosmetic thing these days. Research shows that the more fat we store around our middle, the greater the risk of serious disease. Abdominal obesity is now considered to be an independent risk factor for several diseases such as, high blood pressure, raised cholesterol, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes. Some experts now think that measurement of your waist is more important than body mass index in predicting future weight-related disease.

What is the Hip Hop Abs Program?

The Hip Hop Abs workout program consists primarily of 4 video workout routines including:

• Secrets to Flat Abs – 13 minutes focusing on all areas of the abdominals.
• Fat Burning Cardio – 30 minutes of “dancing” to hip hop
• Ab Sculpt – 25 minutes focusing again on abs
• Total Body Burn – 45 minutes of cardio and isotonic routines

This program is fairly complete at least in the sense that it claims to work all parts of your body to lose fat and specifically on toning your abs, but as you’ll notice it is pretty brief.  The package also includes:

• Nutrition guide
• 30-day workout calendar
• Measurement card and measuring tape
• A few “sampler” workout videos and programs

What kind of results are seen with Hip Hop Abs?

The vast majority of reviews only express enthusiasm about Shaun T and excitement about starting the program, rather than actual results seen.  From the company producing this program, absolutely none of their prized “before/after” photos refer the success to Hip Hop Abs.

How much does Hip Hop Abs Cost?

The supposely “$400 value”program is offered in 3 payments of $20 plus almost $13 shipping.  This is ridiculously over-priced for a DVD fitness program and the shipping is definitely gauging.

Is Hip Hop Abs worth purchasing?

Given the fact that the program is so short, it is highly unlikely that you’ll want to stick with a program like this for 30-days.  It is definitely possible that on a similar program you could see better abs with 30 days of consistent work-outs, but despite the gimmick of hip hop dance moves and the smiley, out-going Shaun T, there isn’t a lot to keep you motivated and focused here.  All style considerations aside (and we definitely don’t recommend the style of the program), we don’t find this program to be worth nearly the amount they charge.

Ab Workout Guidelines
Perform several (3-5) abdominal exercises 3-5 times a week. Start with exercises and repetitions that are comfortable for your fitness level and as you improve increase the number of repetitions. You do not need to do all the exercises; simply select those that work well for you and vary your routine over the months.

1. Bicycle Crunch Exercise
2. Captain’s Chair Exercise
3. Ab Crunch on an Exercise Ball
4. Vertical Leg Crunch
5. Long Arm Crunch
6. Reverse Crunch
7. Plank (Hover) Exercise
8. Traditional (Basic) Abdominal Crunch
9. Half Curl
10. Crossover Crunch
11. Seated Oblique Twists with Medicine Ball
12. Oblique Crunch
13. Alternating Supermans
14. V-Sit Exercise

“A Flat Stomach ASAP”  written by Ellington Darden, promises to be “the breakthrough plan for the look you want in just six weeks.” Calling itself a “breakthrough plan” is probably a stretch, but there is some good information and ideas in the book. “A Flat Stomach ASAP” is a fairly average ab book. Following the book requires dedication and self control because the diet and exercises are very rigid. Let’s take a closer look at “A Flat Stomach ASAP.”

Who is Ellington Darden?

Ellington Darden is a PhD, who worked for 17 years as the director of research for Nautilus Sports/Medical Industries. He has authored many books including: “High Intensity Bodybuilding”, “The Nautilus Book”, and “100 High Intensity Ways to Build Your Body.”

Who is “A Flat Stomach ASAP” written for?

It is best suited for beginners. Fitness enthusiasts might get bored and not challenged enough with the fitness portion. “A Flat Stomach ASAP” doesn’t target a specific sex or weight group. The workouts require 30 minutes a day.

Does “A Flat Stomach ASAP” work?

If the 6 week program is followed correctly, some weight loss should be expected but probably not as drastic as the book claims. The program follows the A.S.A.P. program.

A-wareness

S-cience

A-pplication

P-ersistence

The program is not full of quick fixes or fad diets but requires discipline and effort. The exercises are effective but can be overly strenuous. They can be difficult to learn at first, but with practice can be mastered. The exercises are done at a slow and controlled pace. This prevents injuries and tones the body but also can get monotonous and boring fast.

The diet portion of the “A Flat Stomach ASAP” program is too rigid. The exact details of the detail are outlined down to the brand of the bagel. There are no substitutions given. This is bad for two reasons:

1. It can be difficult to follow especially in a fast pace environment
2. Requires tremendous discipline. Having a program choose what you eat for six weeks is no fun.

The book also promotes superhydration. Superhydration is drinking huge amounts of water. Superhydration can be a good and bad thing. It’s great in that it helps you feel full and so you don’t eat as much. It can help flatten the stomach. It’s bad in that you will constantly have to go to the bathroom. A drink of water will turn into a tortuous chore by the end of the six weeks.

The book comprises 240 pages and might be information overload for some.

How much is “A Flat Stomach ASAP”?

“A Flat Stomach ASAP” can be purchased on amazon.com for $15 ($20 with shipping).

Is “A Flat Stomach ASAP” worth purchasing?

“A Flat Stomach ASAP” has some good ideas but is lacking in some areas. The program requires too much discipline and the diet is too rigid. It is moderately priced, which is a plus. However, there are much better ab books on the market.

“Essential Abs” promises to” provide a simple routine that will bring maximum results fast.” “Essential Abs” ,written by Kurt Brungart, is an above average ab book that was ahead of its time when it came out but now is outdated and doesn’t provide any new or innovative material. However, the exercises given in the book are solid and with hard work on the part of the reader will achieve results, but probably not as fast the book claims. Let’s take a closer look at “Essential Abs.”

Who is Kurt Brungart?

The author of the book is Kurt Brungart. Kurt Brungart is a writer and personal trainer from New York. He created the video “Abs of Steel for Men.” He has written dozens of articles in different fitness magazines and newspapers. He has trained famous athletes and celebrities but is probably best known for being the author of “The Complete Book of Abs.” “Essential Abs” came out in 2001.

Does “Essential Abs: An Intense 6 Week Program” work?

“Essential Abs” is probably best for beginners that are dedicated to put in the work necessary to get a great body. The routine in the book is not a quick fix or something that won’t take effort.

The focus of “Essential Abs” is on the 6 week workout exercises. The exercises can be difficult to learn at first but with practice can become second-nature. The book goes in to great detail explaining how to do the exercises and pictures are included. Another great feature about the book is that the exercises don’t produce much strain on the neck or back.

A complaint that we have about the book is that there is not enough material on the diet and what to eat.

Is “Essential Abs: An Intense 6 Week Program” a good read?

While I can’t say that Kurt Brungart’s writing style is entertaining or particularly witty, it is informative and honest. Something great about “Essential Abs” is that there are no hollow promises. There are no over-the-top claims, just the honest truth.

How long is “Essential Abs: An Intense 6 Week Program”?

“Essential Abs” is 144 pages. A lot of the pages are full of photographs showing how to do the different exercises. It covers all essential exercises well but could use some more practical information.

How much is “Essential Abs: An Intense 6 Week Program”?

The best place to buy “Essential Abs” is on amazon.com. It can be found for around $15.

Is there a money back guarantee?

There is no direct money back guarantee with “Essential Abs.” It is only sold by third-party retailers.

Is “Essential Abs: An Intense 6 Week Program” worth purchasing?

“Essential Abs” is a solid book. Is it the best ab book on the market? Probably not, but it is above average. There just is not enough new or innovative material. The 6 week program is no cake walk but can provide substantial results if you stick with.