I don't know if this will help but this is the routine I have been following and my stomach has really gotten flat. Plus I have two children so it really has helped. I do Tai Bo everyday which really works the abs & I also use the weights on my universal to flatten it down. I hook the strap where you normally would hook a lat bar, pull it down behind my back and then start doing crunches. You really feel the burn. I feel no matter how you look at it in some shape or form you have to do crunches. Let me know if it helps