What's the best excercise to target your stomach

MommyToAshley wrote: I would be perfectly happy if all the weight I lose is in my stomach, well and my boobs too.

What are the best excercises to target this area? And, how do you do them?

coasterqueen replied: My only suggestion is...TAEBO! It totally helped me out between pg 1 and pg 2. Taebo helps out ALL areas, IMO.

TLCDad replied: Do you need alot of room for those excerises? I think it sounds like something nice for our whole family to do together. Just wondering if our "tv room" is large enough.

ammommy replied: Pilates is excellent for working the ab area. It strengthens the core (neck to pubic bone) and you use these muscles even when targeting other areas. Try Gian or Windsor Pilates for a good DVD.

Here's a good site for ab workouts http://www.thetrainingstationinc.com/ab-exercises.html

The important thing to remember when doing crunches is to keep your elbows and shoulders back so that you force your abs to do the work. Until you get used to it, make a conscious effort to push them back as you come up, but not so much that your back arches. Make sense?
I love ab workouts, so let me know if you have more questions.

Boys r us replied: Taebo..WILL DEFINITELY help and you don't need a lot of space to do it...just enough room for the two of you to stand in and be an arms(and legs) length apart!


Also, if you lay on the bed or sit in a chair and raise your legs up and hold them out even with the bed..and do several reps of this...it will REALLY work on your lower stomach..which is my problem area.

mysweetpeasWil&Wes replied: I do Taebo and do not have the best abs, but I agree that it does help. Yoga and Pilates are great too because it really focuses on your core inner strength. Gosh, can you give me some of your boobs?? I didn't even have big ones when I was PG!!! LOL!

MommyToAshley replied:
LOL! I liked mine pre-PG, and I am hoping that if I take off a few pounds then they will go back to the size they were. I hope.

ammommy replied:
I'll share! Mine keep growing and growing and I want about half of them gone

gr33n3y3z replied: I'm going to start doing sit ups 50 a day and work up to 100+
I hear they do the stomach good.

DVFlyer replied: An item of note, you can not "target reduce". Meaning doing situps will not specifically reduce the fat in the area around your stomach. It will only strengthen tone the stomach muscles. In a round-about way, this will lead to fat loss since you'd be building muscle, but don't look for a "stomach exercise" to reduce the stomach fat, only cardio and a really good diet will do that.

To lose fat, you'd be better off buying a stair climber, treadmill, Precour etc machine and work up a sweat for at least 30 minutes. Add a weight training program to that and you'll have an all around good workout.

Good luck. Remember, it took time to gain the weight/ fat, it will take time to burn it off.

MommyToAshley replied:
Well, it took 9 months to gain it but it's stuck around for about 2-1/2 years now.

DH and I were riding bikes and then the weather turned cold again but we plan to start that up as soon as it turns nice again. I think that combined with some excercised to tone that area may help... at least I hope.

mysweetpeasWil&Wes replied: DVFlyer is right. Only cardio really helps to burn fat off the stomach. Situps will tone the area, but it won't take the extra PG lbs off. I'm not one to believe in any fad diets, but I do believe staying off sugar, bad trans fats, and starchy foods like potatoes, pasta, and bread will help too. Eating is all about balance, so I don't agree with "no carbs"...you have to eat carbs especially if you're excercising. Nothing is good in excess. I eat a lot of healthy fiber rich foods which also helps.

I'm taking donations for boobs...I had nothing before I was PG, during, and now after is even worse!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I would say the best I have ever looked was when I was BF, and still, I was only a full B. YAY!

mysweetpeasWil&Wes replied: Okay, I just discovered a new one...THE PLANK!! You get on all fours as if you're doing a pushup, but have your elbows and hands flat on the floor for support. You extend your legs behind you and hold your body up like a table top - all in a straight line, and hold for 30 seconds or more. It totally works your stomach!! We did 45 seconds twice in my class last night! It feels great! Just make sure not to arch your back...it must be flat.

ammommy replied:
Once you nail that one, try this variation. Get in the plank position. Bring in your right knee and left elbow until they touch (or as close as you can get). Switch sides and shoot for 10 on each side. It's awesome!
Those are key Pilates moves.

Jamielou replied: I used to do taebo too and it definatley works on toning i weighed the same but i could fit into 2 sizes smaller. Walking is always what i resort to. We have a trampoline too and every time i get on it i am sore all over for a week.

Jamie

mysweetpeasWil&Wes replied: We used the Bosu balls (I have no idea if that's spelled correctly) last night in my kickboxing class and that really tones your tummy too. It's hard to keep your balance, so you have to keep your abs in to stay on. I have tried the plank before where you lift one leg. I also have done it where you actually fall from one side to the next...not fall to the ground, but hover from side to side. SOOO hard! You would think I would have a six pack by now...but I think it's impossible! I think it's totally genetic. A girlfriend of mine doesn't even lift weights and she totally has the most ripped arms.

uwishucudfly replied:
I agree....to reduce the fat in your stomach, you should start out doing a lot of cardio! Run, jump rope, walk, climb the stairs of your house a bunch of times....this will help you raise your heart rate, and whenever your heart rate is up, you will begin to loose weight. Also, try to do at least 30 minutes of cardio a day. After 20 minutes of cardio is when your body starts releasing fat cells into the blood stream and turns them into energy.

Once you start doing your cardio, I suggest investing in a resistance ball. They are those huge bouncy balls that you can sit on, bounce, and arch your back over. A really great workout for your abs is to sit on the resistance ball. Not fully sit on the ball, because you're going to be doing crunches on the ball. Sit so that your entire butt isn't on the ball. Kind of on the "edge" (if that makes any sense at all!). Then lean back so that you have enough room to do a really great crunch. Your feet should be flat on the floor, and knees bent at a 90 degree angle. Once you've leaned back, just crunch up. Doing crunches on the resistance ball is great for your tummy!

Another excersise that is really good for your lower tummy using the resistance ball is this. Lie down on the floor. Put the ball in between your feet. You are going to need to pick up the ball with your legs, so place your feet/ankles in the middle of the ball so that it is easy to pick up. Put your arms over your head with your palms together (as if you were praying) and then bring your legs straight up and your torso up at the same time....and touch the ball with your hands. Great for the lower tummy!

kidsarecrazy replied: Also I read a study that eating yogurt 3 times a day helps burn stomach fat ...granted the study was funded by a yogurt company, but interesting to note...Maybe it will help?

mysweetpeasWil&Wes replied:
I actually find this true! I eat maybe a yogurt twice a week, maybe more. 3x a day would be tough! I workout, so I'm not saying yorgurt alone will help burn fat. But I do think it helps keep you trim. Have you heard of the French Women's Diet?? French women eat lots of yogurt...have you ever seen a fat french lady? No joke. I saw this on TV about six months ago.

luvbug00 replied: I do winsor palates. (spelling again) and I heard the yogert thing too. Obviously it's not working because shamo is stilll typing.

redchief replied:
Nope, but you do need the kids to be in another room... The little punks will laugh at you. LOL

I recommend frequent whoopee. It's not great for the abs, but it'll make you feel better about yourself.