How to Enhance and Flatten Your Stomach

It’s challenging to get a flat stomach. When many men look to improve their physique and get fit, they often take a very narrow-minded approach. Most guys will bulk up, with the goal of big arms, a broad back, toned calves, and quads, as well as a six-pack straight out of Hollywood rather than focusing on their overall health. The desire for a better body usually starts with targeting the spare tyres around the stomach first, aiming to get a flat belly, and the hope of one day getting a six-pack.

While aesthetics are usually the primary driver of losing a few kilos, health should be at the forefront of the mind. The fat you carry around the midsection, called visceral fat, is different from the fat found anywhere else in the body and can lead to many health complications. Cutting down on excess abdominal fat comes with lots of health benefits. There are several proven strategies to do it – although it will take time and dedication.

Tips to Help You Get a Flatter Stomach

We’ve rounded up 5 top tips to help you get a flatter stomach.

Wearing a men’s girdle

Similar to the versions offered to women, men’s girdles are a great way of helping to sculpt your body shape. By brands like Sculpted Menswear, they’re made from highly elasticated fabrics and help to suck in any muffin tops, allowing you to feel confident and feel your best no matter how tight the jeans are.

Although they won’t help you lose weight, they help create the illusion of a flatter stomach, so they’re a great temporary solution. From compression vests to waist trainers, bike shorts to underwear, men’s girdles are incredibly versatile and can be worn easily beneath any attire. From improving self-confidence to improving posture, girdles for men aren’t something to be sniffed at, and the best thing about them is that they can be worn whenever you like.

Read: Balanced Lifestyles

Strength training and exercise

While you’ll need to ensure you follow a healthy and balanced diet to achieve washboard abs, you can use strength training and cardiovascular training to help you along the way. Exercising is a brilliant way to help create a calorie deficit that will ultimately lead to weight loss. It will also help strengthen the abdominal muscles around your core, which will help with a toned and trim midsection.

Unfortunately, it’s impossible to spot-reduce fat, but by building up the muscles around your stomach through core exercises, you can make them more extensive and more robust to get you the six-pack you’ve always dreamed of. Consider adding strength training to your training regime three times per week and mixing it up with shorter, more intense HIIT sessions on the other days to burn fat and build visible muscle. Remember – rest days are just as important as the training itself as your muscles need to recover. Always consult a medical professional or a personal trainer before embarking on an intense health and fitness journey.

Read: Healthy Eating and Exercise

Cut Calories

The only way to lose weight and shed body fat is by creating a calorie deficit. Simple. In basic terms, a calorie deficit is where you consume fewer calories per day than you use – by exercising more and eating less. By doing this over a sustained period, you will lose weight all over your body, including your stomach. How many calories you need to consume each day is dependent on the individual. Many factors, including gender, height, age, starting weight, target weight, and activity levels, play a part.

Being aware of your calorie intake is the overall key to success. There are many apps out there that allow you to scan what you’re eating and track – taking a lot of the complicated work out of it for you. The best way of losing weight and keeping it off is to find a diet that works for you and your lifestyle. A diet where you can still eat pizza and enjoy a beer will be much more sustainable in the long run than one where you eat like a Rabbit and end up falling off the wagon at the weekends.

Read: Fruits for Weight Loss

Reduce your alcohol intake

Cutting down on the booze is a great way to help shift those extra pounds when used alongside a healthy balanced diet and regular exercise. One easy way of doing this is by alternating every alcoholic drink with a soft drink such as water or fizzy diet pop. It will not only help to slow down your drinking, but it’ll also ensure you’re kept hydrated, meaning you won’t suffer as much with a hangover the next day! Another great option is swapping out alcohol for low alcohol alternatives – they tend to be much lower in calories, and you won’t wake up with a sore head the day after. Bonus!

Drink more water

Many of us don’t drink enough water. If you ask anyone or google for long enough, you’ll find all sorts of numbers regarding the optimum amount you need to drink per day. Sadly, there’s is no one size fits all, and the amount you should drink completely depends on lifestyle factors like activity levels, how much you sweat, and height, weight, and age.

But did you know that drinking more water can help with weight loss? When you drink water, it increases the number of calories you burn while resting. It can also help with cravings, as water can help curb your appetite. Often when we think we’re hungry, we’re just thirsty. Next time you go to the snack drawer, try having a glass of water first and see if that helps with your cravings.

Read: Drinking Water in the Morning

Conclusion

Getting a flat stomach isn’t something you can do overnight. It takes hard work and dedication, and the results won’t happen instantly. Before jumping in headfirst, it’s likely your lifestyle will need a minor overhaul, but if you take control of your eating habits, reduce your overall alcohol intake and strengthen your muscles – you’ll be confident in no time.