Are sick of going to the beach only to keep your shirt on because you are too embarrassed about your midsection? Are you having trouble losing the belly fat and getting a tone stomach? Have ripped abs been eluding you your whole life? If you are reading this I can assume the answer to all of these questions is a LOUD yes. So what is the solution?
The solution has 2 components:
1. First, you have to get your body fat down to 10% or below for men and between 14% and 16% or below for women. This sounds hard, but with a little extra effort and the proper nutrition this is easily attainable.
Most people have 6 pack abs already, but don't know it. They’re hiding beneath that top layer of fat surrounding their midsection, just waiting to be uncovered. With body fat percentages above 10%, your ripped abs will never see the light of day. I don't care if you do 5,000, 10,000 or 20,000 sit-ups a day, if you don't lose that top layer of fat, you will never see your abs.
To burn off this layer of fat, you have to eat right and do interval training. Interval training is a type of training that involves explosive bursts of high intensity work, like sprinting, followed by periods of rest or low activity. A good example would be sprinting for 1 minute followed by walking and resting for 2 minutes.
2. The second requirement, which I will focus on here, is to do a combination of different stomach exercises and stomach workouts. Why a combination? Doing different stomach exercises, and changing up your workouts regularly, causes muscle confusion. Muscle confusion prevents your body from hitting a plateau and keeps your muscles growing. This system of muscle confusion will result in stronger and more ripped abs in a shorter amount of time. I train my abs every other day with 3 different stomach workouts each week. I usually keep that same cycle for 3 weeks and then completely change it up for the next 3 weeks. It takes a little extra planning, but the results are well worth it.
To help you out with the second requirement, and give you a few more stomach exercises for your tool box, I have compiled a list of my top 10 favorite ab exercises. Some of them you are probably familiar with and some may be completely new to you. Each exercise will target a specific section of your abdomen from multiple angles, being sure to hit every area in the midsection. There is no right or wrong order to do these in, just try to do each exercise for 1 minute (approximately 25 reps) and give yourself a 30 second break in between. Aim to complete 6-10 of these exercises in one session for a real gut busting workout.
The first 5 exercises are the same ones from my 5 minute stomach workout. They require you to be in the C-Sit/V-Sit positions.
Starting Position C-Sit/V-Sit Positions:
- Begin sitting on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.
- Place your hands together next to your rear end, or for a more advanced move, lift them into the air so your biceps are next to your ears.
- Recline back so that your body is angled about 45 degrees.
This is the C-Sit or V-Sit position and is the starting point for many stomach exercises.
1. In-and-Out
- Get into the C position.
- Lift your legs slightly off of the floor. Once lifted off the floor, extend them out in front of you.
- Once you have extended them all the way in front of you, bring your knees back towards your chest.
Advanced: Place your arms in the air so your biceps are next to your ears while doing the exercises.
2. Bicycles
- Remain in the C position. Beginners can rest their hands on the floor next to your butt for added support.
- Bring both knees up to a 45-degree angle with your feet off the floor.
- Slowly perform a bike pedal motion by bringing your right knee closer to your chest and touching your left elbow to it, as you do this, straighten your left leg. Your hip flexors and lower stomach will most likely start to burn, but work through it.
Advanced: Place your arms and hands in the air so your biceps are next to your ears and your hands are reaching for the ceiling.
3. Scissors
- Lie on the floor, pressing your lower back into the ground with your legs fully extended in front of you.
- Lift both legs about 6-8 inches off the ground. Now continue upwards with your right leg so it ends up as close to a 90 degree angel to the floor. Your legs now look like an open pair of scissors.
- The movement is simple. You lower your right leg while at the same time lifting your left leg into the 90 degree angle position. It will look like a pair of scissors opening and closing.
Advanced: Use some ankle weights to increase the intensity.
4. Russian Twist
- Start off in the C position.
- Clasp both of your hands together making a fist.
- Bring both knees up to a 45-degree angle with your feet off the floor.
- Place the fist you have made on the right side of your body next to your butt.
- Now take your clasped hands and move them in front of your body over to your left side, stopping them near the left side of your butt. You are simply moving your clasped hands from side to side. Your feet will want to fall, but tighten up your core and work through the burn.
Advanced: Do this same movement holding a weight or a medicine ball.
5. Oblique Crunches
Oblique crunches are great for targeting your oblique muscles. They help in eliminating love handles and giving you that smaller tighter waist line.
- Lie on your right side with your legs together. Your left leg will be on top of your right leg. Bend your knees to a 33 degree angle.
- Place your left hand on the side of your head, covering your left ear.
- Crunch your side as high as you can, focusing the movement to work the oblique muscles as much as possible. Squeeze your core and obliques as hard as you can at the top of the movement.
- Slowly lower yourself down Resisting the whole way.
- After completing one minute on the left side, switch and repeat on the right side.
Advanced: If you are a master at this exercise, try adding a little weight.
6. Captains Chair
The captain's chair leg raise is a great all around stomach exercise, but really zeros in on the oblique muscles. The key to this movement is to avoid swinging the legs or using momentum to bring the legs up. Use your abs to lift your legs.
- Stand on a chair and grip the arm rests to stabilize your upper body.
- Press your lower back against the back of the chair making sure the small of your back is flat against the pad. Start to raise the legs and lift knees towards your chest keeping your core tight the whole time.
- Don't arch the back or swing the legs up.
- Slowly lower back down and repeat.
7. Floor Wipers (Advanced Technique)
This advanced technique was made famous with the 300 workout. It hits all areas of the abdomen. The movement of your legs should look like windshield wipers on a car.
- Lie down flat, pressing your lower back into the floor with your legs fully extended in front of you.
- Extend your arms out to your sides; hands placed palm side down on the floor. Your feet should be together.
- Lift both legs toward the ceiling until your feet are situated above your hips at about a 90 degree angle to the floor. If you can not get them to a 90 degree angle to the floor, just do the best you can.
- Tighten up your core and abs while lowering your legs toward the floor on your right side.
- Bring your legs all the way over to the right side until you are touching the floor with your toes. This move should be slow and controlled. Hold that contraction for a moment and then lift the legs upright again.
- Immediately lower the legs to the left side of your body, hold for a few moments, and then return to your starting position.
8. V-Ups
- Lie down, pressing your lower back into the floor with your legs fully extended in front of you. Your legs should be lifted to a 45 degree angle.
- Extend your arms out like you are reaching for the ceiling.
- The motion is basically a leg lift with a sit-up. Lift your legs together towards the ceiling without bending your knees. At the same time, lift you torso up and touch your toes. If done correctly, your body will look like a V in its ending position.
- Once you have touched your toes, slowly lower back down into the original position resisting the whole way down.
9. Suitcase Crunch (Medicine Ball Needed)
This is a great exercise. It really hits the upper and lower abs at the same time.
- Lie on your back pushing your lower back into the floor with your legs straight.
- Use both hands to hold a medicine ball above your head and slightly off the floor
- Simultaneously raise your torso and bend your right knee toward your chest as you lift the ball up over your knee and toward your foot.
- Reverse the movement and repeat, this time bending your left knee.
10. Planks
The plank exercise is a great finishing exercise. Plank exercises are one of the best moves to strengthen your core. It has been said that Bruce Lee was a huge fan of this exercise.
- Lie face down on a mat, carpet or any flooring, resting on your forearms with your palms flat on the floor.
- Push off the floor, rise up onto your toes and rest your body weight on your forearms. This looks similar to a push-up, but you’re resting on your forearms instead of your hands.
- Keep your neck and back flat, in a straight line from head to heels, all the while keeping your core tight.
- Tilt your pelvis in and tighten your core to prevent your butt from sticking up in the air or sagging in the middle.
- Hold this for as long as you can. I have seen people do this upwards of 7 minutes, but 1-2 minutes is a good start.
Advanced: To make this move even more challenging, try lifting one leg in the air behind you for 10 seconds, then switching to the opposite leg.
For more great workout tips, recipes and exercises, please visit www.eflattenstomach.com.
