Is there anyone in this world who does not like to have great abs? Your answer is probably a big 'No'. And the reason you are here reading this article is because you want to know what are the best abdominal exercises for women. It is good to see that you are eager to get exercising. But before you do get on to the floor, you should have some knowledge about the different muscles in the abdominal region. You may be wondering why you need to know about that. Well, that's because if you keep working on one or two of the muscles and ignore the rest, there is no way you are going to get a six-pack abs. So, now let's have a look at these muscles present in your abdominal region.
Transversus Abdominus
This is probably the most important abdominal muscle. It is the innermost layer of the abdominal muscles. Its job is to give stability to the trunk of your body. It also helps in maintaining correct abdominal pressure so that the internal organs are protected. The best part is that when you tone these muscles, you strengthen your pelvic floor. So, if you have been pregnant, toning these muscles will be great for you. Pelvic tilts and belly breathing are two of the most effective exercises to strengthen your transversus abdominus.
Rectus Abdominus
This is the one that will probably get your more interested. Why? Because this is the muscle that helps you get that six-pack appearance. This muscle is located right between the ribs and pubic bone. When toned, they can indeed give you the abs of a supermodel! Crunches are the best abdominal exercises for women if you want to tone your rectus abdominus.
External and Internal Obliques
Now, let's look at the obliques. Well, simply said, the obliques are the waist muscles. They give your trunk the stability when you are twisting or bending. The external obliques are located on each side of the rectus abdominus. The internal obliques, on the other hand, are located just below the external oblique muscles. Both the internal and external obliques are located at right angles to each other. The interesting thing to note here is that when you turn to the right, the left obliques contract and when you turn to the left, the right obliques contract. This is why these muscles are referred to as opposite side rotators. Cycling and side lifts and bends are the best way to exercise these abdominal muscles.
While choosing the best abdominal exercises for women, it is very important to select a variety of exercises. This is necessary for working out each and every abdominal muscle. It also ensures that you don't harm your back. So, now that you know about the different abdominal muscles and the best exercises go ahead and tone your abs!
Most women would love to have flatter abs. But the problem is that many of us try hard, get no results, and then just give up. It is true that there are some very effective ab exercises for women that can actually help you get those 'six-pack'. But incorrect information and unrealistic expectations are not going to get you there. So, you need to get rid of these misconceptions if you want to get the best results. Here's a look at the three most common misconceptions:
A high number of repetitions are required to get great abs
Ab muscles are just like other muscles. So, a high number of repetitions don't make sense. If you want to get the best results from these exercises, you need to overload the muscles. If you are doing a high number of repetitions because you don't feel tired, then there is something wrong here. You are probably not doing them correctly. So, you need to slow down and concentrate on how you are doing these exercises. Remember, your abs is supporting your spine. If you are exercising them incorrectly, you can do much damage to your posture and your back.
Ab muscles should be exercised daily
Most women assume that ab muscles are different from the other muscles of the body. So, they exercise them daily. That is definitely not the right way to get flatter abs. You won't burn the fat by exercising them daily. Just like the other muscles, you need to rest your abs too. This means you will only attain the best results if you exercise them 2-3 times a week with a rest day in between. And that's not all. There are many effective ab exercises for women and each group of exercise targets a different area. You need to include a variety of these exercises so that these different areas are equally exercised.
Anyone and everyone can have a flat stomach
You may not like this, but it is true. Age, heredity, and gender do play a role. Women tend to store fat around the lower belly and it is often the hardest area to lose fat. It is easy to exercise and burn your body fat. But it is not always possible to lose it at exactly the place you want. So, the best thing to do here is to accept your imperfections and set realistic goals for toning up your ab muscles.
So yes, it is true that good ab exercises for women can help tone up the muscles in that area. But if you are working them too hard or working them out in the incorrect way or have unrealistic goals, you are going to get frustrated. Instead, train you ab muscles in the same way as the other muscles of your body and try to aim at having a healthier body.