It seems that everyone wants to have flat abs, and it is possible to have the body shape you desire. The modern lifestyle has been largely responsible for our flabby bellies, but the good news is that we can do something about it. The best workout for flat abs can be done at home, by making some changes to your lifestyle and eating habits.
It all starts with what you eat. Yes, of course you have heard it all before! That’s because it is correct. We eat too much and move too little. To lose that rounded belly, we need to burn fat and build muscle. The best way to do that is to eat less and move more; we need to burn more calories than we eat each day.
The first step in your workout for flat abs is to control what you eat. Eat five to six smaller meals each day to keep your metabolism up and prevent hunger pangs. Eat lots of lean protein, as it is the building block of muscle. Good sources of protein are skinless chicken, fish, dried beans and lentils, nuts and non-fat dairy products.
Balance is important in a healthy diet, so get your carbohydrates from fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grain breads and cereals, dried beans, nuts and non-fat dairy. Drink lots of water; snack on fruit smoothies, nuts and fruit; get enough sleep and avoid fried, fatty, fast and highly processed foods.
An important step in your flat abs workout is to get active. Aim for 30 minutes of physical activity every day, with a cardio session on 5 days of the week. You can walk, use a treadmill or rower, cycle, run or swim – enough to get your heart rate up and to be breathing harder than usual. While you are doing cardio exercise you are burning extra fat, building and toning muscle, increasing your general fitness and mobility and preparing your abs for stronger exercise.
Strength training and specific abs exercises are among the best workout for flat abs. Strength training focusing on muscles in the torso, including the abdominals, will strengthen the core, improve coordination and balance and enable you to perform more difficult abs exercises. Always warm up before strength training, with some light cardio and stretches, and do the same to cool down afterwards.
Strength exercises can be using machines at a gym, but you can also use your own body weight as the resistance in strengthening exercises like The Plank, The Side Plank and Oblique Crunches. Research online and you will find lots of different abs strengthening exercises that don’t require specific equipment, but will be a great part of your best workout for flat abs.
