For many women, achieving a lean midsection is no easy feat. Men and women’s muscles aren’t significantly different, but women tend to be wider through the pelvis and have a longer waist. This can make it challenging to get flat, firm abs.
But visible abdominal muscles aren’t impossible - you might just need to commit to doing more than standard sit-ups.
The best abdominal exercises for women target four muscle groups in your core:
But visible abdominal muscles aren’t impossible - you might just need to commit to doing more than standard sit-ups.
The best abdominal exercises for women target four muscle groups in your core:
- External abdominal obliques. These are the muscles in your sides that you can feel just beneath your arms, along your ribcage.
- Internal abdominal obliques. These are stabilizing muscles that lie underneath your external obliques.
- Transversus abdominus. These are the deepest muscles. They run horizontally around your midsection.
- Rectus abdominus. These muscles run from your sternum down to your pelvis. They help flex your spine as you walk. They’re also the most superficial muscles in your abdomen and the ones you see in “six-pack” abs.
Essential ab exercises
To properly target and tone all four muscle groups, it’s important to perform a range of stabilization exercises. Training these core muscles will also stabilize your spine and pelvis to improve your posture and reduce or avoid back pain.
Unlike traditional crunches or sit-ups, stabilization exercises that target the core will work more muscles and burn more calories.
To properly target and tone all four muscle groups, it’s important to perform a range of stabilization exercises. Training these core muscles will also stabilize your spine and pelvis to improve your posture and reduce or avoid back pain.
Unlike traditional crunches or sit-ups, stabilization exercises that target the core will work more muscles and burn more calories.
Get ready to whip off your cover-up: This workout, created exclusively for Women's Health, combines fat-burning cardio with moves that target your entire core rather than individual muscles (wouldn't it be great if there was a magical lower abs workout?), so you'll burn more fat while toning up.
Directions
Do these workout moves three nonconsecutive days a week. Start with the Basic Workout (moves 1-4 at right) to prime your muscles. After three weeks, you'll be ready to graduate to the Advanced Workout (moves 5-8). For maximum fat burning, perform the exercises as a circuit: Do one set of each move in the order shown, resting for 30 seconds between exercises. Then rest for a minute and repeat the circuit from the beginning.
Melt Your Middle
Follow this interval-training program three times a week after your core workout. It'll fire up your metabolism and burn off the fat that's hiding your abs. Intervals are short bursts of maximum-intensity effort—you're doing it right if you can't carry on a conversation—separated by periods of easy-pace recovery. In an Australian study, women who cranked out high-intensity interval training three days a week for 15 weeks dropped significantly more weight than those who exercised for the same period of time at a lower intensity.
For this interval workout, remember to include an easy 3- to 5-minute warmup and cooldown. You can run, bike, or use the cardio machine of your choice.
Hit the Plank
Plank exercises engage the deep transversus abdominis muscle which wraps around the tummy from front to back, acting as a corset to cinch-in a protruding belly. Do the front plank at home or at the gym on a daily basis for three weeks to maximize ab results. Take a day of rest once or twice a week if you are feeling excessively tired. Do this exercise by lying on your tummy on the floor. Raise up on your toes and elbows so that your elbows are underneath the shoulders and palms flat on the floor. Pull your belly button towards your spine as you maintain a straight line from head to toe. Hold this position for 20 to 30 seconds and do three sets. Progressively increase holding time to 60 to 90 seconds.
Cycle for the Abs
Bicycle crunches develop your obliques, the muscles on the sides of the stomach, through rotational trunk movements. Do this exercise lying face-up on a mat with knees bent to 90 degrees, shins parallel to the floor. Place hands gently behind your head. Contract your abdominals as you lift your shoulders and head up and twist so your left elbow drives towards your right knee. At the same time, extend your left leg down towards the floor. Bring your left elbow back down to the floor as you also extend your right leg. Bring your left knee back to start position as you drive your right elbow up to meet it. Repeat this cycling action for 15 to 20 repetitions or until you fatigue for a total of three sets to maximize abdominal burn.
Reverse the Crunch
Reverse crunches target the rectus abdominis and lower abs to help you get a lean, toned tummy. Do this exercise by lying on your back on a mat. Lift your legs straight up in the air so they form a perpendicular angle to the floor. Place your hands gently behind your head. Contract your abdominals as you lift your head and shoulders slightly off the ground. Simultaneously, lift your buttocks up so your legs punch up towards the sky. Return to the start position and repeat 10 to 20 times or until fatigue sets in. Repeat a total of three sets. Do this exercise as part of your abdominal routine four to five times per week.
Raise your heart
To get a flat stomach in three weeks, you will need to engage in cardiovascular exercise. Cardio raises your heart rate and metabolism to increase caloric burn for weight loss. Aim for a minimum of five cardio sessions per week with workouts lasting 45 to 60 minutes. Activities such as running, cycling and hiking work the major muscle groups for greater caloric burn. Change up the intensity of your workouts by adding five 30-second sprints to the end of your run and/or choosing a hilly route to crank up the burn. Other fat-burning cardio exercises include hiking, particularly hilly terrain, swimming and cross-country skiing.
The best yoga poses for flat Abs
There's not just one formula for a flat belly. And since few people truly enjoy traditional abs exercises, the best way to sculpt a sexy midsection is to incorporate more core work into the workouts you already know and love.
Yoga not only helps improve flexibility and relieve stress (which studies show helps reduce belly fat), but your practice can also target your abdominal muscles in a much more functional and efficient way than any amount of crunches. Read on to discover the 11 best poses for sculpting your abs while you find inner peace.
Tree Pose
This pose will have your abdominals working overtime to help you stay grounded on one leg.
Shift your weight onto your left leg. Draw your right knee into your chest, grab your ankle, and press the bottom of your right foot onto your left thigh. If you feel wobbly keep your hand on your ankle while it's pressed into your thigh. If you're finding your balance really easily, press your palms together in front of your chest. Brace your abdominals in tight to your spine, making sure you can still breathe easily. Find a focal point and focus your gaze while you hold the pose for 10 long, deep breaths. Repeat on the other leg.
Warrior Lunge Twist
Not only will your abdominals help you to stabilize in this posture, but the twisting motion fully engages those hard-to-tone obliques too.
Bring your hands into prayer pose. Lunge forward with your left leg and bend your knee about 90 degrees, keeping your back leg straight. Brace your abs in tight to your spine and rotate your upper body to the left. Keep your spine long as you lean over your left leg and press your right elbow into the outside of your left leg. Turn your head to look up toward the ceiling over your left shoulder. Hold for 10 long, deep breaths and then untwist and return to standing. Repeat on the other side.
If you have trouble maintaining your balance, focus your eyes straight ahead instead of looking up to the ceiling.
Rock 'n Roll Lotus
This fun and functional move strengthens your core by using it to help you 'stop' your body (much like it does in everyday life).
Sit with your legs crossed at the ankles. Hold onto the outside of each ankle with your opposite hand, and lift your legs off the floor, balancing on your sitting bones. Pull your abs into your spine and take a deep breath in. As you exhale, begin to round onto your back. Continue rolling until your shoulder blades touch the floor, lifting your hips, still holding onto your ankles. Keeping your abs in tight, rock back up to sitting, finding your balance again on your sitting bones. That's one rep. Repeat 10 times.
Imagine you are using your abs as brakes to help you stop at the top and bottom of the rocking motion.
Bridge With Leg Sweep
This amped-up bridge pose sculpts your butt and hamstrings while also using your abdominals as stabilizers to help control the motion of your leg.
Lie on your back with knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Extend your arms by your sides, palms facing down. Brace your abs in tight and press through your heels to bridge your hips off the floor. Keeping your hips lifted and square, extend your left leg up to the ceiling, foot flexed. Sweep your left leg to the right, passing the midline of your body and then sweep back out to the left, slightly past your left hip. That's one rep. Repeat 10 times (back and forth) with the left leg, and then switch legs and repeat 10 more times before lowering out of bridge.
Try not to let your hips drop as you move your leg back and forth, using your abs and your glutes to keep your pelvis lifted and square. Small, controlled movement is better than big movements with poor form.
Sliding table
This active pose uses your abdominals to shift your body back and forth and to lift and lower your torso, providing a dynamic stretch and contraction for both your abs and back.
Sit with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart. Place your hands behind your hips, fingertips facing slightly into your body. Press down with your arms and lift your hips into tabletop position as shown.
Next, brace your abs in tight and extend your legs as you push your hips back until your pelvis is slightly behind your hips (without touching the floor), feet flexed. Hold for 1 count, scooping your abs in tight to your spine as you hold the position. Return to tabletop. That's one rep. Repeat up to 10 times.
If this is too challenging, try lowering your hips to the floor instead of sliding them behind you to start.
Directions
Do these workout moves three nonconsecutive days a week. Start with the Basic Workout (moves 1-4 at right) to prime your muscles. After three weeks, you'll be ready to graduate to the Advanced Workout (moves 5-8). For maximum fat burning, perform the exercises as a circuit: Do one set of each move in the order shown, resting for 30 seconds between exercises. Then rest for a minute and repeat the circuit from the beginning.
Melt Your Middle
Follow this interval-training program three times a week after your core workout. It'll fire up your metabolism and burn off the fat that's hiding your abs. Intervals are short bursts of maximum-intensity effort—you're doing it right if you can't carry on a conversation—separated by periods of easy-pace recovery. In an Australian study, women who cranked out high-intensity interval training three days a week for 15 weeks dropped significantly more weight than those who exercised for the same period of time at a lower intensity.
For this interval workout, remember to include an easy 3- to 5-minute warmup and cooldown. You can run, bike, or use the cardio machine of your choice.
Hit the Plank
Plank exercises engage the deep transversus abdominis muscle which wraps around the tummy from front to back, acting as a corset to cinch-in a protruding belly. Do the front plank at home or at the gym on a daily basis for three weeks to maximize ab results. Take a day of rest once or twice a week if you are feeling excessively tired. Do this exercise by lying on your tummy on the floor. Raise up on your toes and elbows so that your elbows are underneath the shoulders and palms flat on the floor. Pull your belly button towards your spine as you maintain a straight line from head to toe. Hold this position for 20 to 30 seconds and do three sets. Progressively increase holding time to 60 to 90 seconds.
Cycle for the Abs
Bicycle crunches develop your obliques, the muscles on the sides of the stomach, through rotational trunk movements. Do this exercise lying face-up on a mat with knees bent to 90 degrees, shins parallel to the floor. Place hands gently behind your head. Contract your abdominals as you lift your shoulders and head up and twist so your left elbow drives towards your right knee. At the same time, extend your left leg down towards the floor. Bring your left elbow back down to the floor as you also extend your right leg. Bring your left knee back to start position as you drive your right elbow up to meet it. Repeat this cycling action for 15 to 20 repetitions or until you fatigue for a total of three sets to maximize abdominal burn.
Reverse the Crunch
Reverse crunches target the rectus abdominis and lower abs to help you get a lean, toned tummy. Do this exercise by lying on your back on a mat. Lift your legs straight up in the air so they form a perpendicular angle to the floor. Place your hands gently behind your head. Contract your abdominals as you lift your head and shoulders slightly off the ground. Simultaneously, lift your buttocks up so your legs punch up towards the sky. Return to the start position and repeat 10 to 20 times or until fatigue sets in. Repeat a total of three sets. Do this exercise as part of your abdominal routine four to five times per week.
Raise your heart
To get a flat stomach in three weeks, you will need to engage in cardiovascular exercise. Cardio raises your heart rate and metabolism to increase caloric burn for weight loss. Aim for a minimum of five cardio sessions per week with workouts lasting 45 to 60 minutes. Activities such as running, cycling and hiking work the major muscle groups for greater caloric burn. Change up the intensity of your workouts by adding five 30-second sprints to the end of your run and/or choosing a hilly route to crank up the burn. Other fat-burning cardio exercises include hiking, particularly hilly terrain, swimming and cross-country skiing.
The best yoga poses for flat Abs
There's not just one formula for a flat belly. And since few people truly enjoy traditional abs exercises, the best way to sculpt a sexy midsection is to incorporate more core work into the workouts you already know and love.
Yoga not only helps improve flexibility and relieve stress (which studies show helps reduce belly fat), but your practice can also target your abdominal muscles in a much more functional and efficient way than any amount of crunches. Read on to discover the 11 best poses for sculpting your abs while you find inner peace.
Tree Pose
This pose will have your abdominals working overtime to help you stay grounded on one leg.
Shift your weight onto your left leg. Draw your right knee into your chest, grab your ankle, and press the bottom of your right foot onto your left thigh. If you feel wobbly keep your hand on your ankle while it's pressed into your thigh. If you're finding your balance really easily, press your palms together in front of your chest. Brace your abdominals in tight to your spine, making sure you can still breathe easily. Find a focal point and focus your gaze while you hold the pose for 10 long, deep breaths. Repeat on the other leg.
Warrior Lunge Twist
Not only will your abdominals help you to stabilize in this posture, but the twisting motion fully engages those hard-to-tone obliques too.
Bring your hands into prayer pose. Lunge forward with your left leg and bend your knee about 90 degrees, keeping your back leg straight. Brace your abs in tight to your spine and rotate your upper body to the left. Keep your spine long as you lean over your left leg and press your right elbow into the outside of your left leg. Turn your head to look up toward the ceiling over your left shoulder. Hold for 10 long, deep breaths and then untwist and return to standing. Repeat on the other side.
If you have trouble maintaining your balance, focus your eyes straight ahead instead of looking up to the ceiling.
Rock 'n Roll Lotus
This fun and functional move strengthens your core by using it to help you 'stop' your body (much like it does in everyday life).
Sit with your legs crossed at the ankles. Hold onto the outside of each ankle with your opposite hand, and lift your legs off the floor, balancing on your sitting bones. Pull your abs into your spine and take a deep breath in. As you exhale, begin to round onto your back. Continue rolling until your shoulder blades touch the floor, lifting your hips, still holding onto your ankles. Keeping your abs in tight, rock back up to sitting, finding your balance again on your sitting bones. That's one rep. Repeat 10 times.
Imagine you are using your abs as brakes to help you stop at the top and bottom of the rocking motion.
Bridge With Leg Sweep
This amped-up bridge pose sculpts your butt and hamstrings while also using your abdominals as stabilizers to help control the motion of your leg.
Lie on your back with knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Extend your arms by your sides, palms facing down. Brace your abs in tight and press through your heels to bridge your hips off the floor. Keeping your hips lifted and square, extend your left leg up to the ceiling, foot flexed. Sweep your left leg to the right, passing the midline of your body and then sweep back out to the left, slightly past your left hip. That's one rep. Repeat 10 times (back and forth) with the left leg, and then switch legs and repeat 10 more times before lowering out of bridge.
Try not to let your hips drop as you move your leg back and forth, using your abs and your glutes to keep your pelvis lifted and square. Small, controlled movement is better than big movements with poor form.
Sliding table
This active pose uses your abdominals to shift your body back and forth and to lift and lower your torso, providing a dynamic stretch and contraction for both your abs and back.
Sit with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart. Place your hands behind your hips, fingertips facing slightly into your body. Press down with your arms and lift your hips into tabletop position as shown.
Next, brace your abs in tight and extend your legs as you push your hips back until your pelvis is slightly behind your hips (without touching the floor), feet flexed. Hold for 1 count, scooping your abs in tight to your spine as you hold the position. Return to tabletop. That's one rep. Repeat up to 10 times.
If this is too challenging, try lowering your hips to the floor instead of sliding them behind you to start.
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