The core is often mistakenly categorized as the abs. In actuality, it consists of the abs, the obliques and the area from the bottom of your shoulder blades to the top of your butt. If you have excessive amounts of fat in this area and you want it gone fast, you have to promote weight loss and build muscle. The new muscle mass can help raise your resting metabolic rate while simultaneously defining your core.
Step 1
Choose healthy foods over empty calories. Stay away from the processed meats, deep-fried foods, frozen dinners, pastries, cheese fries and white bread. Have your diet consist of high-nutrient foods like fruits, veggies, lean meats, fish, low-fat dairy, whole grains and beans. Keep your portion sizes under control to help prevent further weight gain. Changing your diet will help get rid of core fat fast.
Step 2
Start your cardio interval session with a light, three- to five-minute warm-up at a light pace. Increase your intensity to an all out effort for 20 seconds. Come back down to a moderate intensity for 40 seconds, then go all out again. Shift back and forth from high to low intensity for 30 minutes and finish with a light, five-minute cool-down. Do type of training with any form of cardio, such as running, indoor cycling, stair climbing or jumping rope. Do interval training three times a week on nonconsecutive days to reduce overall body fat, including on your core.
Step 3
Lie lengthwise on a bench to do leg pull-ins. Place your hands on the edges of the bench, lean backward slightly and extend your legs straight out in the air. Pull your knees into your chest as you lean forward. Squeeze for a second, extend your legs back out and repeat.
Step 4
Kneel on the ground with a stability ball in front of you to do rollouts. Place your hands on the ball, shoulder-width apart. Straighten your arms and back and lower your body down toward the ground as you roll your forearms across the top of the ball. Maintain a straight back, feel the contraction in your core and reverse the movement to become upright again.
Step 5
Grab a dumbell to do side bends. Hold the weight in your right hand and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Place your left hand on your left hip or the side of your head and bend laterally to your right. Lower the dumbbell toward the floor and bend back up to the starting point. Repeat for a set of reps and switch sides.
Step 6
Hook your lower legs under the pad of a decline bench to do push crunches. Hold a pair of dumbbells straight above you with your palms facing forward. Curl your body up and push the dumbbells toward the ceiling. Squeeze forcefully, lower yourself back down and repeat.
Step 7
Lie face-down on an exercise ball to do back extensions. Place your hands on the sides of your head or across your chest and place your hips near the top of the ball. Bend forward and let your chest go down toward the ground. Lift your body up by contracting the muscles in your lower back. Hold for a second, lower yourself back down and repeat. Brace your feet against a wall for support if you need to.
Step 8
Execute a set of alternating supermans. Lie face-down on the floor with your arms extended overhead and your legs straight. Lift your right arm and left leg up in the air and hold for one second. Lower them down while lifting your left arm and right leg. Alternate back and forth in a smooth fashion.
Tips and Warnings
- Perform 15 to 20 reps and four to five sets of your core exercises. Work out three times a week on the alternating days of your interval training.
Things You'll Need
- Stability ball
- Bench
- Dumbbells
- Decline bench
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