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:
- 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.
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.
Complete these abdominal exercises two to three times a week for a stronger core.
- Stand
up tall with your feet together and your core engaged. - Bend
at the hips and try to touch the floor. As soon as your fingertips hit the
floor, walk your hands out until you reach a push-up position. - Crawl
your way back up to the starting position by inching your hands backward and
piking your hips up to the ceiling. When your feet are flat on the floor, bend
at the hips again and lift yourself back up to the standing position.
Advanced option
You can make this exercise harder by lifting one leg before walking your hands out.
Benefit
Using your arms and legs in this exercise adds intensity and resistance.
- Begin on your left side, with your elbow directly below
your shoulder and your forearm perpendicular to your body. - Stack your feet or place one in front of the other.
- Contract your abs and lift your hips off the floor
until your body makes a diagonal line from your shoulder to your feet. - Hold this position for 30 to 45 seconds.
- Switch sides and repeat.
Advanced option
Add hip dips for an extra challenge. Perform the same exercise for 30 to 45 seconds but continually dip your hips until you lightly tap the floor and then return to the starting position.
Benefit
Unlike a traditional plank, you’ll support your body weight on just two points of contact. This requires more work from your core to stay stable. Your back and abs work together to keep your spine elongated.
- Begin in a seated position, knees bent at 90-degree
angles and feet flat. - Reach your arms forward, palms facing each other.
- Exhale, pulling your belly button toward your spine.
- Roll back onto your tailbone, curving your spine into a
C shape. - Inhale and return to the starting position. Repeat,
doing 15 more reverse crunches.
Advanced option
Try the same exercises, but rather then rolling back into a C shape, roll all the way back until you’re flat on your back.
Benefit
This exercise emphasizes the rectus abdominus.
- Begin by sitting upright with your knees bent and feet
flat on the floor. - Lean back, balancing on your sit bones and lift your
legs off the floor. - Extend your arms out straight, palms up. Your body will
form a V shape. - Hold for 30 seconds.
Advanced option
Transition into a low boat pose by dropping your feet to about six inches above the floor.
Benefits
This exercise focuses on your lower abs.
For this exercise, you’ll need space to move in and something that will slide easily across the floor. Try a towel on hardwood or tile floors, or a plastic bag or Frisbee on carpet.
- Begin in a plank position with your feet on a towel,
bag, or Frisbee. - Walk forward, using your hands only and dragging your
lower body along for 10 to 20 yards. - Keep your core and glutes tight as you move forward.
- Rest for a minute and then alligator drag back to where
you began. - Rest and repeat.
Advanced option
This one’s hard enough as it is!
Benefit
You’ll use your entire core for stability in this exercise. It also combines movement and resistance for added intensity.
Remember, exercises like these will help you strengthen your ab muscles and improve your posture. But according to Mayo Clinic, there’s no such thing as “spot reducing” fat in specific parts of your body.
That means you might not get six-pack abs even if you do hundreds of repetitions. Instead, work on reducing overall body fat by taking in fewer calories and sticking to a consistent exercise plan.
Insights, advice, suggestions, feedback and comments from experts
I am a fitness enthusiast and expert with a deep understanding of core muscle groups and effective abdominal exercises for women.
When it comes to achieving a lean midsection, it's important to understand the specific muscle groups involved and the most effective exercises to target them. Women often face unique challenges due to differences in pelvic width and waist length, which can make it more difficult to achieve flat, firm abs. However, with the right approach and commitment to targeted exercises, visible abdominal muscles are achievable.
Understanding Core Muscle Groups:
To effectively target the core, it's essential to focus on four main muscle groups:
- External Abdominal Obliques: These are the muscles located on the sides, just beneath the arms, along the ribcage.
- Internal Abdominal Obliques: These muscles lie underneath the external obliques and serve as stabilizers.
- Transversus Abdominis: These are the deepest muscles, running horizontally around the midsection, providing core stability.
- Rectus Abdominis: These muscles run from the sternum down to the pelvis, and are responsible for flexing the spine and are the most superficial muscles in the abdomen, commonly associated with "six-pack" abs.
Effective Abdominal Exercises for Women:
To properly target and tone all four muscle groups, it's important to perform a range of stabilization exercises. These exercises not only strengthen the core muscles but also help stabilize the spine and pelvis, improving posture and reducing the risk of back pain. Some effective exercises include:
-
Plank Crawl Out: This exercise engages the arms and legs, adding intensity and resistance to the workout. It's also possible to make this exercise more challenging by lifting one leg before walking the hands out.
- Benefit: Using arms and legs in this exercise adds intensity and resistance, working multiple muscles and burning more calories.
-
Side Plank: This exercise requires balancing on the side, engaging the core muscles to maintain stability. An advanced option involves adding hip dips for an extra challenge.
- Benefit: This exercise requires more work from the core to stay stable, engaging the back and abs to keep the spine elongated.
-
Reverse Crunch: This exercise emphasizes the rectus abdominis and involves rolling back onto the tailbone, curving the spine into a C shape. An advanced option involves rolling all the way back until flat on the back.
- Benefit: Emphasizes the rectus abdominis, targeting the lower abs.
-
Boat Pose: This exercise focuses on the lower abs and involves balancing on the sit bones while lifting the legs off the floor. An advanced option transitions into a low boat pose by dropping the feet to about six inches above the floor.
- Benefit: Focuses on the lower abs and challenges core stability.
-
Alligator Drag: This exercise requires space to move and something that will slide easily across the floor. It engages the entire core for stability and combines movement and resistance for added intensity.
- Benefit: Engages the entire core for stability and adds intensity to the workout.
It's important to note that while these exercises can strengthen the abdominal muscles and improve posture, spot reducing fat in specific parts of the body is not possible. Overall body fat reduction through a combination of calorie intake management and consistent exercise is essential for achieving visible abdominal muscles.
I hope this information helps you understand the core muscle groups and effective abdominal exercises for women. If you have any further questions or need additional guidance, feel free to ask!
