my wife has a stomach that rivals or beats many women more than ten years younger than her.
she is strong, powerful, has a flat tummy with a sexy line down the middle. she doesnt have the "fitness model 6/8 pack" that people crave, but who cares?? that, for some, is almost impossible. you have to have such a low % body fat or you need to spend more time than most have on building those muscles.
she did this largely through pilates... which i always suggest for anyone trying to strengthen your core. yes... it will help define your muscles, and thats not just what you are asking about... but stronger muscles in your core are an important part of being fit and getting that tummy you want. when she started her current program, one that i also use in a modified form, she wasnt really heavy... just wanted to be tighter at the stomach. now, i
swear you could bounce a quarter off her stomach, it is so tight.
thats what a year of consistent, hard work can do. within 4-6 weeks of a daily, good workout, she saw results. in another 3-4 months, it cranked in even more. now, with an advanced workout, she can do things that are amazing... strong power and great form came from a deliberate plan and a lot of work, about an hour a day... sometimes a little more.
we bought two video sets a couple of years ago. one was a billy blanks tae bo set, and the other was a stott pilates dvd set. the tae bo gets into your arms a lot, but can also get into your sides and back... and even if you are focused on your abs... strengthening your sides and back is an important part of working your abs. your whole core needs to be strong to really crank things in.
the stott pilates dvd she uses, and that i use some moves from, is on the following page...
STOTT PILATES | At Home Video Series
scroll down and find the four vid set that starts with The Secret to Flat Abs.
if you dont want to get this set, you can buy that individual dvd at amazon cheaply... think i saw one for sale for about $8. and the great thing about dvds is you can do them at your convenience.
the stott pilates does a good job of teaching you about proper breathing and form, and how to engage your muscles right. you can get so much better, and safer, results using the right form and method of workout, and i think ab work is one area where people often do a lot of bad things... wrong technique, dangerous choices, failure to maximize your effort...
the work i do, and suggest, is crunches (standard, then bicycle, then pike as you get stronger), pilates type situps and half rollbacks, plank (a pilates move... think pushup but staying in the up position... no up and down... and you hold yourself up with your forearms on the ground, not with your hands... you just hold your body straight like a board, hence "plank")...
plank position, since i didnt describe it all too well...
also, heres an online vid that shows you some good tips for crunches, done by jillian michaels, of the tv show the biggest loser fame... you might need to pause the video when it starts to let it buffer so it doesnt keep stopping... i let it buffer for a few minutes and it ran better than without the pause.
Jillian Michaels shows you how to get six pack abs
so... ive seen what good work with proper form and an ability to really engage that muscle right can do... but it might mean a workout 5 times a week and patience.
most muscle groups should not be worked every day. you need to give them time to rest. your abs are different. if you are doing a decent workout, theres no reason why you cannot work your abs everyday, or every other day if needed.
pilates mixed with tae bo, one dvd one day and another dvd the next, was a great way to keep things interesting and work different muscle groups... remember... a cardio workout will amp your metabolisn, decreasing body fat, helping you get to your goal of a tighter tummy.
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