Flat abs can make you comfortable in your jeans.
Doing hundreds of crunches and sit-ups is not going to give you flat abs. Spending hours upon hours in the gym is not going to give you that desired six-pack. In order to get flat abs, a combination of a healthy diet and cardiovascular and weight training routine is required. There are fast workouts you can incorporate to speed up your results, but if you don't eat right, you will sabotage your results.
Instructions
1. Join a local gym. By joining a gym close to your home, you are less likely to make excuses not to go. A gym provides both weight-lifting and cardiovascular equipment that you will need to flatten that belly. If you prefer working out at home, you'll need to buy exercise equipment such as free weights and a treadmill or stationary bike. More-affordable cardiovascular exercise option are jogging outdoors or using a workout DVD.
2. Incorporate up to 20 minutes of interval cardiovascular training two days per week. Interval training means switching back and forth between the intensity that you are working out at. For example, sprint at high intensity on the treadmill for 20 seconds followed by a 60-second, low-intensity recovery period. By constantly switching the intensity, you burn more calories and fat than you would when doing one same-intensity cardiovascular exercise.
3. Work out with weights two to three days per week. Weight training builds muscle mass. Muscles burns calories even when you're at rest. Train all muscles of the body since spot-reduction is not possible. You will have to lose fat from all over the body in order to lose that fat layer covering your abdominal muscles. Perform exercises such as biceps curls, overhead presses, triceps kickbacks, weighted squats, leg curls and weighted lunges. (See Resources)
4. Do five to seven minutes of abs-specific exercises two times per week. Traditional crunches, sit-ups and side bends are all good exercises. For a crunch, lie on your back, knees bent, feet on the floor. Put your hands behind your head. Gently crunch up, using your abdominal muscles, not pulling on your head. Raise only a few inches from the ground. Lower your body again. For a sit-up, start in the same position as a crunch, but instead of only a few inches, try to raise your upper body to a vertical position and then lower. For a side bend, stand with your feet hip-width apart. Raise your right arm straight up and lean --- or crunch --- to the left. Repeat on the other side.
5. Re-evaluate your diet. Just exercising the body is not enough to give you flat abs. You also have to exercise your body's metabolism. Eating frequent, nutritious meals throughout the day will keep up your metabolism. Avoid restricting food; instead make healthful choices such as high-fiber and whole-grain products, lean protein and fruits and vegetables.
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