Flat Belly Exercises You Probably Aren't Doing

If you’re trying to get a nice and toned midsection you may be surprised that you’ve probably been doing flat belly exercises that don’t actually help you get a flat belly. If you’re like most, you probably immediately think about crunches and situps for getting your belly nice and flat. In reality, they are not the most effective flat belly exercises. There are other ones that actually are much better for toning up your midsection to look like you want it to look. You can do situps until you’re blue in the face, but doing situps and crunches alone is not going to get the results that you are hoping for. Instead, try some of these flat belly exercises. None of them require any special equipment and can be done anytime in pretty much any room in your house.

Make-Believe Bicycle

For this exercise, you need to lie on your back with your hands placed beside your head. Pick your knees up slightly so they’re about at about a 45 degree angle. Start moving your legs in a motion like you’re riding a bicycle, bringing the elbow opposite of your knee up to touch your knee each time. When your left knee comes up, touch it with your right elbow and vice versa. Remember to keep a natural breathing cycle going – don’t hold your breath.

Vertical Leg Crunches

This exercise is not only great for your rectus abdominis, but it also targets your obliques. Lie on your back and put your feet straight up in the air. Keep your legs slightly bent and cross your cross your ankles across one another. Now keep your legs in the same place while you slowly lift your shoulder blades off the floor. Hold for a few seconds, slowly lower your shoulders back down and repeat. An easy way to help you do this flat belly exercise properly is to imagine you’re pulling your belly button straight down through to your back while you’re holding yourself in the up position.

Backwards Crunches

This one targets your rectus abdominis and you should be able to feel it working on the bottom section of your abs. Lie down on the floor and keep your hands relaxed on the floor next to you. Bring your legs up so your knees are at about a 90 degree angle and cross your ankles. Using your abs, pull up so your hips come up off the floor. When your hips come up, your legs should extend up in the air. The movement you’re doing with each lift is minute. Ensure you aren’t kicking or swinging your legs to help get the momentum going.

As always, flat belly exercises alone are not going to give you a firm, flab-free midsection. In order to get the most benefit, use these exercises in conjunction with cardio workouts and a well-balanced diet.

Are you REALLY serious about getting a flat stomach? If so, check out the flat belly exercises at HeavyOnHealth. There are other resources at HeavyOnHealth that will improve your life, as well as your stomach. So go check it out!