Often known as the "pooch" belly (I have no idea why), you can also call this "protruding inferior abdominal syndrome" if you want to make up a more scientific sounding name for it :)

The pooch belly is the bulge in the lower ab area that seems to happen to most people...and even in people with low bodyfat AND in people who train the area directly.

This can be a really tough area to flatten out, if you don't know exactly how to go about doing it. Electric ab belts aren't going to do it...sorry to burst your bubble. Those things won't even hold up your pants.

So here's how to get rid of your pooch belly...

It's a very simple, very easy exercise that involves very little actual movement, strangley enough. The key is in WHERE and HOW the movement takes place. You have to feel the right muscles working in order to get the desired effect out of this one.

I have to give credit to former Mr. Olympia Larry Scott for this one...and my dad for telling me about it. The first time I tried it I could really feel it targeting the exact area and in the exact manner that I knew would get the job done and flatten out the lower ab "pooch" area.

What this exercise is going to do is tighten up the muscles underneath the "pooch" area, pulling them back into better alignment and basically teaching the body how to keep that area flat.

Naturally, if you're got a big, fat gut, you won't really notice a big difference by doing this. It's not going to burn any appreciable fat by itself, so you have to do it context of an overal fat-reduction program, if you really want to notice the best results with it.

If you're already fairly lean and you still have that pooch belly, this is the perfect exercise to help get rid of it.

I'll show you the exercise and tell you how to work it into your overall training schedule below.

Lie flat on your back with your arms out to the sides and flat on the floor for balance. Your hips should be bent 90 degress and your knees bent 90 degrees, with your left foot crossed over your right foot to "lock in" the lower abs (cross at the ankles).

You'll notice when your hips are 90 degrees, your lower back is not flat on the floot, due to it's natural arch. THAT is the key thing to think about.

The movement itself is simply flattening out the lower back and bringing your knees towards your chest by focusing on tightening the extreme lower abdominal area. There is very little resistance in this exercise and you don't NEED significant resistance...just repeat this movement doing about one rep per second.

You'll repeat this for 10 reps with your left leg higher then switch and put your right foot over top to keep it even. Do this for 100 total reps, switching the feet every 10 reps.

It's a little tough to see the difference in position in still pictures, so I've got a gif image below to help illustrate the movement.

The key to remember here is you're not trying to do a full leg raise...just bring your hips to 90 degrees and then bring your lower back flat on the floor then repeat. Focus on using the extreme lower ab area to make this movement happen...not the hip flexors. It might take a bit of practice, but the results are worth it.

You'll need to do this exercise regularly...and that means pretty much every day as a habit...to really see the difference, but it WILL happen. The good thing is, this exercise is VERY easy and won't impact your recovery in any way, shape or form. You can do it in the privacy of your own home (just make sure you're on a solid surface when you do it - no water beds :)

Give this one a few weeks of regular use and you should see that pooch belly flattening out nicely.

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Want more core and "flat abs" training like this?

If you want to get even MORE in-depth with proper abdominal activation along this line, I HIGHLY recommend you check out the program from Tyler Bramlett and Dr. James Veghar called 0-6 Pack Abs.

This program includes exercises just like the one above (for abdominal activation for flattening the stomach), as well as more advanced training that can help you develop the rock-solid core and six-pack abs you're looking for.

This is VERY effective stuff and a program I definitely recommend.

You can check it here...it's on sale for a VERY low price for just a few more days.

Enjoy!

Nick Nilsson
The "Mad Scientist of Muscle"