Ask Me Help Desk - Best way to get a flat stomach.

Hi.

Firstly - Im a girl, 19 years old, thin build, average height, fairly healthy..
(I am presuming that info might help you to answer my question)

Ive been wanting for ages now to get a flat stomach and reduce the amount of flesh on my hips. I am not overweight (most likely underweight) and am not focusing on losing weight. I try to eat healthy whenever I can although I am on the move a lot so often just eat what is easiest at the time.

I have tried before doing sit-ups daily but it didn't really give me a flat stomach it just gave me muscles!

What exercises could I do at home without going to the gym? I would say that I could on average spend up to 1 hour on this per day.

I also heard hula-hooping was good for toning up the stomach area and losing the "chub" so I bought a hoop but cannot hula! Arr!

Any advice is welcome..

The absolute best way to have a flat stomach is doing crunches. Visit this website:

Welcome to a Great Workout!

After viewing, let us know what you think. I think it is great for what you want and more.

My wife has a stomach that rivals or beats many women more than ten years younger than her.

She is strong, powerful, has a flat tummy with a sexy line down the middle. She doesn't have the "fitness model 6/8 pack" that people crave, but who cares? That, for some, is almost impossible. You have to have such a low % body fat or you need to spend more time than most have on building those muscles.

She did this largely through pilates... which I always suggest for anyone trying to strengthen your core. Yes... it will help define your muscles, and that's not just what you are asking about... but stronger muscles in your core are an important part of being fit and getting that tummy you want. When she started her current program, one that I also use in a modified form, she wasn't really heavy... just wanted to be tighter at the stomach. Now, I swear you could bounce a quarter off her stomach, it is so tight.

That's what a year of consistent, hard work can do. Within 4-6 weeks of a daily, good workout, she saw results. In another 3-4 months, it cranked in even more. Now, with an advanced workout, she can do things that are amazing... strong power and great form came from a deliberate plan and a lot of work, about an hour a day... sometimes a little more.

We bought two video sets a couple of years ago. One was a billy blanks tae bo set, and the other was a stott pilates dvd set. The tae bo gets into your arms a lot, but can also get into your sides and back... and even if you are focused on your abs... strengthening your sides and back is an important part of working your abs. your whole core needs to be strong to really crank things in.

The stott pilates dvd she uses, and that I use some moves from, is on the following page...

STOTT PILATES | At Home Video Series

Scroll down and find the four vid set that starts with The Secret to Flat Abs.

If you don't want to get this set, you can buy that individual dvd at Amazon cheaply... think I saw one for sale for about $8. and the great thing about dvds is you can do them at your convenience.

The stott pilates does a good job of teaching you about proper breathing and form, and how to engage your muscles right. You can get so much better, and safer, results using the right form and method of workout, and I think ab work is one area where people often do a lot of bad things... wrong technique, dangerous choices, failure to maximize your effort...

The work I do, and suggest, is crunches (standard, then bicycle, then pike as you get stronger), pilates type situps and half rollbacks, plank (a pilates move... think pushup but staying in the up position... no up and down... and you hold yourself up with your forearms on the ground, not with your hands... you just hold your body straight like a board, hence "plank")...

Plank position, since I didn't describe it all too well...

Attachment 14207

Also, here's an online vid that shows you some good tips for crunches, done by jillian michaels, of the TV show the biggest loser fame... you might need to pause the video when it starts to let it buffer so it doesn't keep stopping... I let it buffer for a few minutes and it ran better than without the pause.

Jillian Michaels shows you how to get six pack abs

So... I've seen what good work with proper form and an ability to really engage that muscle right can do... but it might mean a workout 5 times a week and patience.

Most muscle groups should not be worked every day. You need to give them time to rest. Your abs are different. If you are doing a decent workout, there's no reason why you cannot work your abs everyday, or every other day if needed.

Pilates mixed with tae bo, one dvd one day and another dvd the next, was a great way to keep things interesting and work different muscle groups... remember... a cardio workout will amp your metabolisn, decreasing body fat, helping you get to your goal of a tighter tummy.

Hi tickle and kp2171,

I have thought about Pilates before but it didn't occur I could get a DVD and do it at home, I think its worth a shot.

Will I need any equipment other than the DVD and appropriate clothes (like a matt or anything)?

Thanks!

A good quality mat is nice... I like Gaiam's stuff, but it can be pricey...

This set, from gaiam, has a belt, mat, and blocks for $40... but I think the mat looks a little thinner than the one I like best. I have a couple of thinner mats and they are fine
Restorative Yoga for Vitality Kit - Gaiam

I just like my thicker one better... it has more weight to it so it doesn't slide around so much, stays flat easier

I've also seen their stuff at target, and I've been impressed with some of the better quality exercise kits they (target) have been carrying in the last couple of years. Likewise, you'll see similar things at walmart or other big box stores, perhaps on sale during the holidays.

Usually the thicker mats are called "deluxe" or "premium" and state in the description that it's a "thicker" mat... but again... if you can get a starter set for the price of a better mat, you can always get another one later.

Don't forget to check out eBay.

Anyway, a mat can give you the traction you need for some of the poses. I use one. My wife does. Its just easier for getting traction.

A pilates ball, one of the bigger ones, can be nice to have, but you don't need it necessarily to begin. You can use it like a seat for controlled sitting ab work, you can use it while doing situps by holding it between your hands with straight arms, you can use it while doing crunches with your legs up on it...

But a ball does take up space. Always inflated.

And before you buy any dvd you might want to check out your local library. You can often check out exercise vid for free... you might not see the set I mentioned, but you might be able to try something out and see if its interesting. The stott ab workout is a little long for my liking, so I used it to learn good form and I use several moves, whereas my wife might do the whole thing.

There are other things you can buy to enhance a pilated workout, but id hold off. We have bands and small weighted balls, several sized inflated balls, and a set of small hoops. I'm sure my wife has some other contractions around too.

Oh... along with the mat, a set of foam "bricks" can be helpful. You can use them for support, for ex, when doing a pose where you might not have the flexibility or strength to reach as shown.

So get a mat for sure, and maybe a set (2 is fine) of pilates "bricks" if you can... if you cant, fine.

For clothes, just comfortable clothes you can stretch in. you be holding poses for a specific time, doing very slow, controlled movements. Doenst sound like much, but its easy to break a sweat in no time.

Crunches is a great way to get a flat stomach, but there certainly is nothing wrong with building muscle. Even if your stomach is not "flat", a little muscle is actually an attractive thing. Most people women or men would be more than happy to have six pack abs lol.

Pilates is actually used to develop core strength. I think I said I didn't enjoy it because it wasn't for me and I have a lot of success at other methods throughout the years. It could be my pilates instructor was a tad 'i actually know more about this then you do' attitude the whole session. It didn't impress me because we were all students. And as students probably should have been started slow.

The key to a flat stomach is having a proper diet, which you admit to not be doing. Lean meats, leafy greens, and whole grains are key. A good exercise routine comprised of both resistance and endurance training should be incorporated.

Cinnabar, I can give you a few reasons crunches are good for a flat stomach, some of them technical. If anyone wants 'spot' reduction for the ab area, that is what can be done. Having worked out for years at my own regime, crunches have always helped me maintain a relatively flat stomach, even at my age. I do agree that a proper diet is important, and being a diabetic, I do so agree with you on that point.

We all have our own workout tips that have worked throughout the years. One of mine just happens to be crunches.

In this instance your disgree is not acceptable. Please explain why crunches will not work.

Tickle - Sorry, what do you mean by "spot" reduction for the ab area?

Thanks everyone for your input :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by tickle

Cinnabar, I can give you a few reasons why crunches are good for a flat stomach, some of them technical. If anyone wants 'spot' reduction for the ab area, that is what can be done. Having worked out for years at my own regime, crunches have always helped me maintain a relatively flat stomach, even at my age. I do agree that a proper diet is important, and being a diabetic, I do so agree with you on that point.

We all have our own workout tips that have worked throughout the years. One of mine just happens to be crunches.

In this instance your disgree is not acceptable. Please explain why crunches will not work.

Kostek MA, et al. Subcutaneous fat alterations resulting from an upper-body resistance training program. 2007. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 39(7):1177-85.

Hi miss JS, I use spot reduction to refer to reducing, firming up one particular area of your body. My body is fine ( amazing at 66) most times but when I see my tummy getting a little, you know, fatty, I spot reduce, meaning crunches only for that area.

And, Cinnabar, back to you again, why is spot reduction not a useful term when I have been using spot reduction therapy for years and always worked for me. You are bound and determined to get your senseless disagrees I n there, aren't you.

So, why is it not a useful term. Your disagrees are senseless because you don't back them up with any information.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tickle

Hi miss JS, I use spot reduction to refer to reducing, firming up one particular area of your body. My body is fine ( amazing at 66) most times but when I see my tummy getting a little, you know, fatty, I spot reduce, meaning crunches only for that area.

And, Cinnabar, back to you again, why is spot reduction not a useful term when I have been using spot reduction therapy for years and always worked for me. You are bound and determined to get your senseless disagrees i n there, arent you.

So, why is it not a useful term. Your disagrees are senseless because you dont back them up with any information.

I cited a source for you in the post above this one. Please go back and look.

Yes, I saw that. Medical science sport exercises don't mean anything to a woman wanting to reduce by exercise. How do I access that information to see what it is ?

I am giving another woman the benefit of my own experience over the years by telling her to spot reduce, which you say is useless.

Miss-JS, here is a good website to access with explanation on crunches

Ab Crunches - Effective Ways of Toning Your Stomach - 15k

Quote:

Originally Posted by tickle

Yes, I saw that. Medical science sport exercises dont mean anything to a woman wanting to reduce by excercise. How do I access that information to see what it is ?

I am giving another woman the benefit of my own experience over the years by telling her to spot reduce, which you say is useless.

You are providing anecdotal experience which does not count as being reliable. Peer-reviewed research disagrees with you. You can look up journal citations at pubmed, which is free to view abstracts, since you don't have access to full articles.