The abdominal region is a problem area for many. You may want to flatten your stomach to showcase your already-toned abdominal muscles, or you may want to combine fat-loss and muscle-toning to transform your midsection completely. Regardless, a flat stomach requires two types of workouts: core-targeting workouts and aerobic workouts. The former will tone and tighten your abdominal muscles, while the latter will work to shed the layer of fat that sits on top of those abs.
Aerobic Workout
Aerobic workouts are going to boost your metabolic rate, the rate at which you convert calories to energy, and help you burn fat. Though you cannot target weight loss on a certain spot, aerobics help you burn fat off your body as a whole.
Try aerobic exercises like running, cycling, jogging, swimming and jumping rope. Alternate between low-intensity aerobic workouts, or 45 minutes to an hour of one of these exercises, and high-intensity workouts. At high intensity, you perform a 20- to 30-minutes aerobic workout that involves alternating between multiple exercises every eight to 10 minutes. Perform aerobic exercises three to five times a week.
Ab Workout
An ab workout is designed to build and strengthen abdominal muscles for a flat stomach that's visibly toned. Exercises to alternate during your workout are crunches, reverse crunches and hanging leg raises. Not only do these exercises target your abdominal region, they consist of basic movements that may compromise more advanced abdominal exercises. Work your abdominal muscles three times a week at most to prevent overworking your abs and to give them a chance to rest and grow.
Weight-Training Workout
Add a weight-training workout to your exercise regimen. Weight training can help you strengthen multiple muscle groups in the body, not just your abdominals. Do weight-training workouts two to three times a week as a supplement to your other workouts.
Simply grab a pair of dumbbells and perform lunges and squats, which will help build your leg and buttock muscles, or chest presses, which work your chest and arm muscles.
Diet
Hand in hand with workouts is diet. A controlled, healthy diet will help enhance your aerobic exercises by contributing to the caloric deficit needed to lose the pounds. In addition, a diet rich in essential nutrients is vital to an efficient and effective workout; carbohydrates provide short-term and long-term energy for your workout and protein helps repair muscle post-workout. Consult your doctor for dietary recommendations specific to your needs.
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