It seems that everyone wants to have flat abs, and it is possible to have the body shape you desire. The modern lifestyle has been largely responsible for our flabby bellies, but the good news is that we can do something about it. The best workout for flat abs can be done at home, by making some changes to your lifestyle and eating habits.

It all starts with what you eat. Yes, of course you have heard it all before! That’s because it is correct. We eat too much and move too little. To lose that rounded belly, we need to burn fat and build muscle. The best way to do that is to eat less and move more; we need to burn more calories than we eat each day.

To begin your flat abs workout you need to take control of your diet. Eating 5 or 6 smaller meals a day helps you to avoid feeling hungry and keeps your metabolism working hard. Protein builds muscle, so a diet that includes plenty of lean protein is good for your flat belly. Eat chicken (no skin), canned or fresh fish, beans and lentils, nuts and no-fat dairy.

To get balanced nutrition, you need carbs and fats in addition to protein. Fruit, vegetables and whole grain foods are really good, low GI carbs that keep you feeling full. Snack on nuts (full of healthy fats), fruit and smoothies made on skim milk and fruit.

The next stage of your workout is to get moving; do 30 minutes of something active every day, with 5 days being a cardio workout. In a cardio session you aim to get your heart rate and breathing rate higher than normal and sustain it for 20 minutes. The remainder of the session is a warm up and a cool down – necessary to avoid injury. You can walk, jog, swim or cycle; whatever you like to get you puffing a bit. You will be burning fat, building muscle, increasing your mobility and flexibility and you will start to feel great!

Undertake strength training and specific abs exercises that are aimed at increasing and strengthening your abdominal and core muscles. Toned muscle gives you more shape and a flatter belly. By focusing your training on muscles in the torso or core, you are strengthening the whole area for improved balance, coordination and a more shapely body. Make sure you warm up before doing strength training, with light cardio and stretches to prepare your muscles.

You can use weight machines at a gym for strength training, but you can also do strength exercises at home, using your body weight for the resistance needed to build new muscle fiber. Good exercises include the plank, the side plank and oblique or twisted crunches. If you go online you will find numerous ideas for strengthening abs exercises to use as part of your best workout for flat abs program.

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