Getting your abs to look the way you want can be hard, but it’s not impossible. A combination of a smart diet and high-intensity workouts can give you a flat stomach in a month.
The first step to a flat stomach is to create a caloric deficit in your diet. That means eating less than 1,200 calories daily and boosting your workouts to burn more calories. You can lose as much as 1 percent of your total body fat each month by following these guidelines.
Make Your Abs Work Out Front
Many exercisers save their ab exercises for the end of their workout, but research shows that working them in the beginning of your session can get you a better fat-burning response. Plus, working your abs early helps keep your muscles fresher, says Rich Weil, MEd, CDE, author of The New Weider Guide to Nutrition and Fitness.
One of the most effective ways to burn belly fat is to do interval training, alternating short bursts of high-intensity cardio with shorter periods of rest. Intervals can help boost your metabolism, so you’ll burn more fat than if you did long, steady-paced cardio sessions on their own.
Perform this circuit a couple of times a week in addition to your other abs routines and you’ll soon be on the road to a flat stomach!
Crunch on an Exercise Ball
An exercise ball is a great workout tool for working your abs. Lie on an exercise ball with your feet flat and thighs parallel to the floor, tucking your chin as you contract your abdominals. You can add a little more challenge by placing your feet a bit wider apart.
Do about 15 repetitions for each move, then take a one-minute break. Repeat this circuit 2 more times for a total of 15 minutes of intense core training.
Plank with Dumbbells
Performing the plank is a key abs exercise because it works your entire core muscles. This includes your lower and upper abs, but also the obliques.
This abs exercise is especially beneficial if you have trouble getting your abs to firm up and tighten. This is because the obliques are the muscles that make your abs round, and they often become weak. Doing the plank will strengthen your obliques and improve your muscle tone, too.
Bicycle Crunch
The bicycle crunch is another great exercise to include in your flat stomach routine because it works your obliques along with other key abs muscles. Start by lying on your back, lifting your legs until they are in a 90-degree angle. Hold the position for a beat, then return to the starting position and alternate between limbs.
V-Ups
The v-ups are a great abs exercise for women because they target the upper, mid and lower abdominals. You can do these in a variety of positions, including on the floor or standing.
Flutter Kicks
The flutter kicks are an excellent lower-abs exercise that will give you a flatter tummy quickly. They can be performed in a variety of positions, including on a yoga mat or standing, and are a perfect way to add a little extra cardio to your abs routine.
Milena Estêvão is a YouTuber passionate about sharing her experiences (challenges, successes and motivations) in the fitness activities she is involved in.
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