The number one email I receive and question I get asked: How to I get rid of stomach bloat?? First off, I want to mention that, for the majority people, this is not an easy task. It requires dedication, but it is possible! Below is a general 3-step guide that, if followed religiously for 3 months, will produce results in all muscle groups, not just your abs.
Step 1: Nutrition
This is without a doubt, the single most important part of the puzzle, hands down. You can have the most impressive set of abs, but if they're covered with a layer of fat, you won't see them! Break up your day with 5 or 6 mini-meals because this jump starts your metabolism and keeps your blood sugar stable. And stop eating the food that is preventing results: white bread, loads of pasta, soda, candy, fast food, hydrogenated oils, sugars and fructose corn syrup. All that does is spike your blood sugar and cause you to store fat. If you are regularly eating a heavily processed diet, you may need to make one healthy swap at a time so it does not feel so overwhelming to you. You can grab my guide to help with that here.
Replace these foods with foods that will help you reach your goals: oatmeal, olive oil, whole grain breads, fruits, vegetables, nuts, eggs, natural peanut butter, chicken, fish, protein and water. Be realistic and also kind to yourself. You'll slip here and there, we are all human, but when you do jump right back on your clean eating plan. Make a conscious effort to improve your eating habits. You will look and feel better, have more energy, sleep better, the list goes on and on.
Step 2: Exercise
You need to focus on 3 different types of exercise: cardio, weightlifting and ab exercises. Set a goal of working out 3- 4 times a week.
The cardio you do can be anything: walking, running, biking, swimming, elliptical, whichever cardio you don't mind (or mind the least I should say) doing so that you'll stick with it. Aim for 30-45 minutes, a minimum of 2 times a week. I do this post weight workout as I see the greatest results doing this.
Weightlifting is important because 3 pounds of added muscle burns as many calories as a 1 mile jog...and this is while you're just sitting around! Aim for 30-45 minutes, a minimum of 2 times a week. If you're confused as to what exercises to do for each body part, check out out the following website. It features professional bodybuilders, but the information is great and can be used by anyone. I also have many guides for varying levels of fitness. Just give me a shout!
https://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises
The last exercise you need to incorporate into your workout is ab exercises. Aim to work your abs a minimum of 3 times a week. There are a ton of different ab exercises you can do so try to find 3 or so that you enjoy doing so you can mix it up. My absolute favorite ab exercise is planking because it incorporates so many additional muscles. A good database of different ab exercises is:
https://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/muscle/abdominals
Tip: mix up your workout routine every 2 weeks to keep your body guessing and changing. Add or take away different weight or ab exercises, or at the very least, vary the weight, reps or form of cardio you do. This will give you the most results.
Step 3: Supplements
I am and have always been a firm believer in supplements to increase results from diet and exercise. I have used more products than I would like to mention but have been consistently using one for the last for years that is an absolute game changer and will increase your results exponentially. My liquid gold is a 3 step system that you can read about here.
Follow the above for 3 months religiously, and while results will vary from person to person, you will experience improvement. My biggest tip is TAKE PICTURES! I am the worst about not being able to see progress in myself by looking in a mirror, but can when I actually see a photograph. You know what they say, a pictures is worth a thousand words!