The upper stomach is susceptible to weight gain in both males and females. The way to reduce this adipose tissue is by cleaning up your diet and scheduling exercise into your weekly planner. The large muscle in the stomach is known as the rectus abdominis. Include exercises that target the upper portion in your program, but also focus on total body-weight loss. Ab exercises will help tone your upper stomach, but they won't burn many calories.
Step 1
Reduce your intake of junk food. Give up the caramel coated popcorn, beef and bean burritos, sausage and pepper hoagies, frozen dinners and ice cream sundaes. Consume foods that are low in saturated fat and high in vitamins and minerals, such as fruits, vegetables, lean meats, fish, whole grains, beans and low-fat dairy products.
Step 2
Eat small meals throughout the day. This will keep your belly feeling full and prevent you from overeating. Combine protein and complex carbs with every meal and do not go more than three hours without eating. A chicken breast on a whole-wheat wrap with raw vegetables and light mayonnaise is a meal example.
Step 3
Eliminate the liquid calories from your diet. Give up the soda pop, sweet teas, dessert coffees, lemonade and alcoholic beverages. They do not give you a full feeling when you drink them, and they can also cause weight gain. Drink water instead to spare yourself empty calories and to hydrate your body. The Institute of Medicine recommends that women get approximately 2.7L a day and men get approximately 3.7L a day.
Step 4
Run the fat off your upper stomach. Start with a light five-minute warm-up jog, then run at a pace that causes you to sweat and breath heavy. Work out for 45 to 60 minutes, finish with a light five-minute jog and exercise three days a week on alternating days.
Step 5
Perform weight training to increase your resting metabolic rate. Target all of your major muscle groups with exercises like push-ups, shoulder presses, back rows, triceps push-downs, biceps curls and leg presses. Aim for 10 to 12 reps, do three or four sets and work out three days a week on noncardio days.
Step 6
Grab a stability ball to do sit-ups. Position your body face-up on the ball, with your head and shoulders slightly elevated and feet flat on the floor. Place your hands on the sides of your head and move your torso forward. Squeeze your abs forcefully for a second, lower yourself and repeat 15 to 20 times.
Step 7
Lie flat on your back with your legs raised straight in the air to do toe-touch crunches. Lift your arms so they parallel your legs and raise your shoulders from the floor. Touch your toes and squeeze your abs forcefully for a second. Lower yourself back down and repeat 15 to 20 times. If you cannot touch your toes, move as far as possible.
Step 8
Execute a set of planks from a face-down position on the floor. Place your hands shoulder-width apart on the floor and place your feet together behind your body. Push yourself up in one steady motion until your arms are straight. Lift your hips to form a straight line from your shoulders to your heels, and feel your abs contracting. Hold for 30 to 45 seconds and slowly lower yourself back down.
Tips and Warnings
- Perform three or four sets of your ab exercises, and do them three days a week right after your cardio workouts.
Things You'll Need
- Stability ball
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