Getting a flat tum - any advice?
 

I have just done my induction at a gym and been told to do general cardiac work for a month and then come back to be told some specific tum and back exercises - he said going directly to the tum (my worst bit) would possibly make it worse.
Has anyone else heard this, and what would you do to get a flatter tum?

I am not to sure why he said that. I don't want to say that he is wrong but I have always said that just your basic sit ups if done right really work on the stomach muscles. Hopefully others on here can give you some tips on what has worked for them.

One reason for them to tell you this is to keep you coming back to the gym longer. Doing all over conditioning takes alot longer than just hitting the spots you want to reduce.

If anything, brisk walking with a few crunches, those that only raise the shoulder off the floor and not full sit ups, would activate your abdominals, but not the whole ab package. Try looking at a few magazines that feature serious work out info, not those light and fluffy "get ready for summer" things, to figure out the anatomy of the area you want to isolate. Your exercises will be more effective.

He probably said that because he doesn't want you to think that "spot reduction" is possible. You can't just do sit ups and crunches and expect to get a defined mid section. You should work your whole body, not just concentrate on problem areas

The brisk walking, or any cardio / aerobic exercise will burn fat. The crunches will build the abs. They can be accomplished simultaneously and there isn't really any reason to wait to ad abdominal exercises.

Hands down, an exercise mat and some good old fashioned crunches. Sit-ups tend to strain the neck. There are many different ways to do crunches, so it doesn't feel like such a bore. You could try getting an exercise ball, or search google for different ways of changing up the crunches to make sure you're working all the right muscles.
I hope this helps.

Thanks everyone. Maybe I will go and talk to them again. I know I could do crunches at home but I am much more likely to do them as part of a routine in the gym, where once I get there, there isn't much else to do - at home I can always come up with something better to do! Thanks for the advice.

True, there shouldn't be any reason to wait, but fat burns from all over the body, not just the area you are working so you shouldn't expect to get a flat stomach immediately from doing some ab exercises

But won't the ab exercises tone that area? I don't think it is so much fat exactly, more loss of tone due to big fat babies stretching me. No stretch marks though - yeah!

Yeah ab exercises will tone the abs, but you'll never see them if they are covered by any fat. If you have no body fat at all and your mid section is just tones then crunch away, but most peoples problem lies in the fact that there is flab hiding their abs

Remember that the belly is supposed to have some fat, especially in women. Having that 6 pack showing through is not truly the natural state of humans, which is evident when you look at how much effort one has to put forth to get that 6 pack to show through, even when they are not over weight!

I agree with you one hundred percent, I was just trying to show that ab exercises may not be the best way to reach a flatter mid section when there could be several other contributing factors. A lot of people see late night info-mercials about the ab lounge or the bean or whatever else and they think that just by doing five minutes on one of these things that they are going to magically be a size two again, which normally isn't the case

Personally, I don't get much time to do any exercise so for abs, I lay flat on my back and then raise my head and my feet at the same time just about 2 inches. I repeat a few times. I have seen positive results.

I have found that as I get older crunches are painful in my neck area. I've been doing pilates and yoga and it has changed my midsection. It seems flatter and longer. It doesn't have the appearance of a '6 pack'. But that's o.k. by me.

You saying that pilates and yoga does the work without the aches and pain. I may have to try that, I know I need to but I can't stand the neck and back pain.

I have tried pilates, but didnt notice any difference. To me pilates didn't seem like a 'real' workout. For how long have you been doing pilates?

I agree pilates doesn't seem like a 'real' workout, but I've been doing it now for over six months and I've seen some changes. I will say that I don't do only pilates, I also do the treadmill and leg machines at the gym. These exercises probably work together with my pilates.

Actually, I find the reverse crunch works the fastest, especially for lower abs - you know the one where you lie on your back and use your stomach to lift your straightened legs up away from the ground.