The best abdominal exercises to get a flat stomach

If your goal is to get a flatter belly, you need to understand the science and the research behind it. This blog tells you which exercises you should not skip in the gym and provides insights regarding fat loss.

Correct exercises are essential

The rectus abdominis (straight abdominal muscle) is the largest abdominal muscle and its function is to move the trunk. This muscle is used during the most obvious abdominal exercise: the ab crunch and is therefore an important belly exercise. Forming and/or maintaining this muscle is essential if you are going for a toned stomach.

Commonly used and good exercises to perform with your own body weight are:

• V-ups
• Levitation Crunches
• Knee trucks (lying on two knees towards your stomach)
• Lying knee hugs (lying one knee towards your stomach at a time)
• Russian twist

It is also good to use weighted exercises:

• ab wheel / barbell rollout
• Crunches with a dumbell or a weight plate
• Russian barbell twist

You can also choose to make a circuit of it, by performing the exercises successively with a short rest. As soon as you choose and mix 3 to 4 of these exercises, results can be achieved. According to Dr. Mike Israetel is doing a minimum of 16 sets per week consisting of 8-20 reps necessary to form muscle growth.

Fat loss

To ensure that your belly becomes tighter, lowering your fat percentage is crucial. This makes the muscles more visible. To achieve this, you can look at your current eating and living habits. That is why it is also said: Abs are made in the kitchen. Some effective tips to lose fat are:

1. Drink enough water

By hydrating sufficiently, your fluid balance is maintained and many processes in the body can continue to run smoothly. This also has a positive effect on your feeling of satiety, your energy level and more.

2. Increase your protein intake

Proteins are a good form of fuel and help build up your muscles. In addition, they also provide a good feeling of satiety.

3. Get enough sleep

Good sleep naturally provides energy. But it also has an inhibiting effect on the feeling of hunger. During sleep, muscles also get a chance to recover after a workout.

4. Maintaining a calorie deficit

By burning more energy than consuming, the body will switch to fat burning. Also the hardest part.

5. Eating lots of fiber

When you eat fiber-rich foods, you will feel longer saturated and less likely to feel hungry.

Could you use some help with taking less calories? The Light Shakes from Jake supports you to keep your calorie intake low, and your water intake high and thanks to the fiber you can enjoy a full feeling for 3 to 4 hours. Obtaining a toned stomach comes with a number of challenges. With this knowledge and insights, nothing can stop you and you can find your own way to take on the challenge, with results!