Exercises for Flat Belly | Top 5 You Can't Miss

By healthiergang writer , majoring in Medicine and Surgery.

The Flat Belly

Flat stomach… everyone's dream! The dream of a toned belly, to be exposed without embarrassment, is however, more and more frequently, also a male problem; however, a sedentary lifestyle and an unregulated diet make this goal difficult to achieve.

Despite this, a flat stomach can be obtained by anyone, men and women, as long as they arm themselves with perseverance and good will; developing the abdominal muscles is in fact relatively simple, the problem is precisely the constancy in training and exercise.

Obviously, if the problem is an accumulation of fat, having a flat stomach in a week is impossible. Be wary of magazines that promise miraculous results without effort and arm yourself with patience.

Swelling, however, can also be secondary to alterations in intestinal transit, so following a healthy and balanced diet can be of great help: therefore favor foods rich in fiber and make sure you are well hydrated.

But be careful, if your life is dynamic and your diet is correct, abdominal swelling may be due to a reduced tone of the muscles: long walks or aerobic activity are not enough, although this helps to dispose of the bacon. excess, to have an envious abdomen, it is absolutely necessary to perform targeted exercises.

Muscles of the Belly

First of all, it is good to know that the abdominal muscles, responsible for the appearance of the belly, are 4:

1. The rectus abdominis which occupies the central part of the abdominal belt and is the one responsible for the much desired "turtle";
2. The internal and external oblique muscles, which help to outline the hips and the lateral part of the belly;
3. The transverse muscle, a muscle responsible for holding the abdominal organs and which is the real responsible for the flat stomach, precisely because of its function as a "sheath". To simplify a bit, it is the muscle that comes into action when we "pull in" the belly.

5 Exercises for Flat Belly and Strong Abs

The exercises for the abdominals can be performed in the gym or comfortably at home, obviously equipped with an exercise mat.

Yes, it takes very little: the abdominal muscles do not require special equipment to perform an effective workout.

Whether you train at home or in the gym, the ideal would always be to start with a few minutes of warm-up, 15-20 minutes of exercise bike or running will be fine, especially if accompanied by dynamic stretching exercises .... unfortunately, by fatigue there is no escape! If you want results, you have to sweat and sacrifice at least 3-4 times a week!

But now let's see 5 of the best exercises to train the abdomen.

1. Crunch

One of the best exercises for a flat stomach and for strengthening your abs is the crunch. It is considered the basic exercise and there are many variations. For the starting position, lie down on the ground and flex your legs so that the knees form a 90 ° angle.

Cross your hands behind your head and slowly raise your shoulders keeping the lumbar spine resting on the ground, folding in on yourself with the abdomen, being careful not to tilt your head forward (the head-chest distance must remain unchanged).

2. Shelf

It is one of the best exercises to strengthen the abdominal "core". Perfect execution is essential for its effectiveness, in fact the body must form a straight line from head to toe and to maintain this position it is necessary to contract many muscle groups. The "plank" is therefore a static exercise: lie down on the ground, with the abdomen facing down; Bend your elbows 90º so that they are aligned with your shoulders. Rest only on your forearms and on your toes.

Remember that the elbows must remain exactly under the shoulders. Start with holding the position for 30 seconds and practice to get to hold the position for as long as possible.

3. Plank Lateral

It is one of the lesser known exercises but for this reason it is no less important. Start by lying on your side and then lean, lifting, on one forearm, taking care to keep your body perfectly in line.

Raise the contralateral arm, perpendicular to the body, and hold the position for at least 30 seconds; with practice you will be able to reach even a minute before getting off. This exercise is perfect for working the obliques.

4. Bicycle

One of the most important flat stomach exercises is cycling. Start by lying on the mat and placing your hands crossed behind your neck; raise your shoulders slightly without bending your neck (if you feel it hurts, stop and rest for 10 seconds before resuming the exercise).

Raise your legs, keeping them bent and, contracting your abdominals, bring your right knee closer with your left elbow and vice versa, with an alternating motion.

5. Reverse crunch

One of the best exercises for a flat stomach and strengthened abs is the reverse crunch. It can be done on the ground or on a flat bench. To begin, lie on your back with your hips flexed 90 degrees, legs parallel, and knees flexed or extended. The hands can grasp a fixed point to facilitate the exercise or they can be left free.

The execution consists of flexing the spine by pushing the knees (variant with bent legs) or feet (variant with knees extended) upwards (the exercise is also known as rising flag), or towards the head.

In case you decide to push up, the hips extend slightly during the concentric phase, while all the angles of the body except that of the spine must remain unchanged. Important note to this exercise: make sure you push with your abs and not your legs!

Conclusion

Browsing the internet or in many fitness magazines, you will find plenty of abdominal exercises that involve moving the lower limbs.

In reality, we know that the abdominal muscles have no insertion on the legs, so any exercise that involves any movement of these, is not physiologically correct to train the abdominal muscles.

The same argument can be applied to all those exercises that see the feet constrained, such as the classic sit-up; in it, in fact, the abdominals do not lengthen and shorten as occurs during a normal contraction, but develop considerable strength while maintaining their length unchanged, therefore we speak of isometric contraction.

One final consideration is about proper breathing technique when performing these exercises, which can help you get the most out of each of them.

The abdominal muscles are exhalation muscles, so in the active phase of the exercises exhale deeply, starting to empty the lungs at the beginning of the movement, so that the diaphragm does not hinder the contraction and the work of these in the point of greatest shortening.

With these small tricks, in a short time, you will undoubtedly be able to obtain excellent results.

Our articles should be used for informational and educational purposes only and are not intended to be taken as medical advice. If you are concerned, consult a health professional before taking dietary supplements or making major changes to your diet.