[Video] 6-Minute Abs QuickFit Core Workout

Of course if you really want to show off those abs, you will also need to burn calories, especially if you are overweight. But you also need to build strong, defined core muscles, and that is what this quick ab workout will do for you.

These simple exercises are very effective, and don't require any equipment, so you can do them anywhere. All you need is a mat or blanket to lie on.

Do this 2-3 times per week along with or between your regular workouts for best results. Work slowly, and concentrate on feeling the contraction in your abs. This short series will strengthen and tone all of your different abdominal muscles, for a strong, toned tummy just in time for spring!

8 Tummy Toning Exercises You Can Do At Home

The tummy is a problem area for most people when it comes to getting toned and ready for bikini season. As the weather heats up, you want to be looking hot poolside and on the beach, and a toned torso is just the ticket. Here are some great tummy toning exercises you can do in your own home to get ready for summer.

1. Crunches

(Image courtesy of imagerymajestic at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.)

Lying flat on the ground, with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, put your hands behind your head. Using your abdominal muscles and keeping your neck straight, raise your shoulders off the ground. Repeat this motion 30 times, rest, and then repeat twice.

2. Knee Touches

Lie flat on the ground with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, and put your hands behind your ears. Keeping your posture straight, and without bending your arms, use your abdominal muscles to touch your left elbow to your right knee. Repeat this action, alternating sides, 30 times. Rest, then repeat twice.

3. Bicycle

This exercise is much like knee touches, but slightly more advanced. This time, lift your feet and legs off the ground as if you were sitting. When you bring your elbow up to meet the opposite knee, straighten out the leg on the side of the elbow you are using. Do this all in a continuous motion, without stopping, and your legs will move as if riding a bicycle. Repeat the action 30 times, rest, and then repeat twice.

4. Straight Scissor Kicks

Lie completely flat on the floor with your hands under the small of your back. Using your abdominal muscles, raise your legs off the ground at a 45 degree angle. Criss-cross your legs back and forth for 30 to 45 seconds at a time, rest, and then repeat five times.

5. Bent Scissor Kicks

This variation of the scissor kick will have you start by lying on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Then, lift your feet and legs off the ground in a sitting position. Keeping your knees bent and thighs steady, criss-cross your calves back and forth for 30 to 45 seconds, rest, and then repeat five times.

6. Leg Lifts

Lie flat on the floor with your legs together and hands under the small of your back. Use your abdominal muscles to lift your legs, pressing them together and keeping them straight, off the ground about three inches. Hold this position for ten seconds, and then return to the starting position. Repeat ten times.

(Image courtesy of photostock at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.)

7. Reaches

Lie with your back flat on the floor and your legs up in the air so that your body is at a 90-degree angle. Holding your arms straight out above you, use your abdominal muscles to lift your shoulders off the ground and touch your toes, then return to the starting position. Repeat this 30 times, rest, and then repeat the entire process two more times.

8. Penguin Touches

Lie on the ground with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Position your feet a little wider than shoulder length apart. With your arms straight out beside you, lift your shoulders off the ground slightly and touch each ankle, moving side to side. Repeat this motion for 30 to 45 seconds, rest, then repeat five times.

All of these exercises can be easily done in the comfort of your own home and each targets key parts of your abdominal muscles to help you tone your tummy for a strong, firm core. As with any toning exercises, consistency is key, so make sure to do this full workout at least three times a week or up to every other day.

[Video] 10-Minute Belly Blaster Medicine Ball Ab Workout

The tummy is a "trouble area" for many people, especially after all the snacking of the holiday months! This short workout will help you keep your abs tight and your tummy trim, using just a mat and a medicine ball. It takes less than 10 minutes, so you can tone your abs between holiday shopping trips and still make it to the mall on time!

Use a medicine ball that is appropriate for your fitness level; 10 lbs is usually a good weight for beginners. Keep your abs tight throughout to maximize the benefits of the exercises and minimize risk of injury.

Please note that there is no voiceover on this video, so you will want to watch the instructions for each exercise on screen the first time through.

[Video] Cardio & Abs Belly Fat Loss Workout

This high-intensity workout is designed to focus on your core to help build strong core muscles, and tone and flatten your belly. The core exercises alternate with 30 seconds of cardio to help burn fat and increase your metabolism.

This type of workout, including both cardio and toning exercises, provides the ultimate fat-burning effect, so you can show off those newly toned abs in no time!

No equipment is required for this body-weight workout, other an an exercise mat if desired. This workout does not include a warmup or cool-down, so you will want to make sure to do these on your own.

Now grab a mat, and let's burn some belly fat!

[Video] 10-Minute Six-Pack Abs Workout

This hard-hitting workout pulls no punches - your abs will BURN! It's only 10 minutes long, but you will really feel it right away, and it will start building your core strength quickly. The workout includes 10 exercises that will work all of the muscles in your abdominals and core. It's a quick, high-intensity workout, and you will do each exercise for 30 seconds at a time, so you'll move and strengthen your entire body along the way - no boring crunches here!

Do this one a couple of times per week, along with your HIIT cardio, and you'll be well on your way to those six-pack abs you're looking for.



For more great ab exercises and a program that will really help you get a six-pack fast, check this out: 

Video: Standing Pilates for Flat Abs - 12-Minute Bodyweight Workout

This short Pilates workout focuses on strengthening and flattening your abs and core muscles, using bodyweight only. This is a standing workout, so you need no equipment at all - not even a mat. You can do this anywhere - it's a great quick workout to do while traveling! 

These standing versions of classic Pilates moves will help you build a strong core, and protect your back muscles. Go slowly, and pay attention to your form and balance throughout the workout. This one will really get your abs burning, and give you a great core workout in just 12 minutes!

Standing Pilates for Flat Abs: 12-Minute Bodyweight Only Workout
Skip the crunches and floor work and mix ...



Click Here for More Great Pilates Bodyweight Workouts...

Work Your Abs With Core Fusion – Exhale Body Sculpt

Your core muscles are some of the most important muscles in your body. They are comprised of the muscles in your back and your stomach. When you have strong core muscles everything else you do comes easier.

What Are Your Core Muscles?

Transversus abdominis muscle (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

You know that your core muscles are the muscles in your back and stomach. However, they extend far beyond the basic “traps” or trapezius muscles and abdominals. Your core muscles include:

* Pelvic floor muscles
* Transversus abdominis
* Multifidus
* Internal and external obliques
* Rectus abdominis
* Longissimus thoracis
* Diaphragm
* Latissimus dorsi
* Gluteus maximus
* Trapezius.

The Importance of Strong Core Muscles
When you have strong core muscles you instantly have better posture. Better posture not only makes you look better, you actually feel better too. Your balance and stability are strengthened which makes it easier for you to perform both basic functions and also more challenging exercises.

Strong core muscles mean you’re less susceptible to injury. You may know that the single most common type of complaint or injury is back pain. The primary reason for this is weak core muscles. Most people sit all day this weakens the core muscles because they’re not engaged. Picture yourself right now sitting on the couch or at your desk. Do you have good posture? Probably not. When you strengthen your core muscles your posture automatically improves. However more importantly you also minimize the chance you’ll injure your back or suffer from back pain.

Strong core muscles also help you burn fat and calories. Your core muscles are a very large muscle group. When you focus on strengthening them you’re building muscle in your body. Muscle burns more fat and calories than fat does - hence, the more muscle you have, the more calories you're burning - even while at rest (sounds great huh?).

Finally, strong core muscles make you look great! You know what a great stomach and back look like, right? And your backside and hips are also part of your core. If you want rock hard abs and a good backside, strengthen your core!

Exhale Spa has a long history of providing top level fitness classes. Their core fusion class has always been one of their most popular classes. They’ve recorded the class so you can experience the results in the comfort and convenience of your own home. The Core Fusion – Exhale Body Sculpt DVD provides five focused workouts. Each workout is only ten minutes long which makes strengthening your core easily accessible and convenient. Even you have ten minutes a day, right?

There’s no special equipment to buy, and the video will cost you no more than a large cappuccino. The trainers, Fred DeVito and Elisabeth Halfpapp, have more than fifty years of combined fitness training experience. If you don’t have an Exhale spa near you or you prefer the convenience and comfort of working out at home, consider the Core Fusion Exhale Body Sculpt DVD. You’ll gain strong muscles and a lean body - and have fun doing it!  And if you like this one, check out some of the other Core Fusion workouts - they are all designed to give you a great workout in a short amount of time that will fit into your schedule easily while giving you fast results.


   
   

Exercises to Shrink Your Tummy

The midsection is a problem area for many people, and those who want to shrink the size of their belly are numerous. A balanced diet is a good place to start, but there are also some great stomach exercises to help along the process. The exercises discussed below meet this description, as they are specifically designed to help tone and tighten the midsection, helping you to gain a flatter tummy. These particular exercises are targeted at beginners, so give them a try if you are just starting out. Once you have mastered these, feel free to advance to something more challenging (keep an eye on this blog for some more advanced suggestions). When doing these exercises, it is important to move slowly so as to maintain control and not allow momentum to take over. As with any new workout routine, be sure to consult a professional before beginning and always warm up properly to avoid injury.
     
Vertical Leg Crunch
Image via WikipediaThis is a variation on the traditional crunch that focuses more specifically on reducing stomach fat. To begin this stomach exercise, first lie on your back on a flat surface, such as the floor. Use a mat or towel to cushion your spine. Put your hands behind your head, with elbows out far enough that they are out of sight. Now lift your legs straight up into the air, crossing your ankles and bending your knees slightly. Contract your abdominals and lift your shoulders, head and upper back up to about a thirty degree angle. Be aware of not lifting with your hands or leading with your head.

Long Arm Crunch
For this stomach exercise, remain on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat. Lie back and extend your arms straight back on the floor as though you are reaching above your head. Contract your abs and slowly lift your arms, head and shoulders off the floor to about a thirty degree angle. Hold it, then slowly lower your shoulders back to the floor. Repeat for an entire set. Be careful not to lead with your arms, keeping them straight and alongside your head.

Reverse Crunch
You will need to stay on your back for this stomach exercise. Use a mat or towel to cushion your spine. Put your arms at your sides with palms facing up to the ceiling. Put your legs in the air so that your knees are bent at ninety degree angles and your hips make about a ninety degree angle with your torso. Keep your knees unbent and as straight as possible. Now, contract your ab muscles so that it feels like your belly button is being pulled toward your spine, while at the same time gently lifting your hips off the floor. Raise your hips to height of a few inches, keeping your legs extended straight upward. Hold this position, then slowly lower your hips back to the floor. Repeat for an entire set. This is a gentle form of the crunch, which puts less stress on your back and neck, while really working those lower abdominal muscles to help shrink your tummy.

The Strong Stomach Workout

Here are a few great exercises for a great, bathing-suit-friendly summer tummy!

Image via WikipediaWhen beginning an abdominal workout routine, for most people the goal is simple: a flatter stomach. While a smooth, flat stomach looks good, it is less of an accomplishment if the the stomach muscles have not gained any strength. In addition to slimming down around the outer abdominals, it is also important to build strength in the core abdominals. Below are some stomach exercises that work out the core to build strong muscles throughout the abdomen. (As with any workout routine, be sure to consult a professional before beginning and always warm up properly to avoid injury. And always use common sense - if something hurts - don't do it!)
     
Tone Your Torso/Opposite Arm-Leg
Begin this stomach exercise on all fours, knees and hands on the floor. Keep your stomach pulled in and extend your left arm out in front of you (football fans, imagine a referee signaling first down). Keep this arm outstretched as you extend your right leg out behind you. Switch arms and legs, and repeat for an entire set. Take particular care not to let your pelvis sway out of position.
     
Butt Burner/Bridge
You will need to lie on your back for this exercise. Use a mat or towel to cushion your spine. Bend your knees so your feet are flat on the floor, and position your arms at your sides. Squeeze your buttocks as you lift your pelvis off the floor. Keep the rest of your body in line. Raise your pelvis to about forty-five degrees, so your upper body from your head to your knees makes a straight, flat ramp. Hold this for three to five seconds before slowly lowering your pelvis back to the floor. Repeat for an entire set.
     
Image by rozic via FlickrCrunchless Crunch
This stomach exercise is fairly simple in theory but can be fairly difficult to perform. Essentially, it involves trying to pull the belly button in towards the spine. This can be tricky, as it involves using muscles which you may not be used to activating. To start, either lie or on your stomach or kneel. You might want to try both ways and see which helps you feel the exercise better. Relax your body as much as possible, then try to use only the lower abdominals to move your belly button toward your spine. Hold for ten seconds. If this feels easy, hold for a longer period. The goal is to hold the contraction until you either cannot feel it, or you feel other muscles working harder than the transverse abdominus. When you feel this, let the contraction out.
     
Scissor Kicks
This stomach exercise also requires lying on the floor. Position your hands under your butt, keeping your back pressed against the floor. Slowly raise one leg to a height of about ten inches, then slowly lower it back to the floor. As your lower one leg, raise the other. Be sure not to let your back arch up off the floor. Repeat this motion for an entire set. Maintaining control throughout is important, not allowing momentum to get the better of you. Your upper body should remain on the floor through the entire move.
     
These are just a few of great strength building stomach exercises. If you are looking to build strength in your midsection, look for any exercise that works your core, especially the transverse abdominal muscles. Many components of Pilates are good for this also, and many Yoga workouts target these areas as well.

(For some great suggestions for Yoga and Pilates workouts, visit: http://www.newholisticliving.com/exercise.html, and click on the "Videos" section.)