When weight is gained over the abs, it can become quite frustrating and cause people to take extreme measures to flatten the stomach. Unfortunately, those extreme measures usually result in 300 crunches a day. This is a good game plan only if you're looking to overtrain your abs and burn a mere handful of calories. If you want to get flat abs the right way, you need to follow a specific strategy.
Step 1
Keep your diet clean and cut your calories down to promote weight loss. Eat nothing but fruits, vegetables, lean meats, low-fat dairy products, whole grains and beans. Reduce your overall intake by 500 calories a day to create a caloric deficit.
Step 2
Eat a small meal every 2 to 3 hours to increase your metabolism and prevent yourself from overeating. Have your meals consist of a combination of protein and complex carbs that are high in fiber. Eat a lean ground beef burger on a whole wheat bun for a midday meal, have cottage cheese with fruit for a late afternoon meal and have salmon with steamed broccoli and brown rice for your last meal of the day.
Step 3
Drink water instead of caloric beverages. Avoid soft drinks, fruit drinks, flavored coffee drinks, sweetened teas, milkshakes and alcohol. Save yourself calories and hydrate your body by drinking eight to 10 cups of water a day instead.
Step 4
Perform hanging knee raises. Hang from a pull-up bar with your arms fully extended and legs straight down. Draw your knees up to your chest, then lower your legs back down. Do 15 to 20 reps and three to four sets.
Step 5
Perform bicycle maneuvers. Lie on your back with your shins elevated and parallel to the floor. Place your hands on the sides of your head and lift your upper body into a crunch position. Alternate bringing your opposing elbow toward your opposing knee in a cycling motion. Do 15 to 20 reps and three to four sets.
Step 6
Use a stability ball to do abdominal pull-ins. Place your hands on the ground and your shins on top of a stability ball. Keep your back straight. Roll the ball toward your body by contracting your abs and bringing your knees to your chest. Extend your legs back out and repeat for 15 to 20 reps.
Step 7
Burn the layer of fat on your stomach with 45 to 60 minutes of cardio. Perform some form of cardio that you enjoy, such as running, biking, elliptical training, rowing, stair stepping or swimming, or attend fitness classes.
Tips and Warnings
- Do your ab exercises right after you do your cardio. Work out every other day to allow for proper recovery.
Things You'll Need
- Pull-up bar
- Stability ball
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