Achieving Steel Abs: A Guide to Female Bodybuilding & Core Strength

Many women desire to have a perfect flat and toned stomach. Female bodybuilders, however, aim for rock hard abs they can showcase in competitions.

History

• Since the 1970s, the ideal female body has developed according to what society was ready to accept in women's physical fitness. In the 1980s, a woman by the name of Minerva lifted the equivalent of 23 men and was given the title of the strongest woman in the world.

Types

• Sit-ups target the upper abdominals and will aid you in getting the rock hard abs you desire. Start by lying with your back flat on the floor, bend your knees and secure your legs under a heavy piece of furniture such as a raised bed or a sofa. Cross your arms over your chest, flex your abdominals and lift your torso until you are almost in a sitting position. Keeping your abs contracted, lie down again.

  Leg raises target the lower abs. Again, lie flat on your back and place your arms by your sides. Tense your abdominal muscles and raise your legs until they are perpendicular to the floor. Keeping the tension in the ab muscles, lower your legs, keeping them slightly off the floor.

Benefits

• Abdominal exercises aid in strengthening your abs and provide core stability. The abs are also responsible for protecting the internal organs, so strong ab muscles are beneficial in that regard.