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I can do plenty of sit-ups and other ab exercises. I also have a house-mate who is a personal trainer so I know I'm doing them right.

However, I can stick to a routine of doing reasonable quantities of abdominal exercises every second day. But I usually loose interest after 3 - 6 months as I never see any results.

My abs are definitely stronger, however I think I have a hereditary beer gut. It just doesn't want to go away.

I also combine these exercises with a reasonable diet and other exercise e.g. swimming, jogging and other team sports.

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  • 7
    I seem to recall hearing everywhere on the internet that there was one weird old tip which would accomplish this.
    – mootinator
    Mar 2 '11 at 20:18
  • @mootinator +1 - Please provide me this link, I haven't seen it. I've been too busy playing Evony.
    – going
    Mar 2 '11 at 21:10
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You cannot "target" an area of the body for fat loss. The body will determine where to add or remove fat. Just stick with your routine and make sure that you burn more calories than you take in every day and you will be certain to eventually lose the gut. It just takes time.

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12

If your problem is simply fat, just regular weight loss will get you there, like md5sum said.

If your problem is (either or additionally) abdominal distension, there are some exercises you can do to help with that and some foods/drinks to avoid.

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    Can you provide any examples of which exercises will help with that? The wiki article only mentions foods and medications.
    – going
    Mar 1 '11 at 23:10
  • @xiaohouzi79 cardio my man...try plyometrics
    – KJYe.Name
    Mar 1 '11 at 23:23
  • 1
    That's because food is a big thing, if you eliminate the causes it will get much better and if you don't, no exercise will be enough. Anyway, here's a simple one: exrx.net/WeightExercises/TransverseAbdominus/… Also, some yoga breathing exercises (pranayama) done while isometrically contracting the abs also could be helpful.
    – Alex Florescu
    Mar 2 '11 at 0:07
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If you are looking for "sixpack abs" like you saw in the movie 300, you need to get your body fat levels down to about 9%. Most adults can't get their bodyfat levels that low, and going too much lower (starting about 6% body fat) will cause medical problems.

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  • Skip the soda. It will make you bloated.
  • Crunches and other abdominal exercises will certainly help.
  • But ultimately, it comes down to diet, exercise, and weight loss.
  • Target 11% body fat if you're interested in washboard abs or a six-pack.
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    Skip the soda. It will make you bloated. Sounds like you claim the gas is the cause, instead of the sugar.
    – Baarn
    Nov 11 '12 at 10:38
4

The plank routine is the best core routine to lose belly fat in my experience. This routine involves dynamic movements, isn't too hard to do and doesn't take much time. Form is key as is consistency - doing it every other day.

All answers are correct regarding diet, fat loss and cardio. You need to burn more calories than you put in. That is number 1.

Good luck.

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