The Best Stomach Exercises To Get A Flat Stomach Fast
By Donovan Baldwin

Really, it's not surprising that people like to look their best. It is also not very surprising that exercising their stomach muscles to get a flat stomach fast is usually a part of almost any fitness program.

With that in mind, if you are going to spens so much time and energy focused on this muscle group, isn't it a good idea to know what the best stomach actually exercises are?

There are many resources available for finding the best stomach exercises, and plenty of people are happy to tell you what they consider the best. So how can a person decide for themselves which truly are the best exercises for working their stomach muscles?

As I first pointed out in an article I wrote a few years ago, "The Best Weight Loss Program", the best stomach exercises are those that a person is willing to do. After all, no matter how effective the exercise CAN be, if a person isn't going to do them consistently the exercise will not benefit that particular individual. It is also important to note that the best stomach exercises do not necessarily require special equipment, if any, to perform them, although some machines and equipment, especially those specifically designated as Ab and Core Trainers may work quite well for some people.

When a person decides on a fitness program that includes stomach exercises to get a flat stomach fast, it is best to include stomach exercises that work the different parts of the stomach. If a person simply concentrates on one area of their stomach, there workout will not be as effective. The best stomach exercises, combine working the obliques, which are the side muscles, as well as the lower abdominals, the mid section and also the upper sections.

While there are many valuable abdominal exercises, the most popular stomach exercise has to the crunch. The crunch is the exercise of choice for exercisers of all levels who want a flat stomach, and it is a very effective exercise and convenient as well, since crunches can be performed just about anywhere without any equipment.

The next stomach exercise that is also very popular and goes along with the basic crunch is the side crunch, which works the oblique.

Some people consider the best stomach exercises to be those included in a Pilates workout. The reason for this is because in Pilates, the whole focus is on the core of the body which is the abdominal, or stomach muscles. Every movement in a Pilate's workout will either work the stomach muscles directly or indirectly.  These exercises can be easily found on the Internet. You can find examples of the exercises themselves or videos that can be purchased.

Another good exercise that many professional fitness trainers consider to be one of the best stomach exercises involves laying flat on your stomach, leg straight and then raising your body up using your arms as your hands are clasped together and keeping your body straight as if doing a pushup. Hold this position as long as you can stand. This is an excellent movement to strengthen the whole stomach.

It is in yoga that this movement is called "plank pose" and is an integral part of the Sun Salutation.

Bodybuilders and other fitness professionals often use a modified version with their weightlifting or other progressive resistance training program. In the modified version of Plank Pose, rather than supporting the body in what is essentially the "up" position of the pushup (a position laughingly referred to by my U. S. Army drill sergeants in basic training, as "the front leaning rest") with arms extended, the exerciser instead rests on elbows, forearms, and toes.

Ah yes! I remember basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina where I learned so much about life, fitness, and humor. After all, where else could you get a "trainer" who tells you to "drop down and start pushing the Earth away"? When we asked "How many?" they would often reply, "Just start pushing. You can quit when I get tired."

Remember again though that just because one person may consider a specific exercise to be the best stomach exercise that does not necessarily mean it is the best for everyone. Each person's body is built a little bit differently and will therefore respond differently to certain movements. Any one serious about working on the abdominal muscles will find it most helpful to try several different stomach exercises and then determine which one they can both feel and see results with. If one exercise is simply too hard to do correctly, or does not feel like it has done anything for the muscle group worked, that exercise is clearly not the best and the person should find what works best for them.

Find more exercises for the transverse abdominals at How to Lose Stubborn Belly Fat.

About the Author:
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Donovan Baldwin is a freelance writer residing in the Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas area, and a University of West Florida alumnus.He has been a member of Mensa and is retired from the U. S. Army after 21 years of service. In his career, he has held many managerial and supervisory positions. However, his main pleasures have long been writing, nature, health, and fitness. In the last few years, he has been able to combine these pleasures by writing poetry and articles on subjects such as health, fitness, weight lifting, yoga,weight loss, the environment, global warming, happiness, self improvement, and life. His blog on Senior Health and Fitness can be found at Fitness-After-40.ws.
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