Do even really slim, super-toned people have to suck their stomachs in to make them look flat?

[Jacksterbear]

Just wondering if I am chasing an unachievable goal really, on the flat tummy front. Even at my slimmest and most fit I still look 4-5 months pg unless I really pull in my stomach muscles.

I don't have to suck in my stomach. I have strong abs, and they do the job on their own. Are you doing any abs exercises?

Butterbur, I do, and my abs are pretty strong, and my stomach has definition and looks flat, BUT only when I pull my lower abs in!

(I should add that I am not at my fittest right at the moment (7 months post-dc2) but thinking back to when I have been really fit and toned, it has always been the same, even pre-dcs!)

Recommendations for abs exercises please ladies

My stomach looks flat when I'm standing up (apart from at certain times of the month when I get a pot belly) but I have rolls when I'm sitting

No need to suck stomach in here. Abs hold it all flat.

Have your stomach muscles remeshed together properly post pregnancy. If not you might always have pot belly, if they have then lots of stomach exercises and planks!

Crunches for the superficial six-pack muscles

The Plank for the core muscles

The stomach vacuum (see here) for the transverse abdominal muscle. I don't do this last one, but I've read about it, and it seems to be highly rated if all else fails for a flat stomach.

same as 9to5 here, though i don't really have abs, just naturally slim. would like to get a little toned though!

Thanks all, guess I just need to work harder! (Damn. Was hoping everyone would reply saying "no, there's no such thing as a truly flat stomach" so I could give up and resign myself to it!)

Am currently shredding, on level 3, lots of good ab moves in that one. I also like Tae bo abs and glutes, the 10 min solutions pilates perfect body abs section, and the final section from Charlie Brooks' before and after.

Oh and I know I need to do cardio too, no use having lovely ab muscles if they're buried under rolls of fat!

forever, yes think my tummy muscles have come back together properly, did not exercise for 2 months post-dc2 as was paranoid about this, got GP all clear and checked them myself too.

Ooh just looked at your link Butterbur, Davina does that move in a couple of her dvds and I've always thought of it as a bit of a waste of time but perhaps not!

Pre children I had to stand straighter and pull my tummy in yes, and I was a size 8!

I think depends on where you store fat (ie apple or pear) and your body fat %. Some people would naturally stored fat on stomachs (my fat is on bum/thighs) and so would have to get their body fat % quite low to have a flat stomach. Others like me have flat stomach at a high fat % but have fat on thighs.

Pre-DS, no sucking in needed at all. Should have appreciated it while I could...

Post-DS, yes. But getting back to normal thanks to the plank, as well as sit-ups, side sit-ups and a stepper. The stepper does target lower stomach muscles with the right posture, and easy to do in the house.

I did see a program where a VERY slim woman still looked 5 months pregnant when not sucking in. Her stomach muscles hadn't fused back together and she had to have a (small) operation to bring them back. Afterwards, her stomach was like an ironing board, amazing. You say your GP has checked this but if you're slim yet still having issues, might be worth going back to double-check. If it isn't fat on your stomach, and you've exercised the muscles to some extent, then I would check again just to be sure.

Hmm, am going to investigate these exercises further. I am v slim but do store my fat on my belly not legs or bum. Would love to have a flatter stomach (although at 45 and after 3 kids, I don't think its ever going to be like a washboard )