6 Moves for a Flat Tummy
Celebrity trainer Holly Perkins designed this crunch-free workout to uncover and tone your abs. Do the routine three times a week, and you'll see results in about 12 weeks. You'll need a pair of 2-pound weights and a 2-pound soft exercise ball.
By Holly Perkins
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STANDING OVERHEAD PRESS
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding a weighted ball or dumbbell with both hands. Pull abs in tight, then lift arms straight overhead, as shown, actively reaching up as high as you can for 10 counts. Lower arms; repeat five times.
LEG SWAP
Lie on your back with knees bent, and press the ball or a weight to the ceiling while pulling abs in. Slowly lift right leg, with knee still bent, until leg is perpendicular to your body, as shown. Keeping abs tight, lower your right foot to the floor as you simultaneously lift your left leg. Do two sets of 10 reps.
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LYING BALL EXTEND
Lie on your back with knees bent, holding a weight with both hands. Raise arms overhead until weight rests on the ground. Tighten abs and hold for one count; then, on an exhale, bring your chin toward your chest and curl shoulders off the floor, lifting arms several inches while keeping your elbows next to your ears, as shown. Hold for two counts, then release. Do two sets of 10 reps.
BALL BRIDGE
Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat. Place the ball or a weight between your inner thighs. Pull abs in tight, then press your heels into the floor to lift your pelvis, as shown, squeezing inner thighs together. Hold for 10 counts. Lower; repeat five times.
LYING OVERHEAD PRESS
Lie on your back, knees bent, holding a weight at your chest with both hands. Tighten abs, bring your chin toward your chest, and curl shoulders off the floor, as shown. Push weight overhead and back, so elbows are next to your ears; bring weight back to chest, then lower back down. Do two sets of 10 reps.
ELBOW PLANK
Kneel on the floor and place the ball or a weight between your thighs. Place forearms on the floor, elbows directly under shoulders. Pull abs in tight, and stretch both feet out behind you, as shown. Squeeze the ball and hold this pose for 20 seconds. Do three reps.
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Don't forget cardio!
Repeat after us: "This is the year that my pooch will not hang over my jeans!" Then get with some cardio, which is key to burning belly fat. For results like our superstar readers', aim to do 35 to 45 minutes, four days a week, of any sweat-inducing exercise you like, such as jogging, biking, using the elliptical machine, rowing, or swimming. Two of those days, do the following steady-pace workout; the other two, do the interval workout.
STEADY-PACE WORKOUT
Warm up by exercising gently for five minutes, then increase the intensity until you're exercising at what feels like a 7 on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being really tough). Try to stay at this intensity level for 35 minutes, then cool down for five minutes. "Steady-pace workouts are easier to maintain for longer periods of time so you can tap into your fat-burning zone," Perkins says. "They'll also improve your aerobic fitness-and help clear your head."
INTERVAL WORKOUT
Warm up gently for five minutes. Then sprint, amping up the intensity, for two minutes (you'll want to eventually aim for what feels like a 9 on that scale of 1 to 10). Then slow down and go easy for two minutes. Repeat this cycle for a total of 25 minutes, then cool down for five minutes. "High-intensity interval workouts like this have been proven to burn more calories both during and after your exercise," Perkins says. "The short blasts allow you to work out harder and raise your heart rate-which increases your metabolism for 3 or 4 hours post-exercise." That means you'll still be burning calories after you stop.
Read more: Tummy Toning Workout
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