Best exercises to help achieve a flat stomach

Having a flat stomach may be a common fitness goal. Exercises that burn fat, tone the core, and build muscle can help a person achieve it.

This article explores exercises and other strategies for having a flat stomach. It also looks at how long this may take and factors that can affect a person’s progress.

Body composition and results timeline

Two people practicing ab exercises. — raquel arocena torres/Getty Images

A person’s body composition refers to their relative proportions of:

fat
muscle
bone
tissues and organs
fluids

Health and fitness experts generally consider two components: “fat mass” and “fat-free mass.” Fat mass refers to the total mass of body fat, while fat-free mass refers to the total mass of all the other components.

Find a body fat percentage chart here.

Anyone aiming to lose belly fat should aim to lose overall body fat. As this happens, belly fat also reduces.

The time it takes to lose body fat varies from person to person. These factors may play a roleTrusted Source:

age
sex
height
weight
physical activity
eating habits
any underlying health conditions

Generally, a person needs to burn 3,500 calories to lose 1 pound (lb) of fat. This means that a person who cuts out 500 calories a day from their diet may lose around 1 lb per week or 4 lb per month.

Learn to measure body fat here.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Trusted Sourcereports that people who lose weight at a slow, steady pace of about 1–2 lb per week tend to maintain their weight loss.

A 2017 studyTrusted Source found that many people who lose weight quickly may be losing more lean body mass and water weight than body fat.

Below, we explore some exercises that may help a person burn fat, tone their core, and build muscle in order to have a flat stomach.

Plank

The standard plank engages the following muscles:

the core, a group of major muscles that connect the spine and pelvis
the upper abdominal muscles
the lower abdominal muscles

Planking burns more calories than other abdominal exercises, since it engages the arms, legs, and back.

Here are the steps:

Step 1: Lie flat on the stomach, with the forearms parallel to the floor.
Step 2: Using the forearms and toes for support, push the body up from the floor.
Step 3: Ensure that the head, neck, back, and legs remain in a straight line.
Step 4: Hold the position for as long as is comfortable before returning to the starting position.

Side planks

The side plank engages the following muscles:

the obliques, the side core muscles
the arms
the glutes

Here are the steps:

Step 1: Lie on the left side, with the torso raised so that the left forearm is directly under the left shoulder, and the left palm is flat on the floor.
Step 2: Stack the right foot on top of the left foot, so that the right leg lies directly on top of the left leg.
Step 3: Lift the left hip away from the floor, ensuring a straight line through the torso, hips, and legs.
Step 4: Tighten the core and glutes to maintain balance.
Step 5: Hold the position before slowly bringing the left hip back to the floor.
Step 6: Repeat the exercise on the opposite side.

A modification of this exercise involves rotation. When getting into position, a person raises their top arm, then slowly rotates their torso while moving the top arm underneath the body in a scooping fashion.

A person should aim to do 8–10 repetitions on one side before switching to the other.

Toe reaches

This exercise engages the abdominal muscles.

Beginners might start with this exercise to build up their core strength. A person can follow these steps:

Step 1: Lie on the back with the legs and feet raised at at a 90-degree angle.
Step 2: Lift the upper body while tensing the core to reach for the toes.
Step 3: Hold the position for 1 or 2 counts before slowly lowering the upper body while continuing to engage the core.

A person can begin with 1–3 sets of 18–20 repetitions each.

Leg raises

This exercise engages the following muscles:

lower back muscles
upper abdominal muscles
lower abdominal muscles
quads
hamstring muscles

Here are the steps:

Step 1: Lie flat on the back, with the legs straight out in front.
Step 2: Engaging the core, slowly raise the straightened legs toward the ceiling.
Step 3: Continuing to engage the core, slowly lower the legs as far as possible without allowing them to rest on the floor.
Step 4: Continuing to engage the core, slowly raise the straightened legs back up toward the ceiling.

Aim to perform 3 sets of 10 repetitions each.