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Workout VideosTwo things are required to get a six pack – diet to reduce total body fat, and exercise to strengthen abdominal muscles. We have covered fat loss diets in previous articles, here we talk about stomach exercises to build rock solid abs.
As any bodybuilder knows, building muscle requires lifting increasingly more weight. The abs follow the same rules as any other muscle. Generally muscle growth (in terms of size, not functional strength) is most successful when lifting 10-12 rep sets. Therefore, maximum weight is not used, but also the weight should not be so light that you can easily perform more than 12 reps per set.
Craig Ballantyne’s Turbulence Training for Abs
For this abs training routine you will require some free weights (discs and a dumbbell, plus ankle weights) and a bench that can be set at a slight incline.
1. Incline Reverse Crunch – Targets Abs
We start on the bench, which is set to its first incline position. Put on your ankle weights, lie back and grab the bench behind your head with both hands. Raise you knees so that they are above your waist, and then lift your hips off the bench, towards your head. Do 3 sets of 10 reps.
2. Weighted Crunch – Builds Bigger Abs
The crunch is the classic stomach exercise. Simply lie back and hold a weight disc to your chest. With your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, lift your shoulders off, hold, and lower. 3 sets of 10 reps.
3. Weighted Russian Twist – Essential 6 Pack Abs Exercise
Sit upright on the floor with your legs out in front, but legs slightly bent. Lean back approximately 45 degrees while holding a dumbbell in both hands straight out in front of you. Then twist your torso to the left, keeping your back straight, hold for 2 seconds, then return to face forward. Repeat on the right side. Do 3 sets of 10 reps.
Adding weight should mean that you are working your abs harder, and result in better muscle growth. Do not try building abs with 200 sit-ups every day, do it the proper way with bodybuilders weight training exercises.
Abdominal Muscles Need Recovery
Remember that like your other muscles, the abdominals require adequate rest to ensure that the muscles recover after the exercise. Do not perform these stomach exercises daily. Arnold Schwarzenegger worked his abs everyday, and Bruce Lee’s abs were also training often. However, we do not all have the same genetic advantages, so do not over train.
Hello, I am very irritated to my body. I am slim but has a big stomach and has a flabby arms,and I do not have the hips that gives a body shape. Please help me and give informations on how to solve my problems out. Thank u and more power
Hi May, the best thing you can start doing is some full body workouts – a combination of circuit training and weight training would be ideal, as this will tone the muscles in the arms, back, legs and core region. Squats and lunges will give your thighs more shape. You may want to take a look at the exercise videos over at Bums, Tums and Thighs. There are a lot of fitness tips of women there.
Hi there, i have a bit of a belly from drinking beer,but the rest of me is okay.How could i lose this and tone up.
If your diagnosis is correct, then the answer is simply drink less beer! Also eat less empty carbs, ie. white bread, pasta, biscuits, cakes. Try not to snack after drinking beer. Other than that, follow our belly fat rules and do regular exercise. Lift weights, build muscle, and eat healthy. But remember, beer can be good for you!
Russian twists are one of my favorite exercises to really target the obliques. I like to use a medicine ball for the added resistance. Also performing a weighted crunch on a Swiss ball creates constant instability so your entire core and stabilizer muscles have to really work to maintain balance.
All my mom buys is junk food and I’m just gaining. What am I supposed to do if I can’t get a hold of some real food. Please please help!!!!
Hi Moranda, you really need to find a way to persuade your mum that junk food is not healthy. Insist on eating vegetables and fruits, say it is for your health and happiness!
Hi I’m sorta young to start doing all these ab workouts but I still do them I’m not really getting any results and I really want a flatbelly and 4pack.I try not to eat rice and bread because they make me gain a lot of belly fat but I don’t know what to eat.and I don’t know what excersises to do and what to eat to loose my belly fat I really don’t have a lot but I’m tired of it. Please help me!!!!
Hi, I have alot of belly fat and sides but other than that i dont have a problem with any other part of my body. I dont know what excersices i should be doing. I dance almost everyday but i feel it doesnt work. What should i be doing?
Hi Brooke, if you are dancing a lot, then the problem is most likely to be diet. Reduce your daily consumption, eliminate refined sugars and processed foods for a while. Eat more protein and less carbohydrates too. See how you get on. Also more intensive exercise will help burn more, and compound weight training. Lunges and squats may also help to compliment your dance.
umm hi..i have a six pack…but how can i keep it there…and not to gain belly fat..i mean my mom like to cook lots of things…even tho i only 17 year old..i work out every day or just play footbal and stuff like that…but how can i make my abs stronger ?
Hi Johnathan, if you already have a 6 pack then your job should be easy! To keep it just work the muscles on a regular basis, do weighted crunches and side bends etc. Plus, most importantly, keep your diet lean. Over the next few years you may find that your appetite increases faster than your ability to burn the calories off (I speak from experience!) so just keep a close eye on what you eat. Keep it clean to keep it lean.
but how many crunches should i do each day…? and do joging help u at all ?
hi, i do crunches sit ups and jog,i also watch what i eat to…but it’s just not coming off.what do i do now? i can feel my abs,their just under a layer of fat…HELP PLEASE!!!! thanks…
Hi Christi. You need to burn more fat and eat a very lean diet. A 6 pack is really as much about diet as working out. Do some compound weight training to increase metabolism, and make you diet very lean – remove all sugars etc. Stop drinking fruit juices, high GI foods etc. You need to behave like a bodybuilder for a while. Also, add weight to your crunches (hold a weight plate to your chest). When jogging, do sprint intervals too, as raising your heart rate more helps to burn more fat.
i run thirty minutes everyday, do crunches, sit-ups, etc…. work out a lot and i also have a lean diet it’s sort of coming of, but I want to know what else I can do. please help…
I’m not sure if I’m allowed to ask more then one question…so this is my allowed/not allowed second question. are fruit juices bad? because i was researching for other foods that i should remove from my diet and this one site said fruit juices… and another one is pasta??
thanks again!
Christi, there is no limit to the questions that you can ask! Fruit juice contains a lot of sugar, so drinking a few glasses of fruit juice a day can be the difference between losing fat and accumulating more. The same applies to pasta – high energy, low fiber, little nutrition which means it bloats then leave you feeling hungry later.
Alexis, do some weight training, big compound movements such as lunges, squats, deadlifts, bench press, barbell curls. This will help you burn more fat.
okie dokie! good to know. okay can you do me a favor? look at what ive eaten for dinner:
shrimp
french fries [baked no greese at all so pretty much patato wedges ha ha ]
corn [no butter]
with a nice glass of water
is this healthy? am i on the right track or do i need to change some stuff?
Christi, it is healthy. But that does not mean you are making it easy for yourself to lose weight. Ditch the potato wedges and have a green salad instead. How is the shrimp cooked? Fried in oil?
boiled with nothing but water and a little bit of salt
hi im 13 i have a six pack but its kinda covered with fat can someone tell me what to eat in my diet
Hi, read our article on losing belly fat. Basically you cut out all sugar, eat only lean meats, and do intensive interval training and weight training.
Hi guys! Just came across ur website! Very informative! Great advice! I’m a 35 year old male who was in good shape in his 20′s! Still in decent shape now but would prefer to be a lot more toned in the stomach area! Was off recently for 2 months with bad back & currently doing strengthening exercises! Back feels the best its been in about 2 years! R there exercises i could do that wouldn’t risk a relapse in my back?
Hi Keith, very tricky to say. For a stronger back you need to strengthen the core muscles. Here are some tips on exercising the back. The trick is to never over do it, and listen to your body. Perform slow and gentle exercises, even when lifting heavier weights.
Hi im 13 years old and im trying to figure out like what to eat and what excersises to do because i dont really have a lot of spare time on my hands………. (i get up at 6:45 and get home at 6:45 pm eat do homework and relax my brain for a bit and go to bed at about 10:00) so i was wondering what are some fun excersises i could do that i can do fast?
Hi Reid, that is one busy day for a 13 year old! I had loads of spare time when I was your age. Regarding diet, it is more what you do not eat at your age, i.e. soda, sugar, cakes etc. You can still eat that stuff, but in moderation. Activities? Really you should find the time twice a week to do a structure exercise class, such as martial arts. Saturday mornings and one night in the week should allow you to train well enough to get fit.
Hi, im a skinny fellow. My arms were skinny but my tummy is too big. How can i gain weight and at the same time lose my big belly fats. Ty and God bless.
Vince, start weight training. Follow a strict routine, use free weights, compund exercises. Once you have built some muscle we can look at your diet. Plenty of advice here though.
Hello, I am an 18 year old guy that is in pretty good shape. I work out about four to five days a week and understand and apply nutrition. I’m about 160 trying to gain 10+ pounds of muscle. I have a little stubborn lower ab fat, nothing major. But everything else is pretty good. I hear that excess aerobics can cause weight loss, but In my case I want to gain weight. Although I want to lose a tiny bit of that lower ab fat that’s not completely toned. Do you suggest switching off every other day from weights to aerobics, or what?
Hi Garrett, if you are weight training everyday, then you are probably not working out with enough intensity. Really you should split your routine up and workout 2-3 times per week. You can then do cardio on the other days. Cardio needs to be intensive also, interval training is the best way to burn more fat.
what if i doing handstand pressup everyday it will help me lose fat and delevop 6 packs?? thanks
I am 31 years old women and currently weigh 150 lbs. I am trying to lose weight for this get together in like a month and a half. I want to lose at least 10 pounds. I have lot of fat in my hips, thighs and upper arms. how much i eat good, i am not able to get down below 150. What can i do? I workout 3 times a week – cardio and strength combined. I only started this from 3 weeks.
I eat good during the week but in the weekend i may be eat rice or coffee with sugar etc. I am not very good during weekends. What can I change to lose 10 pounds and tone my arms?
A good diet will help you show a 6 pack. Best to work the abs to to build the muscles too.
Hi Nami. Firstly, your diet. It sounds like you know your main problem – your cheats at the weekend. Do not have the sugar or the high calorie meals. The weekend is 28% of the week, so actually a long time to drop the healthy eating. As for toning the arms – press ups, assisted dips, bicep curls – these will all tone the arms well.
Hello, I’m 25 6’9″ and weigh 298 lbs. I’m getting in great shape but I’m wondering if I can be a 300 lb behemoth, or in order to be “ripped” if the weight will have to come down some. I’ve been hovering at 300 lbs but it seems that the fat weight is turning into muscle weight so I’m staying about the same weight. I cut the sweets, do my cardio, eat healthy and enough, take my vitamins, drink my protein, etc. What’s a healthy weight for my size? I feel great and am going to try to stay about 290-300 but what is a recommended weight I guess?
Hi Lee, that is a good question – what is a recommended weight. For anyone that does bodybuilding, the BMI (body mass index) is a waste of time, as it puts very muscular people into the overweight category. Really I think that you should focus less on weight and more or waist size. Are you carrying a lot of weight around the waist? If you get down to 24 inch waist, or less, then that would be a very good sign that you are of a good “weight”. Really it is fat levels that are important, both to health and how athletic we look.
I have been working out for a while now, when I started I weighed 300lbs! Now I am down to 250 and dropping the weight quicker than ever as my workouts have been getting more and more intense. However I worry about loose skin around my belly area, do you have any advice? Should I worry about it?
Hey, I am an 18 year old female and a vegetarian. I run about 5-6 times a week as well as various exercises. I focus on different bod parts each day to allow the muscle time to heal, and do abs approximately every other day. My legs and arms are thin for the most part (I would still like to see an improvement) but my stomach DISGUSTS ME. I box, and still no change. I have not been able to wear a bathing suit since I was really little. As I was scouring these previous questions, I noticed you responded with an increase in protein and lesser of carbs. How would you suggest I do this seeing that I am a vegetarian? Also, I eat a lot of all natural peanut butter (the ingredients are just peanuts) on whole wheat bread, is this good?
Thank you,
Shannon
Hi Shannon. Eggs, cottage cheese and whey are great protein sources, so you should have no problems eating more protein as a vegetarian. If you aim to strengthen your legs this should help you burn more fat. Do squats and lunges, but mostly squats, and aim to build up the weight lifted. Do 3 sets of 8-10 reps per weight training session, with a weight that means that the final reps are very hard to complete. This will build athletic/functional muscle that also boosts your metabolism. Natural peanut butter is popular in the bodybuilding community, and they are always looking for ways to cut the fat! As for the rest of your diet, limit refined sugars and eat more nutritious green salads, leaves such as spinach, rocket and lettuce are really good and have a “negative carb count” due to the high fiber content.
Am 19 years old, my hight is 5.8 and my waight is 75 kg. Am not so fat but my thighs, buttocks, stomach, chest and the sides of my stomach is very bulky.I want a well shaped body like Devid bekhum. I know thats too hard for me but i need that. I don’t eat so much, run up to 4 km every day(from 1 year) and go to gym. I do pushups, bench press, front press, back press, chest flys, pull over, biceps, triceps, abb crunches. I have been doing this since last two month but i am not getting that kind of shape. So please give me some suggestion and exercises( with the process to do it). Please help…
hi i a brandon, I am looking for a way to lose weight because i have a big stomach, i weight around 260 pounds, i am 6 foot 2 inches and only 17 i have been cutting back on sweets now i am down to about 2 snacks a week. What should i do???
Hi Brandon. Firstly, cut down to zero sweet snacks per week. Wean yourself off sugar. Avoid other refined carbs and sugars – bread, cakes, cookies, soda. Limit pasta and rice for a while. Get your calories through more nutritious food such as salads and fruits. Get exercising more. Lift weights and do intensive cardio sessions.
A recent study that compared many of the most common abs exercises concluded that the bicycle crunch was the most effective core exercise as it stimulated more core muscle fibres than any other exercise.
That is interesting. Do you know who conducted the research? Is there a report? Always like to see sports science research.
I lift in school everyday with the football team. but cant seem to get the belly gone. its just around my waist-ish area and will not come off how do I lose it?
Hi Kyle, why do you lift everyday? That is too often. Diet is the key, follow the rules, eat clean, workout hard.
Ii workout really hard and I still cant get my belly fat off. I do sit ups, crunches and jog. What do I do to lose the belly fat?
Hi Orlando. You need to do two things: 1. Avoid all junk food. 2. Do more intensive cardio exercises and bodyweight circuit training exercises.
what is interval cardio exercise?
Interval cardio exercise is another way of saying interval training. This is when instead of just performing exercise at a steady pace, such as cycling, jogging or cross training, you do short sprints throughout your workout. During these sprints your work yourself as hard as possible for a set period, generally from 30 seconds to 1 minute. Then you slow down and recover for 2-3 minutes before repeating the sprint interval.
It is up to you how you work this in terms of time. Personally I prefer 30 second sprints on a cross trainer followed by 3 minute recovery early on, and then 1 minute sprints at the end of the session before a longer recovery/cool down. The key is getting the heart rate up high several times. You cannot sustain a sprint, so have to do intervals.
Hey, I am fifteen years old. I play basketball. During the offseason I try to stay in shape and work out almost every single day. I lift alot and I am trying to get my abs to the a better state. I work them out everyother day, I can feel them, but they just aren’t showing up
Hi Danny, just keep working them. Use some resistance, hit them from different angles, and keep your diet very lean.
Okay thanks. What excises should I do since I wanna try something new.
Well, assuming you have done a whole lot of crunches, why not up your game and try front squats. Not the most comfortable exercise, but works the core and builds fat burning muscle at the same time.
I am back and better than ever. I see a lot of questions about belly fat. I have plenty. I
am 6-9 290 now. Remember this should be a lifestyle, not a 4 month I need results yesterday kind of change. While we all want results asap, rewards will follow those who put in a lot
of hard work and dedication. Those 30 year old guys at the gym that ate ripped have a set diet, an have been lifting for 15+ years everyday (different muscle groups of course).
While I haven’t seen the belly fat dwindle much, my bench press has gone from about 250 to 300 since my last post. I’ve been working out everyday and eating pretty decent. No fast food and no candy. If I do splurge at Chilis or Applebees then I do extra to compensate that. I really enjoy what I am doing and I am seeing results everywhere. Body fat can’t really be targeted. It will come off where ever it wants. It will be targeted to belly fat when that is the only thing left. But for now it’s everywhere and I can definitely see the results.
Just stay committed and once you’ve put in your time you will like the results. Remember it will take a while, a long while. Just stay safe, healthy and have fun with it. I think if you have fun with it you will be comitted to staying healthy in the long run. Any grammar mistakes I’ll blame on posting from my phone. Stay safe, healthy, and have fun!
Thanks for the update Lee. This is the right attitude. Just keep going, don’t give up. This is your new life, so love it!
Hi, I do exercise for my body to tone up, and also my belly because it is fat, however, I don’t want to loose weight on my legs because they are small already is there any exercise I can do for bigger legs and hips?
Hi Bianca, the best exercise you can do are squats. These will make your legs stronger while also helping to burn body fat (from all the body). Lunges are good too, but bodyweight squats are best. Just put your hands on your hips, feet shoulder width apart, and squat down until your thighs are almost parallel to the floor. Do as many as you can then rest, repeat.
Hi I recently had a pretty toned stomach and a pretty defined 6 pack without any knowledge of how I got it but ever since I started full time work I’ve slowly lost it and my bellys starting to get a bit bigger. I used to do martial arts for 10 years but quit about 4 months ago too. Can u give me some exercises I can do without and with equipment to acquire my 6 pack again? Thank you
Hi Jack. I suspect that you problem is more to do with diet and being less active generally than a need for some specific exercises. If you have 10 years of martial arts under your belt, then the best thing to do is get into the habit of doing some martial arts workouts that you are familiar with. Whether it be shadow boxing, forms or training drills, these will get you burning fat. Then work your core too. But most importantly, look at your diet. When people start work they often become less active and eat more junk food / snacks.
Hi, i was recently sick and i lost alot of muscle and gained some fat around my stomach and waistline, and i have small “man boobs”. how can i;
A) Regain Muscle Tone; and B) Loose the Love Handles, “Man Boobs” and stomach fat?
Regards,
Michael
Hi Michael. To regain muscle you need to do full body workouts with compound weight training. The love handles will hopefully melt away with a combination of a lean diet, increased metabolism as you build more muscle, and intensive cardio workouts. Circuit training, weight training or using a cross trainer intensively will all help. The key is to start exercising and keep working at getting stronger and fitter, while also eating a healthy diet that is low in sugar.
Heyy! I am 16 & not fat but I have this really big tummy and its so annoying and can get really embarrassing.. I don’t eat bread or rice, and I don’t drink Pepsi or Coke (some people say they cause bloating) && I stay away from junk as mush as possible. I tried a lot of workouts but now I’m just desperate for a solution because prom is in 6 weeks…. I don’t know what to do
I run twice a day. Each time for 15 minutes in the morning and night. I have a six pack but I’m aiming for an eight pack. The problem is I have a slight layer of fat just below my belly button and I’m having a really hard time getting rid of it. Any advice? Please
Hi Louise, this is a tricky one. You could experiment with some sprints in your running each day. Also keep a very close eye on sugar content of your diet. Compound weight training may help build more muscle to help burn fat too. Then hit those abs from all angles.
Update. 280 lbs now, but I’ve found a workout buddy and can’t wait to see what transformations happen this month. Running is getting somewhat easier but it’s still a pain in the butt to go fast. Remember get that cardio in if you want to lose the gut. And eat right of course. Good work everyone working on maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Good work Lee. Make sure your workout buddy is there for you and that you don’t just spend all your time trying to persuade them to go to the gym!
I have been traveling for eight weeks. And eating from restaurants and truck stops. I could not exercise either. Now I have a belly! I have been eating right now for 15 days. And exercising. No results. What should I do?
Christine, less food and more exercise is the only way to get back to where you were 10 weeks ago. You cannot expect to reverse 8 weeks of poor diet and inactivity in 2 weeks. Just keep working at it and stay focused.
Hey. I am 16 years old. 5′ 7″ and 147 lbs. I’m not fat but I’m not happy with my body. I play golf everyday for school. Walking 9 holes and sometimes 18. I play 18 holes every Saturday and Sunday. I am also in p.e class at school. We run and lift on an every other day schedule. I have some extra fat on my lower stomach and chest area. Is there anything I can do to get rid of that. Thanks.
Hi Austin. Sounds like you are really active at school, we never used to have PR everyday when I was a kid. With that much activity is could well be a diet issue. Maybe you are eating too much sugar? When you do PE is it intensive, i.e. do you do interval style training, work up a sweat and get very out of breath? Whatever exercise you do, it has to have an intensive element. Gold does not, although all that walking is certainly healthy. To get rid of the fat you just need to push yourself a little harder, exercise more intensively.
I’m pretty in-shape and a little over average with everything except my stomach. Like a lot of people, I can feel my abs, but I can’t see them and they’re barely defined. I want to get rid of the layer of fat hiding them, and I was wondering if this was the right strategy to do, even though I’m a very young teen. Thanks.
Really to reveal your abs you need to increase the intensity of your workouts (full body workouts, not stomach workouts) and eat a lean diet designed to reduce sugar and burn fat.
Hey. I’m an 18 year old male, 5 foot 10 in height. Over the course of the last two years, I’ve lost 60 lbs (I now weight 164). I lost all of my weight through outdoor running (building up to 3 miles 4 or 5 times a week) and eating healthy.
My question is that, now at 164, I’m afraid that I don’t have that much more weight to lose, yet my stomach still holds a great deal of flat. My waist in general has a very rounded look. It seems that my upper and lower bodies have slimmed down nicely (got rid of my fat legs and man boobs), while I kept my gut (part of it at least).
Would really appreciate your advice in this matter. A friend of mine recommended that I start weight lifting (after I told him I was planning on running more this summer). He said that running more would mess up my body at this stage as my shoulders were already beginning to look kinda weak. I have no experience lifting weight, at all.
Anyhow, sorry for such a long post.
Shawn
Hi Shawn, your friend made a good suggestion. Weight lifting is a good option. It will make you look and feel more athletic, plus the additional muscle will help burn more fat. You should also take a look at what you are eating and cut as much sugar out of your diet as possible.
Weight training is not difficult really. You could start with doing bodyweight exercises. Push ups alone will start to make your shoulders and chest look stronger and more balanced. Some options are the 20 minutes home workout, various different ways to do push ups here, the popular circuit training workouts, tips for using general items instead of weights in the backyard workout.
For weight training, start with our advice on weight training at home on a budget. We have advice for beginners here plus a simple beginners routine. You may find this helpful too, advice on how to train for different purposes, i.e. muscle strength, size or power.
Hi, I have a problem losing my belly fat. I had a baby about two years ago. I need some adivice.
Hi Andrea. Take a look at our new article on losing baby fat. You have to work hard to get your body back. Eat a healthy calorie controlled diet and do lots of quality exercise.
Hi, I’m 25 5’8 and weigh 150 lbs. I had a baby about 9 months ago, and can not get the weight around my belly to go away. It’s driving me crazy! I was a size 2 before I got pregnant, now i’m a size 9! I work out almost every other day and eat the best that I can mostly fruits, veggies, whole grains, protein…. I’m trying to lose at least 20lbs, any advice or exercise or diet you recommend? Appreciate it! Thank you.
Hi Amanda. What workouts are you doing at the moment?
I do at least 2 to 3 classes a week and I do the eliptical. The classes are mostly cardio and or body sculpting.
Body sculpting classes are good. When doing the elliptical really push yourself. Use the hill workout that will create an interval training routine. Use the highest resistance possible that allows you to maintain a comfortable speed on the high resistance hill sections. Whether you do 1 minute at very high resistance of 2 minutes at a lower resistance is up to you, but best to mix it up.
Really you need to keep a very close eye on diet. This is the key. Only eat low GI from now on, and make no excuses.
I am 20 yr old, weigh 67kg, height 5ft10. Although I am not overweight or obese I do have fat belly which I want to get rid of. I have been checking a lot of sites for this. I have a gym nearby but without any instructor I am a bit hesitant as to whether I am doing the exercise the right way or not. Please guide me as to what kind of exercises I can do at home so as to loose my belly fat and at the same time tone my body for a flexi look. I have started jogging and I swim a lot. Does swimming help as a workout to tone abs or body? I would like if you could reply in detail as to what kind of workout and for how many minutes should I do it everyday. More so if you could suggest some video tutorials for workouts?
To burn belly fat you need a lean diet with almost no sugar, very low GI, and do full body workouts. Working your whole body burns fat most effectively. Swimming can help but is not the best way to lose fat. Circuit training exercises are excellent. Jogging is good, but you need to increase the intensity – running is better. As you are not overweight really you just need to get fit. Work your whole body and work it hard.
If you really want to watch video tutorials then the Great Shape Up Program’s video workouts are really good. They provide lessons on gym workouts so that you can use weight training effectively to lose weight and shape up.
So why is everyone responding to this with questions that might as well be, “What are three stomach exercises to build a solid 6 pack?”
Do you think this doesn’t work, or are you not even dedicated enough to read the article, let alone work out? If your a person who’s overweight and expects results instantly then your out of luck. You can’t buy a six pack like you can walk into a lipho clinic and buy yourself fat loss. Muscle is the complete opposite of fat. You can carelessly gain weight but you have to work to lose it. You can carelessly lose muscle mass and strength, but you have to work to gain it.
A personal tip on weight loss:
Drink LOTS of water. It keeps your stomach feeling full so you don’t overeat. Over the course of a day doctors recommend to drink half the number of your body weight in ounces.
Ex: A 200 pound man should drink 100oz. of water. Or a 140 pound woman should drink 70oz. of water.
I recommend twice that if your taking the weight loss route. I always made a promise I would never go over 300 pounds. (I’m 6’5 and literally big boned, mind you). I don’t struggle with anything but stomach fat. My arms and legs are pretty muscular but my midsection is the problem area. Right now I’m working to lose 50 pounds and doing this alone i lose about 6 pounds a week. Thats WITH all that water weight too so technically I could stop a few pounds before 250 and lose the water weight. But I’d rather overshoot it than not make it. Good luck everyone. Trust me this works. Just don’t starve yourself, you still need nutrients to stay healthy. I recommend vitamin pills.
Hi I need some help getting rid of my manboobs and getting chest muscles, and I also need to get rid of some fat, but no matter what I do, it doesnt go away! I’m following the diet as well as I can.
Huang, what diet are you doing? What exercises?
I’m doing some intervals and plenty of ab exercises, I eat fish, grapes, oranges and lots of cold water. Is there something wrong with this diet?
That diet should cut the fat in time especially if you are exercising. Focus more on bodyweight exercises (push ups, burpees, crunches etc.) than just abdominal exercises and do some compound weight lifting exercises (bench press, shoulder press, squat, barbell curl). With the intervals aim to increase your workout duration and intensity so that you are always pushing yourself to get fitter. Work your back too to make yourself broader with bent over rows, pull ups / pull downs.
I have one more question: if I weigh 100 lbs and bike for 30 min, is that OK for my system?
So long as you get adequate nutrition and rest then there is no problem.
Hi, I weigh 230 pounds and I am starting to lose weight now again (I was 140 seven months ago.) However now I have stretch marks all over my belly. Do you think that if I start losing weight and do all the crunches and go to the gym. will I still have a ”floppy” belly? Will it reduce my stretch marks? if I exercise and diet every day how long do you think it will take for me to be at a good weight?
Hi Marissa. It is impossible to say how your body will respond to losing weight. If you adopt a controlled and healthy diet and exercise properly then you should lose a lot of weight. How long it takes is really dependent on how much effort you put in, i.e. how strict you are with your diet and how often and how intensively you exercise.
Hi I’m 13 I weigh 128 and I’m about 5’6. I have that stubborn tummy fat and I’m wondering how to get rid of it… Any suggestions on what excerises or foods I should eat? Greatly appreciated
Hi Jack, for diet you just need to focus on eating healthily, which mostly means no sugar, processed food, junk food etc. For exercise, whatever you enjoy is best. Find a sport or activity that you like and keep training at that. Martial arts are a great way to lose weight and get fit.
Ok I play soccer and I am trying to eat better and I do core excersises and I jog. Is there anything else I can do to lose the stubborn tummy fat?
One way would be to ditch the jogging and go soccer style interval training on a soccer pitch. Take a look at Football Training Drills and Soccer Workouts for some ideas.
hello, i have had a hard time this year. I’ve gained more belly fat throughout the year although i am in sports. I don’t know what happened and now i am exercising and eating vegetables and fruits and i keep gaining more and more belly fat. I don’t know what to do. All i drink is water now. I need help.
Hi Allysa. Keep an honest food diary for a week then analyse it. Unless you are eating a lot of fruit and vegetables then you should not be gaining much weight. Are you eating anything else? Bread, pasta, meat?
I am having 27% body fat what to do.. Help..
You need to go on a low sugar diet and reduce calories, while also exercising. Read the MCD Weight Loss Plan for details on how to lose weight.
I’m 23 years old I used to be a real athletic guy when I was younger, over the years I haven’t been keeping up and gained some weight. I just really want to burn my stomach fat and build my chest to have definition. Some say jogging doesn’t help lose weight I think otherwise. How can I lose stomach and waist fat and build up my chest?
Hi Bryan. Jogging does help, but it is not the best way to get in shape. To burn fat you really need more intensive cardio workouts. To improve muscle definition you have to start lifting weights, for chest it is bench press, flyes, plus working the core, shoulders and back. Here is some more detailed advice on building a stronger chest.
Hi, I have a fat belly I been trying to lose but I just can’t seem to lose it I tried walking and push ups. Talked to friends but they all say go running but I broke my right foot just a few months ago and I can’t do a lot of walking on it because if I do it starts to hurt and get bigger.
Hi Tonya. You need to follow a weight loss plan. Diet is key to losing belly fat. Also you can still do many intensive upper body exercises, and you should be able to perform squats too which are excellent fat burners.
I am 14; 5 ft. And 90 pounds. I have been eating protein and vegetables and exercising squats, situps, crunches, bench and press but my stomach fat just wont go way.
Drake, do not worry about your belly. You cannot really have belly fat if you are 90 pounds, if anything you could be underweight. Keep up with the exercise and continue to eat a healthy diet, focus on being a fit and healthy person and in time your body will change naturally to look more athletic.
Hey. I’m 18 and slim, but I have unusual amounts of belly fat, and a large lower belly. Because I never put much weight on easily, I never worried about what I ate and looking back I think I may have over done it a little. Now I’m trying to get a flat stomach and eventually tone. Any advice on how to target my belly without becoming very thin in process? And ideas as to why my belly is large and not the rest of me? Thank you
Hi Hannah.
“why my belly is large and not the rest of me?” – simple, genetics.
“how to target my belly without becoming very thin in process” – eat a healthy diet with plenty of lean proteins and fresh salad vegetable and do some quality exercise. That is, high intensity and resistance training. You will then burn more fat off and build some muscle and curves without looking thin.