February 27, 2005

Stomach Flattening Exercises – Easy Steps To A Six Pack Of Abs

Unfortunately, if any of us wants that nice, flat tummy, we have to continue doing our stomach flattening exercises. Doing abdominal exercises is often the most grueling and unpleasant part of a workout.  Your abdominals simply won’t tighten or flatten on their own.

That being said, many of us still waste precious time doing exercises that are either incorrect, or ineffective. In fact, many people do some form of stomach flattening exercise every single day, but see no results. It’s simply a matter of doing the right exercises.

Many people are still doing the traditional sit-up. This is the one where you lay on the ground with your knees bent and you sit all the way up, touching your hands to your toes. Unfortunately, regardless of what you were told in high school physical education, this type of ab exercise is completely ineffective.

This ab exercise is ineffective because when we do this type of sit-up, we rely on our hips and less on our abdominals, which can also lead to severe back strain. In fact, most of the abdominal tightening exercises that we perform actually cause more damage than good.

Three Effective and Useful Ab Exercises

So, if the traditional sit-up won’t work, what are some effective stomach flattening exercises that you can do? Here are three that will help you get flatter, tight stomachs:

The bicycle maneuver is a very effective ab exercise. To do this exercise, lie flat on the floor with your lower back pressed to the ground. Put your hands beside your head. Bring your knees up to about a 45-degree angle and slowly go through a bicycle pedal motion. Touch your left elbow to your right knee, then your right elbow to your left knee.

The captain's chair is another great tummy flattening exercise, although you will need equipment in your gym to perform this one. To do the exercise, stabilize your upper body by gripping the handholds of the machine and lightly pressing your lower back against the back pad of the equipment. The starting position begins with you holding your body up while your legs dangle below. Then you slowly lift your knees in toward your chest. The motion should be controlled and deliberate as you bring your knees up and return them back to the starting position.

Crunches on an exercise ball are also effective stomach flattening workouts. To do them, sit on the ball with your feet flat on the floor, letting the ball roll back slowly. Then lie back on the ball until your thighs and torso are parallel with the floor. Cross your arms over your chest and slightly tuck your chin in toward your chest. Next, contract your abdominals raising your torso to no more than 45 degrees. If you need a little help with balance, spread your feet wider apart

Even the most diligent exerciser has trouble with abs. If you’ve been working out your abdominals, but aren’t seeing results, try doing some of the stomach exercises suggested here.  We also suggest that you surf the net and do an online search for: free exercises to flatten stomach to get some new ideas!

About The Author:
Erin McMillan is a talented and successful freelance writer. Her various writings provide relevant information and wonderfully researched resources for novice and experienced weight lifters and exercise enthusiasts wanting to learn more about working out, fitness nutrition, weight lifting equipment and exercise tips. Erin loves sharing knowledge and education through her numerous writings and educational articles.

By: Erin McMillan
http//www.a1-weight-lifting-equipment.com