Most people who go to the gym also want to have stunning, six-pack abs and a trim waist. All those are achievable, but beware accepting any myths about flat stomachs and spot reduction around the waist.

As you exercise, you consume energy measured in calories. After enough exercise which consumes available energy, and that of the easily converted sugars, your body will start to use its own stored energy. That stored energy is largely in the form of fat deposits in adipose tissue.

But that process takes place non-selectively. Your body will convert fat deposits at random, and there is no way to control this behaviour. By this I mean that you cannot choose to only burn fat on your abs. It is possible to get the desired outcome – ie reducing fat around the abs – but the exercises does not spesifically target that fat.

The actual outcome would be building new muscle mass and strength in that area. That’s helpful for a number of reasons. It keeps a firm, strong layer of muscle which helps keep the stomach and other internal organs well inside the plane defined by your hips. This ensures a nice flat and trim look.

Abdominal exercises help in another way, too. Because of the larger size of the abdominal muscles they also consume a much larger percentage of energy than for example your jaw muscles. As you work out, your abdominal muscles will need more energy to be able to perform the range of moves. That burns many calories, resulting in weight loss and fat reduction.

No effective substitutes are available in supplements or drugs currently available. You will need to work out on a regular basis, and perform moderate to heavy exercise to achieve this. Right now you won’t find any shortcuts to a trim waist.

The effect is also limited by genetics and age. People differ, and some store fat around the waist more readily that others. Obviously your gender also plays a role.

Many women in their 40s will naturally develop a pouch in the lower abdomen as their hormones change. Many men will naturally develop ‘love handles’ at the side, since they store fat in adipose tissue there more readily in their 40s than they did in their 20s.

In order to achieve the desired effect you have to approach muscle fatigue. Hundreds of crunches are unnecessary – 20 reps done correctly will accomplish that. You don’t even have to go to the gym. Pelvic tilts can be done in your office chair.

For best results try the following after warming up:

Lie on your back, with your knees raised and cross your arms across your chest.

Then lift your shoulders off the floor and hold for thirty seconds.

You can feel the effect on your abs already.

Put your hands beside your head to make this more difficult.

Don’t use your hands to lift your head, just keep them still.
Your hands should remain still and must not be used to lift your head.

For maximum effort, put your hands above your head, then perform the same shoulder lift and hold, focusing on the abs.

Feel the burn. Repeat daily for 10 minutes or twenty reps. In a couple of weeks, you’ll see definite results.