Strong Shapely Abdominals
You may think this is not a realistic goal, but I am here to tell you that a shapely midsection is a real possibility. I have some favorite abdominal workouts for women. In this blog I will cover a few exercises to start you on your way to those great abs.
The Plank:
The plank is the king for strengthening your entire group of core muscles. There are different levels that you can do depending on your fitness and strength levels.
Knee & Elbow Plank: This is the easiest for the beginner. See the diagram below for the proper positioning. Hold this for up to 60 seconds. When you are first starting out you may only be able to do 5 to 10 seconds. This is OK. Just continue on with the exercise and over time you will get stronger I guarantee it.
The Plank:
The plank is the king for strengthening your entire group of core muscles. There are different levels that you can do depending on your fitness and strength levels.
Knee & Elbow Plank: This is the easiest for the beginner. See the diagram below for the proper positioning. Hold this for up to 60 seconds. When you are first starting out you may only be able to do 5 to 10 seconds. This is OK. Just continue on with the exercise and over time you will get stronger I guarantee it.
Toes & Elbow Plank: This is the next level up from the beginner, I call it the intermediate level. Once you can hold the beginner pose for 60 seconds you can graduate to this level. Again you may not be able to do 60 seconds right away but you will get there.
Toes & Hand Plank: This is the Hard level exercise. It will require more strength and endurance, however if you can do this your core strength is improving significantly. Keep at it and you can move on to the advanced version.
1 Foot and Hand Plank: This is the advanced movement. If you have gotten to this stage you are doing great. Congratulations, I am proud of you. More than that you should be proud of your self. You have come a long way.