Best Exercises for Flat Toned Abs

We all want those terrific shapes and forms we see exhibited by those who seem to get them for free. The truth is that nature just favors some in this regard and that’s that. The core is one of the most difficult areas of the body to address, and the reasons for this can be numerous.

From many previous miscomprehensions about core strength to the difficulty of finding an exercise routine that works for you, it seems that getting those abs is scotched from the starting line, but wait.

If the exercises you have been trying to perform have been difficult to complete and you don’t seem to make any headway, get down to the most basic motions. In order to get any solid results, it is important to fully engage the core muscles and bring them to the point of failure every time.

Form is essential here as the body may try to engage another muscle to lighten the load from your core and this can result in neither muscle getting a good workout, it can even make for irregular muscle growth and odd shaped bulges (of muscle).

The following exercises shown here were carefully selected for their simplicity and efficacy. These following exercises are a guaranteed ticket to Flat-AB Central once they have been fully mastered and practiced on a progressive basis. I dare say, if you complete a month of progressive practice starting at your current capacity and increasing this no more by 10% in a week, your abs will be far stronger and flatter within a month. Imagine what you will achieve this time next year.

Never forget that showing up is not half the battle it is a total victory in the most important battle, the battle of the mind. Once you kick your mind in the ass, your body will capitulate like a loving vassal.

So, grit your teeth, give yourself a half hour a day dedicated to the STUDY of these following executions, forget about the results and focus on your form. The results will come as your dedication continues.

1. High-tension plank

The plank is one of the most commonly practiced exercises for building core strength, but can be hard to get right and can turn to a real bummer, but try it like this.

Get on your yoga mat face down and balanced on your elbows and knees, turn your thumbs outward so your palms are facing up. Extend your toes out as far as they can go and take a note of your body as straight as you can from the tip of your head, through the neck back and hips to the knees and toes. Squeeze the glutes and tenses the upper legs to avoid dropping, tighten the abs as if expecting to get an almighty punch to the gut. Focus on the tension, as it gets more severe you will need to squeeze all the harder. Breathe in and out and keep your abs flat and engaged at every second and breathe in and out keeping your abs in.

2. Hollow-body hold

Here is a great one for fully engaging the abs and mastering the dimensions of the midsection.

Lie on the back with your arms and legs fully extended, tighten the abs as if expecting a kick and imagine pulling the bellybutton to the chin. At the same time, lift your heels and shoulders from the floor raising your arms and legs to a soft hollow curve. Find the point of greatest tension and hold here for as long as possible.

3. Glute bridge

In addition to strengthening the anterior abdominals, it is also essential that you address those of the back and sides. The muscles of the lower back and glutes are greatly connected to the abs and strengthening them all will improve your results.

Lie on the back with your heels a few inches from your buttocks. Drop the shoulders and arms to your sides and fold the hands between your heels and buttocks while lifting your hips toward the ceiling. Make this motion slow and steady and hold the positions for 3 to 4 seconds before returning to your starting position, repeat as many times as possible.