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September 9th, 2020
One of the most asked questions we get here at Warrior Babe HQ is, "How do I get a toned stomach?" We've had this question so often that we figured it was time to create a guide. We don't have space for a deep dive into this topic, but we can definitely give you the basics. If you want to know more, make sure you check out the Warrior Babe Blueprint.
Ready to start your quest for a flat, toned, sexy stomach? Let’s do it!
Women’s workouts for toning the stomach
The first thing to understand about working out for a toned stomach is that doing hundreds of crunches and sit-ups, day after day, is not the answer! Doing lots of sets and reps of direct abs training is not an effective way to reach your goal. Instead, you need to adopt a more holistic approach to working out. If you work your whole body, you will get the Warrior Babe results you want.
Your toned stomach workouts should include the following:
Strength training– the best if not the only way to tone your muscles is to do regular strength training workouts. It doesn’t matter if you lift barbells and dumbbells at the gym or do bodyweight or resistance band exercises at home. You need to overload your muscles to tone them.
Work every major muscle in your body 2-3 times per week. Don't just focus on your abs; work your arms, legs, back, shoulders, and chest too. Why? To burn fat fast, you need to build some muscle. Remember what chief Warrior Babe Nikkiey Stott always says – “focus on gaining to lose more.”
Try to do plenty of standing strength training exercises too. Why? Because working out while standing forces you to use your abs more. Sitting down means your midsection muscles can relax. Some of the best exercises for a toned stomach are not even abs exercises. Squats, lunges, push-ups, and deadlifts are all great for your midsection, despite only using it indirectly.
Cardio– if you want a flat, toned stomach, you probably need to lose some fat. Fat over and under your stomach muscles will make your waistline larger than you want it to be, and cardio can help burn this fat to reveal your abs.
You don't need to go cardio crazy to workouts for a toned stomach, but you do need to do enough to speed up fat burning. 20-30 minutes, 3-4 times a week should be enough. You'll get even better results if you pick up the pace and exercise more intensely, or make the switch to high-intensity interval training, or HIIT for short.
Direct abs exercises– you also need to do some direct abs exercises for a toned stomach. However, it’s time to forget doing hundreds of crunches or holding planks for five minutes at a time! Instead, you need to work your abs with intensity – just like any other muscle. As a rule, if you can do more than 20 reps of any given abs exercise, it’s probably too easy. Choose exercises for a toned stomach that are challenging.
Use things like medicine balls, resistance bands, cable machines, and stability balls to make your toned stomach workout more demanding.
Walking– walking is one of the best all-round exercises that most people don’t do enough of. Walking is good for your posture, burns calories, lowers stress levels, and provides your heart and lungs with an enjoyable workout.
If you are serious about getting a toned stomach, commit to walking for 30 minutes per day. This doesn’t have to be all at once; you can accumulate your walking over the course of your day. Use an activity tracker to monitor how much you do.
Diet for a toned stomach
You are what you eat, and that means, if you want a flat stomach, you need to eat for a flat stomach too. The good news is that a diet for a flat stomach can be healthy, tasty, and easy to follow.
Eat a little less– to lose fat and flatten your stomach, you need to eat a little less each day. This will force your body to burn fat for fuel. There is no need to starve yourself, but you should try and eat about 1500-2000 calories less per week, or 200-300 less per day.
Eat more protein– high protein foods such as chicken, eggs, fish, and legumes are high in metabolism boosting protein. Eating more protein means you'll burn more calories per day without even trying. You'll also burn more calories while you sleep. Try to consume about one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. Use a macro tracking app to help keep you on course.
Take probiotics– probiotics can help flatten your stomach. Probiotics are good bacteria that keep your digestive system working correctly. Too few of these bacteria can lead to abdominal fat gain, stomach bloating, and difficulty burning fat. Regular consumption of probiotic supplements and foods can help reduce waist size.
Foods that are naturally high in probiotics include:
Avoid inflammatory foods– some foods should not be part of your diet for toned stomach. They are inflammatory and cause stomach distension and bloating. Common foods that you should avoid on your flat stomach diet include:
Not sure where to start? Make sure you check out the Warrior Babe Diet for more info!
Eat more veggies– you don’t need to go full keto or follow a no carb diet to get a flat stomach. However, you should try to eat plenty of low carb vegetables. Veggies are filling, low in calories, high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals, and also boost your metabolism.
Some veggies also have an anti-estrogenic effect, which means they lower your estrogen levels slightly. Elevated levels of estrogen can lead to abdominal fat storage so, if you want to know how to get a flat stomach fast, make sure you eat at least five portions of vegetables per day.
Drink more water– the secret ingredient on a diet for toned stomach is water. Drinking lots of water will help remove toxins from your body, speed up your metabolism, brighten your skin, and will also ward off hunger. Drink a glass or two of water every couple of hours to not only stay hydrated but to reach your toned stomach goal much sooner.
Mindset for a toned stomach
Your mindset is every bit as important as your toned stomach diet and workout program. Why? Because if you want to change your body, you need to change your mind too! Fitness motivation goes through peaks and troughs, but to get a toned stomach, you can’t afford too many off days. You need to eat right and exercise regularly and consistently.
Getting a toned stomach won't happen overnight; as well as working out and eating right, you will have to practice patience and determination. But, if you stick to the toned stomach female plan, you can do it. Make your goal of achieving a flat stomach your priority, and don't let anyone or anything get in your way. And remember, everyone at Warrior Babe is rooting for you!
Start your toned stomach journey today
Don’t wait another year, month, week, or day to start your toned stomach workouts or diet; start today! Go for a walk, do some cardio or strength training, drink water, eat more veggies, or load up on protein. And tomorrow? Do it all over again. You won't get a toned stomach overnight (sorry!), but every day you exercise and eat right will take you one step closer to your ultimate goal. Stick with it – you can do it!
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