Want a midriff like Angelina Jolie, but can’t bear the thought of all those sit-ups? Don’t despair – we’ve got a crunch-free answer

If you could choose between a lifetime supply of cream cakes or a washboard tummy, what would it be? I’m assuming you picked the latter, because it seems that women the world over are obsessed by firm ‘abs’.

Turn on the TV before 7.00am any weekday morning and you’ll be bombarded with advertisements for ‘ab rock-and-rollers’ that are supposed to transform your gut from flab to ‘fab’. But, aside from the genetically gifted models who advertise these contraptions, the people doing the most crunches, curls and twists are often the ones with the least definition in their midsections. That’s because these machines don’t efficiently engage your abdominal muscles.

The good news – if you hate sit-ups – is that there are loads of exercises that target your tummy, and they don’t involve going anywhere near a floor mat. These moves use your own body’s resistance to guarantee a tough workout.

The first step to flatter abdominal muscles is making sure your abs are contracted during any workout, but especially during Pilates, yoga and strength training exercises. Basically, this means sucking your tummy in as far as possible and tilting your pelvis forward. Engaging your abdominal muscles during any resistant movements or aerobics (or even while you’re just walking around or sitting at your desk) makes your abs work harder, and protects your lower back too.

The muscle you really need to hit when you’re exercising is the transverse abdominis. This is the deepest internal stomach muscle, and it runs horizontally right across your abdomen. Its job is to apply pressure to the abdomen and keep all your organs in place.

One of the best exercises for the transverse muscle is ‘the hover’ or ‘the plank’ as it’s also known. Lying face down, rest on your forearms and lift your body off the floor, so that you are balancing only on your forearms and tiptoes. It is important to keep your head, neck, back, bottom and hips in a straight line. If this is too difficult, lower your knees onto the floor and stay supported by your forearms. Engage your stomach muscles and hold for as long as possible. Aim to build up to one minute.

Free or assisted chin-ups and press-ups also give the transverse muscle a great workout, as do standing one-arm rows and bicep curls. By engaging your stomach during these exercises, you will be able to better balance yourself and give them a bit of a workout.

During a conventional weight training session squats, lunges, leg extensions, abductor and adductor (inner and outer thigh) work should always be done with proper posture, which means your back should be straight and your abs tightened.

If you haven’t done so already, you could try doing some stomach work on a stability ball. Most gyms and private health clubs have them, and they provide a great workout. Sit on the ball with one foot on the floor and lengthen the other leg straight out in front of you. Hold this position for five seconds and then switch legs.

Knee-ups – the move you do on the machine, where you hang vertically, supported by your forearms and pull your knees up towards you chest – will also put your abs to work. Try doing two sets of ten knee-ups. Build up to three sets as you progress, but make sure you do them slowly and carefully.

Remember to always do your tummy exercises at the end of your workout, otherwise your muscles will be too tired to properly support the rest of your body during other exercises. Stomach muscles need the same recovery time as your quads or biceps, so only target them every other day.

For more information about Josh Salzmann check out www.salzmann-fitness.com

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