tummy-exercises
81Flat Tummy Exercises
Having a flat tummy and ripped abs not only has an impressive aesthetic effect on your image but contributes also to enhancing your overall health. A flat tummy with fit abs supports most of our body movements and makes us feel more flexible and energetic.
With a few minutes of daily tummy exercises with or without gym equipment, combined with overall body training and proper nutrition, you will be able to see impressive results in losing belly fat or getting rid of those ugly love handles around your waistline.
Go ahead and read through my hubpage for some of the best tummy exercises that personal trainers suggest to their clients. You will find also several general health and fitness tips to help you enhance your overall body fitness and not only the stomach region.
Now, if you need a complete training and nutrition program that will definitely help you to get rid of the belly fat that has been accumulating around your waistline and also help you to build sexy six-pack abs, then look no further. The Absolutely Best Abs program on the Internet for both Men and Women is the one here. Check it out and give it a risk free 60-day trial. If you don’t see results, you can return the product anytime.
As a final note, always remember to first consult with a doctor before entering any tummy exercise program. Warming up before exercising is also essential to avoid muscle injuries. Have fun reading my hubpage.
Top Three non-traditional Tummy Exercises
Traditional Abs Exercises like situps, leg lifts, crunches etc are ok for a tummy workout routine but there are better options available. Abs exercises should be designed to boost your metabolism in addition to strengthening your stomach muscles. Traditional abs exercises are focused directly to the abdominal muscles but do not work out any other part of the body.
Studies have shown that you will be better off in losing tummy fat and revealing a great six-pack when you perform exercises that are not directly focused on the abs but they actually exercise the whole body. Read the article here for the top three abs exercises that are not traditional tummy exercises but they work MUCH BETTER in losing tummy fat and flattening your stomach.
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Best Tummy Exercises Video
Best Tummy Exercises Overview
Exercising the stomach muscles is normally a large part of fitness programs since most people naturally want to look their best. This muscle group is going to be the focus of a lot of time and energy meaning you should know what the best exercises for the tummy are. With the large amount of resources available offering the best exercises for your tummy and with numerous people expressing what they believe to be best, makes it even more difficult to decide for yourself what the best exercise to work your stomach muscles really is?
It is vital to remember which are the best tummy exercises a person is actually willing to do. An exercise, no matter how effective it is, is not going to be beneficial when done inconsistently. While there are some machines and equipment that work amazingly well for some people you have to remember that you don't necessarily need gym equipment to perform some of the best tummy exercises.
Abdominal exercises that work various parts of the stomach should be included when someone decides to include tummy exercises in their workout routine. Workouts are not effective when only one area of the stomach is all that is being focused on. Working out both the obliques (side muscles) and mid and upper sections of the lower abdominals should all be included in the tummy exercise routine that you follow.
Crunches are some of the most popular exercises for the tummy. Due to the fact that they do not require gym equipment, these are convenient as well as effective exercises that can be done anywhere. The side crunch that focuses on the oblique is another popular exercise that compliments the basic crunch.
The tummy exercises included in a Pilate's workout are considered by some to be the best for the stomach. Pilates focuses on the stomach or abdominal muscles which are the body's core. The stomach muscles are worked with indirectly or directly with every movement of a Pilate's workout. Videos containing the exercises can be purchased or found on the Internet.
An exercise some experts on fitness consider to be good for the stomach muscles involves being flat on the stomach with the legs straight and raising the body up with the arms while keeping the hands clasp together and the body straight resembling a pushup. This position should be held until you can't stand it any longer. The entire stomach is strengthened with this movement.
Keep in mind that even though one person thinks a specific exercise is best for the stomach it does not mean that everyone will find it to be the best. Certain tummy exercise movements are responded to differently from person to person since everyone's body is different. It is useful for anyone that is serious about working the abdominal muscles to try a variety of stomach exercises before determining which ones they can feel best and achieve results with. An exercise is not right for someone when it doesn't feel like anything was done for the muscle or is too difficult to perform correctly. The tummy exercises that work best for an individual should be found carefully with the help of a personal trainer.
Yoga Tummy Exercises
Flat Tummy Exercises with Yoga
The ability of yoga to reduce stress levels while at the same time exercising the body makes yoga an amazing part of a fitness and wellness routine. It is possible to target your midsection utilizing yoga. There are numerous yoga positions or asanas that work the muscles in the stomach. There are some that are more in-depth than others. Prior to trying some asanas you should be aware of your own comfort and skill level. Start with an easier asana and progress to the more difficult ones after you build up flexibility and strength if you're not sure you can do one asana. Always perform a proper warm up to avoid injuries and consult with a professional prior to starting any workout routine.
Pavan-Muktasan Tummy Exercise
Yoga Tummy Exercise 1: Pavan-Muktasan
You have to lie flat with your back on the floor to do this asana to exercise your tummy. Cushion your spine with either a towel or yoga mat. Get your thighs to touch your tummy by bending the knees toward your chest. Lock your fingers in place as while hugging your knees. Lift your head just enough so your knees are met by your nose. Breath in deeply and hold the breath for thirty seconds then release and lower slowly to the starting position. You can also do this exercise with just one leg as shown on the picture above.
Bhujangasan Tummy Exercise
Yoga Tummy Exercise 2: Bhujangasan
Remaining on the ground, roll over onto your stomach for this exercise. Place your hands beneath your shoulders. Raise the upper portion of your torso above the ground so that keeping your head upright using the back muscles. Do not use your hands to push. The workout should be performed by the back muscles. This position should be held up to thirty seconds prior to returning to the first position. The performance of this asana will help in the reduction of tummy fat and help you to achieve a flatter stomach even though you are using the muscles on your back.
The Bow Pose Tummy Exercise
Yoga Tummy Exercise 3: The Bow Pose
The previous asana is very similar to this tummy exercise which is however more in-depth. This exercise requires your legs to be curled upward along with the lifting of the upper torso even though you begin in the same position of lying on the stomach. The knees will be bent to bring the bottom of the feet toward the head. Grabbing your ankles, push with your legs as you pull with your hands until your stomach is flat. The body should get the feeling of trying to achieve a circle. During this exercise your knees need to stay together. Prior to releasing in order to return to the start position you should hold this pose at least thirty seconds.
Paad-Pashchimottanasan Tummy Exercise
Yoga Tummy Exercise 4: Paad-Pashchimottanasan
Even though this asana has an intimidating name-it's not as complicated to perform as it is to pronounce. You may want to begin doing less complicated yoga positions and work your way since this position does require a good deal of flexibility. Begin on your back and hold both arms and legs straight overhead. All limbs should be extended with the body completely straight. With your palms facing the ceiling put the hands together. Keeping your hands overhead and back straight use the stomach muscles to sit up by contracting them. Place your head between your arms so it touches your knees as you bend forward and grad your toes with your hands. Before releasing this position hold it for two minutes.
Tummy Exercises - Ab Crunches
Tummy Exercises - Ab Crunches
Ab Crunches are among the most popular exercises for your tummy.
Crunches come in different variations, such as twisting crunches for
the side abs, ball crunches, cable crunches etc. In this section we
will explain how to do regular ab crunches. Before showing you this,
you must know that crunches alone will not magically help you to get
rid of belly fat. They must be used in conjunction with other exercises
and as part of an overall fitness and nutrition program.
The
advantages of crunches are that you can do them at home without
requiring any special gym equipment and also they can strengthen your
stomach without putting too much pressure on your back.
- Lie on the floor (use a blanket if you want) and bend your knees as shown on the top picture above. Put your hands behind your head.
- Bring your torso up by exhaling air and lift your shoulder blades off the floor as shown on the bottom picture. Your lower back region should not get off the floor. Hold for 1 second in this position and then slowly return back to the floor.
Tips to Flatten Your Tummy
I get a lot of questions especially from women, how to lose belly fat.
Some tips that will help you get a flatter tummy follow below:
Good nutrition:
A
balanced diet is very important, which means trying to moderate
consumption of sugars, fats, and even alcohol. That is, be careful with
sweets and desserts, fried foods, red meat cuts with excess fats and
other foods with high caloric value. Instead, focus your diet more on
healthy food, nutritious and low in calories, such as whole grains,
skim milk, vegetables, fruits, fish and chicken.
Regular aerobic exercise:
A
complement to good food is aerobic exercise. It is advisable to keep an
aerobic activity for a period of at least 25 to 40 minutes, and with a
minimum of 3 times per week. Choose a sport activity you like, such as
jogging, cycling, swimming or aerobic exercise classes (steps).
Tummy Exercises:
It
is also very important to achieve greater strength and toning muscles
in the abdominal area by performing tummy exercises as described in
this web site. And remember that "the important thing is continuity,
rather than quantity."
Good Hydration:
Drink plenty of
water. Hydration is essential not only to keep us healthy but also to
remove toxins and waste from the body. It is generally recommended a
daily water intake of 8 glasses (2 liters). Drink water whenever you
are thirsty, but remember to never neglect your hydration. Try also to
distribute water intake: about 30 minutes before and after each meal,
30 minutes before and after training, and whenever you need it.
Tummy Exercises - Bicycle Crunches
Tummy Exercises - Bicycle Crunches
Bicycle Crunches is one of the best and most effective Tummy Exercise because it involves many abdominal muscles and therefore it is a good overall ab exercise. You should note that bicycle crunches will definitely strengthen your stomach muscles, BUT will not cut a six-pack shape on your abs. To get a six pack, in addition to stomach exercises, you need also to perform overall fat burning exercises in conjunction with proper nutrition and diet. With that said, let's see how bicycle crunches are performed:
- Starting from the picture at the top, put your hands by your ears and your elbows pointed to the sites. Bent your knees and hips at 90 degree angle.
- Bent your right knee further towards your face, and at the same time straighten your left knee. This move is like riding a bicycle
- Use your abs to lift and turn your upper body to bring your left elbow towards your right knee (top picture).
- Come back down slowly keeping control, and repeat with the opposite elbow and knee, like the bottom picture above.
Repeat the above tummy exercise until you complete your set.
Six Poor Tummy Exercise Habits
There are numerous incorrect ways and a right way to work on achieving a flatter tummy just like anything else. You can get seriously injured or fail to see physical improvement if you work out the wrong way. A proper warm up, consulting with a professional trainer and following the tips below can help you when performing tummy exercises.
Over Doing Repetitions
A stomach exercise never requires more than fifty repetitions. Doing more than fifty repetitions won’t help you if fifty aren’t getting desired results. A more difficult exercise should be done instead of additional reps when you need more of a challenge as your strength increases.
Sit-Ups
There is very little actually done for the abdominal muscles with the traditional sit-up. The hip muscles receive most of the strain even if sit-ups are performed properly. Pulling the torso up using the arms isn’t the point of the exercise but it’s the incorrect way this exercises is usually done by most of us. People also tend to perform sit-ups rather quickly which causes momentum to force the torso up and down instead of using any groups of muscles. A nice alternative to old fashion sit-ups is the crunch exercise.
Knees should be up in Crunches
The knees should be pointing upwards and centered by keeping your feet flat against the floor and knees bent when performing crunches exercises. They should not be to the side but up and centered. You can get a painful back injury caused by the unneeded compression of vertebrae when the knees drop to one side.
Straight Leg Lift
A move commonly used to exercise the stomach that actually focuses on the lower back instead of the midsection muscles. Injuries are a possibility as this also places a strain on the back.
Lack of Resistance
Tummy exercises using gravity, a resistance band or an exercise ball, in order to be effective need to have resistance. There won’t be any benefit to the midsection with exercises like the standing broomstick twists that don’t use any resistance. This exercise is however a nice warm up for the truck and won’t do any harm which is the good news. However it won’t flatten your stomach.
Sleeping
The way you sleep can affect the exercise routine for your stomach even if it’s hard to believe it. You will have difficulty working on your midsection in the morning if you slept in a position that causes you back pain. Your back is forced to arch which leads to irritating back pain when you sleep mainly on your stomach. Placing a pillow under your knees and sleeping on your back is the best way for avoiding back pain. You will be able to work out without pain since you will keep your vertebrae in line which prevents pain in your back.
It is important to use the correct techniques when exercising. Potential injury and wasted time will be avoided with these useful tips. Consult your physician and perform thorough research prior to starting any new exercise or routine for physical fitness.
Performing proper flat tummy exercises is the first step towards reducing tummy fat and getting shaped abdominals. However, in conjunction with abdominal exercises, you should incorporate also an overall diet and nutrition program in order to see results faster. For the best overall diet and abs exercise program for men and women click here.
Great Abs with Tummy Exercises
Understanding the Popularity of Tummy Flattening Exercises
A person will want to look their best several times throughout their
life. It could be for a wedding or high school reunion but swimsuit
season is when the most people want to look good. People turn their
focus to their tummy and begin thinking about tummy exercises to
achieve a flat stomach during these times.
Most people want to look their best and many people associate a flatter tummy with looking better. However having a flat tummy is not just about looks. People should concentrate on tummy flattening exercises
for medical reasons as well. Medical evidence shows an increase risk of
serious medical conditions such as diabetes in those that carry
additional weight around the stomach. The stronger and healthier the
stomach is the more likely the rest of the body will be as well since
it is the body's core. Many people have back problems which are common.
Performing tummy flattening exercises is something that can greatly
benefit these people. When excess weight is removed from the center of
the body tension is relieved and posture improves. A person has more
confidence when the stomach is flat and their overall appearance is
improved since they walk straighter and taller instead of hunched over.
The
popularity of tummy exercises that flatten the stomach muscles is that
they are easy to do in addition to benefiting health and looks. They
can be done at home while watching television, in the gym or
practically anywhere else. Equipment is not required to do them either.
You do not necessarily need the smaller pieces of equipment or various
machines focused on flattening the tummy to get results. A strong
desire to get rid of tummy fat, and some room to lie down is all that
someone needs to perform flat tummy exercises. A person can choose
which moves work the best for them since there are a wide variety of
exercises targeting this area of the body.
Due to the importance
of keeping stomach muscles strong and the popularity of tummy
exercises, any exercise program whether at a health club or on a home
video will include these types of exercises. Most people are only
interested in exercising arms, legs or other parts of the body when the
stomach is included.
There are several obvious reasons why
people want to achieve a flatter tummy and spend lots of time
performing tummy flattening exercises. It is vital to remember that
time is required to achieve results and a program you are comfortable
with must be stuck to until you get the stomach you want whether for
vanity or health reasons. Provided there aren't any medical reasons to
prevent success, most people will see results with a healthy diet and
some exercise since even with a little exercise time you will see
results fast on the tummy region.
Basic and Advanced Tummy Exercises
Oblique Crunches Exercise
Tummy Exercises - Oblique Crunches
Oblique Abs are the side abdominal muscles. Oblique exercises are sometimes called "love handle exercises" because they concentrate on the side of your midsection, just where the love handles appear. Oblique Crunches can help for losing your love handles, but don't expect to completely eliminate your love handles just by doing only oblique crunches. You should understand that spot reduction of fat is a big myth. You can NOT just exercise a specific stomach region and expect to lose fat from that region. You need to incorporate a comprehensive approach for reducing fat all-over your body with proper diet, aerobic and weight training.
Anyways, let us see how the oblique crunches are performed.
- You should lie flat on your back and put your hands behind your head, as shown on the top picture. Also, your knees should be bent.
- Then lift your shoulder blades off the floor and when you are half way up, start to rotate your body so that your left elbow moves
towards your right knee. See the bottom picture.
- Hold your position for 1 second and slowly lower to the starting position.
- Repeat with the opposite elbow. That is, lift your right elbow towards your left knee, in order to exercise the opposite site of the muscles.
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