The most effective and complete ab workouts for girls should consider the physiological make up of women, as well as the differences between men and women.
Different Mindsets
Women and men have different thoughts and goals when it comes to fitness and working out. Men usually see their workout as a sport and seek to bulk up, build muscle mass and compete with their friends.
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But women do their workout because it helps them to look better. That’s why these ab workouts for girls focus on muscle definition more than muscle mass building.
Different Bodies
Anatomically speaking, men and women are very different in many ways:
- Because of the childbirth process, women have wider hips than men, and this affects their knees and hips during movement.
- Women lose weight harder than men because the extra estrogen in their body tends to hold more fat.
- Women have longer, more elastic muscles than men, which makes them more flexible than men.
- Women use their quads more often than men, which means they are more predisposed to injury during exercises such as squats. So women should focus on building more strength in their hamstrings and glutes.
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Due to their lower bone density, women should consider eating more foods that are high in calcium, such as: cheese, milk, yogurt, calcium-fortified orange juice, and more. Also, they should add more protein into their diets. As you can see, women and men are also different when it comes to nutrition.
Effective, safe and complete ab workouts for girls should consider all these differences between men and women.
The Best Ab Workouts For Girls
Below are 7 complete ab workouts for girls that you can do from the comfort of your own home. No equipment needed, just a yoga mat for your comfort (optional) and a bottle of water for hydration (mandatory). Have fun!
1. Oblique V-Ups
Here’s how to perform an oblique V-up:
- Lie flat on your left side with legs together and knees slightly bent.
- Put the right hand behind your head while leaving the left arm on the mat.
- Crunch up on your butt and hip to form a “V” with your body. At the same time, bend your knees and touch them with your right elbow.
- Then slowly get back to the starting position.
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Do at least 15 repetitions, then switch on the right side and repeat the process.
2. Scissor Claps
Here’s how to perform a scissor clap:
- Lie down in a crunch position with legs slightly over the ground.
- Raise one leg while keeping the other one in place.
- Bring arms in front of you and clap your hands underneath the raised leg.
- Return to the starting position, raise the other leg and repeat the process.
Do at least 30 claps.
3. Plank Side Jump
Here’s how to perform a plank side jump:
- Start in a plank position.
- Keeping your hands on the mat, jump with both feet to the right and slightly forward.
- Jump back into the plank position.
- Then jump to the left and continue alternating sides.
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Do at least 15 jumps on each side.
4. V-Sit Bicycle
Here’s how to perform a V-sit bicycle exercise:
- Sit on your butt with back straight and arms stretched over your head.
- Keep your legs slightly off the ground and lean your upper body back until your ab contraction becomes challenging.
- Move your legs up and around as if you were riding a bike.
Do at least 20 moves with each leg.
5. Scissor Kicks
Here’s how to perform scissor kicks:
- Lie flat on the floor with your arms fully extended to the sides and palms facing down.
- Keep your legs off the ground to form a 30 degrees angle with the floor.
- Lift your right leg up to a 60-90 degree angle while your left leg is lowered until the heel is slightly above the ground.
- Alternate legs by raising your left leg up and lowering your right leg.
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Do at least 15 kicks with each leg.
6. Side Plank Lifts
Here’s how to perform a side plank lift:
- Lie on your right side supporting your body with your right elbow and right feet.
- Keep your body straight with your shoulder over your elbow.
- Bring your right hip down until it slightly touches the floor, then bring it back up.
Do at least 15 repetitions on each side.
7. Raised Legs Crunches
Here’s how to perform a raised legs crunch:
- Lay on your back with feet elevated above the floor. Keep both your knees and hips bent to 90 degrees and place your hands behind your head.
- Slowly raise your shoulders off the floor, moving your elbows towards your legs.
- Slowly return your upper body on the floor and repeat.
Do at least 15 crunches.
There are 2 ways to get the most out of these ab workouts for girls:
- Do the exercises without any rest in between, then rest for 5 minutes and repeat the entire set.
- Do each exercise for 45 seconds with 15 seconds rest in between. Perform 3 sets.
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This workout is designed for girls and women who want to build a stronger mid-section and slightly tone their glutes. If you enjoy these complete ab workouts for girls make sure to let your friends know about this article and share it. Thanks!