Real Fitness Experts

As a personal trainer I routinely field questions about flat stomachs and six pack abs. Men and women want the secret formula to a rock solid mid-section. There are 5 tips that can help anyone increase their chances of a slimmer, fat-free waistline.

Flat Stomach Tip 1) Eat plenty of fibrous foods. This helps aid digestion and elimination. All too often the protruding lower abdominals are caused by enlarged intestines. Aiding the body’s digestion and elimination processes will help give a flatter appearance to the lower stomach area.

Flat Stomach Tip 2) Create a strength training routine that addresses all of the major muscle groups. A nice trick I learned along the way is to increase the muscle in your shoulders. This gives the appearance of a smaller waist. Working your while body is more advantageous for many reasons. A few reasons are:

- Working the entire body creates balance. Working just the abs will result in an imbalance and may lead to over-use, under-use or injury of certain muscles.

- Working the entire body will add more lean muscle. Women need to add lean, toned muscle to their body. They should not be afraid of bulking up or looking like men. The more muscle we have, the more calories we burn. Each pound of muscle burns 35-50 calories per day.

- Just working the abs usually results in over training. With a full body routine each muscle receives attention and proper rest.

Continue reading ‘5 Tips for a Flat Stomach — by Lynn VanDyke’