There is so much more to add to your core than just abs! A string core brings in numerous benefits.
But getting your core strong enough to help you squat heavy, you must put in some efforts.
In the following blog, we have come up with the best flat tummy exercises for great female abs!
These workouts will not only help you in building a strong core but will also bring out some amazing health benefits.
According to experts and specialists, ab workouts at the gym or even at home, can reduce back pain, improve your stability, and enhance your posture.
Your core not only forms the center of the entire body, but it also participates in your every movement.
Thus, it plays a huge role in your overall strength.
Moreover, if your core is not strong enough to participate in your movements, you might just be more prone to injuries as it leads to muscles overcompensating.
With that being said let us move our focus back to the Ab Workouts for Women!
15 Best Abs Workouts That You Can Try!
Since many of you might just rush through an abs workout, we must highlight the fact that core exercises are meant to go slow.
Go slow with the workout, take your control, to have the best results.
Before we give you a perfect list of workouts to get abs for females, let us give you a brief workout routine to follow to get amazing results:
- Follow at least three exercises form the below list
- Try performing the exercise for almost 30 seconds
- Repeat every exercise at least 4 times to complete a set
- Take a break for 1 minute between sets before you switch to the next exercise
With that being said, let us move ahead with our abs workouts to do at the gym female.
However, you might try some of these Ab Workouts for Women at home too.
#1. V – Ups | Ab Workouts for Women
V-Ups is a highly beneficial workout for your abs. it requires you to lift the weight of your arms and legs with the help of your abdominal muscles.
These sets of exercises are one of the most intense ways to build core strength, by spending quite less time as compared to other exercises.
Moreover, if you practice planks along with V-ups, you can have a blasting core workout which will leave your belly feeling crazy!
However, make sure that you follow the right eating plan along with the exercise to go smooth on belly toning.
How to do V-ups?
It’s quite easy to follow the steps:
- Lie down on your back with your hand extending behind your head. Make sure that you have your feet together with toes pointed.
- Straighten out your legs and lift them as you raise your upper body off the floor. Make sure that you maintain a strong core while doing so.
- Try touching your toes with your arms.
- Now lower yourself slowly back to the original position.
Benefits of V-ups
V-ups are a must when it comes to ab workouts. It has got many benefits:
Strengthens core muscles
V-ups prove to be an amazing way to train your transverse or core muscles.
It helps you strengthen the core muscles which form the powerhouse of your body.
Better balance
V-ups cater to balance and stability. Thus, it works on your overall body as balance helps you learn the basics of utilizing your core energy in different functions.
#2. Side Plank Dips ( Side Plank Lift and Lower)
Side plank dips are an excellent set of abs workout which target the oblique group of core muscles, while it helps strengthen your shoulder and upper back.
It will help you get a tighter waistline and a stronger core.
Oblique groups of core muscles have control over the energy of the entire core section.
They are the muscles behind your twist and turn movements.
How to do Side plank dips?
Here are the steps which you need to follow to master the side plank:
- Place your forearm below the shoulder while you lay down on your right side.
- Keep your body lifted and legs straight with feet stacked.
- Place your left hand on your hip and body straight with the abdomen as tight as you can.
- Dip your hips down toward the mat and lift back up by using the oblique muscles.
#3. Side Plank Reach Through (Side Plank Scoop)
Side Plank Scoop or Side Plank Reach Through is an abs workout focusing on oblique muscles of the core.
It makes your core muscles stronger while working on your lower back.
Usual side planks are effective in bringing stability to your core area, but adding these scoops will help you trim down your waistline and tone your midsection.
Your abdominal area helps in many movements like bend forward, rotate, and stabilize the entire midsection.
However many ab exercises for beginners focus only on enhancing one of these movements.
But Side Plank Scoop works on both stabilization and rotation.
How to do Side Plank Scoop?
- Here are a few steps with which you can master the side plank scoop:
- Keep your right hand below the shoulder, while you are in a full side plank posture.
- Keep your left arm high above the left shoulder and your legs must be straight.
- Tighten your abdominals and scoop the left arm under your body.
- Slowly reach a left hand back to start position
Benefits:
Strengthens your core muscles that include – Transverse abdominis, internal obliques, external obliques, and rectus abdominis.
#5. Toe Reach | Ab Workouts for Women
Toe Reach workout targets your rectus abdominal core muscles. The “six-pack” that you hear is all about the rectus abdominis muscles.
Moreover, this is the muscle that takes part in crunches making it a popular muscle to focus on.
While doing Toe Reaches, you work on tightening your transverse abdomens while your legs go straight up the air.
Let’s have a look at the steps of this ab workout.
How to do Toe Reach?
- Lie down on your back while you stretch your legs outwards towards the ceiling.
- Bring your head, neck, and shoulders off the mat and stretch your arms towards your feet.
#6. Plank | Ab Workouts for Women
A plank strengthens your abdominal and low back muscles along with improving your arms, shoulders, back, and chest muscles.
Plank is one of the best abs workouts at home for ladies, it gives you a stable mid-core and keeps your back healthy. Moreover, it also tones your belly and keeps your posture right.
Plank is an isometric exercise, which means it doesn’t require you to move!
Even if you are not moving, the steps involved in a plank give you enough effects.
How to do Plank?
- Keep your hands and toes under your shoulder as you kneel on your all fours.
- Raise your body on the floor while you keep your abdomen tightened. Keep your legs straight behind you.
- Stay in this position till you can.
ALSO READ: How to Do Planks to Flatten Stomach? (With Variations)
#7. Bicycle Crunch | Ab Workouts for Women
A classic core exercise that almost everyone might have done!
But what people don’t know is that it strengthens your muscles of upper abs, lower abs, and obliques.
However, many people don’t follow the right way of bicycle crunch.
The most important thing while you do a bicycle is that you keep your abs pulled in, this will give your back a firmer hold.
Next, make sure that you start your rotation with your rib cage rather than your elbow.
Now, keep your relaxed hand under your head for support and not for pulling movement.
With the essential being discussed, let us move towards the steps to follow for a proper bicycle crunch.
How to do Bicycle Crunch?
Lie down on your back while keeping your feet off the floor, and legs in a tabletop position.
Keep your hand behind your head and your shoulders flexed.
Bring on the knee in and the opposite elbow overreaching towards it.
Repeat the same on the other side to get a criss-cross movement.
#8. Boat Pose | Ab Workouts for Women
This abs workout trains your body to pull your lower abdominals in and maintain a balanced position.
Boat Pose not only helps strengthen your core muscles but it also helps in strengthening the hip flexors and spine.
Though don’t expect to master the exercise within no time, it takes effort and practice.
Here is a pro-tip to help you with that, whenever you start practicing Boat Pose, start with your knees slightly bent, hands on the floor, and hold this posture for around 20 to 30 seconds before lifting your hands.
Then again hold for a few seconds, practice these steps before you stretch out your legs.
How to do Boat Pose?
- Take a seated position, now draw your navel to your spine, while keeping your hands behind you on the floor. Bring your legs off the floor while you keep your knees bent in front of the chest.
- Keep your abdominals tight and lift your hands off the floor along with straightening your legs upward.
- Your body is now in a V shape, lengthen your spine
- Make sure that you keep your abdominals tight and breathe. Hold this position for as long as you can.
#9. Sweeping Scissors | Ab Workouts for Women
Sweeping Scissors is an exercise that helps flatten your belly while strengthening your core muscles.
It also has a positive impact on your lower back and your hamstrings.
This abs workout includes movement of your upper body and legs while focusing on your core muscles.
However, there are a few points which you must keep in mind for carrying out a sweeping scissor smoothly.
While performing the exercise, make sure that you don’t go too fast. Let your arms sweep past your ears with the lifting originating from your abs.
How to perform Sweeping scissors?
- Lie down on a mat with your hands behind your head and legs stretched out.
- Sweep your arms towards the sides and stretch them long while your head, neck, and shoulders are off the mat.
- Lift one leg up and in towards the chest while following the second step.
- Reaching arms forward on the sides of the leg, roll back to the mat lowering leg, and repeat on the other side.
#10. Bend Extend Ab Tuck
Bend Extend Ab Tuck is extremely useful when you wish to strengthen your lower back.
It helps the body stay stable while you pull your body up and down with your legs going in and out.
This could be challenging, but if you master this exercise, your abs will grow stronger and pull tighter.
Bend Extend Ab Tuck has got a unique touch to it. Most of the exercises focus on either lifting the body or lowering it, but this exercise includes both.
Let us have a look at the steps to follow for mastering the exercise.
How to do Bend Extend Ab Tuck?
- Start with a sitting position, with arms behind you. Place your hands on the mat while your fingers face your backside.
- Now sit back on your hands while you lift your feet above the mat with knees bent.
- Keep your abs tight and stretch out your legs long and lower back down slightly.
- You would feel your lower abdominals working, now push yourself back and pull your knees and get back to your start position.
#11. Spiderman Abs| Ab Workouts for Women
The name comes from the way you move while performing the exercise. Spiderman Abs is a variation of the plank.
You hold your position in the plank position while you perform this exercise.
However, what makes it different from plank is the movement you make from your knees to the elbow.
This movement brings in the effect on your abdominal muscles!
Let us look at the steps to do this workout.
How to do Spiderman Abs?
- Start with a plank position, keep your hands on the mat wider than your shoulder.
- Keep your legs behind you while your abdominal and glutes are tightened.
- Now pull the knee toward the outside of your left elbow and hold for one count.
- Return to your start position.
#12. Forearm Star Plank
Forearm star plank is an isometric core strength move, which strengthens your core as well as your shoulder and arms.
It is one of the best workouts to measure how strong your core is getting while you are practicing different abs workouts.
In initial phases, you might feel shaking when you perform a forearm star plank, but with time, you will get used to it and then you will find how strong your core gets as you are able to maintain the position for long.
How to do a forearm star plank?
Lie down on your right side, keep your forearm on the floor, and stretch out your legs long on the mat with your feet stacked.
Make sure you keep your abdomen tight as you lift your left leg and arm up in the air. Keep them straight while you keep your body still.
#13. Double Leg Stretch
This is a pilates exercise that keeps your upper and lower abs healthy and strong while protecting your lower back.
Double Leg Stretch is one of the best workouts to train your body to stay stable while you pull out your legs and arms.
How to do Double leg stretch?
- Keep your knees bent at a 90-degree angle, while you lie down on your back with arms lengthened along with your calves.
- Make sure you keep your head, shoulder and neck flexed on the mat while you have your back firmly pressed against the mat.
- While you inhale, stretch your arms behind your back while you inhale, at this time, your legs should be stretched to a diagonal position in front.
- While exhaling circle your arms towards your legs while you bring your knees back at a 90-degree angle.
#14. Plank To Balance Plank
Plank to balance plank forms a unique abs workout as it involves an arms reach.
However, before you try this workout, it is important to have perfect knowledge and practice of plank.
If you can do a plank for 30 seconds, then only try adding the arm and leg reach.
Make sure that while doing this workout, you always pull your lower abdominals towards your spine.
However, if you feel your back sagging, or if you fail in holding a straight line, practice the same exercise with your knee placed on the floor.
How to do Plank To Balance Plank?
- Get into the plank position with your shoulders over your wrists and your body in a straight line.
- Maintain the same position, raise your right handoff, and left foot off the floor.
- Return hand and foot with control and switch sides.
#15. Mountain Climbers
This workout will certainly make you feel the fat burning.
However, make sure you go slow and have good control over your body while doing the exercise.
How to do mountain climbers?
- Start with a plank position with your arms straight and your wrists under your shoulders.
- Make sure that your body lies in one straight plane with your toes pressed in the ground.
- Alternate bringing either knee into your chest.
Conclusion | Ab Workouts for Women
Burning belly fat has always been seen as the most complex weight loss plan.
However, we have very simple and easy workouts here in our blog which will not only help you melt away the belly fat but will also help you gain abs.
In the above blog, we have chosen the 15 best abs workouts which you can try at the gym as well as at home.
However, make sure that you also follow the right warm-up before getting into these workouts as a warm-up is important for training your muscles for upcoming workouts.
With this, we come to the end of our blog hoping that the above information comes out to be useful to you.