Ab Workout Latest News, Photos and Videos

summer May 08, 2012

From the Community: 5 Nontraditional Abs Moves to Get Bikini-Ready

Looking to tighten up your core before Summer?

by Fit Community

Looking to tighten up your core before Summer? FitSugar reader and certified trainer JessicaSmithTV created the following workout for just that! She shared it in our 10 Pounds DOWN! community group.

Don't just lie flat on the floor and do crunches to prep your abs for Summer! Target your abs and keep the rest of your body working too with these 5 non-traditional abs moves from fitness expert Jessica Smith that will help you get bikini body ready fast.

Want more help shaping up for summer? Check out our new 10 Pounds DOWN: Cardio Abs DVD and download your free Great Abs Guide on our website, 10 Pounds Down.

Have your own workout to share? Post it in our FitSugar Community — it might even be featured on the homepage!

Fitness Apr 21, 2012

Get Beach Ready: All Abs Workout

As bikini season draws near, let me remind you: it is time to draw your navel to your spine and work your abs.

by Susi May

As bikini season draws near, let me remind you: it is time to draw your navel to your spine and work your abs. Here are nine great exercises for toning your midsection. Remember, the ol' Pilates trick of pulling the belly button in ensures that you're working the deepest ab muscle (known as the transverse), which helps create a sleek midriff.

The exercises are divided into three sections: upper abs, obliques, and lower abs. You can approach this workout three different ways: pick one exercise from each section and perform two to three sets, pick two exercises from each section and do one to two sets, or for the ultimate boredom buster, do one set of all nine exercises.

Combining these exercises with regular cardio and clean eating, and incorporating these flat-belly foodsinto your diet will get your belly beach ready.

Here is a printable PDF of the workout to take to the gym or tape to your fridge to remind you to stop neglecting your middle.

View 9 Photos

Yoga Poses That Strengthen Your Abs and Core

Fitness Mar 10, 2012

Tummy-Toning Yoga Poses

A strong core prevents back pain, improves your balance and posture, and hey — it looks pretty good in a bikini, too.

by Jenny Sugar

A strong core prevents back pain, improves your balance and posture, and hey — it looks pretty good in a bikini, too. Try out this yoga sequence to tone your midsection just in time for Summer.

Warrior 3 Standing Hand to Big Toe D Dolphin Plank Balancing Star Crow Boat Intense East 8 Crooked Limbs Prep

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Crunch Exercise Variations That Work Your Core

Fitness Jul 28, 2011

Core Work: The Split Crunch Is Harder Than It Looks

I've been working on strengthening my core with my trainer, Tim Rich, at Crunch Gym.

by Leta Shy

I've been working on strengthening my core with my trainer, Tim Rich, at Crunch Gym. He recommended a do-anywhere exercise that is anything but easy but will definitely help strengthen your ab muscles. The move, called the split crunch, uses your leg positioning to modify a normal run-of-the-mill crunch. The result? An ab-killing exercise that you can fit in anytime.

To start, lie on your back, making sure your abs are engaged and your spine is neutral. Read these tips for proper back form when doing the Pilates, The Hundred — just like in the classic Pilates move, when doing the split crunch your belly button should be pulled in toward your spine.
Next, straighten both your legs to a 90-degree angle from your torso, feet parallel to the floor with soles facing the ceiling (see picture above). Put your hands behind your ears — not the back of your head or neck, or you may risk straining your neck as you do the move — and pull your chin in toward your chest, fixing your gaze on your belly button.

Ready to go? Read on for the rest of the split crunch move.

5 Fitness Tips For Rocking a Cropped Top

2011 Summer Jun 08, 2011

No More Pudge! 5 Tips For Rocking That Cropped Top

If you're anything like me, back in the day — before exercise seemed like an issue — you rocked cropped tops everywhere.

by Self

If you're anything like me, back in the day — before exercise seemed like an issue — you rocked cropped tops everywhere. Circa 1994, was there something else worth wearing? In recent years, though, I've generally kept a little fabric between my belly and the world. Until now. Cropped tops are a must wear again. Luckily, Pilates instructor Natalie Ridley of The Sports Club/LA (where the likes of Katie Holmes, Victoria Beckham, Britney Spears and Nicole Kidman have been known to work out) offered up these toning tips, so we can bare (at least a tasteful bit of) our bellies without fear.

SELF's style team loves this American Apparel ($26.90) top. Get their picks for classy, not trashy cropped tops.

If exposing your stomach sends shivers down your spine, don't let the above picture scare you. To rock this style, there's no need to wear skirts this low or show your entire stomach. But, should a little tummy be revealed above high-waisted pants, skirts, or
shorts, you don't want to have to feel embarrassed by pudge either. According to Ridley, these five Pilates moves will tone your mid-section:

1. Roll Up:
"This exercise is intended to strengthen abdominal muscles and inner thighs. Begin lying on your back with the arms straight up toward the ceiling, legs sealed together, and feet stretched forward. Engage your belly and use your arms to pull yourself forward. Roll up. To advance this exercise, you can roll up with a straight single leg (then change to the second leg)."

See the rest of this ab-centric workout after the break!

Jessica Biel's Fitness and Exercise Routine For Abs

Celebrity Mar 08, 2010

Get the Bod: Jessica Biel's Abs

You love Jessica Biel; we know that.

by POPSUGAR Fitness

You love Jessica Biel; we know that. I mean, for three years running she's been voted the fittest female celebrity by you, our readers. It's easy to see why. Jessica always looks toned, slim, and strong. We already know how Jessica keeps her arms in shape, and now we know how she works those abs. Trainer Ramona Braganza shared with Us Magazine the details of how she kept Jessica in shape while filming the A-Team: "Jessica is in great shape. She maintains her body and doesn't necessarily have to train every day." Check out some of the exercises Braganza did with Jessica to work those abs. Added bonus: they're easy enough to do in your own home!

Source: Getty

View 5 Photos

DVD Review Mar 21, 2008

DVD Review: Shiva Rea — Creative Core Abs

I'm always looking for ways to sculpt and strengthen my abs without having to do crunches, so I was psyched to try Shiva Rea's Creative Core Abs ($9.99).

by POPSUGAR Fitness

I'm always looking for ways to sculpt and strengthen my abs without having to do crunches, so I was psyched to try Shiva Rea's Creative Core Abs ($9.99). I've loved her Yoga DVDs in the past (especially Fluid Power — Vinyasa Flow Yoga), so I had a feeling this would be just as great. Her voice is calming, her instructions are clear, and her routines are always challenging.

The DVD includes three short workouts: Water Core (10 min), Spontaneous Core (8 min), and Fire Core (10 min); you can do all three in a row, or choose which ones you want to do. The sequencing is very fluid and dance-like, so the time goes by really quickly. It definitely doesn't feel like yoga. Shiva encourages you to explore your range of motion, and even though this video was focused on the abs, the movements strengthened and stretched my upper and lower back, hips, quads, shoulders, and neck too. Cool to know that even Shiva Rea is all about the core.

If you're looking for a DVD that works your abs in a unique way you can order it here or rent it through Netflix.

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