America Takes It Off: Ab Workout

The latest research, rolled into the ultraeffective, 20-minute workout

By Selene Yeager for Prevention

In the endless quest for a flat belly, you’ve likely done hundreds (if not thousands) of crunches and balanced in plank poses for hours. And let us guess: You still don’t have flat abs, right? Well, we have news for you: Research shows that it’s not your fault. The way most of us have been cued to do crunches just doesn’t work. That’s the news flash for a recent exercise study that found it’s possible to get twice as much belly-flattening muscle activity from every crunch.

“The way most people do crunches doesn’t work the rectus abdominis (front abdominal muscle) effectively. That’s why you can do thousands and not see much benefit,” says abdominal activity researcher Gilbert M. Willett, a physical therapist at the University of Nebraska Medical Center of Omaha.

Testing ways to put more punch in every crunch, Willett and colleagues monitored the muscle activity of 25 people while they did crunches following different sets of instructions, such as pushing the belly out or pulling it in, or no instructions at all.

They found that when testers sucked in their abs before curling off the floor, they generated twice as much muscle activity as when they didn’t prep their abs. “They not only worked their front abdominal muscles but also the oblique muscles on the sides, which help you look trimmer through the waist,” says Willett.

That simple yet potent tip got us thinking: What if we could find the best belly-flattening advice science had to offer and rolled it into one ultraeffective, easy-to-do program? After poring through research and scientific reviews, even we were surprised by all the tricks and tips that can maximize the belly-flattening power of exercise.

Next: Crunch and Twist Your Way to Flatter Abs

Start your summer out right with our body sculpting workouts.

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• Your Lunches
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