The midsection, also known as the belly, stomach, gut and abdomen, is one of the most troublesome areas when it comes to weight gain for both men and women alike. If you are one of the many who feel the time has come to shed some pounds from your midsection, you can achieve this by focusing on your whole body. The solution is a little more in depth than doing 10 sets of 1000 crunches a day.
Step 1
Give up drinking beer and any other high calorie beverages, like soda, lattes and processed fruit drinks. Drink water as your only source of beverage as it is calorie-free and it can help keep you hydrated. Aim for at least 8 cups a day.
Step 2
Keep your caloric intake clean and free of high-fat, high-sugar foods. Eat nothing but quality sources of protein, carbs and fats like chicken breasts, egg whites, cottage cheese, fish, nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains.
Step 3
Eat multiple meals throughout the day that are a combination of protein and complex carbs that are high in fiber. Have oatmeal with low-fat milk for breakfast, peanut butter filled celery sticks for a midday meal, and a chicken breast with steamed asparagus and couscous for dinner.
Step 4
Reduce your overall caloric intake to create a deficiency. Cut back by 500 calories to promote a one pound per week weight loss.
Step 5
Perform cardiovascular exercise to burn calories through your whole body, including your midsection. Examples include running, spinning, stair climbing, elliptical training, rowing, swimming, kick boxing and aerobics classes.
Step 6
Work your whole body with weights to build as much muscle as possible. Do your exercises on a stability ball to incorporate your midsection. Perform dumbbell chest presses, seated shoulder presses, back extensions, lying triceps extensions, seated biceps curls and wall ball squats. Do 12 to 15 reps and three to four sets with moderate weights.
Step 7
Work your transverse abdominus (TVA) to help flatten your midsection. Sit upright in a chair and place a finger on your stomach. Draw your stomach in as far as you can and try to get as much separation from your finger as possible. Hold for 10 to 15 seconds, release, take a few breaths and repeat. Keep breathing when your stomach is drawn in.
Step 8
Do your weight training exercises three times a week on alternating days. Do your cardio three times a week on three other alternating days. Do abdominal draw-ins eight to ten times every day.
Tips and Warnings
- Eating multiple meals can increase your metabolism and prevent you from overeating. Abdominal draw-ins are also called "vacuums." The TVA is an internal ab muscle that can help flatten your stomach when it is trained. This is an old-school bodybuilding technique.
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