The Best Exercises To Get Your Stomach On Flat-Flat

Taysha Robinson

Jun 29, 2019 07:42 AM +0000

For women, losing the fat around your midsection can be both the battle and the war.

Achieving a flat belly can be challenging. Between balancing work, a healthy diet, and exercise, it can be hard to get rid of stubborn belly fat. However, it's not impossible; and luckily for you, with the exercises below, we're settling your battle in searching for the top ab routines, to ensure you win the war for your best summer body.

Click through the slideshow below to check out the top ten exercises to get a flatter stomach, just in time to show it off on the beach.

*For each workout, choose a combination of at least eight different ab exercises targeting various muscle groups. Complete 8-12 repetitions, and 2-3 sets.

The plank is one of the best exercises you can do for your core, because it builds isometric strength to help sculpt your waistline and even improve your posture. As a bonus, you can even sculpt your back, arms, shoulders, glutes, and hamstrings with this exercise.
Here's how it's done:
Start on your hands and knees, then lower yourself down so your elbows are on the floor, placing them directly underneath your shoulders. Extend your legs out, coming up on your toes and lifting your body in a straight line. Make sure to squeeze your abs, glutes, and legs to stay in a straight line. To protect your back, be sure to not let your hips lift up or sag down.
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As the inversion of a plank, the hollow body hold is an exercise infamously known amongst gymnasts. Rather than bracing yourself against the ground and fighting against gravity, you're on your back, fighting against…well, yourself to hold the position.
Here's how it's done:
Lay down, pressing your lower back into the ground. Hinge at the hips to tuck your knees into your chest while also raising your shoulders off the ground, reaching forward with your arms. Then, extend your legs straight out and hold in position, stretching your arms back behind your head and squeezing your core to maintain your posture. If you're a beginner, keep your arms pointed forward to make the move less difficult. To start things off, hold for 30 seconds, then move things up to a minute or more once your core strength has developed.
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Flutter kicks reshape and tone your lower body. They help you shed the extra fat from the belly, hips, and thighs, thereby taking care of the "problem areas" of most women. With flutter kicks, you can get rid of your belly pooch by emulating a swimmer's leg movement on a mat and reap other benefits as well.
Here's how it's done:
Lie on your back with your legs straight and arms extended out at your sides. Lift your heels about six inches off the floor and rapidly kick your feet up and down in a quick, scissor-like motion.
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As an exercise that will build stability in your core, and help tone your glutes, leg lifts can assist in your quest for a flatter stomach. The leg lift is a simple and effective exercise for improving your core strength, and it also brings considerable benefits for the strength and flexibility of your hips and lower back.
Here's how it's done:
Begin by lying down on the floor or a mat. Unfortunately, it gets tougher from here. Lay flat with your arms at your sides and legs stretched out next to each other, then raise those legs. Even if you can't hold them perfectly rigid, keep your legs as straight as possible, and lift them until they are pointing at the ceiling, or as close as you can get. Make sure your toes are pointed.
Then lower them back down, being careful to keep your movements measured. The return journey should be at the same pace at which you raised your legs. Lower them until they're hovering just above the ground, and then raise them again. Shoot for three sets of 10 reps, or simply do as many raises as you can – keeping the pace steady – in a set time as part of a circuit.
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One of the most popular abdominal exercises, the crunch primarily works the rectus abdominis muscle and the obliques, aka your abs and the side of your stomach. Building these muscles are just one part of developing your core muscles for stability and performance.
Here's how it's done:
Lie down flat on the mat, with your knees bent and feet on the ground. Alternatively, you can also lift your legs off the floor at a 90-degree angle. Afterwards, lift your hands and place them behind your head*, or keep them crossed on your chest. Inhale deeply, and as you lift your upper torso off the floor, exhale. Inhale again as you get back down, and exhale as you come up. If you're a beginner, do this exercise ten times, then repeat another two or three sets.
*If you experience neck pain from this exercise, you might be pushing your head too hard. As an alternative, try pressing your fingers against your neck instead.
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Fitness gurus sometimes call it a "moving plank". Meanwhile, you will call it the bane of your existence; that is until you see its results. With mountain climbers, you perform a mini crunch when you explosively draw one knee into your chest.
However, although it seems easy, this move can be difficult, because your core has to work overtime to keep your body stable and straight every time you lift a foot off of the floor.
Here's how it is done:
Assume a pushup position with your hands below your shoulders and your body forming a straight line from your head to your heels. This is will be your starting position. Lifting your right foot off the floor, drive your right knee towards your chest. Tap the floor with your right foot and then return to starting position. Alternate legs with each repetition.
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The side plank is an often-overlooked exercise for building strong abs. What a lot of people don't realize is that there are few moves as good for your core as the side plank. As a workout that targets your core and your upper back, all you need is your bodyweight to get your ideal summer abs.
Here's how it's done:
Lie on your right side with your knees straight. Prop your body up on your left elbow and forearm. Raise your right hand until it's perpendicular with your torso, making your body a T. Then, brace your core by contracting your abs forcefully as if you were about to be punched in the guy. Raise your hips until your body forms a straight line from your ankles to your shoulder. Breathe deeply, then hold the position for your specified amount of time. (Start with 30 seconds and work your way up from there. If 30 seconds is too easy, move to 45.) To complete the exercise, switch from your right side to your left.
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Bulging belly? Well, surprisingly, you might have your posture to blame. Between sitting in the car, sitting at your desk, and sitting on your couch, your slouch might be contributing to the appearance of your stomach. But, don't fret, fixing your day-to-day form can be easily done with the Archer Row.
The Archer Row strengthens your core and your back at the same time. Holding this move can help you build strength in your back and ab muscles to keep you sitting tall.
Here's how it's done:
Grab a dumbbell and get into a pushup position. With your hands under your shoulders and your body forming a straight line from your head to your heels. Separate your feet so they are slightly wider than hip-width and turn them so they both point to your left. Keeping your right palm on the floor, hold the dumbbell with your left hand and perform a row. Make sure not to let your torso rotate with the weight of the dumbbell. Once done, do the same to the other arm.
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If you're looking for a core exercise that gets your whole body involved, the Half Turkish Get Up might just be your speed. Working everything—including your shoulders, hips, back, core, arms, and so many other muscles—this fully body exercise will help burn belly fat long after your work is complete.
Here's how it's done:
Lying face up, bend your right leg while keeping your left leg flat on the floor. Holding a dumbbell or kettlebell, raise your right arm straight overhead. Roll onto your left side and prop yourself up onto your elbow or hand, keeping your right arm overhead and your eyes on the weight. Pause, and then reverse the movement to return to the starting position. Perform all your reps on one side and then switch to the next.
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Imagine an exercise that requires that you move quickly while sitting on the floor, with your knees bent and elevated, while moving side-to-side. Sounds impossible, right? Well, it won't be for you. Not with practice, at least.
Here's how it's done:
Sitting on the floor, knees slightly bent, heels on the floor. Lean back slightly to engage your abs and rotate to the left, touching your fingertips to the floor. Rotate to the right, again touching fingertips to the floor, quickly alternating back and forth. Once you have the exercise down, make it more challenging by lifting your feet off the floor. Once that becomes easy, amp it up and add a medicine ball in the mix.
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Featured image by Getty Images

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