How to Get a Flat Stomach – Define Your Goals

But before I tell you about this exercise, I need to get something out of the way. And that is this: stomach exercises are actually the least important factor for how to get a flat stomach. And yet, most people focus their attention on abdominal exercises when they’re trying to lose belly fat.

Burning fat is all or nothing. It’s easy to take the right actions to get into fat-burning mode, but unfortunately you can’t choose to burn fat only from a certain area of your body. Stomach exercises will help you with how to get a flat stomach, but only if they’re part of a workout routine that encompasses your entire body.

Having said that, if you want to know how to get a flat stomach then you should incorporate this powerful exercise into your routine:

The Plank

1. Lay face down, on the floor or a mat, resting on your forearms. Keep your palms flat on the floor.
2. Pushing away from the floor, raise up onto your toes and rest your weight on your elbows.
3. Try to keep your back flat, in a straight line all the way from your head to your heels.
4. Tilt your pelvis slightly forward and contract your abdominal muscles to prevent your buttocks from sticking up in the air.
5. Hold this position for 20 to 60 seconds.
6. Lower your body to the floor, and then repeat 3-5 times

Variations of the Plank

If you need an easier variation of this exercise you can rest your forearms on a bench instead of the floor. But if the regular version of the Plank isn’t quite challenging enough, you can lift one foot slightly off the ground and then switch sides in the middle of the set. For a really challenging variation you can lift one foot and also point the arm on your opposite side straight ahead, again switching sides midway through the set.

Click here for more exercises that will flatten your stomach.

How to Get a Flat Stomach – It Isn’t Rocket Science

The Plank is just one of several exercises that work great for losing belly fat. How to get a flat stomach isn’t rocket science, but it does require a smart workout plan. Once you’ve got that in place, you’ll begin to see results even if you’ve never been successful before at getting that flat tummy you’ve always wanted.

Any stomach exercise routine aimed at flattening your belly should include the transverse abdominals as a focus. Using the following stomach exercises, you can work on your transverse abdominals and really make progress on that flat tummy. As with any workout routine, be sure to consult a professional before beginning and always warm up properly to avoid injury.

Pelvic Tilts

This stomach exercise requires lying on your back on a flat surface, such as the floor or a bench. Use a mat or towel to cushion your spine. Bend your knees so that your feet are flat on the floor. Raise your pelvis (and only your pelvis) off the floor, hold momentarily, and then lower it back down. Repeat for an entire set. Maintaining a controlled movement is crucial to this exercise. This will allow you to use your abdominal muscles, rather than your body’s momentum, to do the work on the exercise. Also, be sure to keep your upper body on the floor throughout.

Crunch-less Crunch

This stomach exercise is fairly simple, but can also be challenging. Essentially, it involves trying to pull the belly button in towards the spine. This can be tricky, as it involves using muscles which you may not be used to activating. To start, either lie or on your stomach or kneel. You might want to try both ways and see which helps you feel the exercise better. Relax your body as much as possible, then try to use only the lower abdominals to move your belly button toward your spine. Hold for ten seconds. If holding for ten seconds feels easy, hold for a longer period. The goal is to hold the contraction until you either cannot feel it, or you feel other muscles working harder than the transverse abdominus. When you feel this, let the contraction out.

Scissor Kicks

This stomach exercise also requires lying on the floor. Position your hands under your butt, keeping your back pressed against the floor. Slowly raise one leg to a height of about ten inches, then slowly lower it back to the floor. As your lower one leg, raise the other. Repeat this motion for an entire set. Maintaining control throughout is important, not allowing momentum to get the better of you. Your upper body should remain on the floor through the entire move.

These abdominal exercises are key to flattening your tummy, and pregnant and post-partum women will find them particularly effective. There are other stomach exercises that target the transverse abdominals, but the three exercises above are definitely challenging enough to get you started.

By: Nicholas Tan