Ab Workouts for Women

Belly fat is tough to shed, especially when it comes to getting rid of that annoying pooch that we, as women, tend to carry under our belly buttons. There are a few tricks to flattening out your tummy, from eating right to the hitting the gym. But, to speed up the weight loss process a bit, perform this killer exercise on a regular basis:

The best exercise to lose belly fat:

While opinions differ a bit on the very perfect, very best exercise to lose belly fat, there is one exercise that, with the proper healthy dieting, should do the trick: mountain climbers. Workout plans meant to trim excess belly fat range everywhere from planks to crunches, but the mountain climber pops up over and over again in all of the favorite ab workout lists. There are a couple reasons that mountain climbers are so effective. First of all, mountain climbers work your entire core. Rather than isolating one area, they engage all of your stomach muscles, including those tough-to-work lower abs, where a little excess fat often hangs. In addition to being a total ab toner, mountain climbers will boost your heart rate and have you sweating in no time. That means that, since it doubles as a cardio workout, it’s the best exercise to lose belly fat.

How to get the most out of mountain climbers:

Following the steps to solid alignment and good form will help you get the most out of the killer ab exercise.

To perform mountain climbers correctly, start in a plank position, with you hands directly under your shoulders. Be sure to spread your fingers wide and push them into the ground for support. This will save a bit of unneeded strain on your wrists. Your feet should be roughly hip-distance apart or less. Generally speaking, the closer your feet are together, the more challenging the exercising. It’s important to note that, unlike planks, where your back should be completely flat, it’s ok to arch it slightly when doing mountain climbers.

As fast as you can, alternate bringing each knee in toward your nose, contracting your abdominal muscles to support the movement. Keep the tempo quick, as fast as possible, at the same pace as a slow run or quick jog. The most important part is to make sure that your shoulders and hips stay in line. The best way to check is to perform these facing a mirror and see if your hips pop left and right as you lift your knees. If they do, engage your abdominals even more until your body is stable.

Start out by trying to keep these up for 30 second straight, performing five reps with short breaks in between. As you continue the exercise at least every other day, try to add an additional five seconds onto each rep every week.

But it goes beyond just one exercise.

Even though mountain climbers help speed up the process, unfortunately, they’re not actually making magic. That means that you will need more than just one exercise to have the flattest tummy possible. You need to eat right, focusing on lean meats, plenty of protein and even more veggies. Plus, performing the exact same exercise day after day can get a bit dull, so why not throw in a few runs or a yoga class here and there? While it is the best exercise to lose belly fat, that doesn’t mean you have to give up variety. Try doing your reps of mountain climbers every other day and testing out some new activities on the opposite days.

Sources:

-‘The Spartacus Workout” Men’s Health

–Get Fit You!

-“Slow mountain climber exercise” GB Personal Training

-“Exercise of the week: Mountain Climbers” About

-Photo courtesy of sattva/freedigitalphotos.net