Flat Stomach Exercises

If you really want to achieve a flat stomach, you are going to have to do more than just simple crunches. Your basic crunch only targets the abdominal muscles near the surface, and not the inner abdominal muscles which really help to pull in the stomach. This is one reason why crunches alone won't work. There are other flat stomach exercises that will work much better and make getting a flat stomach a more achievable goal.

Pilates exercises tend to focus on the core while working the entire body. This is one of the better flat stomach workouts that you can do. One of the key exercises from pilates include the ab rollup, where you gradually roll up to a sitting position from a lying down position. Planks and side planks are also great abdominal strengtheners. Check out a workout video or go to a class if you are not familiar with the exercises and how to do them.

You can also do those standard ab exercises that most of us are familiar with. These include crunches, side crunches, reverse crunches, and bicycles. However, you will want to shake up your workout periodically, so do a search to find some different exercises to try every few weeks. Try doing jack knives, pelvic tilts, pelvic rocks, tummy tucks, low twists, and wood chops with a high cable for a change.

Adding instability to your strength training program will also help tone your abs since they will have to work harder. Try standing on one leg while doing standing exercises, or using a balance ball or Bosu, or even a folded towel, to add instability to your workout. In this way you can work your abs at the same time as you are working your arms or your legs. Multitasking like this can help your workout to go faster and give you even better results.

Besides doing toning and strength training exercises, you will also want to get about 30 minutes per day of aerobic exercise, since this will help to get rid of the fat covering up your abs as well as improving your cardiovascular health. You don't have to run, you can do fun activities like dancing or playing sports if you like this better.

Amazingly enough, just sucking in your stomach engages the deepest abdominal muscles and gives them a workout. This is easy to do throughout the day, without even setting aside a special time to work out.

Using exercises to get a flat stomach quickly will work best if you do it in conjunction with following a diet that will help you to get rid of the extra fat that is covering up your abdominal muscles. Don't drastically cut calories as this will put you in starvation mode and end up with you losing more muscle than fat and quickly gaining back the weight you lose once you return to your old eating habits. Instead, focus on reducing your calorie intake by 250 to 500 calories per day and eating lots of protein, fiber, mono-unsaturated fats, and anti oxidants.

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