A Workout For Amazing Abs!

Denise Austin
by Denise Austin | 
 | 
Workouts
Today it's all about getting amazing abs! Out of shape abdominals can lead to back pain and poor posture, so let's tackle those abs and get them strong, with this brand new Amazing Abs video. Most of us could use some extra abdominal workout, and this video will help with that. (And for more targeted workouts, start your free trial of my Whole Body Plan!!)

I am proud to say that my tummy is flat and firm - and the secret to this is consistency. I work my abs and back at least three times per week, or for a few minutes each day. This is especially important after the age of forty, when ab muscles may not be a priority. But they should be, no matter what your age! And the good news is that ab muscles respond quickly to toning.

 

 

 

My Amazing Abs Video

It can help you to tone up those ab muscles - especially these areas:

  • The rectus abdominus. This is the front part of your abs. If you you tend to have a "pooch" in front, you'll want to focus on working on this section of your body.
  • The transverse abdominus. This is the deepest of the abdominal muscles, and acts sort like a girdle. It is important to engage this muscle, as it helps with spine stability.
  • The inner and outer obliques. These are the sides of your waistline - think of them as your "love handle" area, and work on these to get your waist slimmer and trimmer!

While you are working on getting your tummy flat and your waist defined, keep these four tips in mind for amazing abs.

Four Tips For Amazing Abs:

  1. During floor exercises, keep your lower back pressed firmly to the floor throughout the movement.
  2. To prevent unnecessary strain to your neck and upper back, don't pull on the back of your head to lift yourself - use your abs instead.
  3. Exhale as you contract or "crunch," and inhale as you release; it may seem awkward, but it's key to a flat, firm tummy!
  4. Slower is better to make sure you're using your muscles, not momentum.

If you want more amazing abs exercises, start your 7-day free trial of my Whole Body Plan! I have a 10-Week Whole Body Challenge, a Natural Body Boot Camp Challenge, Summer Slimmer Challenge and more - including a variety of ab exercises and other target toning exercises too, for your arms, legs and booty. Check it out today!

Let's get fitter, together - inside and out,

Denise

Video Transcript

Hi! I’m Denise Austin. Today we are going to challenge our abs, all in a beautiful Pilates routine, Let’s begin with a cleansing breath. Bring in the oxygen, and exhale out any stress. One more deep breath inhale, bring it in, inhale, and let it all out, beautiful. And let’s circle for the arms, waking up our waistline, our spine, that’s it. Our spine is our lifeline, so keep it healthy, keep it strong. That’s it – keeping your abs nice and firm will strengthen your spine. Two more and take it back, last one, and stretch it out through the back. Stretch it out and lift back up. Stretch your back and reach. One more stretch and reach

And now let’s begin, lifting your legs all the way up. Thinking about good posture, is your back string and straight, now pull down, using the abdominals. Thinking about strong abs, lengthened back, lengthen and strengthen for better alignment. Keeping your spine in perfect alignment really helps your tummy. That’s it we got two more - lift those knees! Pull in the tummy! Belly button in! That’s it last one, and release.

And slowly now come all the way down to the floor, and let’s begin hips are up, now slowly lift them up in a one-armed stand. Hold, hold the T-stand, strengthen the waistline, hold it up there, hold it up there, and back down. And bring the leg in front of you, and lift up one more time, hold it up there, belly button up and in, hold it tight, tight tight, and relax. Come all the ay up to a beautiful T-stand, hold it in this position while kneeling, stretch it up, now lift the leg up, and down. Working the sides of our waistline. Beautiful! Lift and lower the leg, but you’re pulling in your abs, you’re really tightening and contracting, the core muscles, your center – the powerhouse! Last one, hold it up there, hold it up there, beautiful. And release.

Let’s go to the other side. First of all, stack your feet if possible, lifting your chest up, and hold it there. Lengthen and strengthen the abdominals, the waistline, the oblique muscles, hold it there, tight, tight, tight, challenge yourself, really fight for this. Yes, it’s worth it a toned, tight tummy…and release. Go one more time, All the way up hold it up, great, and if you like, you could stack the feet on top of each other or straddle those over and keep them in stride, hold it up up up up up, tighten the tummy, squeeze the belly button back in, and down.

Beautiful. Lift all the way up in T-stand, now I am in the kneeling position, and lift and hold. Lift the leg, and release it. Really feel the length through the waistline. This is how you are going to get a toned, tight tummy – easy Pilates moves really work – I promise I have been doing them for years! Results are there – tried and true moves, to tone the tummy, to shrink the waistline. That’s it we got one more, lift it up up up up, hold it, hold it, lengthen, strengthen, and release.

Now slowly, bring your legs all the way, and relax your neck. Now lift all the way up, placing your hands underneath your hips to support your low spine, and now we’re going to work on your tummy, the lower tummy. So all you have to do is lift a little, and release. The initiation comes from the lower tummy, we’re working below the belly button right now, the most important area for most all of us. Especially as we age, we got to keep those abdominal muscles strong below the belly button, to help all our organs stay in beautiful health. That’s it, we’ve got one more, and release.

Now slowly drop one toe, and release. Now you are going to feel as though your back is flat, you’re almost having a seat belt push you flat, down, your tummy I flat, push it down, tighten it up, that’s it. Really feel it through the waistline. Beautiful, this now target toning the lower abs, that’s it But make sure the whole time your back is flat. No air can go through the mat to your back, so you are pushing down so your tummy stays trained, flat. That’s it, flat bellies. Last one, and release.

Now let’s reach up, hold it up if you can, in a beautiful V, hold it hold it. Baby lifts now – just little lifts, take your time. For those of you just starting out with me, go ahead and place your hands behind your neck to protect the neck muscle. Just use your tummy now, abdominal strength 100% coming right to flatten the belly, right here. That’s it we got one more, and release.

And slowly relax, let me see your smiling face, and stretch it out. Now it’s time to relax. Just stretch your muscles, that’s it, I love my stretch and tone workouts, they work, I promise. If you do them! That’s it, stretch, and let’s take a deep breath together – lift up, good posture, back is straight and amazing abs! And give yourself a big hand, you did great! Keep stretching!