how do u get great abs?
 

just wondering how do u get britney-esque abs without paying for a trainer :)...just remembered that summer is coming up !is it just doing boring 100s of situps or are there more fun exercises you can do?

In all honesty, 3 words.....
 

Crunches, Cardio and Time.

You gotta remember Britney Spears does work out alot and have a personal trainer, but shes also dancing countless hours everyday which helps alot too. Also nix the sit-ups and do crunches. While not fully bad sit ups so strain you and dont work as much of the ab as people thing. Crunches do and you should only be able to do 20 in a set and feeling it to be doing it right. If you can do 30+ no stop and not feel anything somethings not right.
I have heard though from various people that belly dancing classes are a great way to work the abs also, since alot of the move concentrate on that area. You can get a video lessons too if you dont have time for the class. :-)

belly dancing? hmm i would have to look into that...i take ballet but unfortunately the only workout i get is below the waist with the legs and all. we do a lot of bending/stretching but it only enhances flexibility, i dont see it doing anything for my abs. im starting my karate class soon and i jokingly told one of the instructors that im sure i can kick high and good but my punches would totally suck coz i have no upper body strength whatsoever.

oh yeah if anyone has tried tae-bo, how did you like it?

LOL you know what I wanna try?!! One of those Abtronic things you know the thing that works out your abs like with no effort !!! lol im soo lazy...I wonder if they would really work.


Nichole

Everytime I see the infomercial fo that, I want it more.. I think that it's only a matter of time before I break down an buy it...

LOL me too!!! Its pathetic I know but geez im soo lazy lol! I just dont know if I wanna spend $120 on that damn thing of course ive seen ads for other ones that are like $25 lol hmm I know Im gonna give in and get it one late night lol.


Nichole

Those things are a waste of your money.

THe only way to have your abs show is to lose body fat (and FYI, I think it takes a body fat percentage of approx. 8% for a six-pac to be visible). ABtronic devices don't do that.

UMGirl was also right on target about sit-ups. Those apparently work your hip flexors more than your abs!

Cardio, Crunches and Diet are the way, and the only way to killer abs. You've got to lose the fat and eat a diet low in sugar to get the definition you're looking for.

My abs kill me after 20 minutes of Pilates, since it is supposed to work your core muscles. Ouch, but so worth it! Your posture improves and your stomach gets used to being pulled in.

Another thing to remember: Most people lose weight from the top down. When you start exercising and eating healthy (eliminate the word DIET from your vocabulary), you'll notice differences in your body, most likely starting with your arms.

Pilates are great, but be careful doing the full roll-up if you have back problems. Get in a good cardio workout at least 3 times a week, and include crunches, both upright and oblique. This video junkie recommends the Firm video 5-Day Abs, which is a compilation of 5 workouts you do on consecutive days. Each workout is only 6-9 minutes, and what's not to like about that?

Stay away from that AbTronic thing. It's a bunch of junk.

I can't believe I'm admitting this, but in a weak moment, I bought the Fast Abs contraption and, trust me, it doesn't work.

There is NO shortcut to great abs. I'll say it again-- Cardio, Crunches, and Diet.

The secret to great abs is Beer, Budweiser to be specific. and LOTS of it....

crunches are great - i do 100 in the morning and 100 at night - but be careful - if you do a crunch or situp the wrong way - it can actually make your stomach/abs pooch out :eek:

see I dont ever know if Im doing them right or not and my problem is that I get tired before it even does anything



Nichole

TaeBo :)

Amy,

Did Will ever tell you about the time I was leaning back on one of those big exercise balls and was moving a dumbell weight side to side and fell over almost hitting my head on the chest press. I was soooooo embarrased :). I have no coordination.

Is taebo good? I heard it was bad for your knees and back? But I was considering getting a taebo tape. So I was wondering if anyone liked it or disliked it before i buy it.
Thanks
Diana~

My mom wanted all four videos of taebo for her birthday, and we have only done it about 3-4 times. I cant remember if she asked for it this year or last year, and her birthday is in november.

I personally didnt like it. I wasnt really into it. I think the only actual exercise i like is dance, and i also like to use the treadmill. If you like kick boxing and that kind of thing, then i say go for it! :)

My roomie and I bought that 4-pack of Taebo tapes. I'm the only one who really uses it, and I love it!

I found this info online - sorry if its so long!

You can do all the crunches you want, but your belly will still be there if you don't first lose the fat. By the way, it is perfectly natural for women to have a bit of a belly. It is not natural for women to look like Kate Moss or Naomi Campbell.

You say you're so-so fit. That leads me to believe that you only have a so-so training program. Are you doing aerobic exercise on a consistent basis? I don't mean three times a week for 30 minutes (the minimum recommendation). I mean five times a week for 45 minutes, sometimes longer. You should also be strength training at least twice a week, selecting exercises that recruit all of your large muscle groups. The aerobic (cardiovascular) activity burns calories while you're performing the exercise; that's why 45 minutes is more effective than 30 minutes. Strength training makes you leaner and helps burn more calories throughout the day.

Doing all this -- and let's not forget about limiting the fat in your diet -- will reduce the overall amount of fat on your body and in your midsection too. Treat your abdominals (stomach muscles) like any other muscle group and train them just two or three times a week. But train them hard. Here are five exercises that will help you get the belly of your dreams:


Lie on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Fold your hands behind your head. Curl your torso forward until you feel the small of your back flatten out on the floor. Keep your elbows back. Use your hands to cradle your head and take strain off of your neck. Do not pull yourself up with your arms. Slowly ease your torso back down to the floor. Exhale on the way up, inhale on the way down. Do 15-25 repetitions.

Lie on a bench. Reach overhead and hold onto the bench. Raise both legs in the air until your toes are pointing at the ceiling. Keep your knees slightly bent. Raise and lower your hips without lowering them all the way down to the bench. Do 15-25 repetitions.

Sit on the floor with your knees bent and hold your arms straight in front of you. Keeping your arms low, lean back until you're halfway to the floor. Lift your feet off the floor and extend your legs until they are straight. (Keep your legs low.) Hold for up to 30 seconds. Do 1-10 repititions.

Lie on the floor with your knees bent. Raise your legs so that your hips and knees are bent at 90 degrees. Place your hands behind your head, with your elbows on the floor. Twisting from the waist, bring your right elbow towards your left knee, and at the same time, extend your right leg. (Your left elbow should remain on the ground.) Complete the set on one side, then change to the other. Note: Do not alternate. Do 15-25 repetitions.

Lie on the floor with your knees bent and feet together. Place your hands behind your head. Let both knees gently fall to one side with one leg on top of the other. Keep your elbows wide and curl straight up. Repeat on the other side. Do 15-25 repetitions.