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Ab exercises that work well for women are different than the ones that are suitable for men. As women tend to have less muscle mass than men, it's important to not overdo them. Here are six of our favorite ab exercises for women:
Best Ab Exercises for Women
1. Mountain Climber
The mountain climber is a full-body exercise that will work your hamstrings, glutes, quads, and core. It's an effective way to burn calories and strengthen your lower body in one go.
How should you do it?
- Start in an athletic position with your hands on the floor underneath your shoulders and knees on the floor under your hips.
- Lift one leg off the ground and bring it forward so that both legs are bent at a 90-degree angle with feet together.
- Lower down into a squat until thighs are parallel to the floor.
- Pause for 2 seconds at the bottom of this movement before repeating with the other side.
2. Roll-Over
Roll-overs are a great exercise for your abs and lower back. It allows you to isolate your core muscles effectively and build muscle in your abdominal region.
How should you do it?
- Start on your back with your knees bent.
- Lift your hips off the floor.
- Roll to one side and then the other, returning to the start position after each rep.
You can also do this exercise by standing up with a bar in front of you, like at a gym or at home.
3. Wall Sits
Wall sits are a highly effective exercise that work your butt, upper leg muscles, and lower abdomen.
How should you do it?
- Stand with your back against a wall with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes pointing straight ahead.
- Lower down until your hamstrings are parallel to the floor. You should be able to emulate a "sitting" position.
- Keep your legs planted firmly on the ground as you lower yourself down into a squatting position.
- Make sure to keep both knees bent at 90-degree angles throughout this process to protect them from injury; if you bend them further than this, try lowering yourself onto an elevated surface such as a bench or chair instead so that there’s less strain on them!
Once you've reached this point where both legs form right angles at their knees/hip joints (and not before), set up again by pressing against something firm like mentioned above—but now stick out one leg behind you so that no weight is being supported by any other body part except those two big ones sticking out behind us!
4. Crunches
There’s a reason why crunches are so popular. They can be performed anywhere, they’re easy to perform, and they target the abs. But make sure you do them right!
To get the most out of your abdominal work, use a mat or towel under your neck as support for your head. This will help you avoid straining any muscles in that area. You should also keep your back flat on the floor at all times during this exercise (no arching) and avoid pulling in your abdominal muscles too much—that can lead to injury over time.
How should you do it?
- Lie down on a mat and bend your knees.
- Lift your knees up, forming a peak.
- Then, restrict your arm movement so as to prevent yourself from using its momentum to lift yourself.
- Brace your core and lift your upper half up. You should feel some flexion in your abdominal region.
- Reset and repeat for reps.
One set of 15 to 20 reps is enough if this is not the only ab exercise in your workout routine; if not, you can do more.
5. Plank with Shoulder Tap
The plank with shoulder tap is a great exercise for targeting your obliques, core, and shoulders. It serves as a modification of the classic plank while retaining what makes the original so challenging and rather painstaking.
How should you do it?
- This exercise requires you to hold yourself in a plank position, which involves holding your body straight and balancing on your forearms and toes.
- Once you have achieved this position, lift one arm up so that it touches your opposite shoulder, that is, your right hand should be used to tap your left shoulder, and vice versa. (It should be parallel to the floor).
- Then return to the starting position and repeat with the other arm.
- Try not to let your hips sag or sway as you do this movement—keep them level throughout!
6. Bicycle
This exercise is aimed at the lower abs, especially the obliques. It's also a great way to strengthen your core and help you lose weight.
- Begin this move with your feet on the floor or on an exercise ball, then lie down with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. You can also do this move from a sit-up position.
- With your hands behind your head or clasped together in front of you, lift up slowly until only your shoulders are still resting on the floor—don't overextend them back!
- Slowly bring one raised leg towards you, as the other one remains extended.
- Start a forward-backward cycling motion, rapidly gaining pace as you get the hang of the movement.
- Repeat for a few reps.
Conclusion
So what kind of ab exercises should women do? It turns out that there are a lot of great options available, and we’ve highlighted six of our favorites here. Whether you’re looking to tone your midsection or just get into better shape in general, any one of these moves will help!
