Why is it that even with a wealth of fitness and nutrition information available can’t women achieve those perfect abs? Genetics do play a role but there are many other variables to consider as well.
Eat quality food. You can not have a six pack if you eat bad food. Limit eating out and consume nutrient rich foods throughout the day. Don’t forget to say goodbye to sodas (including diet) and replace them with lots of fresh water to drink. Not only will you feel better, and be less bloated, but it will also help speed up your metabolism and help you burn more calories throughout the day.
Engage your mind while you exercise and focus on the muscle being worked. Usually we do not get the most out of an exercise because we don’t think about what we do when we are doing it. We go through each exercise mindlessly thinking about our “to do” list for the day. When you actually take the time to think about what muscles you are using and concentrate on activating the correct muscles and proper breathing you will improve the quality of your exercise every time. Mindless exercise is a waste of your time because it isn’t efficient.
Think quality over quantity. As a personal trainer I have seen women do countless crunches and never feel the exercise. For instance, women are always complaining about their “pouches”. But when they do their exercises they are not pulling in their abdominals before they lift their shoulders off of the ground. By performing their exercises this way they are only building stronger pouches and totally defeating the purpose of the exercise. Usually, if I can slow the exercise down and get them to focus on maintaining correct form throughout the exercise they will feel it. Because are working so hard to maintain correct form they end up doing fewer repetitions of the exercise. But that’s okay. Fewer exercises at the proper intensity and in good form are always better then many reps of a poorly executed exercise.
Maintain proper form throughout the exercise. Technique is everything! Most women need a modification of some kind to make the exercise most effective for them. Many women try and take on to much to soon because they see an exercise in a book or magazine. But what they don’t know is that the exercise is a great advanced exercise and they are not ready for it. If that woman suffers from any back pain taking on an exercise that her body isn’t ready for will only result in back pain not stronger abs.
Great bodyweight exercises for stronger abs. Planks are great so are “gut busters”, Pilates “Criss Cross”, Bicycles, Burpees, and V-sits.
Only once you have the correct form down and you feel comfortable with the exercise should you add the “toys”. I see it all the time. Women in group exercise classes, with trainers and on their own who try adding extra resistance before they have the proper technique down and basic foundational strength. Yes, it is fun to play with all of the great equipment out there. But if the coordination, strength and proper form isn’t there you shouldn’t add anything to the exercise to make it harder.
Fun “toys” to use to create those great abs. Kettlebells, sandbags, medicine balls, Bosu, and Swiss ball. I love all of them but my favorites for abs are defiantly Kettlebells and Pilates based exercises.
Create Balance. Make sure not create muscular imbalances by only working your abdominals and neglecting your lower back. Balance those strong abdominals by performing slow, controlled exercises for your lower back. Some great exercise include: superman, swimming and bird dog.
You are what you eat! Again, what you put in your mouth will determine what your body looks like. It doesn’t matter how strong your abs are if you are eating poorly you will NOT have flat abs. To fine tune your diet and improve your eating habits try keeping a food journal. This is the best way to discover patterns in your daily eating so that you can then create strategies to break any bad habits. It is a real eye opening experience for most people and a great tool for holding you accountable to yourself. If you know that you will have to write down that you ate that Oreo Cookies and Crème Blizzard at Sonic then you are less likely to consume it. That's the theory anyway!
Kristin Goodenough is an A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer in McKinney, TX. She owns the Collin County Adventure Boot and specializes in women's only fitness programs. Visit her website at www.bootcamp4women.com.
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