What is the best stomach exercise ?

size 8 and 5’2” is a lot different than size 8 and 6’ tall. Crunches, sit-ups and planks are probably the best exercises for your tummy, but it is really best to be well rounded in you fitness regime.

Start rowing.

Ab Ripper X….intense, I just did it this morning. It’s apart of the P90X workout program.

A couple of months ago, I did some research on the net on this topic and consulted with a health club and a friend of mine who is an expert on physical exercise. I learned that the best exercise is something called “bicycle crunches”.

You do not need to buy any equipment and from the tests I found (didn’t bother to save my queries back then) it showed more efficient than any other method.

Here is a link to a youtube movie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqoD0Bdggto

@whitenoise – Yeah, that one’s a killer. I do those at least three times a week as a warmup at karate. I should probably do them 6 times a week.

@Judi – Planks! Gaaaah! But I can do them.

Yes, both those are very good, but the truth is that while the planks and crunches and so on will help build up the muscle underneath the fat, you need to do things like running or biking or circuit training to get rid of the fat itself. Good luck, @sweetangel!

I suggest pullups. It does not focus on those muscles, but they are activated in effort to keep your body pulling up. Actually, pull-ups are an all around great exercise. They make you tough. Also, nobody seems to do pullups anymore. Get a bar and start tugging.

Bellydance!

I’ve been dancing for two years now, but I developed what has been called (by an outside source) “rockin’ abs” in not too very long (that’s abs in the tight, non-six pack sense—you still look like a chick!... unless you’re a guy. Anyhow.). It’s a muscle-based dance, and the basic moves can be learned relatively easily out of a book (I recommend Belly dancing basics by Laura Cooper, which I used at the beginning). Hip isolations, for instance, begin by using the knees to power them, but after you’ve got the basic principle down, you begin to manipulate using mostly—or only—your obliques, and most of the other moves are largely controlled by the stomach muscles. Plus it works out a lot of the rest of your body (arms and back, particularly) and is amazing fun!

Crunches, sit-ups, anything involving you to flex your stomach

Hang or hold on with your arms from something that supports your upper body and pull your legs up, less stress on your back.

Getting punched repeatedly in the stomach will strengthen it.