Abdominal exercises for girls: how to quickly pump up a beautiful tummy at home or in the gym?

A flat stomach with weak abdominal muscles is the desire of many girls. It is beautiful and aesthetically pleasing, allowing you to wear short tops and T-shirts.

But by nature, such a figure is given to few, and to achieve it you need to make an effort, and along with a diet, perform effective abdominal exercises for girls.

Ab exercises

The characteristics of the female figure are not predisposed to performing exhausting or forceful movements. The fair sex does not need atrophied abs or steel abdominal muscles.

The main goals that a girl should pursue are:

• Burning extra calories;
• Giving muscle tone;
• Strengthening the cardiovascular system.

This set of the best abdominal exercises for girls allows you to achieve all these goals.

Set of exercises

There are many abdominal exercises in the gym, but they need to be put together to conduct a full workout. It all depends on the gender and level of training of the person. For those who have never trained before, it is best to start with simple crunches and planks. For the first 3 weeks this will be quite enough. You should switch to training with equipment only after your muscles get used to regular physical activity.

For men

The stronger sex in the gym can perform the following exercises to pump up the abs:

• crunches in the simulator - 3 sets of 15 repetitions;
• “corner” - the number of repetitions is similar to the first exercise;
• “lumberjack” - 3 sets of 15 repetitions in each direction.

These three exercises in the gym for men will be quite enough. They can be performed either in one workout or distributed over a week. In order to avoid muscle adaptation, the complex must be diversified. Every month you can replace the exercise machine with a bench, the “corner” with a bar, and the “lumberjack” exercise with lateral leg raises on the horizontal bar.

Crunches in the simulator

"Corner"

"Woodcutter"

For women

For women, the following exercises will be enough:

• leg raises with a fitball - 4 sets of 20 repetitions;
• crunches in the simulator - 3 sets of 20 repetitions;
• pulling knees to chest in TRX loops - 3 sets of 15 repetitions;
• planks - 1.5 minutes.

In the gym, abdominal exercises for girls can be supplemented with bodyweight work. This is where high-intensity interval training will come to the rescue, incorporating such classic movements as “climber”, “bicycle” and “book”. To get a slim figure, this complex will be quite enough. The main thing is not to forget about nutrition. You can do abdominal exercises in the gym as much as you like, but without a low level of subcutaneous fat, you can’t even dream of an aesthetic belly.

Leg raises with fitball

Crunches in the simulator

Knee to chest pull-ups in TRX loops

Plank

Oblique crunches

This variation of the classic twist differs from the original version in that it gives the figure an hourglass shape. This occurs due to the inclusion of the oblique abdominal muscles.

Lie on the floor with a foam mat under your tailbone. Bend your legs at the knees, achieving an angle of 90 degrees. Place one leg over the other knee and place your hands behind your head.

Do 20 crunches, trying to reach your raised knee with your elbow.

When performing, you need to pay attention to both sides. Otherwise the figure will be unbalanced.

Exercises for the abs

Incline crunches

First, adjust the bench to the desired angle. If you have not practiced before, then you need to start with a small angle of inclination (10-15°), and if you have experience, then the optimal angle will be in the range from 30° to 40°.

Lie head down on a bench, hold your chin straight with your hands behind your head (do not tilt it forward, your neck should be straight). Do the twisting with the help of your abdominal muscles (do not push yourself into your head with your hands), while your back should become rounded. First, lift your shoulders off the bench, then your upper back; you don’t need to lift your entire torso. This exercise targets the upper rectus abdominis muscles more.

Leg raises on a straight and inclined bench

Choose the type of bench according to your own strength; it can be straight (parallel to the floor), or you can perform it on an inclined one, as in the previous exercise. It will be a little more difficult to perform on an incline bench, but the impact on the muscles will be stronger.

Lie down on a bench, put your hands under your butt (if the bench is straight) or grab the edge of the bench (if the bench is inclined). Bend your legs slightly at the knees and lift them as high as possible; at the highest point, slightly lift your buttocks off the machine. Try to lift your legs using your abdominal muscles. Do not perform the movement too quickly, the action should be smooth.

Crunches using a block machine

Set the weight on the apparatus to 10 to 15 kg. Grab the rope of the machine and kneel facing it (do not sit with your butt on your heels). Bend your body slightly forward, elbows bent and pressed to your body. Lower yourself using your abs until you fully touch your hips, keeping your back rounded. By performing this exercise, the load on the muscles will be stronger, and therefore the effect will be achieved faster. The main thing is not to make sudden movements and hold the rope tightly (it should be under your chin).

Set of expanders Latex tape

Leg raises on a machine with elbow rests

With your elbows resting on the armrests and your back against the back of the machine, pull your legs bent at the knees towards your chest. The legs need to be lifted using the press, and not by inertia. Make sure that your shoulders are fixed and do not rise up.

Perch on a fitness ball

Place your feet on the ball (everything from the ankle to the knee should touch the ball), rest your hands on the floor. The body should be completely straight, as if you are turning into a straight pole in which there are no bends (watch your butt, it will try to disrupt the straightness of your body). Pull your knees towards your stomach so that your thighs touch it. Try to keep your back straight, touch your knees to your chest, hold in this position for a count of 4 (while tightening your abdominal muscles) and smoothly return to the starting position.

Crunching on a fitness ball

Lie on the ball, touching it with your lower back, cross your arms over your chest, rest your feet on the floor, they should be bent at the knees at a right angle. During the exercise, the lower back should be inseparable from the fitball. Raise your upper body by twisting your back. Perform the exercise carefully, make sure that your feet are well on the floor, otherwise there is a risk of falling.

Bike

One of the most effective movements for fat burning. It is quite complex, but the body begins to actively consume calories.

In addition, when performing it, the process of gaining muscle mass does not occur. All this allows you to simultaneously make your stomach stronger and flatter.

Lying on the floor, place your hands behind your head. Lifting your body up, try to reach your opposite knee with your elbow. Without returning to horizontal, begin to work alternately with your elbows.

The set ends only when the abdominal muscles can no longer hold you in position.

It is advisable for girls to perform this abdominal exercise either at the beginning of the workout, to warm up, or at the end, spending the last of their strength.

Upper abdominal exercises for the gym

Bench crunches

Correct technique:

• the bench should be at an angle of 30-40°;
• first, lift your shoulders and head off the bench, then your upper back;
• rise up exclusively using your abdominal muscles;
• If you haven't done incline crunches before, don't lower the bench too low (start with an incline of 10° and gradually increase it);
• there is no need to lower the bench 40-45° below the horizontal (at the lowest point there may be an excessive rush of blood to the head, and this is dangerous if you have weak blood vessels);
• to make the exercise more difficult, cross your arms behind your head and perform the exercise with the same technique, without helping yourself with your hands (but do not bend your neck or lower your chin to your chest);
• the upward movement is precisely twisting with rounding of the back, and not lifting the torso (in the latter case, the main work is performed not by the abs, but by the lumbar muscles).

Crunches on a fitball

• lie with your back on the fitball so that it is directly under your lower back;
• place your feet shoulder-width apart and place your feet firmly on the floor, with your hips at right angles to your shins;
• the lower back is arched (which increases the range of motion compared to crunches on the floor), shoulders are lower than chest level;
• arms crossed on the chest or behind the head (no need to press on the back of the head with your hands);
• raise the upper part of the body, contracting the abdominal muscles, while the lower back does not come off the fitball.

“Prayer” – twisting on a block

Crunches on a block allow you to perform the exercise with a greater amplitude than crunches on the floor, which increases the load on the abdominal muscles.

Correct technique:

• the weight should be sufficient, but not too heavy (start with 10-15 kg and increase as necessary);
• stand with your face (or back) to the pulley machine and grab the rope attached to the upper pulley;
• get down on your knees;
• lean forward and arch your back slightly, your body is almost parallel to the floor, your elbows are bent, your chin touches your chest;
• Using your abdominal muscles, lower yourself down until your elbows touch your hips, keeping your back rounded;
• the pelvis should be motionless.

Riveting

Quite a difficult abdominal exercise for girls. It requires simultaneous work of the upper and lower abdominal areas.

But it allows you to get quick results and tighten your hanging belly.

Lie on your back and stretch your arms behind your head. Legs pressed against each other. As you exhale, bend at the lower back so that your body folds in half like a leaf.

At the top point, the support should be on the buttocks, and the palms should touch the feet.

It is not advisable to do more than 10 repetitions. This leads to too much strengthening of the abdominal muscles.

Lower abdominal exercises for the gym

Hanging Leg Raise

Correct technique:

• legs slightly bent at the knees;
• When lifting your legs up, try to touch your stomach with your thigh, i.e. raise your legs above parallel;
• do not sway and perform the exercise using your abdominal muscles, not inertia.

Leg raises with emphasis on elbows

Those who are unable to do Hanging Leg Raises with proper technique can perform Elbow Leg Raises on a machine.

Correct technique:

• rest your elbows on the bars and your back against the pad of the exercise machine;
• make sure that your shoulders are not pulled towards your ears;
• Otherwise the technique is identical to the Hanging Leg Raise.

Leg raises lying on a bench/incline bench

Correct technique:

• place your hands under your buttocks, palms down, or clasp the edges of the bench;
• while lifting, the legs are slightly bent at the knees;
• at the top point you need to lift your buttocks off the bench;
• do not lift your legs by inertia, use your abdominal muscles;
• performing the exercise on an incline bench increases the load.

Pulling your legs to your stomach on a fitball

Correct technique:

• the lower leg lies on the ball, the body is parallel to the floor (the butt does not sag or protrude) - as during push-ups;
• place your straight arms on the floor;
• as you exhale, pull your knees to your chest, trying not to round your back, the ball is under your ankles;
• hold for a second, tensing your abs;
• as you exhale, return to the starting position.

Leg Raise

An effective exercise for the lower abs for girls. By doing it, you work the area on which the internal organs rest. Often, weakness of the lower muscles causes a bulge to appear under the navel, which, to put it mildly, does not look aesthetically pleasing.

Position yourself so that your arms are supported, begin to lift your legs up.

A lighter version of the exercise is that the knees are bent and brought towards the head. In this case, the movement becomes similar to twisting the body, but in the opposite direction.

When performing this exercise, you must not overload the upper part of the spine and ensure that the movement is performed by contracting the abdominal muscles.

You can add variety to the exercise if you do a static hold after the last approach. This will allow the muscles to fill with blood and work better.

You need to lower to the starting position as slowly as possible.

Horizontal and vertical scissors

Abdominal exercise for girls, which makes not only the stomach, but also the legs slimmer. It also requires the work of the glutes, which strengthens the lower torso.

Lying on the floor, raise your legs to a 30-degree angle from the floor. Start making alternating up and down movements.

After 10 repetitions, move the movement path to the horizontal plane.

How to pump up abs for men?

All the exercises described above for girls are also suitable for men. You can use more weights from the initial level, and replace the fitball with appropriate exercise equipment.

Upper press: twisting on a block in a vertical position

This exercise is similar to the prayer exercise, but it is performed vertically on your feet instead of on your knees. For men, you can set the weight starting from 15 kg.

1. Stand with your back to the machine and grab the upper block with your hands;
2. Pull the handle in front of you from above, lowering it to your waist and bending your back;
3. Slowly return to the starting position and repeat.

Lower abs: leg raises with weights

The exercise can be performed either using a machine or on a bench if you have leg weights. Weight can be used from 10 kg.

1. Having taken a horizontal position, you need to hold your hands behind your head and not help yourself with them when performing the exercise;
2. Raise your legs with your knees slightly bent to 45 degrees;
3. Keep your legs up and return to the starting position.

Obliques: Dumbbell Bends

1. Take the weight in one of your hands;
2. Bend to the side with the opposite side so that you can feel the oblique abdominal muscles;
3. After a second of tension, return to the start;
4. Switch hands and repeat the exercise.

Oblique abdominal muscles: bending on a block

1. With one hand, grab the handle on the block machine;
2. Bend as far as possible in the same direction;
3. After a delay, go back;
4. Switch hands and repeat the exercise.

General Ab Exercise: Floor Crunch

1. Lie on the mat, bend your knees and place your hands behind your head;
2. With one hand, touch the opposite knee, lifting only the top of your back;
3. Return to the starting position;
4. Repeat for the other side.

"Core": plank

1. Take a position similar to a push-up, but at the same time rest on your elbows and keep your back as straight as possible;
2. Hold this position for 30 seconds;
3. Relax your muscles and repeat the exercise.

Each time you need to increase the load and bring the holding in the plan to a minute.

"Core": side plank

1. Lie on your side, bend your arm at the elbow and lean on it;
2. Make sure your back and legs are in a straight line;
3. Hold this position for 30 seconds;
4. Relax your muscles and repeat the exercise.

"Kor": woodcutter

The body position in relation to the simulator should be lateral:

1. Hold the handle of the machine with your straight hand, while putting your leg behind;
2. Grab the same handle with your other hand and forcefully pull the handle to the side and down towards the opposite leg, trying to turn your body as much as possible;
3. Return to the starting position slowly;
4. Repeat the exercise on the other side.

Bench crunch

Because you can lower your torso, you have to fight gravity, which is a great way to strengthen your abs.

On the Internet you can find many videos of abdominal exercises for girls, but it is better to give your preference to the classics, since it works the stomach evenly.

Lateral bends

The fastest way to tighten your sides is with lateral bends. They are quite simple to perform: taking a 5 kg dumbbell in one hand, bend to the side, trying to strain the lateral muscles of the body.

However, you should not do this too often. Side press adds beauty to the female figure.

Atrophied side muscles spoil the entire aesthetics. In the photo of abdominal exercises for girls you can see that only those who are seriously involved in sports can achieve such relief.

How to start the journey to a flat tummy

The first thing you need to do in order to choose the right and necessary abdominal exercises for girls is to adequately assess your own figure. Stand in front of the mirror and look at yourself as if from the outside. Imagine what kind of reflection you would like to see in the mirror. What should your tummy look like? Flat, toned, embossed. When looking at yourself in the mirror, notice all the strengths and weaknesses of your body. Try to be objective. Based on your conclusions, determine for yourself how often you should go to the gym and how intensely you should exercise. Don't forget that more is not better! If you have not played sports before, you need to get involved in this process gradually. You cannot immediately take on an unbearable load; it will not only not provide the desired result, but can also cause harm. You need to increase the load slowly and smoothly. This rule is especially important for the fair sex. The optimal initial load is two workouts per week for 10-25 minutes. The fact that the average optimal duration of physical activity for a person is 20 minutes has been scientifically confirmed. Therefore, it is worth sticking to this recommendation, especially if your level of physical fitness leaves much to be desired. As you get used to the load, you can increase it by adding one lesson per week and increasing the duration of training to an hour.

Beginners, when performing abdominal exercises for girls, should pay attention to the following tips:

• Check the machine before you start using it;
• Feel free to ask all your questions to the gym instructors;
• Control your breathing;
• Don't forget to drink during your workout;
• Focus on the activity, feel your muscles, do not be distracted by extraneous matters;
• The first training is best done with an individual mentor;
• Remember that the result will not appear immediately. But hard work will certainly bear fruit.

Power training

These are exercises to pump up a girl's abs. Some people like six-packs on their stomach, so you need to figure out how to get them.

First, you need to start performing movements that you can repeat without losing technique no more than 20 times. To do this, you can use weights or heavier variations of the execution.

The most popular are classic crunches using a barbell or dumbbell. You can use anything as a projectile, even a water bottle, but it is not convenient to use.

There is also a special machine in the gym that, by applying pressure to the upper and lower parts of the body, allows you to perform movements with increased load.

Recommendations

Before you start practicing, it is advisable to familiarize yourself with the advice of professionals. This will speed up your training progress.

First, you need to immediately decide on your goal and create a training program. Exercises without a clear plan will not bring quick results. You should always have a diagram, in your head, on your phone or in a notebook, that you can look at and find out what to do next.

You need to eat at least an hour and a half before your abdominal workout. During exercise, the abdominal muscles and internal organs already experience increased pressure from the muscles; if they are still digesting food at this time, they will feel most pleasant.

Workouts aimed at building a thin and beautiful figure will not bring results without a properly designed diet.

Each of us has abs, but they can be hidden behind a layer of fat, which until you remove it will not produce much results. This can be achieved by eliminating excess calories from your diet and doing aerobic exercise.

Make sure that your back, legs and buttocks do not steal the load.

Sometimes, especially when working on a bench, in order to overcome increased resistance, an athlete begins to work in anything but the desired area. The lats, arms, legs, and shoulders are used.

Almost all movements should be performed while exhaling. By filling your lungs with air, you create pressure on the diaphragm, which prevents the internal organs from being easily deformed, which causes them to be compressed and may begin to hurt.

Main conclusions

The abdominal muscles readily lend themselves to being pumped up with regular exercise in the gym. Women should not be afraid of “male” muscles - intense exercise will only make the abs toned and the stomach flatter. When creating a training program, you can choose different exercise options:

• on simulators;
• with additional shells;
• without inventory.

The number of sets and reps varies depending on your goals, for example, when working on relief, this number increases, and in programs for strength it decreases.