Having a flat stomach is what most men aspire to when they start the gym.
Achieving a flat stomach by eating junk food, sweets, and processed foods is impossible. So they should be the first to eliminate from the diet.
However, it is also not true that eliminating these foods from the diet is enough to achieve a flat abdomen.
This article describes the best exercises and diet to achieve a flat abdomen.
How to have a flat abdomen?
To achieve a flat abdomen, you must combine a good diet with exercise.
Although there are several methods, the most effective is the combination of a low-carbohydrate diet with functional exercises.
If you want to achieve the six-pack, you should start not only toning this area but also alternate carbohydrates throughout the week.
An example of a method to have a flat abdomen is:
- The first week – Low carb diet
- Functional exercises – 3 times a week
- Week Two – Increase Carbs – Gym Routine
- Week 3 – Healthy Eating – HIIT
- Fourth week and continuous until goal – 10% Caloric deficit – cardio
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Diet to have a flat abdomen
The first measure to be taken in a diet to have a flat abdomen is to limit foods with a high glycemic index: sugar and refined flours.
Eliminating sweets, cookies, and bakery products, as well as sugary sodas and juices, is the basis for reducing your appetite. In addition, when the objective is to eliminate fat from the abdomen and having a flat stomach should be the key point to attack.
A diet to have a flat stomach can be of two types: a low-carb or low-carb diet, or one with vegetables and whole grains as the primary source of energy.
The first option is faster, but it can have a rebound effect if you don’t know what you are doing.
Read: Low Carb Diet – Sample Menu
The second option is slower but durable.
Read: How to lose weight without starving? – Weekly menu example.
Can you eat fat and have a flat abdomen?
Eating fat and having a flat abdomen is possible; it is essential. The key to fat consumption is not only in quantity but also in quality.
In the attempt to achieve a flat stomach (mainly women), they tend to stick to low-fat light yogurts and cut out all sources of lipids from the diet. Any nutritionist can agree that this is a dietary mistake.
The healthy fats: Vegetable oils, avocados, nuts should be part of a diet for a flat stomach. Including them is suitable for regulating the hormonal system, lowering triglycerides, and improving sports performance.
On the contrary, when an excess of bad fats occurs – saturated fats and trans fats, it is likely to increase your store of abdominal fat. The reason: they are structurally more stable and difficult to remove. This is the leading cause of the O-shaped belly shape in men.
The main thing in a diet to have a flat abdomen is to limit simple carbohydrates, refined flours, and poor-quality fats: trans and saturated.
// Recommended: How to lower the belly?
Exercises to have a flat stomach
Regarding physical exercise, we consider two options: high intensity circuit training. What is done in CrossFit routines?
Or the more traditional strategy: the combination of a hypertrophy routine and aerobic exercises.
Studies that have compared these two methodologies ensure that the results in abdominal muscle development are similar. The main difference is an increase in breathing capacity in the case of circular training. (4.5)
Also, doing abdominal exercises is not the best strategy to burn fat; they will allow the belly to be toned and muscular. In the long term, your strength will improve, but your abdomen will look smoother and flatter.
/ / Recommended: Abdominal Exercises – Best to Do at Home
How to eliminate fat in the lower abdomen?
The human body comprises different types of body fat (subcutaneous, intermuscular, and visceral). Each of them requires different strategies to be eliminated. The most difficult fat to destroy in women is that of the hips, legs, and lower abdomen.
According to science, the fat located in the lower abdomen is composed of saturated fatty acids (1). These fats are more stable in chemical terms, making them harder to remove. The good news: with diet and exercise, this is possible.
Combining a low-carbohydrate diet with intermittent fasting is the fastest method of losing belly fat. Because you have a flat abdomen, you may want to try this method.
// Recommended: How to do intermittent fasting?
The ketogenic diet for a flat abdomen
Low carbohydrate diets such as the ketogenic diet, Dukan diet, or paleo diet are increasingly popular. Due to the ability to burn fat, they are the most used diets to have a flat abdomen in a short period.
The foundation of this type of diet is based on when a maximum reduction of carbohydrates is made; the body can use body fat as an energy source.
Although these diets are adequate to have a flat abdomen, before starting, two precautions should be taken:
1. You must inform yourself and ensure that there is no lack of essential nutrients. By reducing carbohydrates in your diet, you are at greater risk.
2. They should not be seen as a lifestyle. Although these diets are effective for having a flat abdomen, they can have adverse health effects if prolonged for long periods.
// Recommended: ketogenic diet for beginners
ABSTRACT
How to have a flat abdomen? To have a flat stomach, there is no other than the combination of exercise and diet.
The first rule of thumb is to limit simple and high-glycemic carbohydrates when it comes to food.
The second condition of a flat stomach diet is not eliminating fatty foods. Knowing how to differentiate between healthy fats from trans and saturated fats is essential.
Abdominal exercises should be one more component of your training routines. Expecting a flat stomach in a week from doing a few sit-ups is a common mistake a beginner makes.
Exercises that work for several muscle groups simultaneously are ideal for a flat abdomen. If you also combine it with a low-carb diet in a cyclical way, you will get excellent results.
