How to Get a Flat Stomach in 4 Weeks

Say it like a mantra: your stomach is more than your abs. While the six-pack may be the star of the show, it's your other core muscles -- the obliques and transverse abdominis -- that act as the literal supporting cast to hold you in and give you a well-defined torso. For faster toning, hit your core from all sides through workouts and healthy eating. You'll start with two reliable standards: the basic plank and crunch. You'll then challenge your body with variations that target your entire core. Perform cardio and integrate a bloat-busting diet, and you'll see noticeable tummy subtraction in four weeks.

The Plank and Beyond

Step 1
Master the plank to strengthen your core, back and shoulders. Move into a pushup position on the floor, with your weight supported or your palms and the balls of your feet. Make sure your body forms a straight line from your heels to the top of your head and your hands are directly under your shoulders with your elbows straight. Pull your navel toward your spine to engage your core muscles. Hold for one minute. Work up to two minutes.

Step 2
Hold the plank position, supporting your weight with your palms, to begin the horizontal plank, a variation of the traditional plank that targets your transverse abdominis . While keeping your back straight, shift your weight slightly to your left as you lift your right arm off the floor. Hold your right arm straight out, parallel to the mat. Lower your arm back to the floor slowly. Repeat for one set of 10. For an added challenge, hold a light-weight dumbbell in your right hand. Switch arms and repeat the exercise. After two weeks, work up to two sets of 10 on each arm

Step 3
Assume the plank position, this time with your feet on top of your stability ball. Tighten your abs, plant your palms on the floor with your elbows straight, and make sure your body is in a straight line from your toes to your shoulders -- you'll need the support. Using your feet to stabilize the ball, bend your knees and move your hips and core to draw a capital A with the ball, then B, and so on. Do as many letters as you can with good form, working up to the entire alphabet by the end of week two. Once you've mastered the alphabet, you can try numbers or simple shapes.

Step 4
Stand up straight, shoulders relaxed and feet shoulder-width apart, to begin a variation of the plank called the inchworm. Bend at the waist and place your palms on the floor in front of you. Carefully walk your hands out in front of you, letting your heels rise off the floor, until you're in the plank position. Keeping your back straight and core engaged, walk your feet forward slowly until you reach your hands -- your movement and body shape should mimic an inchworm. Repeat for one set of 10 to 15 "inches," working up to two sets after two weeks.

Crunches and More

Step 1
Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor and shoulder-width apart, to perform a crunch. Place your hands behind your head with your elbows bent. Tighten your stomach muscles to lift your head and shoulders off the floor. You're using your hands to support your head -- not to push your head forward -- which would put a strain on your neck. Slowly lower your head and shoulders to the floor, keeping your core tight. Repeat for one to three sets of 10 to 15 crunches.

Step 2
Move into the sit-up position, this time with your stability ball under the middle of your back. Make sure your feet are planted on the floor. Tighten your abs to perform a basic crunch, then move your upper body to the left, then forward, then to the right and back to your crunch position. Imagine you're drawing a large diamond or circle in the air with the top of your head. This movement engages your obliques. Repeat 10 times, then switch sides, moving to the right first instead of the left. Start with one set on each side, working up to two sets by the end of week two.

Step 3
Lie on the floor or a mat with your hands behind your head, legs extended, to perform reverse crunches. Pull your navel to your spine and press your lower back into the floor. Keep your back pressed to the floor as you lift your legs into the air, feet together, knees straight. You can cross your ankles if you choose. Slowly lower your legs back to start, keeping your core tight. Repeat for one set of 10, working up to three sets of 10 by the end of week three.

Step 4
Sit in a sturdy chair to perform a sitting variation of the crunch called the captain's chair. Sit on the edge of the chair, feet on the floor, with your palms planted on either side of your thighs and your fingers facing forward. Tighten your abs by pulling your navel toward your spine as you lift your feet off the floor and bring your knees to your chest. Slowly lower your feet back to start. Perform one to three sets of 10. If you're at a gym, you may find a piece of equipment called a captain's chair where you can perform this exercise.

Cardio and Diet

Step 1
Perform at least 150 minutes a week of moderate cardio, including running, cycling, swimming and elliptical exercise. For best results, work up to 300 minutes of cardio in weeks three and four. Regular cardio will help burn fat and expose the abdominal muscles you've been building.

Step 2
Eat 80 to 90 g of lean protein daily in fish, chicken, lean red meat, nuts, legumes and soy products. About 35 percent of your calorie intake should come from lean protein.

Step 3
Fight belly bloat by drinking plenty of water. While your actual water intake comes from both beverages and food, aim for at least eight 8-oz. glasses of pure water to keep yourself hydrated and prevent your body from retaining water.

Step 4
Avoid trans-fats or any food that contain the words "partially hydrogenated" anywhere on the ingredients list. Trans fats, which are used to increase food's shelf life, are notorious for packing fat around the waist.

Step 5
Cut back on sodium, carbonated drinks and caffeine, all of which increase belly bloat. Stick to 2,300 mg of sodium daily. This is especially important in week four, since a week of bloat can mask a month of hard workouts.

Warnings

Consider talking to your healthcare professional before you start a new fitness regimen.

Tips

Perform these exercise three times a week for best results, with a day of rest between each workout.
The goal with these exercises is to gradually increase your repetitions and sets over four weeks. For fastest results, push yourself to do as many good-form repetitions and sets as you can without pain.

Things You'll Need

Stability ball
Lightweight dumbbell
Exercise mat (optional)

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4 Simple Exercises That Will Flatten Your Stomach Faster and Easier Than Crunches Ever Can

Even though you believe that a flat stomach is always a result of numerous crunches and running for miles, it doesn’t necessary mean that it is the only way to have a tight and muscular abdominal area!

Namely, there are many effective exercises that will engage all the muscles of the core and will help you shed excess pounds in a faster and easier way.

This is how to perform them:

Abdominal Twist

This exercise is a bit uncommon, as it includes twisting, which will target the abdominal muscles and the obliques. In this way, it tightens the abdominal and the midsection muscles, so it is perfect to help you get rid of the love handles.

You should start in a lying position, with the feet flat on the ground. Your knees should be pointing upwards, just like when you are doing crunches.

Then, elevate your upper body in order to be 45 degrees off of the ground and twist the body to the left, then return to the initial position, and then twist to the right.

In order to elevate the level of the exercise, you can raise the legs off the ground. You can also hold a heavy object or a dumbbell in the hand as well.

Scale Pose

Undoubtedly, this is one of the best poses you can perform when it comes to core resistance training. Namely, it is an isometric exercise, so you should not contact the muscles during it, but you just hold the position. According to researchers, isometric exercises are correlated with less fat, so this exercise will help you burn belly fat and tone the muscles.

You should sit down, cross your legs and place the palms face-down on the floor, beside the hips. Next, breathe out and push the hands against the ground. Flex the belly muscles and try to lift the body off of the ground.

If you find it difficult, push against the floor until you feel the resistance and hold for 10-15 seconds.

The Swan Dive

This exercise is focused on the posterior chain and provides excellent results as well. The posterior chain is, in fact, the muscle group that makes up the back of the body.

Therefore, these muscles should be tight and tones, in order to increase the strength of the core and to prevent injuries. Most of the core exercises use the muscles of the posterior chain, so if they are weak, you may experience some injury, and these exercises may be hard for you to perform.

Hence, you need to line the stomach and stretch the arms in front of you. The legs should be outstretched behind you. Then, elevate the upper body and the arms off of the ground. For even more resistance, you can also lift the legs off of the ground, but make sure they are fully straight. Hold for 10-15 seconds.

V Pose

This pose is also a part of yoga and it provides magnificent results. You should sit down, and stretch the legs in front of your body. Now, grab each of the big toes, or your calves, and hold thus.

Lean backwards at the same time; flex the core muscles in order to create a V-shape with the body. If you feel like you need to add a bit more pressure, you can let go of your legs/toes and hold in that position using the core muscles only, for 10-15 seconds.

Now, as you know how to perform these effective exercises, you should make a routine schedule that will help you obtain best effects:

You should start the workout session with 4 sets of abdominal twists, 5 repetitions for the first set, 8-10 repetitions for the second and third set, and for the last set, try to do as much as possible. Make sure you rest for 30-40 seconds between sets.

As we mentioned, isometric exercises cannot be repeated. Instead, you will prolong the holding while performing the other exercises. Thus, you should hold each pose for 10-15 seconds and then rest for 10 seconds more than the time you held the pose.

For instance, if you hold the position for 15 seconds, you should rest for half a minute. This should be repeated 4 times for each pose.

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