I try to simplify life as much as possible, and that includes my workouts. Personally I prefer to workout at home, I find it to be more efficient and I can perform better. The time I spend travelling, looking for parking and then waiting for a machine to become free during peak times I just find annoying!
If you're like me and not a member of a gym it can be hard to find the motivation to exercise - particularly abs exercises.
I spent years doing 200 stomach crunches during every workout, with only small results. I've learned that persistence only gets you so far when the approach is wrong.
Year's of trial and error has been challenging, but on the positive side, I have learned a thing or two about exercising. I've finally developed a really simple abs routine that doesn't take up much time and is relatively easy on the body - but I assure you, very effective.
Today I want to share with you what I believe to be the very best abs routine for women. The reason I say 'for women' is because many of the traditional sit-ups and side-crunches that men do target the upper and side abdominals, and the result is often a 'squared' look around stomach area. I personally believe what is sexy in a woman is an 'hourglass' shape, not a squared shape.
The workout I have developed is straight forward, easy on the body and will give you a toned stomach, rather than masculine looking abs.
Below are the three most common questions I get asked by my girlfriends about stomach exercises:
1. How long do I spend doing abs exercises per week?
Let me first start by confessing to you that:
- I used to do a lot of abs exercises.
- I didn't know what I was doing.
- I didn't get results.
And now:
- I do a total of eight minutes of abs exercises per week.
- I know what I'm doing.
- I get results.
It takes me a total of four minutes to do my abs workout and I do it twice per week. Eight minutes of abs each week may not sound like much, but with a clean diet and an effective cardio routine it's all you need as a woman.
2. Where do I do my abs workout (as I don't go to the gym)?
When it comes to working out, I've discovered that home is where the heart is. There are different gyms with an array of cultures. Some gyms cater to the young, others to the old. Some have regular people, while others are filled with the chemically enhanced. Personally, I'm better off alone.
3. What are the best abs exercises for women?
I performed conventional abs exercises at the gym for more than a decade with little to no results, yet somehow convinced myself it was only a matter of time. Finally I realised that doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results, but never achieving them, is insanity!
My staple abs exercises:
The two exercises below are what I consider to be the two most effective abs exercises for women.
Exercise one: The overhead crunch
I got this from Tim Ferriss' book The 4 Hour Body, it's the best book I know of about exercising efficiently. It completely changed the way I exercise and cut down the amount of time I train per week by about 70%.
Use a pile of firm cushions (you can use a BOSU Ball, but as most people don't have a BOSU ball just lying around at home, and a pile of firm cushions works just fine).
Then follow these steps:
- Lay down with the cushions at your middle back, start with your arms stretched overhead as high as possible keeping your biceps glued to your ears (as if you are an Olympic diver).
- Lower under control for 4 seconds until your fingers touch the floor - or almost touch the floor.
- Pause at the bottom for 2 seconds.
- Rise under control and pause in the upper position for 2 seconds.
- Repeat for a total of 10 repetitions.
- Rest for 1 minute then do another 10 repetitions.
(Note: If you can easily do 10 repetitions, you can add a small weight to your hands (such as a light dumbbell, book, or water bottle... I've even done it holding a bottle of wine).
Exercise 2: The plank
The plank is one of the best exercises for achieving a flat, toned stomach because it works all the muscles in your core, including the rectus abdominus (the 'six-pack muscles' you can see), transverse abdominus, internal and external obliques, hips, and back. Even an entire hour of crunches won't match the body benefits of a 10-minute plank workout. Planks also burn more calories than sit-ups or crunches because they recruit muscles in the legs, arms, and your butt too. It's truly the ultimate total-body toner!
Follow these steps
- Front plank: Start to get into a push up position, but bend your elbows and rest your weight on your forearms instead of your hands. Hold for 30 seconds.
- Side plank: Lie on one side with your knees straight. Prop your body up on one elbow and forearm, feet stacked. Raise your hips until your body forms a straight line from your ankles to your shoulders. Hold for 30 seconds, then change and do your other side for another 30 seconds.
All up, it takes just 90 seconds. One 30 second set per angle (front and both sides) is all that's needed! I perform these exercises just twice per week.
It's all in what you eat
The key to achieving results around the stomach area has to do with what you eat. 80% of the work can be achieved simply with diet. Having a clean diet isn't hard. My advice is to not chop and change diets that you get from bookstores - you won't get very far. Instead, find a balance that works for you, and keep it simple.
My staple diet is low carbs, no sugar and nothing fried on weekdays. That's it! I eat meat, fish, fruit, vegetables and unsalted nuts. I drink 3 litres of water per day, green tea and when I have a coffee I use stevia instead of sugar. Come the weekend, I'm usually out socialising so I'll have some pasta, bread or a dessert.
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