what is the best abdominal exercise that helps to loos fat from the abdominal area only?

to lose fat you must do 30 to 60 minutes of cardio 3 to 5 days a week.... there is not single exercise to lose fat in only one part of your body... the human body does not work that way.

if you are looking to tone your abs i would recommend doing a few ab exercises

1. lay on your back with you legs towards the ceiling and slowly lower your legs towards the floor as you exhale, then raise them back up as you inhale... keep your arms at your sides and your low back pressed down... do not put your hands under your bottom, then your low back does the work and your abs do nothing. this works the lower rectus abdominis which is the "6 pack".

2. lay on your back holding your knees to your chest, as you exhale slowly extend your arms and legs out, so if someone where watching you, you would be making a U shape... the lower your legs are the more you'll work your abs... keep your low back pressed to the floor... pull your arms and legs back in as you inhale. this works nearly all your ab muscles at once as a unit to create a taute streamlined middle.

3. lay on your back with your arms at your side and use your right hand to reach towards your right ankle down the side of your body, repeat on left ... it's a side ways crunch and GREAT for the waist.

4. sit up, tilt your upper body back to 45 degrees... bring your legs up and hold them out to 45 degrees so you make a V shape and hold as you inhale and exhale slowly. bend your knees a bit if you need it less intense... this is great for the transferse abdominis which is what holds in your organs and digestive tract to give you a flat stomach.

remember you MUST do cardio to lose fat, otherwise you will not see your taute toned abs underneath. also eat lots of fruits and veggies and pick up some high fiber cereal like "kashi" brand... this will cleanse your digestive system and lots of water will rid your body of toxins that can stay in your midsection and make you appear heavier than your really are.

good luck.

You can't spot train, To lose belly fat, you need to do cardio. If you don't cardio, you can't control where the fat will come off from. Ab exercises strenghten your abs, but you still won't be able to see them until as that fat.

My ideas? Try to do 200 minutes of cardio a week. Remember fat does not turn into muscle, so you need to lose your fat while putting on muscle. Work hard, but don't over 60 minutes at a time. Do planks and other abs exercises on alternate days.

On training days, do 5-10 minutes of cardio to warm up, then do your weight training. Do 30 to 60 minutes more of cardio, then go home.

The best time to eat is just after your workout within an hour when your metabolism is raging. For your muscles, incorporate some isolated soy protein or whey protein. Whey is more potent but the soy tastes better!

Don't look at your scale as the be all and end all, but get a measuring tape to check your progress, and that will show more tangible results.

Read magazines like Shape, Womens Fitness, Fitness, etc to get tips and to stay motivated.

Good luck and stick at it. This plan has lost me 20 lbs in 12 weeks so far, just go for it!

John, Spot loss is tough but, this is what I would do. No food after 5pm each day. Only water after 5. Situps that are bent knee but, do not come up all the way. Do situps where you go left elbow to right knee and vise versa. Be sure to help bring that knee to the elbow. A bit of jogging or fast walking relegiously can help too to some degree. Have P A T I E N C E. This wont happen over night. It may take a month or even weeks to see results. Lastl, cut down on all sugar. And I mean all sugar.

Hey, I think some people have some good advice here and I'm sure you can search in YAHOO for all types of abdominal exercises...but make sure you are also doing cardio. I personally like an eliptical machine, not too hard of impact (such as running is), but still very beneficial. You need to shed the fat away from your stomach by doing cardio/aerobic exercise....AND THEN you can strengthen and tone your stomach from abdominal exercises. Just want to be sure you are clear on the differences. Good luck!

There is no exercise to reduce abdominal fat. You can not "spot" reduce. The only way to get rid of the belly, is to reduce your overall body fat. Unfortunately we lose fat weight according to genetics. The last place to typically lose fat from, is the stomach, back (love handles) and thighs. To all you "Instructors". If you had any training what so ever, you would know that spot reduction is typically seen as a marketing gimmick. If you want to lose the belly, increase physical activity and decrease caloric intake. You should be burning more than you consume. Thats it.

The South beach Diet, targets the stomach in the first 2 weeks, you could perhaps follow that. But to maximize your whole work out, so that your core is worked, so as much as you can using either a stability ball(the big ones) or a pad...pretty much anything that's not really stable, will force you to use your core muscles to stabilize yourself. For example, instead of standing still while lifting(light weights) sit on a stability ball while doing so. Because the ball will want to move around with you sitting on it, you'll have to use your abs to help keep you still while you try to lift the weights. Also cardie helps your abs. There's no point in doing a bunch of crunches, and no cardio or you'll just have a six pack under a layer of fat...the cardio helps to rid of the fat surrounding your abs.

Gluck!

One can't spot lose fat. You can however do ab excercises that will tighten the muscles underneath the fat so you appear slimmer. Your best bet is to engage in an allover weight training program in conjunction with cardiovascular activity so you both lose fat (all over) and gain muscle (all over). Eat a well balanced diet...protein to aid in building / repair of muscle and for the energy you need to make it through the day and through the workout.

Sit ups are the best for the stomach. On the floor or on a ball. The best way to do them is with your legs in the air. Slightly bend your knees. These will give you great results. :)

good 'old crunches work best on the abs.

To lose the fat, you really need to cut down on calorie intake.

Or, as Pogo once said, "Eat less, Exercise more."

there is none. you cannot spot reduce. your body looses weight from all over not just one specific area so keep exercising and it will come off eventually.