Top abdominal work outs and exercises

[Lark]

As I'm approaching my goal of no longer having a big belly I'm thinking of what sort of way I'd like to shape up and I think, perhaps because I hate the fact I've had a belly for so long and during the best years of my life for pulling girls, university, I really want to shape up my abdominal muscles and get a six pack. Or so I think its called, the muscles were your belly are.

Does anyone know any good exercises or gym equipment for doing this? Will it just shape up if you keep doing hard work outs running, cross training, rowing and cycling? Are there any weights exercises which are good to achieve this goal? I like using dumbells at home and was thinking about buying a bar bell too.

 

[Montgomery456]

Follow a regular exercise plan to lose your over weight belly.
Cardio and abs exercises are the best options for burning the fat around the stomach and get a flat belly.
Do cardio exercises daily for at least 30 minutes to get a good shaped body.

 

[Winds of Thor]

Sit on a bench with a broom handle behind your neck arms extended holding the ends and twist back and forth. 2 sets X 50 reps. 3 times/week.

Oblique situps.

Standard situps.

Ab crunches. I usually do like 190lbs. on the ab crunch machine X 25 reps. 3 sets. 2-3 times/week.

Cardio to get the overall fat down. Eat clean. Give it 6 mos. and you should see good progress.

 

[Guy V. Malaxia]

Good abs are made in the kitchen, not the gym. With a very clean diet (avoid high GI foods) and a couple rounds of HITT cardio a week, you should be good to go. Everyone's a little different, but you should start seeing visible definition around 8-9% body fat.

A ketotic diet is something you might want to explore, but it isn't for the faint of heart. As far as melting body fat is concerned, there's nothing better, but it comes with the price of decreased energy, cognition (especially the first few weeks or so, depending; you'll feel "foggy"), and strength. You won't be hungry (protein and fat are most satiating), but you will feel a bit drained.

 

[Thalassa]

Vinyasa flow yoga.

 

[Thalassa]

Good abs are made in the kitchen, not the gym. With a very clean diet (avoid high GI foods) and a couple rounds of HITT cardio a week, you should be good to go. Everyone's a little different, but you should start seeing visible definition around 8-9% body fat.

A ketotic diet is something you might want to explore, but it isn't for the faint of heart. As far as melting body fat is concerned, there's nothing better, but it comes with the price of decreased energy, cognition (especially the first few weeks or so, depending; you'll feel "foggy"), and strength. You won't be hungry (protein and fat are most satiating), but you will feel a bit drained.

I disagree with prescribing anyone a ketotic diet, I think they're deadly, but I agree with you that this begins in the kitchen. You can't just have great abs by doing ab exercises, you have to lose body fat.

 

[Winds of Thor]

Vinyasa flow yoga.

What is Vinyasa flow? I've done Bikram, but never heard of that and want to know.

 

[Thalassa]

Bikram is like regimented hot yoga.

Vinyasa flow is a more spiritually centered version of yoga, but it still has the aerobic/sweat component; however instead of being in a heated room, you create your own internal heat.

You can also check out yogaglo, but I recommend taking vinyasa at least a few times from teachers. I love being in the studio, I agree with Max Strom that people should probably have yoga instructors for at least the first three years of their practice; if not for every practice (I guess it can get expensive sometimes to take classes in studio, it has for me at times) then at least regularly.


There's nothing like it.

It's made of stars and snoopy sno-cones.

 

[Winds of Thor]

Bikram is like regimented hot yoga.

Vinyasa flow is a more spiritually centered version of yoga, but it still has the aerobic/sweat component; however instead of being in a heated room, you create your own internal heat.

You can also check out yogaglo, but I recommend taking vinyasa at least a few times from teachers. I love being in the studio, I agree with Max Strom that people should probably have yoga instructors for at least the first three years of their practice; if not for every practice (I guess it can get expensive sometimes to take classes in studio, it has for me at times) then at least regularly.


There's nothing like it.

It's made of stars and snoopy sno-cones.

I want to take it!!

 

[Guy V. Malaxia]

I disagree with prescribing anyone a ketotic diet, I think they're deadly, but I agree with you that this begins in the kitchen. You can't just have great abs by doing ab exercises, you have to lose body fat.

Deadly? I've never heard any legitimate claims about them being unsafe.

 

[Epiphany]

I would suggest investing in one of these. It's a lot harder than it looks. But if you have stomach flab, it doesn't matter how strong your abs are; you won't be able to see them.

 

[netzealot]

Where your body stores fat is based on your genetics, and there is no way to make it lose fat in a certain area over another. I know it seems like common sense to think ab workouts will give you a 6 pack, but I have seen homeless people with 6 packs simply because they have so little body fat. Your body will not burn stomach fat simply because you do ab exercises, and someone who did endurance cardio would have better results than someone who did 1,000 sit ups a day.

The only reason to do ab exercises is if you want a stronger core. If you want a 6 pack, it'll make only a slight difference... overall fat loss will work better.

 

[Winds of Thor]

Where your body stores fat is based on your genetics, and there is no way to make it lose fat in a certain area over another. I know it seems like common sense to think ab workouts will give you a 6 pack, but I have seen homeless people with 6 packs simply because they have so little body fat. Your body will not burn stomach fat simply because you do ab exercises, and someone who did endurance cardio would have better results than someone who did 1,000 sit ups a day.

The only reason to do ab exercises is if you want a stronger core. If you want a 6 pack, it'll make only a slight difference... overall fat loss will work better.

True.

 

[swordpath]

Where your body stores fat is based on your genetics, and there is no way to make it lose fat in a certain area over another. I know it seems like common sense to think ab workouts will give you a 6 pack, but I have seen homeless people with 6 packs simply because they have so little body fat. Your body will not burn stomach fat simply because you do ab exercises, and someone who did endurance cardio would have better results than someone who did 1,000 sit ups a day.

The only reason to do ab exercises is if you want a stronger core. If you want a 6 pack, it'll make only a slight difference... overall fat loss will work better.

This.