The mystery of the flat stomach

This is not an advert for an electrical device, nor is it a recommendation for a series of Chinese teas, hypnotherapy, creams, gels or tablets. The truth of the matter is that none of the above will provide you with the flat stomach of your dreams, no matter how many buttons it has, or how much it costs

Did you know that technically everyone has a six pack? The issue is how well it's buried. We have six groups of abdominal muscles and they all have different roles. While the rectus abdominis (six pack) might get all the glory, for a truly flat stomach you need to work all the muscles and you must also look at your diet.

Body fat must be reduced through diet and cardiovascular exercise. Exercise will tone a certain area but fat-loss is not area specific so you need to combine the two.

How many sit-ups must I do a day to have the perfect stomach?

If the magazines are to be believed then Britney Spears is a 1,000 sit-up a day girl. Now sometimes Britney's abs look great but sometimes they do not. Essentially, if she is munching on lollies and slurping away at Starbucks mocha frappe latte chinos she could do them 24 hours a day and still you wouldn't be able to see the results.

If you like doing sit-ups or crunches then fine but this isn't the secret to a toned stomach. It's a tiny part of a much bigger story.

Core

There is a group of muscles which you can't even see, that wrap themselves around your centre, support your back and in fact your entire body. They are called the transverse abdominis.

There are few articles emblazoned on the front of Men's Health magazine illustrating their appeal but these muscles are the key to a truly flat stomach as well as a stronger back, better all round sporting performance and improved lifestyle.

Core exercises

It is very simple to exercise your core. Are you currently sitting comfortably? I hope so, but try sitting up a bit, then pulling your tummy button in, towards you spine. Feel different? Well you have now engaged your core.

If you work at a desk try kicking your core into action for just a few minutes every day. At first it might seem like really hard work but soon you will find it easier. The same can be said for when you are standing waiting for a bus, or cycling.

In today's society so many of us lead predominantly sedatory lives from which the core suffers hugely. Engaging the core will pull your entire abdominal section in.

Pull your tummy in and count to 10, slowly Repeat 10 times over the course of the day And...don't forget to breath!

A more actively engaged core will also mean you are far more efficient and effective when performing more standard stomach exercises (and in fact any activity at all).

Getting in a twist

A shapely waist is achieved by exercising the obliques, the muscles running down the side of your body. Cutting down on muffins will aid you in getting rid of the dreaded muffin top but exercising these muscles will pull you in at the sides therefore helping to obtain a sleek silhouette.

Sports like dancing are great for full body movement but then also is picking up your two-year-old, hula-hooping or sweeping the floor!

If you are not into dancing, hula-hooping or you don't have a two-year-old handy then a more technical exercise for this area of your torso is the twisted crunch. They will also further strengthen your core and back.

Twisted crunches

Lie on the floor in the classic crunch position (knees raised, feet flat on floor, shoulder width apart, hands lightly behind you head.) Raise your head up, pulling from your stomach NOT on your head and neck. As you do so bring your right elbow towards your left knee, pause for one second at the top then return to a lying position and repeat on the other side. For the best results this exercise should be carried out at an even tempo and concentrate on twisting your trunk not moving your elbow. Perform three sets repeating 8 - 16 times on each side.

Sit-ups

For many many people it's impossible to conceive the idea of acquiring a flat stomach without doing some sit-ups. To be honest, if you were to carry out the two exercises I have already mentioned combined with a nutritional diet you would be well on your way but, just for good measure here is my favourite rectus abdominis exercise:

Lie on the floor with your knees bent hands down by your sides Pull in your abdomen. This is really important and the most often neglected part of completed and effective and safe sit-up. Stage one of performing an effective sit-up is to complete alternate leg raises three sets of eight on each leg. If this is too easy for you then go straight into crunches. Brace your stomach - pulling your tummy button in towards your spine and keep your arms down by your sides. Slowly curl up bringing your hands towards your knees. Remember to squeeze for a moment at the top and to let yourself slowly back down to the floor. Perform three sets of eight crunches.

Diet

The stomach of your dreams will never be achieved without the correct diet. For my favoured dietary advice I recommend looking at Alex Hazell's iVillage.co.uk article, Drop a dress size in 21 days, which details the 'elimination diet' as recommended by me as a personal trainer and created by Dax Moy.

The basis of the diet is to eliminate toxic food and drink products, finding a nutritional plan that will lead to a huge change in the weight you carry around your middle.

Try to eat organic where possible, no processed food and preferably no caffeine, alcohol, wheat, gluten or dairy! Sounds scary but as you'll see, once you get into it the diet can be easy and you'll see some great results.

By following these simple exercises and amending your diet anybody can achieve a flat stomach without spending hours in the gym or a fortune on some clever gimmick so there's no time like the present for acquiring the stomach you've always wanted.