Abs: Burn Fat, Lose Weight, and Get That Flat Stomach

Everyone has abs...sometimes it's just a matter of what's covering them. If you really want a flat stomach then you need to focus both on burning fat and strengthening those muscles. I have both seen and tried many different abdominal exercises. Some were completely new to me while others were ones that I have known since briefly running track my freshman year of high school. I tried nearly all of the exercises that I came across and found quite a few that I liked. I'll list the ones I use, explain them briefly, and then provide one or two example routines that I use and really like to help me burn fat fast, lose weight, and get a flat stomach.

Crunch
Yes, the basic crunch is great for burning fat and losing weight. There are many different variations such as using an exercise ball or holding a weight. However, just the basic crunch is a great place to start for beginners. It's even a good exercise for the more experienced. Simply hold a weight plate on your chest when performing it. Ok, so for those who aren't sure how to do a crunch here it is. Lie on your back on the floor with your feet flat and your knees bent. Then hold your hands on your shoulders or by your ears. Finally, lift your torso enough to bring your shoulder blades off the ground and reach your elbows toward your thighs without moving your hands. That's about it, pretty easy huh? (Note: Try not to put your hands behind your head as there is a tendency to pull your head up with them when performing the crunch.)

V-Up
This one is also relatively easy to perform. Again, lie on your back, but this time with your legs straight out. Keep your arms straight at your sides for now. Then lift your legs (while straight), torso, and arms off the floor. As you raise your arms, keep them straight and point them toward your toes. Then slowly lower yourself back down.

Reverse Crunch
To perform the reverse crunch, lie on your back with your feet flat on the floor (like the normal crunch). However, keep your hands at your sides and raise your knees toward your chest. Then return to the starting position.

Bicycle
Begin this exercise lying flat on your back, legs straight, and hands by your ears. Raise your torso and your left leg toward your chest. While raising your torso, twist to bring your right elbow to your left thigh. Then lower back down slightly and repeat on the other side. When you lower back down between reps, don't let your legs go all the way to the floor. Instead, perform multiple reps (about 12-15 to each side) before lowering all the way to the floor to complete the exercise. This exercise will help you burn fat, lose weight, and reveal great oblique ab muscles.

Vertical Leg Raise
This one might take a bit more abdominal strength than the other ones. Lie on your back with your legs straight up in the air and your hands at your sides. Then simply raise your legs toward the ceiling, tightening your abs. Lower back to the starting position. You may also rotate both your legs slightly to one side while raising them. This will focus more on the obliques. Just be sure to rotate in the opposite direction for your next rep.

Planck
This is one of my favorite ab exercises. Start face down with your elbows on the floor (or a towel to make it softer on them) and your legs straight out behind you. All you need to do is rise up on your elbows and toes, keeping your legs and back straight. You should feel your abs tighten when you do this. Hold this exercise for a period of time rather than a number of repetitions.

I generally try to do 2-3 different exercises every other day. I like to do 3 sets of each exercise and 12-15 repetitions per set. For the planks, I usually hold that position for about 30 seconds as one set. An example of something I might do to lose weight is:

Crunch
Set 1: 12-15 repetitions
45-60 second rest
Set 2: 12-15 repetitions
45-60 second rest
Set 3: 12-15 repetitions
60-75 second rest before next exercise

Bicycle
Set 1: 12-15 repetitions
45-60 second rest
Set 2: 12-15 repetitions
45-60 second rest
Set 3: 12-15 repetitions
60-75 second rest before next exercise

Planck
Set 1: hold for 30 seconds (or however long you desire/are able to)
Done

Of course, you may choose to do the planck as a first or second exercise and perform 3 sets. I just like to end my ab workout with it and usually hold it for as long as I can. However, all of these exercises have given me great results with more visible abs. Just remember that some exercises focus on different parts of the abs such as the upper, lower, or obliques (sides). So although they are all great exercises, be sure to switch up one of them every so often to work your abs more evenly. If you stick with it you should be burning fat, losing weight, and starting to get a flat stomach in no time!