Stomach Flattening Exercises for Men

The elusive flat stomach is difficult to achieve without discipline and some hard work. All those marketing gimmicks which propagate six pack abs and the idea of a flat stomach without breaking a sweat, are misleading. The only way to get a flat stomach without sweating is probably getting a surgery and in this too, you might break out into a sweat after seeing the doctor's bill. According to fitness enthusiasts, when it comes to toning your body, the tummy is the first one to come and the last one to go. The general rule of thumb is that when you workout the bigger muscles, you will experience more calorie burn. So when you run on a treadmill for 20-40 minutes you will burn a good number of calories and experience fat loss.

Unused body fat is stored in the stomach, people who do not exercise or have unhealthy lifestyle develop a belly which might look undesirable. We live in a vain world and we are judged by the way we look and the standard of looking good nowadays is a flat stomach. Some effective stomach flattening exercises for men are given below.

Crunches
One of the most effective exercises to do at home is the abdominal crunches, they concentrate on your abdominal muscles, helping you get a flat stomach. There are different types of crunches which you could do to match your physical condition.

• Traditional Crunch : Lie down on your back on a yoga mat and fold your legs at the knee joints, such that your soles touch the ground. If you are a beginner ask your friend to stand on your feet and cross your hands behind your head. Tuck in your chin so that it touches your chest and lift your upper body and touch your chest on the knees. Do 2-3 sets of 15-20 repetitions each, these tummy flattening exercises can give you good results.
• Reverse Crunch : Lie down on your back on a yoga mat and lift your legs to form a ninety degree angle with your torso. Do not bend your legs at the knee, when they are in the elevated position. Once you are in this start position crunch your legs towards your head and feel the abdominal muscles strain. Keep your hands to the side of the body to provide stability.
• Decline Bench Crunches : These are an advanced version of the traditional crunch and abdominal exercises. Lie down on a decline bench, with your head on the side of the bench which is closer to the ground. Ask your friend to sit on your legs to prevent you from sliding down, then pull your body up to touch your legs. Do 10-12 repetitions in the beginning and as you get used to the range of motion increase it to 15-20 and do 2-3 sets to lose belly fat quickly.

Leg raises
Lie down on your back with your legs extended in front of you in such a way that your toes are pointed skywards. Keep your hands beside your hips and lift your legs to form a forty-five degree angle from the ground. Lift your legs slowly and avoid any jerky movements to prevent injuries, sudden jerks may cause sprains in your lower back.

Another advanced exercise is the hanging leg raises. To do this exercise, hang from a push up bar with outstretched arms and lift your legs in front of you to get flat stomach. Men who find this difficult can also bring their legs up to the chest level by bending their knees, this is one of the most effective exercises for lower abs.

Try the leg squats and stability ball routines. To get a flat stomach it is also important to have a good abs diet and a cardiovascular exercise routine to complement your stomach exercises.