Six Pack Abs Workout for Women

Swimsuit season is fast approaching, which means more and more of us are working on shedding the winter layer and bringin’ on the toned tummy six pack!

Having a strong core brings balance to your body overall and prevents injuries. Not only that but it also prevents back pain and helps you to maintain good posture.

In other words, there’s more to abs than just looking fabulous!... but it’s definitely an added bonus. ;)

Below is a fab ab routine I’ve used to get my tummy ready for bikini competitions and summer vacations alike-

I started with 4 sets of 20 reps of each of these and increased by 5 reps each week. Your abdominals are very quick to recover from muscle trauma and can be worked during every workout if you choose to. In general, if you are a female looking to “tone” the tummy and achieve the look of a small waist, it is best to limit the amount of oblique training you do and focus on body weight and light weight ab exercises.

Here’s the workout:

1. Knee Ups demonstrated by Flexmodo

Be careful not to use your body’s momentum to propel your legs upward. If you perform these hanging, you will often see people swing a bit. Your upper body should be completely stationary to most effectively engage your core.

2. Cable Crunches demonstrated by Colossus Fitness 

The movement here should happen at the hips only. When I first tried this exercise, I found myself slightly pulling the rope attachment down with my arms. It’s better to start light and ensure you are using proper form to activate the correct muscles here. Focus on the mind muscle connection and hinge at your hips to pull the rope towards the floor.

3. Wood Chop demonstrated by Rachel Cosgrove for LiveStrong Women 

This will work your obliques. I found this very effective in developing that “V” shape- just don’t overdo it with the weight or the frequency of this exercise if you’re looking for a tiny waist. Heavily defined obliques can cause your abs to have more of a “blocky” look.

4. Wipers by Howcast 

I perform this one slowly to truly feel the burn and ensure proper form. Don’t swing your legs or propel them quickly from one side to the other. The point here is to increase time under tension by lowering them as gradually as possible. Make sure your back stays put on the mat or floor.

5. Dead bugs demonstrated by Kristy Lee Wilson

This one will feel a little awkward the first time you try it… Once you get the movement down you’re golden. Watch the video a couple times. As shown in the video you can totally make this more challenging if you wish! Hold a medicine ball in your hands to amp up the difficulty.

Performing ab exercises will absolutely help you to achieve definition but it is absolutely true that abs are primarily made in the kitchen. The truth is, you can do as many crunches as you please, but you won't see a flat, defined tummy until you've reached a lower level of body fat.

This comes with a caloric deficit (burning more calories than you consume) and cardio. I suggest that if you're chasing the perfect six pack, you focus on a combo of ab training, cardio, and a calorie deficit to see results quickly and effectively. 

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