How To Get Abs & Eliminate Belly Fat

Attacking your midsection with crunches and sit-ups will not put you on the path to flat well-defined abs. Attempting to spot-reduce fat will only leave you with minimal results --- if any at all. It is not possible to lose belly fat without reducing your overall body fat percentage. Making healthy changes in your daily habits and engaging in regular exercise will help your melt abdominal fat and increase definition.

Step 1

Lift weights three days per week to increase muscle mass all over your body and boost metabolism. Work opposing muscle groups on the same day. Train back and chest on Monday, biceps, triceps and shoulders on Wednesday and legs on Friday. Include compound exercises that engage multiple muscles like squats, lunges, chest press, bent-over rows, overhead shoulder press and tricep dips. Perform each exercise for three sets of 15 repetitions.

Step 2

Work your abs three days per week after your resistance training workouts. Perform exercises that work each angle of the midsection like bicycles, reverse crunches, Russian twists, side crunches and leg raises for four sets of 25 repetitions. Include four sets of 30-second plank holds at the end of each abdominal workout.

Step 3

Perform 30 to 45 minutes of cardiovascular exercise four to five days per week to burn off layers of stored body fat. Go for an outdoor jog, pedal on the elliptical machine, walk on the treadmill or ride the recumbent bike. Add variety by taking a group aerobics class.

Step 4

Create a calorie deficit to encourage weight loss. Monitor your calories and eating habits with an online food journal like MyPlate on LIVESTRONG.COM. Track your calories for one week. Add up your daily totals and divide this number by seven to calculate your average calorie intake. Subtract 500 from your average to calculate the number of calories you need daily to lose about 1 lb. per week.

Step 5

Follow a nutrition plan that revolves around natural foods to promote fat loss. Eat lean proteins like eggs, fish, lean cuts of steak, low fat dairy and poultry to nourish the muscles. Consume complex carbohydrates like whole grain bread and pasta, high-fiber cereal, brown rice, oatmeal, vegetables and fruits to increase energy levels and provide fuel for your workouts.

Step 6

Decrease your dairy intake. Digesting the sugars in milk can be difficult for the body, causing bloating in the midsection. Switch to soy or almond milk instead of cow's milk. Cook with soy cheese instead of dairy-based cheese.