There’s a reason we focus on personal training at Upfit Academy in New York, NY. It allows us to find the best way to help you accomplish your goals. If you’re working toward six-pack abs or just a flat stomach, working out alone may not be enough. Great abs start in the kitchen. No matter how strong your abdominal muscles are, or how much they ripple, if they’re covered in a layer of fat nobody can see them and your tummy will still look puffy.
Focus on food that builds muscle and burns fat.
Getting rid of that layer or two of fat is paramount when you want a beach body everyone will admire. No matter how many planks or suspended sit-ups you do, fat can hide your progress. If your body is shrouded in layers of fat, you may be strong and have rippling muscles, but the rest of the world will just see fat. Fiber can reduce a round belly. Slow digestion can spoil your appearance. You can avoid the bloating appearance it causes by slowly increasing the fiber in your diet. Fiber also helps you lose weight by making you feel fuller and longer.
You need healthy fat.
Healthy fat helps burn fat. It sounds counterintuitive, but consuming the right type of fat can help you lose weight and get that shredded appearance. Healthy fat includes olive oil, avocado oil, and coconut oil. Unhealthy fat that packs on the pounds are trans fats. Instead of eating fried food, use olive oil on a salad to help you lose weight.
Increasing the protein in your diet can increase fat burning and reduce your appetite.
Consuming meals high in quality protein can help lower the potential for excess body fat. A high protein diet also provides the materials to both build new muscle tissue and preserve already existing muscle tissue as you lose weight or convert fat tissue to muscle tissue. A diet higher in protein is linked to less belly fat which can hide all your efforts in the gym.
- Even though building great abs starts in the kitchen, you still have to go to the gym to get results. Vary your workout and include more core exercises. Most are compound exercises that also burn more calories.
- Don’t forget to include herbs and spices in your diet. Ginger, black pepper, red pepper, cinnamon, and mustard seed can help. Cinnamon is proven to reduce insulin resistance, which is responsible for the accumulation of belly fat.
- If you’re eating highly processed food, fried food, or food with added sugar, you won’t get the results you want. All of these cause inflammation and can lead to increased belly fat that hides your toned abs.
- Instead of cardio, use strength building to get rid of fat and show off your abs. When you do cardio, it burns tons of calories, but they come from both muscle and fat tissue. Strength training burns fat.
For more information, contact us today at UpFit Training Academy
