Do you want beautiful abs for summer weather? The first important step in gaining solid muscle is reducing the fat on your belly to make the muscles visible. Combining diet with exercise focused on the abdominal muscles will strengthen your abdominal area and make it look toned and solid. A few months of maintaining a healthy diet and exercising will pay off – you just have to commit. Check out Step 1 to find out how to get abs without going to the gym!
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Method 1 of 3: Lose Belly Fat
Step 1. Consume natural foods
Filling your diet with unprocessed foods that don't contain a lot of artificial ingredients will give you the best chance of success in losing midsection fat. The easiest way to do this is to cook food instead of going out to eat or buying ready-to-eat meals. While this choice is very easy, it is very difficult to know what you are actually consuming. Better, buy fresh and natural food, cook your own dishes as often as possible.
- Eat a lot vegetables – the more variety, the better. Try to make most of your meals vegetable-based.
- search meat with minimal processing, if possible labeled “hormone free”. Hormones given to animals to fatten them up can cause health problems in humans.
- choose wheat such as brown rice, quinoa and oatmeal rather than flour-based foods.
- Try making a large pot of healthy vegetable-based soup or casserole earlier in the week, so you don't have to cook every day.
- Don't forget the importance healthy fat in weight loss – olive oil, avocado, nuts, and fish are good sources.
- Eat regularly, don't skip meals. Doing so will only slow down your metabolism and your body will not burn excess fat. You have to burn excess fat to show your abdominal muscles.
Step 2. Avoid processed carbohydrates
Consuming refined sugars and starches can lead to weight gain and fat storage. Processing sugar, flour, potatoes and other starches removes nutrients and fiber from these products. Biscuits, cakes, potato chips, white bread, pasta, and other processed carbohydrates cause blood sugar to rise and lead to fat storage. For most people, the abdominal area is the first place where fat collects. The good news is, this is also the area where people usually see results first when they start losing weight – so swapping refined carbohydrates for whole-grain alternatives will likely help you see results quickly.
- Avoid sugary drinks such as canned drinks. Even canned diet drinks can lead to weight gain, not helping with weight loss.
- Instead of drinking fruit juice, eat the fruit; that way you will get healthy fiber not just the sugar.
- Take a break from packed snacks, even protein bars and granola, if you're trying to lose weight. Even foods that are labeled “healthy” can contain a lot of refined sugar and flour, which makes it difficult to lose weight.
Step 3. Take control of your stress
It may not seem important, but feeling stressed can have a huge effect on your body shape. Do you take time to de-stress every day? If not, chances are your body is producing too much cortisol, a hormone released due to excessive stress. Too much cortisol production can lead to the accumulation of body fat - so that fat accumulates in the abdomen. Taking steps to calm yourself down can go a long way in getting rid of the weight that is blocking your stomach muscles.
- Determine what causes of stress you can eliminate. Is your schedule too full? Eliminate some activities from your schedule so you have time to relax. Cancel events you don't have to attend to stay home and rest. You may not realize that "resting" can help you lose weight in the stomach, right?
- Perform rituals that can help you relax. Whether it's daily meditation, alone time outside and a breath of fresh air, regularly walking the dog, or taking a hot bath at night, practice a ritual that helps you calm down when you're feeling stressed.
- Learn how to breathe properly. Taking small breaths tells your brain that your body is feeling stressed, and your adrenal glands produce cortisol. It is very important to breathe properly – that is, from your diaphragm. When you inhale, your stomach should move outward, when you exhale, your stomach should come back in.
Step 4. Get enough rest each night
Lack of sleep can cause people to gain and store weight in the stomach in two ways. First, it stresses the body, causing excessive cortisol production. Second, it lowers inhibition, making people more likely to overeat foods they would normally avoid. A well-rested person can wake up early, eat a nutritious breakfast and make good choices for lunch and dinner, whereas if you're not getting enough rest, you'll likely try to wake your body up by eating too much salt or sugar or refined flour.
- Having a sleep schedule can be very helpful. The solution is to get 7-8 hours of rest as often as possible.
- Oversleeping can also have a negative effect on your health, so try to wake up after 8 hours instead of letting yourself sleep for 9, 10 or more.
Step 5. Eat breakfast every morning
Starting your day with a healthy breakfast is an important way to lose weight. This is because consuming nutritious calories in the morning will keep you feeling full and energized for several hours. Skipping these mealtimes allows you to eat large lunches and dinners, with snacks in between. Start your day with the following foods:
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Oatmeal.
It has a low glycemic index, so it won't spike your blood sugar and lead to hunger. Oatmeal will keep you feeling full for a long time. Sprinkle with almonds and chopped fresh fruit for a delicious and healthy breakfast option.
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Scrambled eggs.
Eating protein in the morning is a great way to keep yourself nourished and full. Studies show that people who eat protein in the morning will feel full for a long time. Waiting longer to consume protein will not have the same effect.
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Grapefruit and apple.
Both of these amazing fruits have components that help reduce appetite and nourish the body.
Step 6. Drink plenty of water
Drinking lots of water has been shown to increase human metabolism by up to 30%. The results are best if you drink 8 glasses of water or more per day, spaced in one heart to stay hydrated. Drinking lots of water will help you burn calories faster and stay in good shape for the next important step in gaining abdominal muscles at home – building those muscles!
On the other hand, avoid drinking beverages that will add calories. Don't drink soda, alcohol, canned drinks or other high-calorie drinks
Method 2 of 3: Build Abs
Step 1. Do crunches
This is one of the best exercises you can do to strengthen your abs, at home, without going to the gym. You don't need any special equipment – just a comfortable spot on the floor. Here's how to do it:
- Lie on the floor with bent knees and feet on the floor.
- Cross your arms over your chest.
- Using your abdominal muscles, lift your upper body, so that your shoulders leave the floor. Pause at the top, then lower yourself slowly.
- Don't lift your back off the floor, as this could injure him.
- Do 3 sets of 20 crunches to start.
Step 2. Perform side crunches
Get into the same position as a regular crunch, with your knees bent and your arms crossed over your chest. This time, perform a crunch to one side, snapping your head and arms to the right or left of the knee. Crunch on the same side for one set, then switch to the other side and then do another set.
Step 3. Do planks
This exercise may look easy, but you will feel a burning that shows that you are doing it right! This is a good exercise to do if you're worried about muscles "looking" too big, and you just want them smooth and toned.
- Spread yourself out on the floor face down with your legs extended behind you.
- Lift yourself up into your upper arms. Your elbows should be just below your shoulders, with your arms facing forward, like the Sphinx.
- Lift your upper body so that your arms and toes are supporting your weight. You should feel your stomach muscles tighten.
- Hold the position for 30 seconds. Relax on the floor, then do 30 more.
Step 4. Do a side plank
Take the same position as for the regular plank. This time, lift yourself up with only one upper arm – the right or the left – and point the other arm towards the sky. Your body and head should be facing to the side. Hold the position for 30 seconds, then do the same on the other side. The side plank strengthens the oblique muscles on the side of your stomach.
Step 5. Perform leg lifts
Lie on the floor with your arms at your sides and legs outstretched. With your feet touching and your back straight, lift your feet off the floor so that they reach a 90-degree angle. Hold for a few seconds, then lower back to the floor. Do 3 sets of 15 leg lifts.
- You can also do alternate leg lifts, lifting one leg at a time and then rotating it.
- Make this exercise more difficult by placing weights on your ankles or holding an exercise ball between your legs as you raise your legs.
Step 6. Try bicycle crunches to build your lower abdominal muscles
Lie on the floor with your knees bent so your feet are parallel to the floor. Straighten your right leg, then lift your left elbow to your right knee by wrapping it around your torso. Then, straighten your right leg, then lift your right elbow to your left knee and repeat.
Step 7. Perform one leg stretch to build your upper abdominal muscles
Lie on the floor with bent knees. Raise your head slightly to your chest. Pull the left leg to the chest, holding it with the hand. Then, raise your right leg to a 45-degree angle, hold it for a few seconds, then switch legs.
Step 8. Don't forget cardio
Do cardiovascular exercise, such as running, cycling and swimming, several times a week. Remember that your body needs to burn fat in order to show muscle, and cardio will help you lose weight throughout your body.
Method 3 of 3: Getting Solid Results
Step 1. Exercise your abdominal muscles 3 times a week
Create a routine so that your abdominal muscles get stronger and tighter over time. Don't train your muscles every day, muscles need a day between workouts to rest and recover to get stronger. Try to train your muscles every 2 days or every 3 days.
- On days off from abdominal exercises, work other muscles such as the arms, back, and legs. Developing full-body strength will help with a firm stomach, too.
- Focus on trying as hard as you can while exercising. When you feel that muscle training is starting to get too easy, push yourself a little harder. Add reps, or add weights. If you don't, chances are you won't make any progress.
Step 2. Stay motivated with friends
Gaining abs isn't easy, and there are times when you're really tired of working hard for it. Having strong and beautiful abs is an effort, and it's okay to take a break from time to time. With that said, it's important to have a trick to stay motivated and lift yourself up when you're ready to give up. Setting goals with friends can be a huge help – you can call each other and sympathize, work out together, and exchange your top tips.
Schedule one day a week where you and your friends do abdominal exercises together. You don't want to disappoint your friends
Step 3. Give yourself a time limit
Tell yourself that you are following this routine – eating healthy, getting enough rest, drinking water, and exercising – for 2 months. If you don't like what you see in two months, you can quit. 2 months of focusing on your abs is ample time to see results, so hopefully you don't want to stop when the time is up.
Step 4. Reward yourself for progress
When you start to notice your waist shrinking, treat yourself to something to motivate. You can buy a new pair of pants, a box of expensive green tea, or go to the movies. Just make sure you don't indulge yourself in calories – it will make all your efforts go to waste!
Tips
- Don't do too much abdominal exercise, doing too much doesn't get the best results. For best results, do abdominal exercises slowly.
- Lie on the floor with your back flat and raise your legs and arms to the sky. Touch the left foot with the right hand, do the same with the opposite foot and hand, repeat about 30-50 times.
