Expert: Ken Alan - 10/9/2006

Question
Hi - I work out at the gym 3 times a week but am having trouble getting a flat, toned tummy, especially the side abs.
Please could you give me a list of exercises that would help, but that wouldn't damage my lower back. Thanks.

Answer
Good question and common problem.  It's not a specific exercise that will flatten the side abs.  That's fat there, and to reduce it, do aerobic exercise to burn up calories, because fat is stored calories.  Side bends, twists and similar exercises doesn't do very much of anything for toning or flattening the waist or abs, unless you use heavy resistance while doing those moves.

To tone your abdominal muscles, including the side obliques, lying on the floor doing basic crunches and diagonal crunches are probably all you need.  To make them effective for toning your muscles, you need to make them hard enough to do that you can't do much more than 15 or 20 repetitions at the most.  If you have to stop before 15 reps, that's okay too, in fact it's very good.  A toning exercise has too feel hard to do and be hard to do to really make a difference in muscle tone and strength.

By the way, any exercise done without good form and technique can be injurious.  It's not exercises that are safe or unsafe, it's how they are performed that make them safe or unsafe.   If something bothers your lower back, you need to change something - the position, the speed, the technique, the angle... I can't give you list of exercises to do because I have no idea what your technique is like.  It would be improper for me to say do this, this, and this, because it's a risk without being able to see you perform them.

If you seem to be stuck and can't progress, get together with a qualified trainer for a session or two.  It's worth it if you're serious about making results.
Hope this helps.  And keep on exercising.