How to achieve a perfectly firm belly: exercises and weekly nutrition plan

Not everyone has the opportunity to train in a gym. Work, study, simple reluctance to visit fitness centers, their high cost and inaccessibility in a certain area - all this forces people to exercise at home, choosing a set of exercises available in such conditions.

By doing exercises at home and correctly forming a sports regime, you can achieve good results.

You can get a flat stomach at home, but everything will depend on a number of factors and requirements that must be met.

The secret to a flat stomach

You should strive not just to lose weight, but to lose excess weight and gain muscle mass. Setting a “flat stomach” as your goal is not an option because: a) it’s not that easy; b) a flat stomach does not always mean health. Experts say that “Beautiful abs are created in the kitchen” and they are absolutely right. You can train hard and build muscle, but if your diet is filled with refined carbohydrates and sugar instead of healthy whole foods, the results of your hard work won't be seen. Remember, you can't compensate for poor nutrition with exercise.

You should feel good - both mentally and physically.

Here are some myths about perfect abs:

Myth #1: Doing 1,000 sit-ups will help make your belly smaller.

Reality: No amount of lifting will give you a flat stomach, it will help strengthen your core muscles.

Myth #2: Growing abdominal muscles will reduce belly fat.

Reality: By working out you get stronger and your muscles do grow, but this does not lead to fat loss.

Myth No. 3: A flat stomach depends only on fitness.

Reality: Nutrition accounts for 80% of all results.

Myth #4: Anyone can have a flat stomach.

Reality: Many factors affect your appearance, such as genetics, proper nutrition and the amount of stress.

Keep in mind that we are all different. The main goal is to make the most of and work on what you have. Love yourself, try to be kinder, and prioritize your overall health and well-being.

Expert advice: how and what to do to get results

Professional athletes, trainers and nutritionists believe that you can get a flat stomach with home workouts. The training program can be built both on the basis of exercises with your own weight, and by purchasing some equipment. There are many options, it is important to choose the right classes and ensure compliance with other requirements (nutrition, regimen).

Important! Nutritionists recommend first of all establishing proper nutrition. A certain result will be achieved even before playing sports, but you can create a truly beautiful and athletic figure only by adding physical activity.

Coaches and athletes believe that activities should be varied. Abdominal muscle development is important, but not a priority. It is necessary to provide fat-burning workouts that combine different types of loads. The return from such activities will be maximum.

Olga Putrova, fitness bikini

A popular athlete in Russia, competing in the fitness bikini category, claims that you can achieve a flat stomach only by combining different loads, strength and cardio, pumping up your abs and paying attention to the whole body. At the same time, important importance is given to diet, since it will not be possible to reduce the fat layer if the caloric content of the diet is excessive.

Alexey Kovalkov, nutritionist

Professional nutritionist, Doctor of Medical Sciences Alexey Kovalkov believes that the first thing you need to do to achieve a flat stomach is to build a weight loss diet. It is necessary to reduce carbohydrates, especially simple ones, remove harmful fats, leaving healthy fatty acids, and establish a drinking regime. Only after this will physical activity be effective.

Ekaterina Shokhina, fitness bikini

The owner of a number of fitness bikini titles believes that the regime is the basis of sports results. A flat stomach is possible, but only if you follow a set of recommendations. It’s impossible to say what is more important - regimen, nutrition or training; everything should be perceived as a single whole.

As for training specifically, it is important not only to pump up the abs, but also to train the body as a whole, ensuring optimal load, gradually increasing it. And developed abdominal muscles will help tighten your stomach and make it more attractive.

What determines the appearance of a belly

Anterior pelvic tilt

Anterior pelvic tilt is a misalignment of the pelvis and hips in which the pelvis tilts forward and the buttocks and abdomen protrude. An anterior pelvic tilt affects posture, balance and mobility by essentially pushing the stomach forward and making it appear larger than it actually is. You can exercise a lot and eat a healthy diet, but if you have this problem, your hopes for a flat stomach will be in vain. In most cases, this problem can be resolved over time, as the cause lies in weakness of the gluteal muscles, hamstrings, spinal muscle spasms, problems with the hip flexors, and quadriceps muscles. Strengthening exercises and stretching will help you correct your anterior pelvic tilt. Here are some exercises:

• Warm-up
• Lunges (3 sets of 30 seconds per leg)
• Quadriceps stretch (3 sets of 30 seconds per leg)
• Exercise “Cat-cow” (3 sets of 10 repetitions)
• Bridge (3 sets of 10 reps)
• Plank (3 sets of 10-30 seconds)

Menstrual cycle

Another factor that may prevent you from achieving a flat stomach may be your menstrual cycle. Many women experience bloating and fluid retention during menstruation, which can result in weight gain of up to 3 kg. Even the slimmest and most toned girls can look a little swollen in the days before their period begins. As your cycle begins, you may notice a decrease in volume around your waist.

Stress

In addition to hormones (which fill the body during the menstrual cycle), important hormones such as cortisol and melatonin also play an important role in abdominal weight gain. When you are under stress—whether the result of life circumstances, a low-calorie diet, or strenuous exercise—the body also experiences stress and increases the release of cortisol. Being anxious for a long time can interfere with the proper functioning of your metabolism and make it difficult to burn fat. Sometimes overtraining and undereating can even hinder attempts to lose fat, as cortisol can cause fat to be deposited in the fatty tissue around the abdominal area.

Lack of sleep

If you eat a balanced diet, exercise regularly and avoid stressful situations but are still wondering how to get rid of belly fat, think about how much sleep you get. Getting good sleep will help increase your chances of getting a flat stomach. Research has shown that the less sleep you get, the less your fat cells respond to the hormone insulin. So if you want to see changes in your waistline, sleep a few more hours.

Nutrition problems

Ever had the thought after dinner that your belly was sticking out as if you were pregnant? Your belly will get bigger anyway if you've eaten a lot, no matter whether you ate healthy or not. This is a sign that your stomach is working.

It is also important to note that sometimes bloating can be a reaction to certain foods (chips, pretzels, popcorn) and water retention in the body, which makes the stomach appear larger.

Avoid the following foods to feel better and more confident:

• High sodium foods: High amounts of sodium retain water in the body, which stretches the muscles and causes the stomach to become enlarged. To avoid this problem, drink plenty of water.
• Dairy products: Some people are lactose intolerant (a type of sugar made up of galactose and glucose) and don't even know it. Remember that lactose in milk, yogurt or cheese can cause bloating.
• Carbonated water: Gases contained in drinks can accumulate in the stomach, leading to bloating and gas.
• Sugar-free products: Sometimes sugar-free products are several times healthier than sweet ones, but not when it comes to gut health. Sugar-free products often contain polyhydric alcohols, which cause stomach upset and, you guessed it, bloating.
• Allergies or sensitivities: Some people may be sensitive to foods such as fish, shellfish, nuts, soy, wheat and eggs, which can cause inflammation and digestive problems.
• High fiber foods (beans, lentils, vegetables): Fiber is very good for the gut, but the body needs to get used to it, and this will take some time. Increase your fiber intake gradually, eat vegetables and drink plenty of water.
• Bacteria: Frequent use of antibiotics and excess consumption of processed foods and sweets can lead to problems with unhealthy bacteria in the gut. The result is bloating and frequent visits to the toilet. Add prebiotics (fresh garlic, onions, leeks, asparagus, wheat bran) and probiotics (unsweetened yogurt, kimchi, sauerkraut, miso) to your meals to feed your body with beneficial bacteria for gut health.

Common mistakes in the fight against fat deposits around the waist

The diet is well adjusted, a sufficient amount of time is allocated for physical activity every day, and fat deposits on the abdomen remain in place. Why is this happening? Perhaps we are talking about common mistakes that many men and women make when trying to get rid of waist fat. What to pay attention to:

• A diet without the “right” polyunsaturated fatty acids. They are found in olive and peanut oil, avocados, nuts, and sea fish.
• Frequent drinking of beer. “Beer belly” is a common expression that is associated with a certain body type. Recent scientific studies have revealed that the expansion of waist size is influenced not by the drink itself, but by the various snacks that are served with it - salted nuts, chips, crackers. Beer provokes appetite, salty snacks provoke thirst. The result is a vicious circle when you alternately want to drink and eat.
• There is little mineral water on the daily menu. Purified tap water will not replace table mineral water due to the lack of microelements in it, in particular magnesium, which reduces insulin and blood sugar levels. It is enough to remember that fats are actively broken down only after the glucose concentration decreases to understand why fat deposits on the abdomen do not disappear.
• Uncontrolled fasting. Complete refusal to eat forces the body to work in extreme conditions. To maintain the functioning of organs and systems longer, the brain tries to compensate for energy costs by consuming fats sparingly and very slowly. The absorption of food after a long period of fasting occurs better, metabolic processes slow down. Every extra gram of food turns into fat reserves for a rainy day. Nutritionists do not advise taking a break between meals for more than 12 hours. It is better to reduce the portion size and reduce the intervals between meals.

A small supply of fatty tissue in the abdominal area is necessary. The layer protects internal organs from mechanical damage and plays the role of a strategic energy reserve that will help you easily survive hungry days. It is necessary to think about the consequences and take action if the waist circumference in women exceeds 80 cm, in men - 94 cm.

How exercise affects the appearance of your belly

Can exercise make your waist appear larger? The answer is yes, they can. This may seem dubious, since many people exercise just to look and feel slimmer.

When starting to exercise, an increase in the abdominal area is inevitable - the whole point is that exercise destroys muscle fibers through hypertrophy, and then enlarges and strengthens them. This is not something to be afraid of. As long as you consume the right amount of calories, your waistline will be fine.

If your goal is to lose fat, you should carefully monitor the number of calories you consume. So, if you consume more calories than you burn, the fat will remain in the upper abdominal muscles. Consider reducing your calorie intake slightly and watch your diet.

Beautiful abs can only be achieved in the kitchen.

7 Day Diet for a Flat Belly. Tips for losing weight

Meal plan

Proper nutrition plays just as important a role in losing weight as exercise. Follow this diet for 7 days and you will feel the difference. Start on the weekend so you have time to prepare.

1 day

• Breakfast: Omelet (3 egg whites, 75 g chopped pepper and a handful of spinach)
• Afternoon snack: 100 g chicken, ½ red pepper (cut into slices)
• Lunch: grilled chicken breast, lettuce, red pepper, green beans, olive oil.
• Afternoon snack: 100 g turkey breast, cucumber (cut into slices)
• Dinner: 100 g grilled chicken breast and steamed broccoli

Day 2

• Breakfast: baked chicken breast and a handful of fried cabbage
• Afternoon snack: 100 g turkey breast, ½ green pepper (cut into slices)
• Lunch: Baked haddock fillet with mixed green salad, ½ tablespoon olive oil
• Afternoon snack: 100 g turkey breast and 75 g steamed broccoli
• Dinner: Salmon steak with chopped dill and steamed green beans

Day 3

• Breakfast: 100g smoked salmon with spinach
• Afternoon snack: 100 g chicken breast, ½ yellow pepper (cut into slices)
• Lunch: grilled chicken breast, lettuce, ½ tablespoon olive oil
• Afternoon snack: 100 g turkey slices with avocado
• Dinner: Grilled lamb steak (or two cutlets), steamed broccoli and spinach

Day 4

• Breakfast: omelet (one whole egg and two whites), tomatoes, green beans
• Afternoon snack: 100 g turkey, ¼ cucumber (cut into slices)
• Lunch: baked cod fillet with lettuce, tomatoes, spinach and ½ tbsp. olive oil
• Afternoon snack: 100 g chicken breast, half fried zucchini
• Lunch: 100 g fried chicken breast, cooked with ½ tsp. oils and green vegetables

5 day

• Breakfast: 200g turkey breast, ¼ avocado and ¼ cucumber (cut into slices)
• Afternoon snack: two hard-boiled eggs, ½ red pepper (cut into slices)
• Lunch: 150 g grilled shrimp with green salad and tomatoes, ½ tbsp. olive oil
• Afternoon snack: 100 g turkey breast, almonds (5 pcs.)
• Dinner: 100 g chicken breast with steamed broccoli

Day 6

• Breakfast: Grilled haddock fillet with roasted peppers and zucchini
• Afternoon snack: 100 g chicken, one tomato (cut into slices)
• Lunch: 150 g turkey, green salad, steamed broccoli and ½ tbsp. olive oil
• Afternoon snack: 100 g chicken, pecans (5 pcs.)
• Dinner: 150 g - 200 g steak, green beans and broccoli

Day 7

• Breakfast: 3 egg omelet, grilled tomatoes and steamed spinach
• Afternoon snack: 100 g turkey, Brazil nuts (5 pcs.)
• Lunch: 150 g chicken breast with steamed asparagus and green salad
• Afternoon snack: 100 g turkey, ¼ cucumber (cut into slices)
• Dinner: Grilled skinless duck breast with sautéed oriental greens or broccoli

To make the fat burning process faster, follow these simple rules:

1) Eliminate K.R.A.O. from your diet

What is K.R.A.O.? This is a group of foods that do not benefit the body. K – caffeine, P – refined sugar, A – alcohol, O – processed foods. By giving up these foods, you will get closer to the dream of a flat stomach, because... they only prevent you from losing excess fat.

2) Encourage yourself

By suppressing the temptation to eat unhealthy foods, you reward your body. Did you know that a little encouragement won't hurt you? Treat yourself once a week to pasta with creamy sauce, chocolate fudge, or something else equally delicious. This will help you speed up your metabolism.

3) Use fish oil supplements

Fish oil found in sardines and salmon is a superfood. It contains a huge supply of Omega-3 fatty acids, which everyone needs. For those who do not want to eat natural fish oil, today there is a large selection of nutritional supplements. Be sure to include this product in your diet and it will help you burn belly fat.

4) Never skip breakfast

Each of us knows how important a healthy breakfast is; it is not called the most important meal of the day for nothing. You should have breakfast within an hour of waking up. Choose foods that will provide you with all the nutrients your body needs.

5) Try not to eat after 8 pm

“Breakfast like a king, eat like a prince, dine like a pauper.” Dinner should be light because at this time our digestive system is less active. Try not to eat after 8 pm to give your body enough time to digest food.

How to lose belly fat in 9 days. How to get rid of fat on the stomach and sides: what should you do?

Luckily, losing belly fat is a lot easier than many people tell you. There are only 2 things you need to know to get this done once and for all.

1. You need to reduce your overall body fat percentage.

It all really comes down to this.

Reduce your body fat levels to 10% (for men) and 20% (for women) and most belly fat will disappear.

1. You can use certain diets, workouts, and supplements to mobilize and burn belly fat faster.

Keeping in mind the first point, anything you do to speed up your overall fat loss will also speed up your belly fat loss.

There are, however, a few specific things you can do to help your body better access and get rid of fat, including belly fat.

Combine both strategies (accelerating fat burning and improving fat cell mobilization) and you have a highly effective program for getting rid of stubborn belly fat.

As an example, here are my recent results. I started with about 10-11% body fat:

As you can see, I had a fair amount of fat in my lower abs and obliques.

After about 10-11 weeks of practicing what I talk about, I was at about 6% body fat.

As you can see, I have lost virtually no muscle mass, and my core has become more defined.

So now let's talk about how this can be done.

Abs exercises for women: flat stomach in 8 weeks

It's time to work on your flat tummy!

Cardio

Perform 3-4 cardio workouts per week for 20-30 minutes. This could be walking or sprinting, swimming or cycling - the important thing to remember is to have fun with the workout. It doesn't matter what you do, as long as you burn calories. You can train in the morning, on weekends or after strength training.

Maximizing Your Meal Plan

You can't just give up food. To look fit and healthy, you must eat the right foods, not avoid them. Many women lack protein and healthy fats, which typically results in weight loss but may leave the skin feeling loose. Here are some tips to help you maximize your meal plan:

Calories

If you want to lose weight, consume about 1,800 calories per day. This will help you lose 600-900 g of excess fat in a week. If you are losing weight faster, there is a possibility of losing muscle mass. As a result, you will get a thin but flabby body. Go towards your dream gradually! If you are unable to lose weight, reduce your calorie intake to 1650 for at least 2 weeks.

Protein

A person should eat at least 100 g of protein per day. It helps you maintain, repair and build muscle tissue. Many women don't know how much protein they consume per day, so start tracking this vital macronutrient. If you find it difficult to consume 100 grams of protein per day, use dietary supplements.

Healthy fats

A minimum of 20% of all calories consumed should come from healthy fats. They are essential for proper hormone function, brain function, fat loss, and more.

Carbohydrates

Try to avoid white poison - in other words, white sugar and white flour. Choose nutritious sources of carbohydrates: oatmeal, rice, quinoa, fruits and vegetables.

Power training

Lifting weights not only increases your metabolism, but also strengthens your bones and ligaments. Compound exercises such as squats and lunges work the gluteal muscles (the largest muscle in the body). Increasing muscle mass creates more mitochondria in muscle cells, which is great for burning fat. In addition, pumped up muscles always look good.

Basic exercises

It's time to do exercises for a flat stomach. When it comes to abdominal exercises, don't rush into sit-ups. There are much more effective exercises that won't hurt your neck, such as:

Plank

Exercise “Bird and Dog”

Ball exercises

Crunches

Boat pose

Yoga and Pilates are also great for working your core muscles. Whatever form of exercise you choose, it should be interesting and challenging.

Ab exercises

1-4 week

Exercise	Number of approaches	Execution time/number of repetitions
Twisting on the top block	2 - 3 approaches	15-25
Plank	2 - 3 approaches	30-60 seconds
Knee raises on the horizontal bar	2 - 3 approaches	10 - 20 min
Side bends with dumbbells	2 - 3 approaches	10 - 20 min

5-8 week

Exercise	Number of approaches	Execution time/number of repetitions
Crunches on a block	3 - 4 approaches	20-30 repetitions on each side
Plank with feet on block	3 - 4 approaches	60 seconds
Squats with dumbbells	3 - 4 approaches	20 — 30
Exercise "Lumberjack"	3 - 4 approaches	10-20 repetitions on each side

30-day fat burning program (detailed instructions and photos of exercises)

Exercise “Turn to the side” with weights

For this exercise, use dumbbells weighing 4-5 kg. If you don't have a dumbbell, you can use a water bottle for extra weight.

Technique:

• Stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart. Take dumbbells and hold them at chest level.
• Turn left, then right. While performing the exercise, do not forget to tense your abdominal muscles and gluteal muscles for additional stress.

Standing turns

This exercise requires no additional equipment and is ideal for shaping and losing fat in the oblique muscles.

Technique:

• Stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart. Place your hands behind your head.
• Raise your right knee as high as possible to reach your left elbow. Repeat the movement on the other side.
• Don't forget to tense your abdominal muscles.

Weighted Knee Raise

For this exercise you will need dumbbells weighing 4-5 kg. Additional weighting will be aimed at the upper and lower abdomen.

Technique:

• Stand on your right leg and move your left leg back so that your toes touch the floor.
• Raise your arms up while holding the dumbbells.
• At the same time, lower your arms and raise your left knee as high as possible.
• Do the required number of sets on your left leg, then switch sides.

After completing the training exercises described above, you can take a break of 5-7 minutes, and then proceed to a 10-minute cardio workout. You can run on a treadmill, swim, jog or cycle. For this lesson, you can use the video training below.

Video

Flat stomach in 1 day. Flat tummy in a couple of minutes.

Exercise for a sagging belly, just a bomb, helps 100%.
Exercise 1: Inhale deeply with your stomach, protruding your abdominal wall as much as possible. One two three four five. Relaxed, exhaled all the air through your mouth. They pulled their stomach in, pulling it up towards the stomach. It's like you want to hide it under your ribs. We held our breath. One two Three. Inhale again, repeating the exercise as many times as you are old

. If you cannot complete this number of repetitions at once, then continue to do it throughout the day. After all, this exercise can be performed both standing and sitting, unnoticed by others. Believe me, this exercise does a great job of removing belly fat and massaging the abdominal organs.

Exercise 2. “Evil Cat”. Get on your knees, lean on your palms. Inhale through your nose as much as possible, pulling your stomach under your ribs, arching your back up. Lower your head down towards your chest. You should end up with an “h” pose—the pose of an angry cat when it suddenly meets a dog. We held our breath, exhaled at the count of eight, and relaxed. Returned to the starting position. We repeat three times.

Exercise 3: You most likely know the next exercise from childhood, from physical education lessons. But this does not in any way detract from its effectiveness. It also helps to remove belly fat, tighten slightly sagging sides, and reduce fat deposits around the waist. So, lie on a flat surface, hands behind your head. Bend your legs slightly and place your feet on the floor. Once, raise your torso and stretch your left elbow to your right knee. Two, returned to their original position. Three, we stretch our right elbow to our left knee. Four, returned to the starting position. We repeat as many times as we have enough strength. Just don't overdo it the first time. Otherwise, next time you won’t want to do this wonderful exercise, or you won’t be able to because of muscle pain. It is better to gradually increase the load on the muscles than to stop halfway. And a couple more words about this exercise. It stimulates the oblique abdominal muscles, which in turn burn fat around the waist and tighten the skin on the sides.

Exercise 4: This exercise is the most interesting. The exercise is called the pleasant word “Rest”. We lie on our backs. Spread your knees wide apart and place your feet under your knees. The right foot is under the left knee, and the left foot is under the right knee. This exercise also makes the muscles on the outside of the thigh elastic. Be careful not to overstretch your knees the first time to avoid damaging the ligaments. Every day you will do better and more confidently. Place your palms on the floor or bed near your body. Relax completely, close your eyes, think about good things. Just don't fall asleep again. We lay there for a minute or two, daydreaming. Now you can get out of bed. Take a contrast shower. It will give your body an extra boost to burn fat by speeding up your metabolism. That's all. Just 10 minutes a day of the simplest and most enjoyable morning exercise will help you get rid of your belly fat, become slimmer and more cheerful.

How to get a flat stomach with the Vacuum exercise

Once upon a time, everyone performed torso raises in order to reduce the volume of the abdomen. Today, a new product is conquering the fitness world: a belly vacuum.

This exercise has been in the spotlight for a long time, and is a breathing exercise that not only strengthens the deepest (transverse) abdominal muscles, but also activates them.

The exercise is quite simple: all you need to do is squeeze this muscle. If you do it right, your waist will shrink, your posture will improve, and your lower back pain will decrease.

In clinical settings, vacuum exercises are referred to as “abdominal fluttering.” This is actually not a completely new approach. Since the basis of the method is breathing, a similar technique is practiced in Pilates and yoga.

If you plan to do this exercise yourself at home, you should start with the most basic movement known as the supine vacuum.

1. Lie on your back.
2. Bend your knees.
3. As you exhale, try to pull in your stomach as much as possible.
4. Press your belly button as if you were trying to reach your spine.
5. Stay in this position for at least 15 seconds.
6. Try to maintain the position until you can hold your stomach in this position for up to 60 minutes.
7. Take small breaths when needed.
8. Repeat 3-5 times.

Emergency techniques with results within a week or month

Losing weight is possible in a short time. But in this case, you need to realistically evaluate what is desired and what is available. Losing a couple of tens of kilograms in a week or even a month will not be possible, at least without harm to your health, while removing a few extra kilos, tightening your stomach and making it slimmer is quite possible.

Before you make a belly in a week, you need to decide on the potential possibilities. For example, you need to downsize to wear your favorite clothes. If we are talking about a couple or several kilograms, then you can try.

The most effective ways to lose weight in this case will be:

1. Protein diet . Carbohydrates are excluded from the diet; their only source will be in vegetables. The menu will be based on: meat, fish, seafood, low-fat dairy products. Supplements include fish oil or Omega 3 and 6.
2. Hard interval training . You need to combine cardio and strength training, and you can do this at home. It is recommended to alternate the exercises performed during the week rather than performing the same ones at each workout.
3. Taking fat burners . Often, special medications that speed up metabolism or stimulate the use of energy from one’s own fats, rather than from food, help to move the needle and lose a few kilograms.

The most effective approach is a combination of such methods, which leads to achieving a greater result.

Some tips for the Vacuum exercise

• It is useful to do vacuum training in the morning while lying in bed.
• This exercise works great when done regularly on an empty stomach.
• Try to pull your stomach in as much as possible for the exercise to be effective.
• Over time, you can make the exercise more difficult by doing it while sitting on a ball or on a chair (to do this, use a chair without arms or backrest).
• The exercise should be performed regularly, but you should not rely on it alone. Eat only healthy foods and exercise. In just a few weeks you will see and feel the difference.