What Is The Best Flat Stomach Exercise?

Your abs don't just make your upper body look great -- they also play a part in helping you feel great, too. Your stomach provides torso support, specifically when you're bending and lifting. Whether you want a flat stomach for health reasons or in preparation for your big poolside debut, several specific exercises target the abdominal muscles to help you get a hard, flat six-pack.

Myotatic Crunch

While basic, traditional crunches have long been a component in flat stomach exercise regimens, they're hardly the only way to get a washboard stomach -- nor necessarily the best. The myotatic crunch increases your range of movement and works more muscle fibers for faster stomach results, according to The 4-Hour Body. Lie down with an exercise ball positioned under your lower back and your feet flat on the ground. Put your arms above your head and lean backward so your head and shoulders are curved toward the ground. Your body should now make somewhat of a crescent moon shape with your stomach being the higher end of the curve. Contract your abs and pull your upper torso up so that your stomach forms a straight line with your neck, then pause and let your upper torso hang back down.

The Plank

"Men's Fitness" magazine names the plank as one of the best ways to get a beach-ready, flat stomach. And unlike many exercises, it doesn't require any equipment at all. Put yourself in a pushup position. However, instead of keeping your upper body supported on your hands, rest on your forearms with your elbows making right angles. Hold your body so that your entire torso creates a straight, even line from the back of your head to your neck to your legs. Hold this position for 30 seconds.

Leg Raises

If you have a pullup bar you can do leg raises, which "Men's Fitness" magazine reports is exceptionally better at getting flat abs than regular crunches. Grab the pullup bar and haul yourself up into a chinup position. Your body should hang in a straight line. Contracting your abdominal muscles, pull your legs up with your knees toward your chest. Pause for a second, then straighten yourself back out.

Rotating Plank Reach

This variation of the plank exercise works as the number one flat stomach exercise, according to "Shape" magazine. Get into the pushup starting position, with your upper torso resting on your palms -- keep your arms straight -- and your legs balancing on the balls of your feet. Holding a 5 lb. dumbbell in your right hand, swing it under your left side, then swing it back to the right, up and straight toward the sky. As you reach into the air, rotate your torso so that you're now facing the right while keeping your left hand planted on the ground. Switch dumbbell hands and repeat for the opposite side of your body.