People often tell me that they do a lot of "crunches" and other abdominal fitness work but still don’t seem to get the flat stomach they want. There is a simple explanation for this inordinate amount of work for the limited success that seems to follow: The problem is that the primary muscle you work when you do a "crunch" (the rectus abdominus) doesn’t have much effect on the abdomen. In order for the abdomen to become flat, other muscles need to come into the workout.

A main factor in getting to a flat stomach involves working the transverse abdominus. It is attached to the rectus abdominus muscle on the front side of your body and to the spine at the back side. When you contract the transverse abdominus, it tugs your navel area toward your spine, in back of you. Working the oblique muscles of the waistline can also help flatten your stomach area.

You can add the extra punch to your "crunches" by paying closer attention to how you complete the "crunches." When you contract your muscles to move upward in the crunch, pull your navel toward your spine with increased effort. It helps to visualize that you’re pressing your rib cage downward toward your pelvic area. Just this little change in emphasis will make a big difference in the way your "crunches" pay off.

Besides good form, be sure to continue to challenge your muscles by increasing the amount of work as you improve. Once you work up to 20 repetitions, it’s time to increase the intensity. Or, try slowing the movement way down and concentrating even more on your form.

One more important factor in abdominal area flatness is often overlooked in favor of more repetitions and that is the amount of food you are consuming in comparison to the amount of fitness work you are doing. If you are storing body fat in your abdominal area because you are overeating, extra work on "crunches" won’t be as successful in revealing the taut, flat muscles beneath the fatty tissue. The muscles are sleeping under a layer that needs to be dieted off in conjunction with exercise for maximum results. So, don’t sabotage all that hard work by giving yourself too much freedom to pack on extra pounds. As usual, a balance seems to work best when trying to achieve the most effective blend of diet and exercise.

– Pam Brooks