Upper & Lower Belly Crunches and Exercises for Women

Endless crunches alone won't get your midsection ready for swimsuit season. Your rectus abdominis -- one of the primary muscle groups in your stomach area -- covers a large area, from your breastbone all the way to your pelvis making it difficult to tone with just one kind of exercise. To strengthen and tone both the upper and lower portions of this muscle, incorporate a variety of different abdominal exercises into your workout routine.

  1. Traditional Crunches and Sit-Ups

    • Traditional crunches target the upper and middle portions of the rectus abdominis. Lying flat on your back with your hands supporting your head, gently curl your head and shoulders off the floor. Return to your starting position. Sit-ups offer even more of a challenge. Keeping your feet on the floor and knees bent, lift your whole upper body off the floor to a seated position. For a variation on the traditional sit-up, try holding your arms above your head in a "V" position as you execute the movement.

    Reverse Crunches

    • Reverse crunches involve lifting the hips to flex the lower part of the spine, targeting the section of your abdominal muscles closer to your pelvis. Begin with your knees bent and your legs lifted parallel with the floor. Lift your hips a few inches off the floor, then lower them with control. You can also execute a reverse crunch with your legs extended straight, focusing on pushing your heels to the ceiling with each crunching motion. For an added challenge, lower your legs slightly as you bring your hips to the ground.

    Planks

    • Plank exercises work both the lower and upper portions of the belly while also targeting your upper body, lower back and transverse abdominal muscles. A basic forward facing plank involves supporting your body weight with your hands and toes as you attempt to keep your body in a straight line almost parallel with the ground. You can also perform planks with your elbows on the floor. To add variations, try lifting and lowering each leg, or sliding your feet toward your chest one at a time as you hold the plank position with your upper body.

    Machine-Based Exercises

    • Try performing crunches, sit-ups and planks on an inflatable exercise ball or inclined bench. Exercise balls require you to engage your lower abdominal muscles to help you keep your balance. Ab and back machines, available for use at most gyms, offer weighted resistance against your body as you crunch and sit-up. Start using the lightest weight setting on the machine, adding additional weight as you grow stronger. Pull-up bars and rowing machines also work the whole core, including the upper and lower abs as they challenge the arms and back.

    Standing Exercises

    • Standing abdominal exercises force you to use your entire core, including your lower back and abs, to maintain your balance. Work your lower and upper abdominals with a standing pike crunch, in which you crunch your body and arms forward as you kick one leg to waist height. Simple knee lifts, like giant marches in place, target your lower abs. Add an additional workout to knee lifts by crunching your body forward with each lift.