8 Exercises That Flatten Your Belly Better Than a Waist Trainer

To remove pesky belly fat we constantly work out, do long, complex and exhausting exercises, and still, all of it doesn’t guarantee the desired shape. The secret of achieving the body of your dreams is rather simple: do regular training and a small set of extremely effective exercises that will focus on different areas of your abdominal muscles. Different variations of crunches and planks burn huge amounts of fat if performed correctly.

The Bright Side team has our own time-tested list of flat belly exercises, and we can’t wait to share them with you!

1. Bicycle (cross-crunch)

Include the cross-crunch in your core exercise because it works your abdominal and oblique muscles while making your upper body and hip flexors move.

The initial position: Lie on the floor, on your back with your knees bent. Engage your abdominal muscles to lift your shoulders off the floor, but don’t sit all the way up.

What to do:

• Lift your left shoulder up while raising your right knee, but keep the leg bent.
• With your left elbow reach your right knee, and then get back into the starting position.
• Alternate with your right shoulder and left knee to complete.
• Repeat 30 times.

Warning: If you have back pain or any issues with your core muscles, consult a doctor before performing this exercise.

2. Side crunch

The side crunch is good for working out the oblique muscles and burning fat in this area.

The initial position: Lie on your right side and put your legs on top of each other. Your knees should be slightly bent, and your left hand should be behind your head.

What to do:

• Move your left elbow up with an emphasis on your obliques.
• Crunch as high as possible, hold for a second, and then slowly return into the initial position.
• Don’t forget to inhale while you lower your body and to exhale while you push it up.
• Repeat 15 times.

Tip: Adding resistance to this exercise may be hard at the beginning, so try to concentrate on perfect execution and slow speed.

3. Vertical leg crunch

The vertical leg crunch (also known as a crunch-up) targets upper abdominals and is effective for recruiting the lower back extensors. It helps to improve your posture by strengthening muscles along your spine.

The initial position: Lie on your back and put your palms behind your neck. Make sure you don’t lead with your head and neck instead! Bring your legs up and extend them perpendicular to the floor.

What to do:

• Contract your abs, slowly curl your upper body, and lift your shoulders off the floor. Exhale on this motion. Keep your legs straight up.
• Continue pulling your body upward using your core muscles. Make sure you don’t pull on your neck instead! Keep the chin up. Pause and hold the position for 5-10 seconds.
• Start to lower your upper body slowly and inhale on this motion. Don’t let your legs crash back to the floor. Control your movements. Get in the initial position and keep your legs fixed.
• Repeat 15 times.

4. Long arm crunch

The long arm crunch is a super effective exercise that engages all your core muscles: the rectus abdominus, transverse abdominals, lower back extensors, slight use of the oblique abdominals groups, and the upper abdomen.

The initial position: Lie on your back and place your hands above your head with palms layering over one another. Your feet should also be flat on the floor.

What do to:

• Contract your abdominals and slowly curl up (don’t swing your body weight with the legs). Make sure you don’t lead with your head and neck instead!
• Lift your hands off of the floor but keep them parallel with the floor. Keep curling till your lower back is just barely lifted off of the mat.
• Slowly lower your upper body back into the initial position. Don’t let your body crash back to the floor.
• Repeat 30 times.

5. Plank hip dips

Plank Hip Dips are a fat-burning version of the traditional plank. It strengthens the abs, obliques, lower back and whittles down your waist.

The initial position: Place your forearms on the yoga mat and align the elbows below the shoulders. Your arms should be parallel to the body at about shoulder-width distance.

What to do:

• Slowly lower your body to your forearms.
• Keep your shoulders strong and let your right side and right hip touch slightly down. Then repeat with your left side.
• Repeat 10 times.
• Get into the initial position and lie on the yoga mat to give your body some rest.

6. Side plank dips

Side plank dips engage the left and right obliques, as well as side shoulders.

Initial position: lie on your side with legs stretched out. Place your elbow on the floor directly underneath your shoulder.

What to do:

• Pile your feet, contract your core and lift your body up in a straight line from head to toe.
• Dip your hips down toward the floor and lift them higher than natural.
• Repeat at least 4 times on each side.

7. Bird-dog

The bird-dog exercise works your 6-pack area, back muscles, and improves balance.

The initial position: Get on all fours with your hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips. Your neck and head should be kept back straight.

What to do:

• Raise your right arm and reach it forward, aligning it with your torso.
• While bringing your arm forward, push your left leg backward and make sure it’s in line with your torso. Hold this position for 1 second.
• Slowly get back into the initial position and repeat with the opposite arm and leg.
• Repeat 30 times.

8. Cool down with the cobra pose.

This exercise will help you to relax and calm down after your set of exercises. Lie on your belly with your hands underneath your shoulders. Keep your neck long and slowly exhale. Lift your upper body and stretch your abdominals. Hold this position for 15-30 seconds, breathe evenly, and then slowly lower your body to the floor.

Don’t forget that your body can not only be achieved by constant working out. A moderate diet and daily water consumption play crucial roles and speed up the process.

Have you ever tried any of these exercises before? Maybe you have your own exercises that help you to stay in shape. We would love to know your thoughts in the comment section!