Stomach Exercises. Which One Is Best?

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Everyone wants to have a flat stomach. Many people, men and women alike, dream of having "six pack abs." People in this situation automatically begin to think of stomach exercises. But, which one is best? Before I answer this question, let's back up and think this through a little more. If we do, we will find that the answer is obvious.

There are two reasons why a person might have a large stomach:

1. Weak muscles
2. Fat

Let's talk about the second item on the list first. While it's true that a regular well-balanced exercise program will cause you to burn some calories and that this, in turn, will result in some weight loss, the only really effective way to get fat to melt away is to adopt a diet based on simple natural foods. When this way of eating becomes a lifestyle, your health will improve and you will gradually attain the natural weight for your body type. I have written a number of articles that give more information about this approach to health and weight loss. Others have as well. If you are troubled by too much fat on your body, you must learn about the right foods to eat and change your eating habits accordingly. This is the healthy natural way to permanent weight loss.

Now, let's talk about the first item on the list, weak abdominal muscles. This, of course, is where the need for stomach exercises come into play. Poor muscular development in the midsection is a reason for a pot belly --- or at least a minor version of it. A pot belly occurs when you let your abdominal muscles relax to the point that your stomach becomes like a "sack" that holds the internal organs; they actually fall to the bottom of this sack.

The muscles of your core (stomach, lower back, and sides) must always be slightly flexed in order for you to maintain proper posture and for your stomach to remain flat. This is called "muscle tone." If you don't have a lot of fat on your midsection, these slightly flexed muscles are what will give you six pack abs. If a person with a six pack lets his abs relax completely, he will have a pot belly too (ask a friend with six pack abs to demonstrate this for you)! So, it should be clear that what you need to do to get a flat stomach is to develop your stomach muscles to the point that they will naturally retain this muscle tone whenever your body is erect (you do relax your midsection when you lie down!). Of course, you develop your abs with exercise. So, we come back to our original question: what are the best stomach exercises?

If you want to develop a muscle, you must make it do more than it normally has to do. This is what causes it to strengthen and grow. For example, if you want to develop the muscles of your thighs and buttocks, you will have to do a squatting motion, perhaps holding a barbell on our shoulders. Squats are the "natural movement" for developing these muscles. What is the "natural movement" for developing the muscles of your stomach? Here's the answer to our original question. It has been with us since primitive man first got out of "bed" in the morning. You simply "sit-up." That's it. If you would like to develop your stomach muscles, you must do sit-ups.

The good old-fashioned sit-up is the king of stomach exercises. It is the natural movement of the human body that develops the abdominal muscles. If you want a flat stomach, if you want that illusive six pack, you must do them. There are plenty of other stomach exercises. However, nothing can replace sit-ups.

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