Okay ladies, if you want your core muscle workouts to give you the results you’re hoping for, you might want to check this article out.
As a word of caution, this isn’t going to be a miracle workout on how to instantaneously get a flat stomach or six-pack abs.
But what it will do is provide you the mindset for the quickest way to get a flat stomach.
Fact: Abdominal muscles must be trained just like any other muscle. While abs are made in the kitchen, you still need to work them.
Raise your hand if you’ve ever had trouble getting your pants on. Or if you feel self-conscious about summertime apparel. Specifically putting on a bikini or mid-drift revealing outfits.
Anatomically we don’t need six-pack abs, so why do we strive for flat and tight abs. Blame in on the magazines, the models walking the runways, or the aforementioned reasons. Whatever your reasoning for wanting to tone and flatten your stomach here is a list of items to keep in mind on how to get a flatter stomach.
Table of Contents
Best Mindset For Flat Abs
Work hard – biologically women will have a harder time getting six-pack abs. We just aren’t built for it. This isn’t a reason to give up. You’ve seen the men working their tails off to get those sculpted abs. If you want to get a flat stomach, you should give your best and work just as hard as men do. Working out can focusing on your abs will give you the abs you want, but it will take a lot of work and effort. Be prepared to earn those abs!
Slow and steady – like most exercises, if you go too fast, you start to use momentum and you’re not working the targeted muscles. Just because you can do 100 crunches doesn’t mean your that much closer to your goal. If 50 of them are you just yanking your neck up, you’re defeating the purpose.
Abdominal workouts are much more effective when done slow. You want to feel the burn. I know you may be pressed for time and you have to get home and cook dinner or pick up kids, or run errands…but you need to resist the urge to crank out the reps and be done with it.
Additionally, if you’re going fast, using proper form usually goes out the window too. During your next ab workout, do each rep with a 2-4 second eccentric and do half as many.
You’ll most likely be able to do them in the same amount of time, but the targeted workout will be much more effective. When you wake up the next morning and feel the soreness, you can send me a thank you card.
Be consistent – as I mentioned, there is no magical pill or elixir you can take to give you the abs you so desire by the next morning. It will take consistency and determination. Just because you can’t see them popping, doesn’t mean the abs exercises aren’t working.
Think long-term and keep hitting those abs. You’ve probably heard the term mind to muscle connection. As you’re going through your ab routine, focus on using your abs. You have to fight the urge to cheat, so be sure you’re using your abs during your ab routine.
It sounds silly, but you would be surprised at what other muscles you engage to help you get to that last rep.
Don’t worry about reps, worry about working the intended muscle.
Proper form – a sore neck is usually the end result of using poor technique. If you’ve ever done an abdominal workout, only to feel like you got a huge kink in your neck the next morning, you’ve probably used bad form.
Tucking your chin down to your sternum during your crunches is the main culprit. Keep your neck in a neutral position during your ab workout. Your neck and your abs will thank you.
Seek guidance – if you’re new to exercise and don’t know what you’re doing or what exercises to do, get some help. There are a ton of resources available online these days that will show you exactly how to perform a variety of ab routines.
The last thing you want to do is injure yourself just as you’re getting started on your road to a flat stomach.
Eat well – I would be remiss if I didn’t bring up nutrition. There’s no question about it, but getting a flat stomach is going to be based on eating correctly. If you aren’t’ watching what you’re stuffing into your mouth, it won’t matter how many perfectly executed crunches or planks you do.
Ask anybody with abs what is the one thing you need to do to get that flat stomach and nutrition will be the answer. And this doesn’t mean starving yourself.
This means driving past fast-food restaurants…this means not drinking that 500 calorie shake/juice/energy drink every day. I could write an entire separate article on proper nutrition (and probably will) but most of you already know what you should and shouldn’t be consuming. It’s a matter of will and self-control.
Conclusion On Quickest Way To Get A Flat Stomach
This article isn’t about what exercises to do for your abs workouts for a flat stomach. This is more of a mindset and things to notice as you’re doing your workout. A full-body workout really will be the key to burning calories and reducing your body fat percentage. This is what you really need to be focusing on.
Getting your body fat down to a level where you’re newly toned abs can shine through.
There are two at-home workout programs that can show you all the workouts and the nutrition plans you need to achieve your goals. I’ve written a review of both of these programs, that I would recommend.
The first is the Bodyweight Burn program, and the second is the Turbulence Training program.
Both of these programs teach you how to do at-home workouts using either just your bodyweight or minimal weights.
They both contain lessons on how to do the workouts, how often, and they’re easy to follow. You could have transformations like these if you stick to the program.
Both of these programs work! You need to take the first step if you want to make changes!
FAQ on Getting Flat Abs
How do I lose belly fat?
Focus on your nutrition. Flat abs are made in the kitchen so eat plenty of protein and fiber. Keep the sugar and saturated fats to a bare minimum.
How do I make my abs stand out?
Everybody has ab muscles, but the only way to get them to stand out is to reduce your body fat percentage so they stick out.
Can I do ab workouts every day?
Yes, the ab muscles are one of the few muscles you can exercise at a moderate level every day.
Are situps good ab exercises?
Ab exercises such as planks, leg lifts, and supported crunches are good ab exercises. Incorporating cardio and weight resistance will also be beneficial.