The reason your abs are not flat is because they are covered with a thick layer of fatty deposits, stored there naturally by your body when you ate food which you did not metabolize or need. Your body actually purposefully sends excess fat to the midsection of your body, to protect the important organs inside.

You want a flat tummy fast? You have to stop sending fatty deposits to your stomach, and you have to burn the fat that is there already. Losing weight will help, but, be warned that without targeted abdominal exercises, you might end up with a sagging, instead of a trim and flat, tummy.

Exercises which strengthen your abs are not too much fun, but if you vary them, you do yourself two favors: you avoid boredom, and you work your muscles in a more efficient way. The best way to get a flat stomach fast is to retrain your abs to hold your mid section tight, as the long, lean muscles they were designed to be.

If you only build abdominal muscles, with endless sit ups and crunches, you will only succeed in bulking up your midriff with thick, stocky, hard muscles. That will not make your waist measurement any smaller. What you must aim for is long and flexible abs, which act like an internal corset of sorts. To do this, make sure to limit the repetitions of crunches, sit-ups, and leg lifts, and stretch your abdominal muscles between each set.

A particularly effective method of doing this is to do your exercises on a medium or large exercise ball, and to stretch your abs by lying flat on the ball. The ball is very efficient in that it forces all of your abdominal muscles to help you maintain your balance on the ball, as you do the crunches and other exercises. The oblique abs work particularly hard to help you stay on the ball, and training these muscles will help to give you a trimmer waistline and a flat stomach fast.

Start with low numbers of repetitions, and vary your exercises. As you get stronger, you can do more sets. Once you are very comfortable, you can further challenge your abs by holding weights or using elastic resistance bands as you work the different muscle groups. Do not strain yourself to the point of feeling such pain the following morning that you do not want to work out. Take it slowly, and increase progressively.

Remember to always drink plenty of water while you exercise, and don’t forget to breathe as you do it. You should always help your muscles and brain by breathing deeply through your nose, to supply them with oxygen as you are about to begin to put tension on a muscle, or group of muscles. Exhale through your mouth as you perform each 45 degree leg lift or crunch. Control is more important than speed or quantity.

You will soon be proud of your flat abs, and you will know what it took to get them, so you will maintain your diet and exercise routine.