The REAL Way to Get Rid of Belly Fat
There are a lot of misconceptions around what it takes to ditch the belly fat for good! Let's be real here... I am SO not into all of the silly marketing gimmicks claiming to burn fat fast if you just drink this tea, eat these very special magical foods, wrap this squeem around your waist and wait for some witchcraft to happen.
It's not real. It's not effective. And it keeps you from finally reaching that hot fire flame flat tummy that I SO badly want for you!
So here's the REAL, no BS lowdown on what it takes to ditch the belly fat. I promise, the process can actually be FUN! No, really, I promise. Let's break down what it actually takes to burn the belly fat and your game plan moving forward.
1) A Calorie Deficit Using a Realistic, Sustainable Dieting Strategy
So many articles advertise "Exercises for a Flat Tummy." You can't spot reduce areas of excess fat. Your total body fat level has to come down to burn away the muffin top. This means that no set of exercises is going to target the fat in a single area to take the fat off.
I want to say that one more time for the babes in the back:
NO SET OF EXERCISES will spot reduce fat in a single area.
What these exercises CAN do is increase the muscle mass in that area and help bring body fat percentage down overall.
The actual number one factor when it comes to tight, toned abdominals is your diet. You have to get your body fat down to a certain level to expose the ab muscles. Even if you get your crunches done 6x a week, if your body is not in a calorie deficit, you will not see abs. It's not that they won't exist... they will just be hidden under a layer of fat.
That being said, you need to be burning more calories than you're consuming. The best diet is the one that's easiest for YOU to adhere to.
A common misconception is that you have to remove a bunch of fun foods from your diet and feel like you are hardcore suffering for it to be WORKING. I am a personal advocate for flexible dieting (tracking protein, carb, fat, and fiber intake) and this is what I use for all of my 1:1 clients with great success.
This dieting technique is easy to sustain due to the lack of restrictions around what you can eat.
Essentially, flexible dieting ensures that, while you are putting your body in a deficit, you're giving it the nutrients it needs in proper amounts for good health.
It gives you less restrictions to make dieting FEEL better mentally and emotionally and it is much easier to commit to than a dieting strategy packed with rules that alter your current lifestyle.
The first time I used this technique on myself, I spent weeks questioning whether or not it could really work. It felt WRONG to continue eating the foods I like.
I soon realized that results were just as easy to attain with flexible dieting, and FAR easier to sustain. I now use this technique year round (no matter what my goals are) to ensure my body gets the nutrients it needs and it is the least disruptive strategy for my lifestyle.
If you want that tight, defined tummy, diet will be the most important element to your success. Abs are, in fact, made in the kitchen.
2) Cardio
While diet lessens the calories consumed, cardio contributes to your calorie deficit by increasing the calories burned. This will also help decrease your fat mass overall to expose the ab muscles.
The type of cardio isn't of great importance. What IS important is that you can stick to it and the intensity is high enough. I like to vary cardio with my clients so that they don't feel bored with the same equipment and techniques over and over. Because let's be real, very few of us want to pound the treadmill for hours.
A combination of high intensity interval training, steady state cardio, and resistance training circuits will help you prevent boredom and ensure that you're consistently feeling the burn needed to flatten the tummy.
I'm also pretty fond of incline walking on the treadmill, HIIT drills on the Stairmaster, and of course the spin bike! Pick something that's fun for you.
Some of my clients like group fitness classes for their cardio, others prefer to walk, and some even swim to get their calorie burn! There is no one "right" form of cardio.
The most effective cardio will be the form that feels fun and easy for YOU to stick to.
3) Ab Training
Alas, what we've all been waiting for. The last piece of the puzzle - training the core!
As discussed earlier, it's not enough on its own but it IS important for developing muscle mass. Once the fat is gone, the added muscle mass will have your core looking tight, toned, and defined.
Some important things to note before we dive into the exercises: most women intend to create an hour glass figure or small waist look in the process of tightening the tummy. To achieve this, it's important to do a couple of things:
First, you should steer clear of heavy weighted ab work. If you're using heavy weighted exercises for the abs, you can develop a thicker, blockier looking core. Stick to body weight and light weight exercises when it comes to the abdominals.
Additionally, you can make the waist look even smaller by adding muscle to the back. Changing your body's shape is all about proportions.
Let's Jump Into Some Ab Exercises
1. Lying Leg Raises
1. With your back on a mat and hands under your glutes on either side for support, stretch your legs out straight in front of you. Keep feet together and slightly off the floor.
2. Raise your legs, with knees straight, up until your hips are completely flexed.
3. Slowly lower your legs back to the starting position.
2. Captains Chair Leg Raises
1. Put your forearms on the arm pads of the equipment and grip the handles. Arms should be bent at 90 degrees and your upper arms should be in line with your sides. Lower back should be pressed against the back support pad and legs should be straight below you.
2. Lift your legs and bend them at the knees until your thighs are parallel with the floor.
3. Pause and then slowly lower back down to the starting position.
3. Decline Bench Sit Ups
1. Secure your feet under the pads of a decline bench. Lay back with your arms crossed over your chest or behind your head.
2. Pull yourself up using your abdominals.
3. Once at the top, slowly lower yourself back down.
4. Reverse Bench Crunches
1. Lie on your back on a flat bench. Reach overhead and grab the top sides of the bench.
2. Straighten your legs and lift them up until they are above parallel.
3. Contract the abs and bend your knees to bring your legs up and toward the top of the bench.
4. Pause and then slowly return to the starting position.
5. Lying Leg Raises on a Decline Bench (picturing normal leg raises. Perform on bench from exercise 3)
1. Perform the lying leg raises from exercise 1 but perform them lying reverse on a decline bench while holding onto the small bar between the foot pads.
2. This variation allows a larger range of motion and greater time under tension for the abdominals.
6. Russian Twists
1. Sit up on an exercise mat with your legs extended in front of you. Hold a dumbbell between 2 hands in front of you.
2. Cross your ankles and lift them slightly off the floor.
3. Lean back slightly and twist your torso to the left and then to the right, touching the dumbbell each time to the floor. Perform the movement slow and controlled.
7. Ball Knee Tucks
1. Get on all fours with your stomach on an exercise ball. Stretch your legs back and keep your hands under your shoulders.
2. Walk your hands out in front of you until your feet lift off the floor and the ball is under your knees.
3. Slowly bend your knees toward your chest, bringing the ball forward. Tuck your knees under your torso.
4. Slowly return to the starting position.
8. Mountain Climbers
1. Assume the plank position with your hands shoulder width apart and legs fully extended behind you.
2. Flex one knee and hip bringing your knee up and under your hip. Keep the other leg fully extended.
3. Use an explosive movement to switch legs.
9. Planks
1. Face down with your body in push up position. Move your forearms to rest on the ground with your elbows bent at 90 degrees.
2. Keep your body in a straight line by tightening your ab and oblique muscles.
3. Hold this position for the desired amount of time.
10. Leg Pull Ins
1. Lie with your hands under your glutes for stability.
2. With your knees together, pull them in towards you while moving your torso towards them.
3. Pause and then slowly return to the starting position.
11. Bicycles
1. Lie flat on your back with your hands behind your head and your knees bent.
2. Curl your torso upward so your shoulders and head are slightly up off the floor.
3. Move your legs in a pedaling motion as if you were riding a bike. Bring an elbow to the opposite knee and then switch sides.
12. Cable Crunches
1. Knee in front of a cable machine while holding a rope attachment. Your wrists should be against your forehead.
2. Flex your hips and bend at the waist so your elbows move toward your mid thighs.
3. Pause and then slowly return to the starting position.
13. Crunches on a Stability Ball
1. Sit on a stability ball with your feet flat on the floor and the bottom part of your glutes off the ball. Your lower back should be supported at the top of the ball.
2. Place your hands crossed over your chest or behind your head.
3. Bring your upper body forward and squeeze the abdominals.
4. Slowly return to the starting position.
14. Burpees.
1. Stand up straight with your feet shoulder width apart and your hands at your sides.
2. Squat down and place your hands on the floor in front of you.
3. Put your weight into your hands and jump your feet out behind you until your legs are fully extended. Your body should be in a push up position now.
4. Perform a pushup (if you choose).
5. Jump your feet forward until they are just behind your hands again.
6. Jump upward and return to the starting position.
15. Inchworms
1. Stand up straight. Bend over from the hips and the floor with your palms.
2. Keep your legs straight and walk your hands out as far as you can while keeping your core tight.
3. Take small steps back toward your hands.
16. Bird Dogs
1. Position yourself on all fours.
2. With your abs engaged and a neutral spine, extend the left leg out behind you until it's in line with your hips. At the same time, straighten out your right arm in front of you.
3. Slowly lower both back to the starting position and switch legs.
17. Wipers
1. Lie flat on an exercise mat with your arms forming a T shape with your upper body.
2. Bring your legs off the floor and straight up to form a 90 degree angle with your torso.
3. Rotate your thighs to one side until the outer thigh touches the ground or you feel a stretch in your abs and lower back.
4. Pause and then slowly rotate to the other side.
18. Dead Bugs
1. Lie flat on your back with hands extended straight up towards the ceiling and knees bent at a 90 degree angle.
2. Extend one leg forward so that the foot is just above the ground. At the same time, extend the arm on the same side back behind your head until it's just above the ground.
3. Return the leg and arm to the starting position and switch sides simultaneously.
19. Flutter Kicks
1. Lie flat on your back with hands under the glutes for stability. Extend your legs out in front of you with feet slightly off the ground. Keep the ankles together.
2. With your abs engaged, perform short alternating kicks for the desired reps.
20. Hollow Body Rock Hold
1. Lie down on your back on an exercise mat. Extend your arms back behind your head and your legs out in front of you.
2. Contract the core and move the hands and feet up into the air. Keep your legs and arms straight.
3. Bring your chest and legs off of the ground while focusing on contracting the ab muscles. Hold this position for the desired time or until failure.
The Road Map to Your Flat Tummy
Achieving a flat tummy is all about consistency and having a fun, effective game plan that uses diet, cardio, and resistance training to get you the best results.
If you're like all of the super awesome ladies already on the wait list and want to ditch the belly fat for good, I have some mega exciting news for you!
Flat Belly Boot Camp is coming.
This is a Group Coaching Experience designed to help you ditch the belly fat (and fat everywhere else!) with a FUN training routine and MINIMAL diet restrictions.
Throughout this Group Coaching Experience you will:
- Master flexible dieting techniques you need to lose weight and burn fat WITHOUT guilt around "bad" foods or junk foods. Finally find balance while achieving your goals.
- Transform your body with a training routine that's FUN, effective, and time efficient so you can get back into a routine and finally see results.
- Gain the support of a community of women working towards the SAME goals. 98% of your success comes from environment! Your fit tribe of Boot Camp Babes will be there to motivate and give you the kick in the butt you need to keep going!
You are DONE falling off the wagon.
You are DONE with the belly pooch.
And you are DONE going to extremes to try and change it without results to show for it.
Want to be the first one notified when Flat Belly Boot Camp becomes available?
and I will make sure you're the first to know when enrollment is open!
See you inside.
