How to get firmer abs?

Question

Everyone says that spot-reduction of fat doesn't work, so don't do situps until you lose the layer of fat around your belly. Well I have lost a lot of weight doing only jogging and I am now at a BMI of about 19.8, down from a BMI of 25... I still have fat around my stomach but I am finding it REALLY hard to lose any more weight! I use ellipticals and treadmills anywhere from 4 to 6 days, usually 70 minutes per day.

Is it time for me to start doing sit ups????? Is there anything I can do to lose more weight and get a firmer stomach?

Answer 1

You need to start doing crunches for your abs, but you should also do total body toning/strength training. You can find books on this at the library or any bookstore as well as on-line. I suggest hiring a personal trainer to show you proper form and technique so as not to injure yourself. This goes for the sit-ups/crunches because you could really mess up your back and/or neck if you don't do them properly.

Answer 2

What 'everyone says' is often rubbish. The idea that you can't 'spot reduce' fat IS A MYTH.

FAT is used whenever you move. If you add power to a movement, you burn extra sugar, NOT more fat.

Any bodypart that's always moving, will burn a lot of fat. The fat that's burned will be replaced from LOCAL storage, because the muscles produce heat and chemical signals, which stimulate fat cells nearby.

So keeping your waist moving will release fat from storage around your waist.

The SHAPE of your waist is mainly affected by the strength (tightness) of the muscles that compress your internal organs, and support your back and breathing. These muscles are used to twist your waist, and can only be effectively worked in an upright position.

You need to do things that involve a lot of waist movement (gentle, quick, varied, and lasting a long time). Try dance (salsa, bellydance, capoeira), or walking like Mae West, or a Pilates class, where you will learn to activate your 'core' muscles (abs, back & breathing) individually and in combination.

You can get a rotating platform fairly cheaply in Argos or some supermarkets, which you stand on and 'do the twist'. Some gyms have a big version with a handle to hold on to.

Situps and crunches won't help (even the twisty sort). They mainly activate the surface layer of ab muscle at the front ('Rectus Ab'), which isn't capable of 'pinching in' your waist. Because they are vigorous, they build up this muscle into lumps (a 'sixpack'), but you can't keep them up all day, so they don't burn much fat.

Answer 3

Once you get away from the myth that a 1000 crunches and 500 situps a day is all you need to do for great abs, then amazing results can be seen.

Different people take different times but you can guarantee you re not wasting any energy when you follow this guide.

Some secrets and tips can be found on this website and it also includes an amazing step by step guide. Lots of diet tips as well and find out why most of the gadgets like vibrating belts have no effect at all.

It helped me..have a look at

http://www.projext.co.uk

Hope it helps

Answer 4

remember to do cardio too, to lose the layer of fat on your stomach. jump-rope, run, play DDR, lol, anything. then to make your abs firmer, you can do anything. since your already on the skinny side, when your sitting anywhere clench your abs ALL THE TIME. i no i do, and i have a pretty good pack,and i never work out. but if you want more than that, do crunches, sit-ups, jack-knife sit ups, v-ups, and all that. do it every other day. start off with a low number, then work your way up. and maybe your just over working. maybe your trying to hard to lose weight that your body needs. just try working on the abs, with crunches, see where that takes you.

Answer 5

holy crap, u work out a lot, im sorry u arent seeing the results u want.
they say diet= 70% exercise= 30%, i would keep a diet journal to see where ure going wrong, and yes, do situps- they say its not the ONLY thing thatll give u nice abs, cardio first then firming/toning after (in terms of importance).
I empathize with you- my belly is HARD TO LOSE, but I exercise way less than you, so kudos to you for that.
Dont give up and good luck :)
PS: good diet plan:
3 meals/2snacks per day
high fiber
high protein
low carb unless its good complex carb
natural foods our ancestors ate

Answer 6

You can always improve your muscles, the problem is that if you have fat on your abdomen then you can't see the muscles.

You can do crunches, sit ups, and lots of exercises to help your stomach muscles.

But to lose more weight you just have to continue doing what you have been doing.

Answer 7

Yes do this dance workout because for dance it's all in the abs, do it to vigourous music (pump it, dum diddly, MUSIC WITH A STRONG FAST BEAT)

:

The hundred (lie on back but keep shoulder blades off ground, legs in the air until abs are working, bob arms up and down 100 times)
Leg abbies (lie on back but keep shoulder blades off ground,and switch legs holding on to them, then try without arms)
Criss Cross (again shoulder blades off ground, switch legs and arms (right elbow connect to left leg, left elbo3w connect to right leg) do for 2 minutes twice)
Crunches ( start off shoulder blades and crunch up and forward) do 100 crunches
Push ups 10 with left foot only 10 with right foot only 10 with both feet on ground


do that 2 times a day until abs start to form, keep up with running, and when abs form run less and double the workout it'll give you abs that are so beautiful you'll cry!

Answer 8

from what i've been told and from my own experience, abs usually see improvement more from diet and exercise than exercise alone. i've been through what you're describing only i worked the heck out of my abs and saw no results.... because over my abs was a stubborn layer of fat!! once i started increasing my "health foods" intake (ugh, fruits and veggies, lol) i started to get to see the outline of the abs i had been working my butt off for!!

Answer 9

The core is the doughnut around the midsection (hips, butt, low back and abs) there are literally thousands of ways to improve the contour of this area. I recently published an article all about the Core, you can read all the exercises and techniques for free at:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/123122/kickbuttmama.html/

Answer 10

As has already been reported right here, you could no longer spot decrease. work out the area of the physique you % to eliminate the fat from isn't the respond, it only would not artwork like that. To shed some pounds demands a blend of work out and nutritional ameliorations; to maintain the decrease weight, those ameliorations would desire to grow to be way of existence ameliorations. Any solid exercising software incorporates stretches, to heat up and calm down the muscle groups getting used, cardio (some form of interest that will strengthen your coronary heart fee; it extremely is the only thank you to truly "burn" fat) and power coaching - making use of weight machines and/or loose weights. those blend classes oftentimes additionally comprise workouts extremely for belly muscle groups, yet in addition your thighs, buttocks (glutes), and so on. lots of those would nicely be completed at residing house. work out at residing house would contain some investment in equipment in case you're no longer the form who needs the social interplay of a wellbeing center. that would desire to comprise a treadmill, a table sure motorcycle and/or a weight gadget, only by using way of occasion. walking outdoors if the components is solid, or bicycling outdoors as nicely, the different interest outdoors that gets you shifting is solid and gets you clean air as nicely. Even a skipping rope would desire to be useful, as nicely as loose weights in a sort of sizes. in case you're no longer used to lifting weights, initiate with low weights and progressively artwork your way up as your power develops. the different significant characteristic to be conscious is which you will would desire to alter your exercising software by using the years. progressively your physique will alter and you will no longer see a similar degree of outcomes. meaning you have hit a plateau and would desire to extra beneficial venture your self in case you have extra beneficial to pass. As for the healthful foodstuff plan, nicely - lots of a end result and greens, grains and fibre, decrease out fatty, sugary candies, and so on., and maximum severely, watch your caloric intake and factor length. in case you consume out, my rule of thumb is: consume a million/2 of what's on the plate they convey you from the kitchen, have the different a million/2 packaged as much as take residing house for the following day's lunch! solid luck!