A strong, sexy stomach will be yours with a routine that gets results.
A flat stomach is the holy grail of fitness. It's so sought after partly because it looks so good and also because it's so hard to achieve. To drop the amount of abdominal fat needed to expose your abs is the first and hardest step, but then you need an abs routine that actually tones.
The workouts we showcase each week in body+soul will help you lose the fat, but the toning part is what we are covering today. These exercises are relatively advanced so you'll need to do a few weeks of regular abdominal training first, but once you're ready, these are the moves that really get results.
Why? Twists target the obliques and core.
How? Sit tall on the ground, holding a medicine ball. Brace your core and lean back about 20 degrees. Lift your feet a few centimetres off the ground, knees bent. Twist your chest to one side and touch the ball lightly to the ground. Twist back to the start and, without stopping, twist to the other side and touch the ball lightly to the ground. You should not feel any back pain.
Sets and reps: 3 sets of 20-30.
Why? Puts maximum load on the abs.
How? Hold an overhead horizontal bar, hands relatively close, palms facing behind you, elbows pointing forward. Lift your feet and draw your knees up to touch your elbows, crunching and squeezing through your abs. Lower your legs with control to vertical and repeat. Put your feet back on the ground between reps only if you need to.
Sets and reps: 3 sets of 5-15.
Why? Adding weights makes sit-ups great for abs toning.
How? Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat. Hold a weight (barbell plate or medicine ball) against your chest. Lift your head and shoulders off the ground. Squeeze your abs and lift your torso by flexing your spine. Stop when you have flexed as much as you can. Lower slowly, lightly touch your mid back to the ground and go into your next rep.
Sets and reps: 3 sets of 10-30.
Why? Adding a dynamic movement makes core work more effective.
How? Assume a push-up position on your toes with your body in a straight line. Jump both feet in towards your hands simultaneously. Land with feet close to hands, knees tucked in towards your chest. Pause, then jump your legs back out, keeping your body in a straight line. Don't let your hips sag or bounce. Hold for a few seconds, then start your next rep.
Sets and reps: 3 sets of 10-20.
Why? A do-anywhere exercise that beats the plank.
How? Kneel in front of a wheel with handles. Hold the handles with the wheels in front of your knees. Brace your core and roll forward. Maintain your spinal alignment by keeping your core switched on. Don't simply stretch forward with your arms. You need to drop your hips forward and down to work your core properly. The closer your pelvis gets to the ground, the better, but only go as low as you can control. The slightest hint of back pain suggests you've gone too far. Roll back to the start and go into the next rep.
Sets and reps: 3 sets of 5-15.
Tania Poletti, 32, is a personal trainer from Melbourne. She runs and does kettlebell training.