Some dream of gaining the flexibility of a gymnast, others want the ripped build of a bodybuilder, and some would be satisfied with being able to achieve their fitness goals. The one thing that all these people have in common is the need to build a strong core.
However, losing belly fat and slimming down the waist area can prove to be challenging for many people. So what can a person do to achieve a physique similar to that of athletes?
Understand Your Body
First of all, it’s important to understand how your body works. Many people think that fitness means losing bodyweight, but that’s only half true. Your body is made out of muscles coated with fat, along with many other constituents. From an athletic point of view, losing fat until you reach the normal range is healthy; losing muscles is detrimental. A good fitness plan works so that your workout regimen will help you burn fat, build or strengthen muscles, maintain flexibility, and provide proper nutrition to your body needs. To achieve a strong and healthy body, you’ll need to combine cardio, resistance training, stretches, and nutrition. Let’s get into each one in detail.
HIIT the Cardio
Cardiovascular exercise is the best way to turn your body into a fat-burning machine. Contrary to what many people believe, you can’t lose fat from a specific region of your body; you lose fat from all over your body once you start training. This means that merely focusing your training on ab-exercises won’t help you slim down. At best, it will build a strong core that improves your fitness level, but it won’t necessarily help you achieve the slim physique you’re after.
Instead of focusing all your training efforts on ab exercises, it’s best to follow a routine that involves a few days of cardiovascular training, hopefully in the form of HIIT training. As proven by research and athletes all over the world, HIIT training is the most efficient and practical form of cardiovascular training.
Watch What You Eat
Keep in mind that, as soon as you start training, your body will utilize the nutrients you’re consuming much more efficiently. It makes sense from a scientific perspective; you’re restarting your system, so it’s going to change how it uses the food you consume. That’s why you’ll need to pay very close attention to the food you’re eating to achieve your fitness goals and, if a slimmer waist is your goal, then you’ll need to be even more careful.
Just as the fitness experts at BestHealth explain, it’s worthwhile to try the best-recommended weight loss programs, weight loss pills, or appetite suppressants to help you through your weight loss journey. Belly fat can be one of the most stubborn areas, so getting supplemental help in addition to sticking to a lean diet is the best way to go about it.
Add Resistance Training
Finally, losing belly fat is great and all, but if you really want your waist to slim down in shape, there’s no way around resistance training. The beautiful shape of the ab muscles when they’re tightened and strengthened is one we all drool over. Resistance training won’t make you bulk up (unless you go into extreme measures and add your calorie count). When done right, core resistance training is going to shape up your abs evenly to highlight slim obliques and a flat stomach. Depending on your taste, you can workout to define your abs and v-line even more (we sure think they’re attractive as hell!).
Diversify Your Exercise Routine
Now that you know what you should do let’s take a look at a few exercises that you can include in your workout routine. It’s highly recommended that you diversify your routine to stay motivated, feel free to mix it up a little. Here are our top recommendations:
- Any exercise in the form of HIIT cardio.
- Burpees.
- Squat press to jump.
- Jumping oblique twists.
- Planks, dolphins, renegade rows, and all other variations.
- High-knee jumps.
- Crunches and bicycle crunches.
- Kickboxing.
- Any form of twists.
While everyone has their own fitness goals, no one can disagree about the fact that a small waist body is to die for. A fit body is one that combines certain levels of cardiovascular endurance, strength, and flexibility, all of which are highlighted by proper nutrition. Similarly, a strong core can only be acquired by combining cardio, resistance training, and proper nutrition.
