One of the most common fitness goals is to reduce abdominal fat and achieve a flat, toned, and defined midsection. While it is impossible to spot reduce fat in the mid section, it is possible to reduce abdominal fat with a holistic approach to your fitness and nutrition.
What Exercises Reduce Abdominal Fat?
While specific exercises will not reduce fat solely in the midsection, you can help them become more defined and visible by doing exercises that grow the ab musculature. Here are three movement types to incorporate into your regimen that will grow your ab muscles (and provide core strength and stability) thus making them easier to see.
1. Crunch and Sit Up Variations
Crunches are the classic beginner exercise for targeting your abdominal muscles. This issue with crunches is that they typically become fairly easy for most people quickly. Once you can perform 20-30 reps you'll need to increase the intensity by going to a harder variation, like sit ups, decline sit ups, or another variation.
2. Plank Variations
Some abdominal exercises don’t require much movement. The are best for core strength and stability. While planks seem easy, they can get very challenging, especially when you incorporate tougher variations and ensure your form is perfect.
Planks require resilience, so start with your forearms and toes on the ground to hold your body in a horizontal line. Straighten your back and legs to ensure proper form, clasping your hands if necessary. Hold this pose for at least 60 seconds.
3. Leg Raises
If you want something that will preferentially target the lower abs, then leg raise variants are the best choice.
To do a leg raise lie flat on your back, with your legs extended and arms at your sides. Then lift your legs off the floor while keeping them straight. Continue until they are perpendicular to the floor, and then slowly lower them back to the starting position.
If this variation is too challenging, keep your knees bent instead of straight.
If it is too easy, progress to more challenging variations like the Captains Chair Leg Raise (pictured left).
5 Best Ways to Reduce Abdominal Fat
Targeting your abdominal muscles with exercises is an excellent way to increase the muscularity of the abs so that they are easier to see. However, there’s more to the story. To see your abs, you will have to reduce your body fat. Here is how to do that:
1. Healthy Eating
Looking and feeling your best starts with healthy eating. Your food and beverage choices affect your body-fat more than anything else. Abs typically show around 10% body fat for men and around 15% for women. So you'll need to reduce your body-fat to this level to have visible abs. If you are just going for a flat stomach or reduced belly size, then you won't have to get as low, but you'll still need to reduce body-fat to some degree. This means eating fewer calories than you burn off. Prioritizing lean, fruits and veggies, and proper hydration can kick-start your journey to a trimmer waistline, because these foods make it easier to consume fewer calories while still feeling full and energetic. After that you'll want to integrate a portion control method like calorie tracking or portioning food using the size of your hand are simple ways to do that. With healthy foods and proper portion control in place, you should begin to see your fat reduce.
2. Weight Training
Cardio is fantastic for reducing fat, but weightlifting can take it to the next level. Grab a barbell or set of dumbbells if you want to see those core muscles come through!
A consistent, fully body strength training routine that incorporates some of the movements listed above is key to your best health, and seeing the midsection definition you want. Two three days a week for an hour is a good place to start for most.
3. Cardiovascular Exercise
A cardio regimen will elevate your heart rate and increase calorie burning for an extended amount of time. Fortunately, there are numerous ways to do this and have fun. For example, put on some upbeat music for dance workouts. Or, you may prefer swimming or jogging to burn calories. Not only is cardio good for fat loss, it is also excellent for heart health and longevity.
4. Adequate Sleep
If you want to reduce fat, you need a holistic approach to your routine. While diet and exercise go a long way, supporting your body in other ways is essential. For example, sleep is critical to your fitness journey. If you don’t get enough, the road becomes much bumpier.
The Sleep Foundation recommends at least seven hours of nightly rest. However, you may need more sleep if your stamina doesn’t feel optimal the next day.
5. Reduced Stressors
Stress is challenging to avoid in daily life. Work, school and family obligations are only the tip of the iceberg. Research suggests stress can make weight loss more difficult by causing you to eat more and store excess fat. Therefore, you must be mindful of these daily pressures.
Use your well-rounded fitness routine to relieve stress and release dopamine. Outside the gym, you could practice journaling, meditation and other anxiety-reducing activities to reduce stress further.
Trim Your Waistline With Chris Protein Personal Training
Reducing abdominal fat is a significant step toward healthier living and boosted confidence. Set yourself up for success with targeted exercises and lifestyle changes.
Book a free transformation session with Chris Protein Personal Training to jump-start your core routine. In this consultation, you’ll speak with an expert trainer to outline your goals and personalize your plan. Get daily support to make your fitness goals more attainable.
