Most people have fat around their middle and it is normal to have some fat there! Although it is nice to have a six-pack or a washboard stomach, that requires a lifestyle (or lucky genetic gene pool) that isn’t realistic for most of us. To be able to see stomach muscles, normally people have a very low bmi for their height or a body composition of less than 15% body fat for men and under 25% for women – easy if you are an athlete in your early 20s…but do not despair, that does not mean take to the couch and embrace the rolls of fat occurring!
What can I aim for whilst still enjoying my social life?
You can still aim for a trim middle with small amounts of body fat so that although you can’t count the muscles, there is no over-hang! It is so uncomfortable if your trousers or shorts dig in to you when you sit down. You want to feel comfortable and confident in both your clothes and your skin! So how do we reduce our fat stores around our middle? How do we flatten it out and increase our muscle tone in these problematic areas?
Check list for success
Eat whole food: natural food that isn’t processed. Eat when your body is hungry, stop when your body is full and drink lots of water. For more info on how to eat well, please check out our healthy recipes blog.
Do cardio exercises several times a week – anything that gets your heart rate elevated.(check out this fat-burn blog if you need inspiration)
Weight train: the more muscle you have, the less fat you are ever likely to see.
Keep a strong core for optimum stomach tone and back health
Three Almighty Exercises!!
Exercise 1: The Side Plank
I have included variations to suit all levels. You can practice both holding the planks and doing side raises too.
Beginner: 15 second holds or 5 raises each side (2 sets)
Intermediate: 40 seconds or 10 raises each side (3 sets)
Advanced: 60 seconds or 15 raises each side (4 sets)
Exercise 2: Crazy Ivans
You can use a medicine ball of any weight for this or a dumbbell. If you don’t have any sports equipment you can use food or bottles of water.
Beginner: 5/5 each side (2 sets)
Intermediate: 8/8 each side (3 sets)
Advanced: 10/10 (4 sets)
Exercise 3: Deep Core Bridge
The advanced level requires a ball or raised platform (like a small step or some big books!) but otherwise bodyweight does a beautiful job on its own.
Beginner: 10 slowly (2 sets)
Intermediate: 12 slowly (3 sets)
Advanced: 15 slowly (4 sets)
How often do I need to do these exercises?
I suggest that you do these like a core circuit so one side plank each side, one set of crazy ivans each side and one set of core bridges. Then repeat the set 2, 3 or 4 times! Keep going until your feel the burn, if you get any niggle in the lower back then it means it is time to stop and resume another day!
Get that holiday booked and keep dreaming of that sun or snow on your face 🙂
Train hard so that you can play always,
Victoria xx
Feel like you need some support to get started?
Here are Free Spirit, we can make sure that you get the momentum that is needed to start training regularly and we can also teach you to train yourself doing the right exercises in the right quantities. Often people find that when they are more confident with what they are doing and now how to do it then they are more likely to make the time for it. Drop us an email today to book yourself a FREE CONSULTATION
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