How To Get Rid Of The Belly At Home

If you are just starting out, the best way to safely get into training off that belly is the simple crunch.

You'll hear a lot of experts jumping on the bandwagon saying the crunch isn't the most effective ab exercise.  It's not if you are a gymnast and you have been training for years and are an athlete. If you can't do a couple of sets without your abs burning though, it's a great place to start without killing yourself!

Here is how I teach my clients doing Fat 2 Fit to do them. Place your hands behind (support, but don't pull) your head. I like to support my head by using the finger tips to cup the ears. It's a light support but it keeps you from cranking your neck forward.

From here, curl your upper torso forward. As you do this you want to keep your lower back in mind and push it into the floor. Bring your rib cage toward your pelvis until you feel a contraction in your abs. Holding your hands down by your hips is an easier version. Pause for the contraction and slowly return to the starting position. Exhale on the contraction - this breathing advice applies to all abdominal exercises.

Three sets of crunches for 20 reps a set is a nice place for a beginner to start. You can rest anywhere from 30 seconds to a minute depending on how hard of an effort that was for you. If that's not a problem then superset each set of crunches with the next exercise called hip rolls.

Superset is just a fancy personal trainer term for no rest. This means then that the first set of crunches is immediately followed by a brief 30 second rest to let the burn fizzle a bit. Do three sets of this combination.

To do hip rolls correctly you lie on the ground pushing down on the floor with your hands by your sides. Keep your feet off the floor and bent 90 degrees at the knee the whole time. You then raise your pelvis off the floor so the tail bone comes right up and squeeze the abs! You should now be rolled into a ball with your knees over your chest. At the top if you get really good, not only will your pelvis be off the floor but also a portion of your lower back.

NOW STAND ON ONE FOOT AND PAT YOUR HEAD..(just kidding)

If you watch your diet and do your cardio along with your full body workout, you will see that six pack come out. The last step in the beginner ab routine is to add in some bridges or "planks" as the yoga folks like to call them.

This is basically a pushup position but you don't rest on your hands, you rest on your forearms and just hold it for 30-60 seconds. Don't let your lower back sag! Keep a slightly inverted c posture like your trying to pull your hips toward your chin.

Now to combine all these fine ab exercises into an abdominal workout you can do at home and get a little sweat on.

Beginner home abdominal workout
Crunches x20
Hip rolls x20
Planks for a 30-60 second hold

So there you go. If used with proper diet, cardio and full body training this will tighten up flabby arms, a saggy chest and a pokey belly in the comforts of your own home.

Do Your Best Until You Become The Best, Ray Burton, ISSA-CPT, Crossfit Author of FAT 2 FIT FatToFitProgram