The main goal of the basic complex “Flat Belly in 4 Weeks” was to teach you to feel the muscles that should work when performing certain movements. In addition, the first week complex is great for beginners: it should help you smoothly enter the training regime.
Now that you're confident in doing the first week's exercises and feeling how different muscles in your abdomen and back work, it's time to make things more challenging. The new complex that you will begin to perform from today will be more difficult, but it will allow you to achieve your goal faster. The training schedule remains the same: you train for three days, rest for one day. In all exercises, try to maintain a retracted, flat stomach.
How to visually narrow your waist with the right clothes
Stylists recommend using techniques for combining items and clothing styles to visually correct the abdominal area:
- wrap dresses and blouses . The silhouette visually makes the bust more expressive, draperies and belts create the illusion of a thin waist. The style works on girls of any build and height;
- White top black bottom . A contrasting blouse with lush decoration, sleeves and a pencil or year skirt will correctly highlight the figure, diverting attention to the hips and shoulders. This technique will help those who do not know how to make a thin waist before an important event: a business meeting or a special event. The technique of white top and black bottom is universal, works on women of any age, and suits business and romantic clothing styles;
- block coloring . The style, when contrasting dark inserts are placed on the sides on a light canvas, visually stretches the silhouette, hiding the sides and curvy hips;
- skirts and trousers with a corset or high waist . The high waist and fit visually makes the belly smaller and the silhouette more graceful;
- dresses and blouses with basques . Wavering waves add grace to the entire look, emphasizing the slenderness of the legs and adding the desired centimeters in the hips, making the waist aspen;
- belts at the waist . Contrasting or matching the dress, wide or narrow, classic or in the form of a belt-corsage - this accessory can draw a beautiful contrast between the chest and hips.
Difficulties in choosing clothes for certain body types
These techniques are difficult for girls with broad shoulders and narrow hips (inverted triangle silhouette), or an apple shape (narrow hips and shoulders and a large belly). It is difficult to visually correct the figure of short and overweight women. How to reduce the waist of such ladies? Only through a comprehensive method of diet and sports. For a one-time important event, you can use shapewear with a minus effect of up to 3 sizes. Doctors do not recommend using such T-shirts, graces and corsets for everyday wear. The compression effect, tightening fat and excess skin on the abdomen, pinches blood vessels, impedes lymphatic drainage, and puts pressure on the intestines and pelvic organs.
Basic fat burning complex
It is known that the greatest calorie expenditure occurs during multi-joint exercises for large muscle groups: thighs, buttocks, shoulders and chest. Increasing energy consumption makes it possible to quickly reduce your waist by activating the process of burning fat throughout the body.
It is necessary to start strength training with a preliminary warm-up. It should saturate tissues with oxygen, warm up joints, increase the elasticity of ligaments, and prepare the cardiovascular system for heavy loads. Simple gymnastics can solve this problem, including five-minute running in place, bending and turning the body, a series of high-amplitude movements of the limbs (swinging arms, legs, raising and abducting the knees).
Plie squats with dumbbells
Wide stance of the legs during squats allows you to specifically load the hamstrings and buttocks. For women who have just started strength training, you can perform the exercise without weights. For girls with a certain level of athletic training and men, it is recommended to perform squats with dumbbells.
Algorithm of actions:
- Hold one large dumbbell in your palms and lower your arms in front of you.
- Place your feet approximately 50 cm apart, with your toes pointed outward.
- Align your body (your back should be straight, your stomach should be pulled in).
- At the moment of inhalation, lower your body into the “squat” position, holding the projectile with straight arms between your thighs.
- As you exhale, rise to a standing position.
Number of repetitions - 14-18, series - 4-5. The recovery time between sets should not exceed 1 minute.
Pushups
Classic push-ups are performed on a horizontal surface. The main load falls on the chest and shoulders. For men and women with poor physical fitness or a very large belly, it is recommended to do push-ups from a chair, stool or bench: using an elevated position will allow you to lighten the load and do more repetitions.
The correct way to do the exercise is:
- Take a lying position: lower yourself to the floor with your stomach down, place your palms at chest level and spread them to shoulder width, bring your shins together.
- Raise your pelvis up, aligning your body in one line.
- While inhaling, slowly bend your elbows, lowering your upper body down.
- As you exhale, quickly push up.
- Perform about 20-25 repetitions, then take a forty-second pause to rest and perform another 5-6 approaches.
Pull-ups
The exercise pumps the latissimus dorsi and biceps brachii muscles. It is possible to perform pull-ups either on a high bar (recommended for men and women in good physical shape) or on a low bar. The second option is indicated for people with excess body weight.
Implementation technique:
- Grab the bar with your hands (reverse grip) and spread your arms shoulder-width apart.
- Lift your feet off the floor and bring your shins to your buttocks 90 degrees, after crossing them together.
- While exhaling, pull the body towards the bar - at the highest point, the chin should be above the level of the bar.
- Exhaling, slowly lower yourself down.
Number of repetitions - 6-10, approaches - 4-6. The interval between series should be 60-75 seconds.
Jumping
Exercise is one of the most effective ways to create a powerful stress load in the muscles of the buttocks and thighs. In addition to high energy consumption, jumping allows you to activate the production of sex and somatotropic hormones, significantly increasing the rate of fat breakdown throughout the body.
Execution sequence:
- Take the starting position: lower yourself into a “half squat”, spread your legs wide and fold your palms in front of your chest.
- Inhale and (as you exhale) jump up high.
- Return to the original position and perform another 13-15 similar jumps.
- Rest for 45-60 seconds and repeat the exercise 5 times.
How to make your waist thinner with diets
How to make your waist thinner? Start eating healthy and regularly. Any nutritionist will give this recommendation. The diet should consist of vegetables, unsaturated fatty acids, vitamins and essential amino acids. The basis of the diet for a thin waist is:
- avocado;
- oatmeal, buckwheat, millet;
- seafood;
- white, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts;
- seeds.
Contrary to stereotypes about the usefulness of legumes, they provoke flatulence and an enlarged abdomen. It seems that a person wants a thin waist, but the volumes are still the same and have even increased due to moisture retention and gas formation.
All methods work with daily use and strict control. In practice, most people find it difficult to count calories or stick to a healthy diet. Also, a number of diseases do not allow you to introduce dietary restrictions or exclude certain foods. It is difficult to lose weight if you have gastrointestinal diseases, kidney failure, anemia and other diseases.
It is worth noting that with hormonal disorders, losing weight through nutrition is not always possible. Before switching to a diet, consult an endocrinologist. The effectiveness of proper nutrition will be zero if you don’t get enough sleep. Chronic lack of sleep disrupts metabolism and provokes severe hunger. If you decide to get a thin waist with the help of a diet, then after 19.00, keep your mouth shut, and at 22.00 - go to bed.
V-shaped body type
In terms of physique, bodybuilders continue to follow the principles of old school bodybuilding, although in the modern world it is called "hippo-shaped". Basically, this choice is associated with a tightened waist and the formation of a classic V-shaped figure , like athletes in the 70s.
At that time, the main task for bodybuilders was the formation of a general physique, and no one thought about building any individual parts of the body. Be that as it may, the real goal of bodybuilding is to create a visually beautiful overall figure.
For example, Arnold Schwarzenegger, once a mass monster, had a small waist. And here we are not talking about a genetic predisposition, but about a small waist circumference in relation to the stomach and back. This volume can be controlled by a person, unlike, for example, the structure of the bones.
The mentioned bodybuilders, like Lee Haney, had thin waists solely due to their efforts. Working on this part was a priority for them, along with working on the biceps and chest. Therefore, they achieved amazing results - a vacuum-retracted abdomen.
Exercises to reduce your waist
Options for the most effective exercises
The TOP exercises for a flat stomach include:
- spinning a hula hoop (hula hoop);
- plank with outstretched arms, with arms bent at the elbows, diagonal (focus on the right arm and left leg and vice versa);
- bending to the side with weights;
- straight twists.
Classes will give results with regular training and 3-4 approaches of 10 times each exercise.
Exercise mistakes
When performing planks and various crunches, it is important to ensure the correct position of your back. A hunched back will not allow you to pump up the lateral, oblique and rectus abdominal muscles.
Trainers advise you to warm up before training to warm up your muscles and avoid spraining your ligaments.
Often beginners breathe incorrectly or are in a hurry. This error reduces the effectiveness of training and increases the likelihood of injury.
Restrictions and contraindications
These exercises cannot be performed with intervertebral hernias or renal failure. A gentle plank for hypertension or increased intracranial or intraocular pressure will provoke a deterioration in general health. Twisting a hula hoop is unsafe for gynecological inflammations and problems with the pelvic organs. Therefore, before training, it is necessary to consult a doctor and undergo an examination, and not just verbal recommendations from a fitness trainer.
Consolidate the result
It is very important to remember that sport itself is, of course, wonderful, but it also requires support “from the outside.” This means that, in addition to basic training, it is imperative to connect additional resources, namely:
- Develop a proper nutrition regimen - only a correctly composed diet that meets all the characteristics of a particular person’s body can contribute to the work done in the gym and consolidate the results obtained.
- Give up bad habits - alcohol is very high in calories, and smoking can make breathing very difficult, which has a bad effect on the quality of physical exercise.
- Visit a massage therapist.
- Go through the wrapping procedure.
- Try cosmetic procedures using anti-cellulite creams and masks.
An integrated approach to the goal will definitely bear fruit, and quite quickly. Salon and cosmetic procedures are desirable, but not required. But proper nutrition should form the basis of weight loss, since physical activity in this case gives only 50% of the desired result.
Possibility of surgical waist shaping
Plastic surgery and cosmetology offer several methods for creating the ideal hourglass silhouette:
- Abdominoplasty. During surgery, the surgeon removes sagging excess skin and fat deposits (“apron”) from the abdomen. The method is effective for body correction after rapid and dramatic weight loss, after pregnancy (especially multiple pregnancy). There are several types of abdominoplasty. Depending on the amount of excess skin and fat deposits, the plastic surgeon recommends full, medium, mini or no incision surgery.
- Ultrasonic liposuction. For liposuction, small punctures are made in areas where fat is deposited. The ultrasonic wave crushes the fat folds, the device brings the fat cells out. Immediately after the procedure, the client receives a flat stomach, elimination of “lugs” on the hips and a thin waist. Lipoaspiration removes up to 8 liters of adipose tissue at a time.
- Changing the shape of the 12th and 11th pair of ribs. Previously, removal of ribs to reduce the waist was proposed in the world, but this was the most radical and dangerous operation. ANACOSMA plastic surgeons perform a much less traumatic operation - these ribs are slightly filed, and then the surgeon changes their shape, which is fixed in the new position forever. After such surgery, the waist is reduced by 10 centimeters or more.
Workouts at home
The lack of professional training equipment at home makes it difficult to target each muscle group. High-intensity strength training will help solve this problem, the essence of which is that each exercise is performed with a large number of repetitions and a small time interval between series. This approach will make it possible to create a high level of muscle stress, which is necessary to speed up metabolism and activate fat burning processes in the waist and other problem areas of the body.
In addition to strength training, a training program that allows you to quickly create a beautiful, narrow waist of 60 cm should contain a large volume of aerobic exercises.
At home, it is possible to carry out effective cardio by running, cycling, swimming, and race walking. They must be performed at least 2 times a week. The duration of one lesson should range from 40 to 55 minutes.
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.