Flat Stomach Exercise Routine
Holiday festivites can do a real number on your stomach muscles. It’s a good thing Get-Fit Guy is here to help
Ben Greenfield
If you’re eating a healthy diet and staying physically active, there’s no reason you shouldn’t have a flat stomach, right? In reality, it’s just not that simple. If you really want washboard abs, or even just a tighter tummy, then you need to incorporate exercises that create a belt of muscle around your entire mid-section. This belt serves to draw in the waist and keep the stomach flat.
Your flat stomach exercise routine should be done 2-4 times per week, and ideally include each of the following:
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Abdominal flexion, which will tighten the “rectus abdomonis”, or sheet of muscle tissue that is directly on the front of your stomach.
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Rotation, which will work the internal and external oblique muscles that are on the sides of your stomach
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Waist extension, which will incorporate the low back muscles to improve posture and allow you to keep your stomach sucked in
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A planking exercise, which will allow you to tone each of the muscles listed above in one all-encompassing exercise.
Try this flat stomach exercise routine as a circuit, which you repeat 3-4x through with minimal rest. You can click on any of the exercises to see a video.
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Little Bigs – perform 10-15 repetitions
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Side Plank Rotations – perform 8-10 repetitions per side
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Low Back Extensions – perform 10-15 repetitions
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Front Plank Reaches – perform 8-10 repetitions per side
Combined with proper eating and 45-60 minutes of daily exercise, you’ll see your stomach trim down quickly with this routine.
Abs image courtesy of Shutterstock
About the Author
Ben Greenfield received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from University of Idaho in sports science and exercise physiology; personal training and strength and conditioning certifications from the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA); a sports nutrition certification from the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN), an advanced bicycle fitting certification from Serotta. He has over 11 years’ experience in coaching professional, collegiate, and recreational athletes from all sports, and as helped hundreds of clients achieve weight loss and fitness success.