Ab Workouts for Women

In between work, the kids, cleaning house, and all the other responsibilities you have, you still need to workout... so, the shorter and more effective the workout, the better. So, I'm going to share my favorite "fast" killer abs workout - one that you can do in just 5 minutes (really!)

The Dirty Dozen

The Dirty Dozen is the name I gave this workout when I first introduced it to my kickboxing class. They soon developed a love/hate relationship with it, which is why I kept it in my rotation. :)

Here it is, in a nutshell. You do 12 each of twelve ab exercises, back-to-back with no rest, for a total of 144 reps. You should be able to finish this workout in under five minutes. I suggest you either do it at the end of your cardio workout, or after a short five-minute warm-up.

Examples of abs exercises you can do in this workout:

• Crunches


• Reverse crunches


• Leg raises


• V-ups


• Bicycles


• Swiss Ball Crunch


• Full body crunch


• Knee grinders


• Feet up toe-touchers


• Scissor kicks


• Twisters


• Plank

Of course, you can do your own favorite exercises as well. Be sure to mix it up so your workouts don't get stale. And, for more great ab workouts and a fantastic women's workout program, check out this site.

You can hardly turn on the TV on a Sunday morning without seeing some new ab workout torture device. They twist, they bend, they fold, they slide... and they relieve you of your hard-earned money, quite unnecessarily, I might add.

The fact is, you don't need any fancy equipment to do ab exercises. In fact, you really don't need any. However, I like to use props and inexpensive pieces of equipment in order to add variety and fun to my workouts. Here are a few pieces that can be purchased at any local store that carries home fitness equipment, that can enhance your abdominal workouts.

1. The Ab Wheel
- A simple old-school ab wheel is nothing more than two handles on a bar that has a lawn mower wheel in the middle. You hold onto the handles and roll out forward and back, usually starting on your knees until you can do it on your toes. Trust me, it looks easy but it isn't. Ten reps out and back at the end of my ab workout usually has me sore the next day or so. The best part is, they are cheap - around ten bucks or so.

2. The Swiss Ball
- The Swiss ball is a great tool for working the core. It adds a bit of instability to the exercises, which works your core a lot harder in a shorter period of time. Plus, it's a lot easier on your lower back, a plus if you have lower back pain. Speaking of which, you can do back extensions on these as well. You can get them for under ten bucks.

3. The Medicine Ball
- Another old-school piece of fitness gear, the medicine ball is great for adding resistance to your ab workouts. Try holding one in front and lean back into a "half sit-up" position, then twist side-to-side. It's a killer on your stomach!

4. The Ab Sling
- These are literally slings that hang from a chin up bar. You slip your arms into them and hang to do hanging leg raises and knee raises. They will get you a killer abs workout!

Of course, you really need a comprehensive workout routine in order to get in shape. Want to see the workout I recommend for women? Check out BestWorkoutForWomen.com.
This Abs Swiss Ball has a peanut shape that makes it easier to do your exercises. You can click on the image to order the ball.