Getting Slim, Attractive Female Abs

We're bombarded with marketing and images promoting hard-core results like "rock hard" or "six pack" abs. While there's nothing wrong with those goals, I think they put the cart before the horse, and in any case, they're not really what most women want when they visualize the slim, attractive figure they're trying to achieve with their workouts.

Most women who are working out want to look slim and attractive, with slim firm abs, and a slender, toned figure. We want to feel comfortable and confident wearing the clothes we'd love to wear to the places we'd love to go.

My philosophy on female abs is to view the abdominal area as just one part of the whole body. I like to focus on shedding unwanted fat from all over the body, and shaping a trim, toned and attractive figure, through a program of focused high-intensity exercise, combined with a moderate healthy diet, and healthy habits. The right kind of exercise and habits will achieve a slender, toned figure with slim girl abs. Then, if you want to take it one step further, and focus on that six-pack, go right ahead.

If you're doing the standard fare of regular "fat burning" cardio sessions, coupled with occasional light weight training, maybe an aerobics class or two, and living an active lifestyle, then you're probably maintaining or gradually improving your fitness level, and your weight-loss progress may be gradual, or it may have plateaued. Unfortunately, there's no secret workout, contraption or pill that will suddenly give you everything you want in a matter of weeks. But there is a way to kick your workouts up a notch and get much better results.

1. Workout Six Days A Week. This doesn't mean do the same workout every day. Do a variety of different workouts throughout the week. The only effective way to burn calories and reshape your body is by making it work. If you're only working out three days a week, you won't make much progress.

2. Workout With Intensity. You need to spend the majority of your workout at high intensity. This how you push your body, demanding it to make the changes you want. If you don't make these demands of your body, you're essentially telling it it's okay to stay how it is.

3. Incorporate Variety. Don't do the same workout week-in-week-out. Your body will adapt to any new workout routine within a few weeks, after which you'll get diminished returns. So incorporate new exercises. Mix things up.

4. Incorporate Compound Movements, and Resistance (e.g. Weights). By "compound" I mean movements that utilize your arms and legs, and engage your core for stability. These work multiple muscle groups at once, engaging more muscle fibers and burning more calories. But they also engage multiple supporting muscles, especially those in your core, helping with your posture, your abs, and overall tone.

5. Do Interval Training. Rather than doing your cardio workouts at a steady pace, use interval training by alternating between brief periods (e.g. 30-60 seconds) of high intensity and recovery. This is a great way to introduce intensity into what would otherwise be a long and less-challenging session on a treadmill (or bike, elliptical, track, etc).

6. Make sure you get Eight Hours of Sleep per night. Sleep deprivation is one of the silent epidemics of modern society. We think we can tough it out and get by on caffeine. But the reality is that when we're sleep deprived our appetite control hormones become unbalanced, and it's very hard to eat a moderate, healthy diet. Furthermore, our endurance and strength suffers, and we run out of steam too early in our workouts. Even though we'll feel just as tired, our workouts aren't anywhere near as effective.

Combine these principles with a healthy diet of low-fat, low-GI foods and lean protein, and you'll be well on your way to that trim body with slim abs!