A flat, firm stomach takes a lot of hard work to accomplish. To achieve a flat stomach, you must combine cardiovascular exercise to burn calories and toning exercises that help your muscles appear tighter. Remember that cardiovascular exercise doesn't necessarily guarantee immediate tummy fat loss. Stick with your program, however, and you'll likely achieve weight loss that reveals a leaner, flatter midsection.
Step 1
Try interval walking, or changing the pace and intensity at which you walk. An example of an interval walking program would be to spend three minutes walking at a moderate pace, then walking or jogging at a very fast pace for one minute, followed by one minute of knee lifts. Repeat this routine six times. Interval training helps to burn more fat, which accelerates the rate at which you can lose fat over the stomach. Try incorporating one interval-training workout into your weekly workout sessions.
Step 2
Perform four additional cardiovascular training sessions, for at least 30 minutes, each week. Push yourself to add intensity or duration to your workouts to burn even more calories as you exercise. Examples of good fat-burning activities include playing a sport, running, cycling, taking an aerobics class, exercising to an aerobics DVD, or swimming.
Step 3
Exercise the lower ab muscles by performing chair leg lifts. This exercise targets the often-undertrained lower abs. Sit on the edge of a chair with your fingertips on the chair, facing toward the wall in front of you. Keep your back straight and your stomach muscles activated and tucked in. Slowly lift the knees toward your chest, activating your abdominal muscles. Lower your feet to the starting position and repeat eight times.
Step 4
Perform plank exercises to target all your ab muscles. This exercise is especially beneficial in creating a flat tummy, because it makes you stay in an elongated position. Lie on your stomach with the balls of your feet on the floor. Slowly place one forearm on the ground, then the opposite forearm, to lift your body off the ground. Look forward and tighten your abdominal muscles as you hold for 30 seconds to one minute. Continue to practice the exercise, increasing the duration you perform the plank.
Tips and Warnings
- Form is very important in stomach exercises. You must keep your stomach tucked in and as flat as possible to encourage lean muscle building. Taking a deep breath in, before performing the abdominal exercise, helps you to get in the correct position.
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