A flat stomach is one of the strongest visual signs of overall health and fitness. If you carry a lot of belly fat, the first thing to look at is your diet and your stress levels. After that, you should strategically develop an exercise program that will strengthen and minimize your abdominal region.
Running
Running is great for the cardiovascular system, and once you build up enough endurance, is also a great calorie burner. This is going to reduce the size of your belly by itself, but a study published in the December 2009 issue of "Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism" concluded that "Running can be considered as an efficient, multifunctional exercise combining cardiovascular and trunk endurance benefits." It works those difficult to target lower abdominal muscles, where your stomach can pooch even if you've got visible upper abs.
Deadlifts
Deadlifts activate more muscles in the body than any other single-movement exercise. It is one of the best ways to develop and display raw strength, which is why it's one of the big three power lifting exercises. It is also one of the best exercises for developing abdominal strength. The exterior abdominals that form the much-desired six pack curl your torso forward, but beneath those lay a complex girdle of muscles encircling your core. This is where true core strength comes from. If you're trying to flatten your stomach, you'll find that when this girdle is strengthened, it tightens, and just like a fabric girdle, it will hold in your viscera and visceral fat. So not only is your spine better protected, but you'll look slimmer.
Squats
Squats activate the core in the same way deadlifts do, strengthening the girdle of inner abdominal muscles. In fact, a study published in the January 2008 "Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research" compared the amount of core activation caused by standard stability ball ab exercises versus the squat and deadlift. The result will surprise a lot of people who put in a half hour of ab work a day: The researchers found that the abs are engaged as much, if not more, when doing squats and deadlifts as they are when doing stability ball exercises.
Bicycle Crunch
There should be a place in your exercise routine for dedicated ab work, but don't waste time doing inferior abdominal exercises. A study commissioned by the American Council on Exercise and published in their "ACE Fitness Matters" magazine found that bicycle crunches most intensely activate the abdominal muscles. Once you've got a flat stomach, this exercise will give you the six pack to go with it.
References
- "Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism"; Trunk Muscle Activation During Moderate and High-Intensity Running; D.G. Behm; December 2009
- "Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research"; Trunk Muscle Activity During Stability Ball and Free Weight Exercises; J.L. Nuzzo; January 2008
- "ACE Fitness Matters"; New Study Puts the Crunch on Ineffective Ab Exercises; Mark Anders; May/June 2001
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