How to Get a Flat Stomach

We all know you need diet and exercise to whittle away the fat on your stomach, but this article has a few different tips on ways to help flatten your tummy that you may not have previously heard of.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Decline bench
• A barbell
• Dumbells
• Chair

1. 
    
   Sugar is bad. :/

   Consume the smallest amount of sugar possible.
   
   Sugar bloats your stomach. Consuming sugar will absolutely not help you get a flat tummy. While it is impossible to totally eliminate sugar from your diet, just try to consume the least amount possible.

2. 
    

   Watch how often you're chewing gum.
   
   When you're chewing gum, you are likely to swallow MORE air which will make your stomach bloat and hide your abdominals.

3. 
    
   Mmmm berries!

   Get plenty of fiber.
   
   Try to consume at least 25-35 grams of fiber each day. Fiber prevents constipation which will also bloat your belly. Fiber keeps things moving. Many types of beans and berries have a lot of fiber in them. There are a number of fiber supplements you could take as well.

4. 
    

   Drink ice cold water.
   
   Water contains zero calories and will fill you up. If you drink ice cold water, you'll burn even more fat because your body will have to work to warm up that water once it's in your system.

5. 
    

   Obliques Exercise.
   
   Barbell twists are an excellent waist slimmer exercise. All you need is a barbell or 2 dumbbells. You could even use a broom if you don't have those things readily available. You simply stand up straight, hold the bar or dumbbells in your hands and twist from side to side (left to right). You can adjust the weight as necessary to suit your individual needs. Try doing 1 set of 50 repetitions - you'll really feel it in your abs the next day! You don't need a lot of weight to do these or you could injure your spine.

6. 
    

   Upper Abs Exercise.
   
   Simply lie flat on the floor and place your legs up on a chair so that your legs are parallel (thighs perpendicular) to the floor. Keeping your legs raised this way assures that your upper abs are doing most of the work, and not your legs or back. Try to complete at least 3 sets of crunches with 12 repetitions each.

7. 
    

   Lower Abs Exercise.
   
   Decline (or incline) reverse crunches rule the world! They are an awesome way to tone up your lower abs which is the hardest area of the tummy to tone. These are amazing. Simply do 3 sets of this exercise to failure. Meaning, do one set until you can't do anymore, rest for 60 seconds, do your next set until you can't do anymore...etc.
   
   To perform these, you simply lay on the bench with your feet towards the floor. Grab the bench with your hands and hang onto the bench right above your head. Lift your hips up at least 30 degrees and then slowly lower back down. You will really be able to feel your lower abdominal muscles working and I guarantee that this exercise will make you sweat!

8. 
    

   Eat right.
   
   You need to remain on a healthy, low sugar diet to see those abdominal muscles. Otherwise you could do all the exercises in the world, but if your diet is loaded with unhealthy choices, like sugars and excess calories, you'll never see your abdominals.

Tips & Warnings

• Be sure to work out your back in addition to your stomach. A strong back is important if you're really looking to strengthen your abs, plus it's better for your posture anyway.
• You could also try more ab exercises like hanging leg raises or INCLINE reverse crunches.
• As always, workout with caution
• Don't try to lift more weight or do more than you are able or you will injure yourself.

Resources

• The Truth About 6 Pack Abs
• My Fitness Blog
• A Flat Stomach ASAP!
• The Woman Who is Always Tan and Has a Flat Stomach
• Pilates for ABS

[ccard123]

on 4/9/2009 I thought this article was very helpful. Great ab exercises. 5* and recommended.

[taskeinc]

on 8/6/2008 Been working on the abs .. trying to get that "LL" look .. thanks for sharing!

[duncan411]

on 8/4/2008 I added this to my favorites! From now on I'm going to be chewing less gum! =)

[missmelinda25]

on 7/17/2008 Nomader... everything I write about are things that have actually worked for me. This article was about how to get a flat stomach and barbell twists do work. They make your obliques stronger, I could feel them getting stronger within days. I just had a baby a little over 3 months ago and the barbell twist has been my favorite abdominal exercise so far. Those and decline reverse crunches.

[scru]

on 7/16/2008 @nomader I'm assuming this article is to help people who are already thin to an extent build ab definition and avoid a poochy belly. None of this refers to weight loss, in case you didn't notice.

I like the twists recommendation and also the note about gum -- wish you'd noted sodas and aspartame too though! Both bloat you up like crazy!