Encore Personal Training

Top 10 secrets to a flatter stomach

Have you ever asked anyone – male or female - what he or she would change about their bodies if they could?

Some people respond with “nice sculpted arms” while others wish for a rounder firmer butt. However, without fail, the most popular answer to that question is - a nice flat stomach.

It is no shock that a tight midsection ranks number one on most people’s wish lists. Apart from your face, the stomach is what you see everyday when glancing in the mirror. Take a seat on the bus and you feel the creases between the belly (?) deepen with each breath. Walk past a mirror and gasp in horror as reflection of your pouch reminds you that it’s been a while since you stepped foot in the gym.

If you are tired of allowing your stomach to preceed the rest of you each time you walk into a room, read the following words carefully (and follow the advice, of course) and soon you will be on the road to a washboard stomach.

1) Perform lactic acid training:

It is no secret that exercise leads to fat loss. In recent years the most significant breakthrough in exercise program design has been the use of lactic acid training for fat loss. The theory behind the programming is simple. Train to induce an increase in lactic acid in the muscles and the body will produce fat burning hormones to clear it out. These hormones are very metabolic and lead to HUGE decreases in body fat storage. For detailed lactic acid workouts refer to the Drop Your Freshman 15 fat loss manual.

2) Ditch traditional cardio and start doing HIIT training:

The biggest misconception in the war on fat loss is that cardio is the ‘be all and end all’ for body fat reduction. Nothing could be further from the truth. Cardio can not only cause your body to retain the fat but also place it in those ‘trouble spots’. The most efficient way to lose tremendous amounts of body fat is to perform High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT).

Note: HIIT is the combination of low intensity rest periods interspersed with of high intensity work. The ideal ratio between the efforts should be 3:1 for exercises such as biking and running and 1:1 for skipping.

3) Eat more protein:

It has been said before - and I will say it again – that protein is a must for those wanting to shed pounds quickly. Protein provides amino acids which are essential building blocks to muscles. It is commonly known that an increase in lean muscle tissue will aid in burning calories. Unfortunately most people diet when trying to lose weight. In periods of caloric restriction the body does not discern between body fat and muscle tissue when it looks for an energy source. If you reduce your food intake to too low a level, specific protein and the body will start to eat at muscle to preserve itself from starvation. One of the most effective techniques to retain lean muscle mass during fat loss is to increase protein intake so that the body has an adequate supply to feed off. A rule of thumb is to aim to eat a gram of protein per pound of lean body weight daily.

4) Eat more fats

Fat has gotten a bad rap over the years because people assumed that eating fat is what made you fat. The truth is some fat is necessary for your health. There are TWO essential fatty acids that everybody should be eating. The first EFA is Alpha Linolenic acid (ALA) . This is an omega 3 fatty acid found in foods such as almonds and flaxseeds. The compounds in ALA have been shown to help in many functions of the body such as heightened mood and smoother skin. The second essential fatty acid is Linoleic acid (LA) which is an omega 6 fatty acid that can be found in sunflower and corn oil - fat sources that are found in many products on supermarket shelves. Unfortunately the average North American diet is too high in LA and not high enough in ALA. The optimal balance of omega 3’s to 6’s should be a 3:1 ratio. An increase in the intake of omega 3’s has been shown to balance out the deficit and aid in the regulation of blood sugar, which plays a large role in fat loss.

5) Drink Green Tea

Bursting with healthy antioxidants, green tea is a must for anyone looking to loose body fat. A study conducted in 1999 by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that found that men who were given a combination of caffeine and green tea extract burned more calories than those given only caffeine or a placebo. The reason for the increase in caloric expenditure may be directly linked to its high concentrations of catechin polyphenols, which have been linked to increased fat oxidation and thermogenesis.

6) Eat more leafy green vegetables.

Your mother was right when she told you to eat your spinach. Leafy green vegetables provide the body with micronutrients, photo nutrients, fiber and vitamins. The benefits of leafy greens vegetables are tremendous considering their low caloric impact, making them ideal for fat loss.

7) Perform corrective exercises to strengthen the midsection and align your posture.

If you have read this far you are wondering why I haven’t yet mentioned core training; strengthening the muscles of the stomach, though important, should be done when your training and diet are in place. Only when those basics have been addressed should you commence exercises to realign the pelvis and increase core strength which will then create a flat stomach. For specific exercise’s that target the midsection refer to the Drop Your Freshman 15 Core Essentials manual.

8) Limit your alcohol consumption.

Telling a college student to reduce their alcohol intake is like telling a police officer to go cold turkey on donuts. Unfortunately alcohol has been shown to reduce the body’s production of testosterone and growth hormone, both potent fat- burning hormones which are essential for fat loss. Alcohol can also be dangerous due to its large caloric bang without the feeling of satiety. If you must drink, do so moderately and opt for beverages high in antioxidants - such as red wine. One tip to lower the effect of alcohol is to eat it with a fatty food like cheese to slow down its absorption into the blood stream.

9) Relax……

Would you believe one of the most efficient ways to get a flat stomach is to decrease your stress levels? As easy as it sounds decreasing stress may be one of the hardest things for people to do in our western culture. Every day is go, go, go. The human body was not designed to constantly be under stress and when it is the adrenal glands take a beating. Why is this important? The adrenal glands are the soldier in the war against stress; once they become overwhelmed the body releases the stress hormone cortisol. Cortisol has been directly linked to increases in body fat specifically around the abdomen, meaning if you want a flat stomach stop worrying.

10) Sleep well

Many people don’t know that sleep quality can have a direct effect on the amount of body fat that you retain. Studies have indicated that people who do not get enough sleep tend to be overweight. The increase in body fat may be linked to what occurs hormonally when the body is in a sleep deprived state; for one the body releases ghrelin otherwise known as the hunger hormone causing you to eat more. Leptin levels are also reduced when the body has not rested enough, leptin is responsible for signally satiety. Another result of effected sleep is a interruption of testosterone and growth hormone production which occurs during rest. Lastly inadequate sleep disrupts serotonin production, which can lead to sugar cravings upon waking.

About the Author

Teiko Reindorf is a NSCA-certified personal trainer as well as Poliquin International Coach Level 1 He owns and operates a Personal Training business in Toronto Ontario specializing in personal training, post-rehab exercise and nutritional consultations, you can learn more about Teiko on his website at http://www.Encorept.com

For a complete fat loss system refer to the Drop Your Freshman 15 training manuals at http://www.Freshmanfatloss.com