Did you know that a flat abs workout doesn’t need to focus on the abs at all? Why? Because you can’t spot reduce fat. You cannot reduce the fat under your chin any more than you can reduce the fat on your belly or anywhere else for that matter. It needs to be a holistic approach. So, how do I do it you wonder? Let me tell you.

Most people’s efforts to get flat abs are misdirected because they spend way too much time doing long drawn out cardio exercises. While these can be beneficial they should not be the sole focus of your efforts.

Lift weights. The more muscle you carry the more fat you burn. But here’s the trick. The exercises you do must work multiple muscle groups at the same time. Exercises such as the bench press, dead lift and military press work cause you to exert more effort with more of your body and actually help increase your rate of metabolism. Doing these and other exercises will help you reduce your overall body fat percentage and help to reveal your nice flat abs.

Do cardio, but do the right type of cardio. While running three miles on the treadmill burns more calories than running ten 100 meter sprints, the sprints actually serve to increase your rate of metabolism. Consequently, you will be burning more calories over the course of the day.

Some other sneaky ways of increasing your metabolism are to drink lots of green tea. Green tea has been found to significantly increase your resting rate of metabolism in a number of studies. Eat multiple small meals throughout the day. This will give your body an energy source at regular intervals throughout the day and increase your metabolism. Finally, take cayenne pepper capsules. Yes, surprising as it sounds, this simple spice increases your metabolism for up to two to four hours after you eat it.