Easy & Effective Exercises To Flatten Your Stomach

Tightening your abdominal muscles will help flatten your stomach. The ab exercises you do can be easy and still work your abs. The important thing is to work all the muscles of your stomach, not just the rectus abdominus muscle. The rectus abdominus is the muscle that gives people the look of having six-pack abs. The transverse abdominus lies below the rectus abdominus. The oblique muscles cross like "X"s on the sides of your stomach. Work all these muscles with easy exercises.

Supine Rotator Cuff

The supine rotator cuff exercise is a beginner-level ab exercise that targets your transverse abdominus. The rotator cuff muscles are strengthened as well. To perform the supine rotator cuff exercise, lie on your back and bend your knees. Slide your feet flat on the floor until they are about 1 foot away from your glutes. Lay your arms at your sides and bend your elbows to make right angles. Lift your forearms so they point toward the ceiling and position your elbows so they are in line with your shoulders. Squeeze your abs and observe the natural curve of your lower spine off the floor. Maintain this exact arch in your back throughout the exercise. This is what your transverse abdominus does in this exercise. Next, rotate your forearms back until the backs of your hands rest on the floor. Then, rotate your forearms forward until your palms touch the floor.

Supine Pelvic Tilt

The supine pelvic tilt is a beginner-level exercise to target the rectus abdominus muscle. This exercise begins in the same position as the supine rotator cuff exercise, but instead of maintaining a natural curve in your lower spine you will manipulate the position of your pelvis forward and backward with your rectus adbominus muscle. To perform a supine pelvic tilt, lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Place your arms straight on the floor with your palms down and slide them until your wrists are in line with your shoulders. First, arch your lower back off the floor. This is done by tilting your forward. Second, squeeze your abs and press your spine into the floor. The pelvis tilts backwards to accomplish pressing your lower back down.

Dumbbell Ax Chop

The dumbbell ax chop is a simple exercise that works all three abdominal muscle groups including the rectus abdominus, transverse abdominus and obliques. A single dumbbell is used for this exercise. You can use a lightweight dumbbell or even clasp your hands together without a dumbbell to make the exercise easier. To perform a dumbbell ax chop, stand up straight with your arms straight in front of your body. Hold a dumbbell horizontally between your palms and step your feet greater than shoulder-width apart. Raise your arms up to the left toward the ceiling and twist your body to the left as well. Pivot on the ball of your right foot as you twist. Keep your back straight. Next, bend forward at the waist and lower the dumbbell toward outside of your right foot as you bring your arms diagonally across your body. Pivot on the ball of your left foot as you twist toward the right. Complete one set on this side and then repeat the exercise on the other side by raising the dumbbell up toward your right side and then lowering it toward your left foot. The motion of the dumbbell down and across your body is similar to the movement of chopping wood.