Strengthening and building muscle in only one specific area is very difficult. If you are interested in strengthening your abdominal muscles, do core muscle training coupled with weight loss and fat loss in your body. Even if you have strong, well-formed muscles, your abdominal muscles won't show up if they are covered by a layer of belly fat. Do a combination of abdominal building exercises, cardio, and a healthy diet to help define your abs to show off to your friends.
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Part 1 of 3: Muscle Strengthening Exercises
Step 1. Do cardio
Cardio isn't specifically designed to tone or tone your abdominal muscles, but this exercise is important for losing excess weight or getting rid of the fat that still covers your abdominal muscles.
- Do 150 minutes of cardio every week. This is the minimum that most health professionals recommend.
- However, if the results are not visible or you want to speed up the process, feel free to increase the time of cardio training to 300 minutes per week.
- You can also increase the intensity of your cardio. High-intensity cardio exercise done in less time. For example, research suggests that 75 minutes of high-intensity cardio is as beneficial as 150 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio.
Step 2. Do a HIIT workout
In addition to steady state cardio (exercise performed continuously for at least 10 minutes at a constant intensity), several studies have shown that high-intensity interval training can help with weight loss.
- HIIT or High Intensity Interval Training combines short, very high-intensity exercises with medium-intensity exercises. This exercise is designed to increase your heart rate and push your body aerobically.
- An example of a HIIT workout is alternating sprints and jogging on a treadmill or incline to get your heart rate up.
- HIIT workouts also help burn fat and keep your metabolism going long after your workout.
Step 3. Include some compound exercises
Combined exercises work several groups of joints and muscles. This exercise can increase strength and help achieve the desired results faster. Here are some examples of compound exercises to strengthen the abdominal muscles:
- Dead lift
- Squat
- Overhead press
Step 4. Try the Tabata workout
Tabata is a high-intensity workout that only takes 20 minutes. This exercise burns fat as well as builds muscle, which will help strengthen your abs.
- Tabata is performed with 20 minutes of high-intensity exercise, then rest for 10 seconds. This exercise is done for 8 rounds or 4 minutes.
- You can try different types of exercises, but compound exercises are the most effective. Try exercises like squats, pushups, rows, or Kettlebell exercises.
- Tabata workouts can include pushups, squats, crunches, and burpees. For each exercise, push yourself for 20 seconds, then rest 10 seconds, then practice again until you've finished 8 rounds. Rest for 1 minute between each round.
Step 5. Take a break
Cardio training and weight lifting are important, but rest also plays a very crucial role.
- It is generally recommended to set aside one or two days a week for rest. Ideally you still exercise on rest days, it's just that the intensity is very light. Include moderate-intensity, relaxing exercise, just enough to keep the body moving. You can do stretching, recovery yoga, or walking.
- In addition, do not do abdominal exercises every day. There are many rumors that state that the abdominal muscles can be trained every day. However, many professional fitness experts disagree and recommend abdominal exercises done on certain days.
Part 2 of 3: Doing Abdominal Strengthening Exercises
Step 1. Do planks
This exercise is great for building all the core muscles (abdominal, back and leg muscles). You can increase the intensity or the muscles you train using variations.
- Lie face down on the exercise mat. Then, lift your body into a pushup position, but support your body with your forearms. Both elbows should be just below the shoulders.
- Rotate your pelvis slightly forward and keep your torso straight and firm. Do not bend or arch your back. The whole front of the body should feel like trying to hold this position for as long as possible.
- Try a variation by rotating your pelvis from side to side. While maintaining a straight body position, rotate your pelvis from left to right. Try to almost touch the floor with your upper pelvis. In this way, your abdominal (oblique) muscles will be trained.
- You can also try side planks. Start in the starting position and then rotate your body to one side. Keep your forearms supporting your body, but keep your shoulders and hips stacked on top of each other. The upper arm rests along the pelvis.
Step 2. Do a V-sit
This abdominal exercise targets your core muscles. Several variations can be done so as to focus on the lower and middle abdominal muscles.
- Sit on an exercise mat with your legs straight out in front.
- Lean back slightly and slowly pull your knees to your chest. Keep your shins raised so that they are parallel to the floor.
- When pulling your knees to your chest, keep your arms extended straight out in front of you. Do not use your arms or hands to stabilize your body position.
- Slowly widen the "V" shape that your body is making by extending your legs in front of you and leaning further back. Pull your knees back so they are close to your chest. Continue as many reps as desired.
- To increase the intensity of the exercise, you can fully straighten your legs.
- Increase the intensity of the exercise by lengthening and straightening your legs so they don't bend. Keep the angles of both legs equal and pointing at the ceiling.
Step 3. Do a Russian twist
The Russian twist is a fairly easy exercise to do and specifically trains the front and sides of the abdominal muscles.
- Sit on an exercise mat with your feet in front of you. Bend your knees so your feet form a 90-degree angle in front of your body.
- Lean back slightly and lift your feet a few inches off the ground. You should feel your core trying to maintain your position.
- Make a fist and twist to the left, as if trying to grab your back. Roll your hands back in front of you, and try to reach your back through the right side again.
- To increase the intensity of the exercise, increase the speed of the reps or use a barbell.
Step 4. Perform a lying leg lift
Lying leg raises work your entire core, but focus on your lower core and hip flexors. This exercise is difficult, but the results are very satisfying.
- Lie on your back on the exercise mat. Rest your arms by your sides or place them under your sitting bones (to maintain body stability). Keep both legs extended in front of you.
- Bring your feet together, then slowly raise them until they are perpendicular to the floor. You need to use your core muscles to maintain this position. Make sure your lower back stays pressed against the floor and doesn't bend.
- Slowly lower your legs and keep them straight. Repeat as many reps as desired.
- If this exercise is too difficult, you can bend your knees slightly. As your muscles get stronger, try returning to the straight leg version.
Step 5. Do a leg raise
This exercise is more difficult to perform, but all of your core muscles are trained with this method. Here's how:
- Grip the pull-up bar and let your body hang in a straight line.
- Use your core muscles to lift your knees up to your chest. Try not to swing your body or use momentum to lift your legs.
- Hold both knees to your chest for a few seconds then slowly lower back to the starting position.
- Repeat pulling your knees to your chest again. Do not swing or use momentum while doing this exercise.
Part 3 of 3: Adjusting Your Diet to Strengthen Abdominal Muscles
Step 1. Take control of your calorie levels
Calorie control has a very important role to play in achieving your goals. Gaining firm, defined abs requires that you have little body fat or excess weight.
- If you feel your stomach muscles are already building and want to make them more visible, cut calories from your diet. This will aid weight loss and reduce the fat tissue that covers the abdominal muscles.
- It is usually recommended to reduce 500 calories per day from your diet (or the amount burned from exercise). Thus, the weight will be reduced safely and naturally, which is as much as 1 kg per week.
- Cutting calories more can slow down weight loss and even cause your body to burn muscle mass instead of fat. In the long run, your abdominal muscles will be harder to see clearly.
- If you feel your weight or body fat levels are reasonable, pay attention to your calorie intake. Use the online calculator to calculate the appropriate calorie intake to maintain your weight.
Step 2. Consider a low-carb diet
Research states that a low-carb diet is a good way to lose weight fast, burn fat and reduce extra water weight on the body. This method is great for strengthening your abdominal muscles.
- Carbohydrates are found in a variety of foods, for example: whole grains, dairy products, starchy vegetables, legumes, and fruits. Do not stay away from all these foods. Later, your diet will be unbalanced and your body will not get the essential nutrients it needs to function.
- Stay away from foods that only contain carbohydrates and eat foods that also contain other nutrients, such as whole grains and starchy vegetables.
- In addition, choose fruits that are low in carbohydrates or sugar (such as berries) because they are rich in fiber and vitamins. Dairy products are rich in protein, calcium and essential minerals and should be included in the diet.
- Weight loss results from a low-carb diet initially only weighs water. This is not a problem and is as expected. After this, weight loss usually comes from burning body fat.
Step 3. Eat low-fat protein and non-starchy vegetables
If you limit your intake of a variety of vegetables, most of your diet consists of low-fat protein foods, non-starchy vegetables, and low-sugar fruits.
- Try to fill half your meals and snacks with low-sugar fruit or non-starchy vegetables. These foods are rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants and are a crucial part of a high-nutrient diet.
- Protein is also an important nutrient, especially when you're trying to build muscle and lose body fat. Include one or two servings of low-fat protein each day (about the size of a palm). Eat it; eggs, processed poultry products, low-fat meats, pork, seafood, and low-fat dairy products.
Step 4. Cut back on snacks
Limit snack time to strengthen your stomach muscles. You can gain weight if you eat too many snacks or eat unhealthy snacks.
- If you want a snack, eat one that contains 150 calories or less. Match snacks with exercise or weight loss programs.
- As with your diet, eat low-fat protein with a small amount of fruit or vegetables as a snack.
- In addition, eat snacks only when necessary. If you're very hungry and your stomach is rumbling but your next meal is still two hours away, grab a snack. But, if you're just bored and just want to eat, hold your appetite.
Step 5. Drink plenty of water
Adequate fluid intake is very important for body health. Apart from that, it also helps control your weight.
- Drink at least 2 liters of water (about 8 glasses). However, there are some health professionals who recommend 13 glasses per day. This depends on age, gender and activity level.
- Drink water to quench thirst and suppress appetite. Adequate water needs will reduce hunger throughout the day.
- Limit alcohol consumption. Some studies suggest that excessive alcohol will increase fat stores in the mid-abdominal area. Limit alcoholic beverages to just one drink for women and two drinks for men per day. However, if your goal is to lose weight and tone your abs, reduce your alcohol consumption even more.
