First off, I'm not a woman. But I do know a lot about female six pack abs exercise. I've read a lot about six pack abs, I've had them myself, and I've talked with several really cut ladies that I know.
Weight training is one of the best methods of strength training! If you want to start weight training safely and effectively, with the best info, diet, and routines, check out the 5 Day Beginner Weight Training Course!
And I want to give you the best of that info so that your journey to six pack abs is the smoothest possible. It'll still take work, but with good info like the directions in my How to Get Abs e-book, it is definitely doable.
The major difference for men and women working-out is that women lack the high level of testosterone men have. It's simply harder for ladies to build that muscle definition - and almost impossible to get the same big muscles as guys.
But you can still get plenty cut abs. But you won't look like a bodybuilder unless, well, you are one.
In Truth About Six Pack Abs by Michael D. Geary, he talks about male & female body makeup differences as well. Women need to get their body-fat down to below 16-19% to show their abs. Also, ladies tend to carry their fat on their hips, thighs, and lower abs, while men's fat goes to their sides (love handles).
There aren't a lot of six packs out there because it's hard work to get chiseled abs, for men or women. It can be fun, but it's a lot of exercise and eating right.
Ladies should use the same workouts, lifts, and exercises men do to get six pack abs. Don't try 'spot removal', 'targeted fat burning', or any other tricks. It really comes down to diet, good exercise, cardio, and honest perseverance that compliment each other.
You need a good weight lifting program for your whole body, in addition to your ab exercises. The weight training will:
Cardio, like running, swimming, and playing intense ping-pong, burns calories. And burning more calories than you're taking in is the math of dropping fat.
Include some kind of cardio or aerobics in your weekly routine. 20-30 Minutes 2-3 days a week, or some HIIT training, will really help you burn off any fat you have.
It's simple, but eat slightly less calories than you're burning. The difference between what you eat and the slightly higher amount that you're burning will be the amount of fat calories you'll lose.
Eat many (5-6) small, healthy, meals a day. This increases your metabolism, so you burn more calories even while sitting. And non-processed foods take more energy for your body to break down and use as fuel.
Eat healthy, lift weights 3 days a week with your ab routine, and run 1 to 2 days a week in the beginning. Keep it simple and do-able in the beginning, and you'll start to notice results before long.
If you want a more complete and structured plan, though, check out my How to Get Abs e-book. It contains exact, step-by-step instructions for how to get ripped, with exact exercise and diet info.
That's the short version of how ladies can get six pack abs. There's lots more info on this site dealing specifically with what to eat, how much to eat, what kind of cardio is best, how to track your progress, and workout routines for your abs and the rest of your body.
Oh, and be sure to sign up for the e-zine Starting Strong to get monthly strength training, exercise, and diet tips e-mailed to you - and access to the free e-book Train Smart, Eat Smart: Exercise Nutrition Hacks!
OR
References:
Brungardt, Kurt. 1993. The Complete Book of Abs. New York: Villard Books.
Geary, Michael D. 2006. The Truth About Six Pack Abs. S.l: s.n.
Rippetoe, Mark. 2007. Strong Enough?: Thoughts From Thirty Years of Barbell Training. Wichita Falls, TX: Aasgaard Co.
Venuto, Tom. 2003. Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle. Fitness Renaissance, LLC.
Search CST...
Tweet Follow @Aaron_CST |
"About 2 weeks ago I read all the ab strengthening stuff on your site because I decided I wanted to be strong, instead of having a lot of belly fat. So I started eating healthier, running, exercising, you name it - everything your site said to do to help. Now I am noticing a real difference! Thank you for making this. :D xD" ~ Julia |
[This calorie calculator is] the most useful tool on the web that I can find… Also, I compared the calories calculated by your calculator to the calories calculated by the treadmill at my gym, and they're within a couple calories of each other, so yours is as accurate as we're going to get. REALLY AWESOME TOOL. I love it and depend on it. Thank you sooooo much for making this available." ~ Galit Sharon Marcus |
Thank you very much, I was too lean before 2 years (55 Kgs), after the gym now I'm 72kgs, all the muscles have developed... when someone hand shakes with me it can be squeezed easily, they're making fun of me! ~ Tamil Arasan |
New! Comments
Have your say about what you just read! Leave me a comment in the box below.