By Combine these six steps and watch your belly diminish
You can use several exercise techniques to reduce belly fat and keep it at bay drastically. But nothing will work well without a proper diet. Diet is a critical component for losing weight and being in optimal health. I might also add that no single exercise is key to losing belly fat, but combining specific activities regularly with proper form and intensity will help you get there a lot faster.
I do not want to give false hope to all the people reading who think they have to do just one thing to lose belly fat. It’s a combination of great things, done consistently and for life! If there is an easier way, please let me know!
Top six essential tips for losing belly fat
One: Intensify and increase your volume of weight training.
That means you will have to exert some significant effort here. Grunting and groaning might be required as well. Intensity means that you will have to lift weights in a way that triggers the metabolic changes needed to push that fat-burning potential. It’s a mix of many things that a good personal trainer can walk you through. My advice is to focus on tempo (the time it takes from the start to the end of a movement), range of motion (how far you are stretching the muscle) and how much weight you are lifting.
This, in conjunction with a healthy diet, will give you the best results.
My top 3 tips for weight training;
- High volume training with shorter rest periods
- Hypertrophy training, using the 8–12 repetition method
- Strong man training, full-body workout, using what’s available in your gym
- Use compound movements to trigger the most significant fat-burning potential (squats, deadlifts, bench press, pull-ups, lunges etc.)
Two: HIIT, or as we call it, interval training
These can be sprints on a treadmill, hill sprints or running on a track. These are very intense and tap into your body’s available fat stores for energy due to the intensity. For example, you could sprint at your maximum capacity for 30–40 seconds and rest for 60 seconds. This is repeated about six times or more until you get to the 20–30-minute mark. Then you are done.
The method causes a cascade of metabolic stress and triggers the after-burn effect. The effect of this allows you to burn calories, even at rest.
Three: Eliminate processed foods in your diet
Get rid of processed sugars, carbs and foods that contain numbered additives or strange names. They are nutritionally void in every sense of the word. Instead, choose whole foods such as cruciferous veggies, organic high-grade protein sources, quality fats such as avocados and nuts, and limit carbohydrates to days when you are training only.
Carbohydrates that non processed include; sweet potato, root vegetables and unrefined oats.
Four: Consume foods that improve your insulin sensitivity
These include citrus, spices, vinegar, antioxidant-rich plant sources like blueberries, kale, spinach and any other forms of green vegetables. Fill your diet with these rich sources, and eat as many green vegetables as possible. Cruciferous vegetables are the richest sources of antioxidants and have cancer-fighting properties and weight loss benefits. Vegetables are low calorie, and their fibre content keeps you full for extended periods, eliminating cravings.
Five: Take good care of your gut healthWhen your gut health is compromised and you suffer from constant constipation and diarrhea, you will increase your rate of inflammation, elevating stress hormones and increasing your chances of having belly fat stay with you for life! Increase the good bacteria in your gut by consuming fermented foods and eliminating gluten, corn and soy. Keep a food diary to experiment with what you are eating and causing stomach or gastrointestinal upsets. It’s essential to pinpoint the culprit, as it could be the one thing that’s stopping you from achieving weight loss results. Six: Please stay hydratedA lot of people misinterpret the signs of dehydration with hunger. You can eliminate this by consuming up to 3 litres of water daily. Your body needs fluid, and it’s essential for removing wastes and increasing your fat-burning potential. I’ve seen many people live on 500ml of water per day. But, unfortunately, it creates terrible side effects for your health and body! If you are training and not hydrating yourself properly, you will increase your risk of injury and muscular cramps. Keep a bottle close by at all times, and drink some every hour. You will be amazed at the changes hydration brings.
These techniques are how I’ve been able to put on muscle and stay lean. I’ve added in IF for good measure throughout the years, and it’s essential to become as flexible as possible. We all move towards different goals as we age. Our energy and lifestyle do change. It’s necessary to become as flexible as possible. Perhaps you won’t be able to train intensely four days a week due to stress or overwork. Just train hard within the time you do have. That’s what will make the difference in the long run. If you would like to read more articles like this or start writing your own, please sign up via my link. I’d love to see you on the other side.Sign up here for your medium subscription