Workouts, recipes, motivation, tips, and advice all right to your inbox! Subscribe to Tone-and-Tighten.com using the black bar up at the top of the page. "How can I get rid of this last 5 pounds around my belly?" Does this one apply to you? I would say that of all the emails I receive this question is probably the most common. In fact - this question is the whole reason I started Tone and Tighten! After each of her three pregnancies my beautiful wife would come to me for fitness advice about how to tighten up her midsection and get back into "pre-baby" shape. She's done amazingly - and so can you! As the newest installment of our "Problem Areas" series today we're shredding through unwanted and unwelcome "belly fat"! Ready for a toned, tightened midsection? I thought you might be! Check it out: Here's the deal. I tell people all the time that losing weight is at least 90% diet and only 10% working out. While this workout will shred your abdominal muscles in a hurry it's nothing without a healthy diet. Check out some of my favorite healthy recipes RIGHT HERE! This workout consists of 2 circuits - 3 exercises in each. Exercise 1 is designed to hit your lower abs, exercise 2 middle, and exercise 3 upper. Focus on each one of those areas during that particular exercise and I PROMISE this one will torch your abs! Here we go! The Workout Circuit 1 #1 - Reverse Crunch Laying on your back with your knees slightly bent, use your abs to pull your knees up towards your chest. Slowly return to starting position. 10 reps and move on to ab pulse up #2 - Ab Pulse Up Laying on your back with your legs extended and feet straight up towards the ceiling, use your abs to pull your butt off the floor (lifting your feet towards the ceiling). Slowly return to starting position. 10 reps and move on to abdominal crunch #3 - Abdominal Crunch Lay on your back with your knees bent. Use your abdominal muscles to lift your shoulder blades up off of the floor. Slowly return to starting position. 10 reps and return to exercise #1 - reverse crunches Complete 3 sets of each exercise in Circuit 1 and then move on to Circuit 2 Circuit 2 #1 Straight leg reverse crunch Start with your legs straight and your feet lifted slightly off the floor. Use your lower abs to pull your straight legs up perpendicular to the floor and then slowly return to starting position. 10 reps and move on to bicycle crunches #2 - Bicycle crunch Lay on your back with your legs straight and feet up off of the floor. Pull your left leg up towards you and touch it with your right elbow. Return to starting position and then repeat with right leg/left elbow. 10 touches to each side and move on to sit ups. #3 - Sit Ups Lay on your back with your knees bent. Pull your entire torso up into a seated position and then slowly return. 10 reps and then to exercise #1 - straight leg reverse crunches. Complete 3 sets of each exercise in Circuit 2 and then... one more... YOU THOUGHT YOU WERE DONE!! Sorry to do it to you - but it's just not an ab workout without some major planking! 30-second plank, 15-second rest, 30 second plank NOW you're done! CONGRATULATIONS!!! You totally rocked it! Looking for more great workouts in our "Problem Areas" series? Lose your Muffin Top, eliminate Thunder Thighs, and get rid of Arm Flab all RIGHT HERE! Question or comment for Jared? I would love to hear from you!! Leave a comment below or email me at ToneandTightenFitness{at}gmail.com Make it happen, Jared By Jared Beckstrand