Whenever I’m out anywhere and someone finds out I’m a personal trainer I get the exact same response, female or male, black or white, small or big, they look down at their stomach, touch it with both hands and say what can I do about this. Everyone wants a tight flat stomach, but most people don’t know the best way to get it. A tight stomach comes about with the reduction of ones body fat percentage. There are three critical keys to reducing your body fat and getting the stomach you want.
1) Diet If you don’t have the definition in your abs that you want it is because of the extra fat that is sitting around your waist line. Please understand this next point and take it very seriously, you can't "spot reduce." You can’t just do some crunches or some sit-ups and end up with a six pack. To lose extra fat in your mid-section region, you'll need to lose weight all over your body. Controlling your diet is the best way to reduce your body fat.
Replace bad carbohydrates with protein in your daily diet, this forces your body to burn more body fat for fuel, therefore, the fewer bad carbs you consume, the more body fat you burn. So to maximize the amount of abdominal fat you use for fuel, you'll drop your carbohydrate intake very low on days you go through resistance workouts, which should be 3-4 days a week.
"Good" carbs are not processed and contain a fair amount fiber (i.e. whole grain bread, oatmeal and whole-grain cereals, legumes, veggies, fruits, etc.) "Bad" carbs are refined or processed ( i.e. white bread, white pasta, soda, sugary foods, including ice cream).
Fish & Seafood- Seafood is one of the best sources of protein because it's usually low in fat. Fish such as salmon is a little higher in fat but it is the heart-healthy kind: omega-3 fatty acids.
White-Meat Poultry- Stick to the white meat of poultry for excellent, lean protein. Dark meat is higher in fat. The skin is loaded with saturated fat, so remove skin before cooking.
Beans- One-half cup of beans contains as much protein as 3 ounces of broiled steak. Plus, these nutritious nuggets are loaded with fiber to keep you feeling full for hours.
Protein on the Go- Grab a meal replacement drink, cereal bar or energy bar. Check the label to be sure the product contains at least 6 grams of protein, and is low in sugar and fat.
2) Cardio The second best way--after diet--to drop belly fat is by engaging in regular aerobic activity. Vigorous exercise, such as running or swimming in short intense burst, will help boost your metabolism and burn more calories. Strive to get at least thirty minutes of cardio exercise on most days ( i.e. 5-6) of the week.
1. Jumping Rope - This is one of the simplest, yet most effective exercises one can do. In just 15 to 20 minutes, jumping rope will give you an unparalleled total body workout. Jumping rope is ideal for cardiovascular endurance.
2. Sprinting - Sprinting not only burns huge amounts of calories while sprinting, it also keeps your metabolism increased for days after. Sprinting combined with running / jogging can bring amazing results fat burning results.
3. Spinning - These high-intensity workouts to music simulate a challenging bike ride, complete with hills, valleys and varying speeds, all dictated by the group instructor. And assist with defining your abdominal muscle group.
3) Strength Training Your stomach is like any other muscle: You have to train it if you want it to grow stronger. Building your abdominal muscles will help you stand up straighter--which means your stomach will look and feel flatter! Stronger stomach muscles mean more defined muscles as well.
In conclusion it was reported in an issue of the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, individuals getting 40% of total daily calories from protein, while also following a weight and cardio exercise program, lost more than twice as much body fat and more important for aesthetic purposes- more than twice as much abdominal fat as those getting just 15-20% of total daily calories from protein and following a cardio-only exercise program. Diet, Cardio, and Strength Training all work collectively to give you the stomach you want!
