You do not have to go to the gym to perform exercises to flatten your stomach. All you need is a padded surface, such as a mat or carpeted floor, to challenge your stomach muscles. Performing strengthening exercises for your abdomen will help condition the muscles of your stomach. If, however, you have a layer of fat on top of these muscles, they will stay hidden. Augment your efforts with a whole foods diet that focuses on whole grains, lean protein and leafy green vegetables. Make an effort to perform cardiovascular exercise to burn body fat and help those strong, flat abs emerge. Work your abs only two to three times per week on nonconsecutive days so they have time to rest.
Basic Crunch
A classic abdominal exercise that targets the rectus abdominus and the deep corset-like muscle of the transverse abdominus, the crunch can easily be performed at home. Lie on your back with your knees bent; your feet should be pressed firmly into the floor about 1 foot from your tail bone. With your hands lightly cupped behind your head and elbows open wide, exhale and draw your abdominal muscles in toward your spine. Curl your torso toward your thighs. Keep your neck relaxed with the chin tucked slightly toward your chest and your feet pressing into the floor. Inhale and return your body to the starting position. If you are an old hand at the crunch, try performing this exercise on a stability ball. Complete 10 to 15 repetitions of this exercise. Rest. Repeat.
Plank
The traditional plank, a forearm plank and the side plank all work to flatten your stomach and are appropriate for most fitness levels. For the traditional plank, begin on all fours with your hands under your shoulders and knees under the hips. Extend your right and your left leg back so your body forms one long, rigid line. Keep your neck and head lifted and look directly at the floor as you hold the position for 10 seconds up to one minute. The forearm plank is similar, but you rest your weight on your forearms and toes while keeping a stiff body. In both variations, avoid a sagged or concave spinal position.
A side plank is also a held position, but it focuses more on the side muscles of the abdomen--the obliques. To execute it, lie on your left side with extended legs. Stack the left foot on top of the other. Position your left elbow under your shoulder. As you exhale, contract your stomach muscles, and draw your hips and knees off the mat to form a long line from the side of your left food to the left shoulder. Hold for 10 seconds to one minute, and then repeat on the other side. If you seek greater intensity in any variation of the plank, try lifting one leg up or adding a slight rock to the traditional or forearm plank. You may also place your hands or forearms on a stability ball when executing the traditional or forearm plank to increase the difficulty.
Reverse Crunch
The reverse crunch also stimulates the rectus abdominus and the transverse abdominus while employing the side muscles, the obliques, as synergist muscles. Lie on your back with your knees bent at a 90-degree angle and elevated directly over your hips. Reach your arms out to your sides, palms face down into the floor. As you exhale, engage your abdominal muscles and slowly lift your hips up off the mat as if you were going to bring your knees to your head. Allow your arms to help brace you and think of squeezing the rib cage and the front hip bones together. Pause and slowly lower the low spine back to the mat with control. Avoid jerking, rapid movements when performing the reverse crunch. You want to utilize muscle, rather than momentum for optimal results.
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