I want: A flat stomach or 6 Pack Abs

Butkus wearing #78 doing leg lifts

Getting six pack abs or losing the gut is a result of your nutrition plan, calories burned, and exercises you choose.  The biggest mistake is that people think they need to train abs everyday in order to spot reduce, this is totally wrong!  I see the same people crunching away at the same machines with the same poor form everyday.  First, you can't spot reduce...you'll lose fat overall and usually the last area to lose fat is your stomach.  Second, your abs are like any other muscle in the body.  They need to be worked out doing the right exercises, sets, reps, and rest just like any other muscle group.  

There are 2 exercises that are the best to strengthen and build the ab muscles, they are: Crunches and leg lifts but here's the key, do them on a decline bench. Why? It's much harder than all the others and therefore better results will happen faster. 2 sets of 15-20 reps of each exercise.  Proper speed is you'll want to take 2 secs for the positive, 2 seconds holding in the contracted position, and 4 seconds to lower down to the start. 

Take a guess at what the best weight training exercise or losing your gut is... give up?  It's squats!  Why? Because leg exercises work the most muscles and burn the most calories that give you more of a chance to lose fat.   Keep in mind that the specific ab exercises are just a part of your overall total body strength training program and not something to focus your whole workout on.