Summer is here and that means it’s time to show off your body! But if you’re like most people, toning your stomach has most likely snuck by your to-do list, and now you’re stuck scrambling for quick abs.
Lucky for you, you already have abs! Some people just have a layer of fat that hides the abdominal muscle. With a disciplined diet and conscious health plan, you’ll have your abs peeking through in no time.
Hydrating tips
- Drink water before coffee. I know you’ve heard it before, but hydrating your body with lots and lots of water is the key to tone your muscles. If you want to see a quick transformation with your abdominal muscles, drink 30 ounces of water as soon as you wake up in the morning. After 7-9 hours of sleep, your body becomes dehydrated, and instant caffeine from coffee only dehydrates you more. So challenge yourself to drink water before your coffee. By doing this, you’ll increase your metabolism which will in turn help your body burn fat quicker and get you that much closer to tight abs!
- Drink nothing but water! Try to cut out all sodas, juices and alcohol. Sugary drinks will only cause your body to retain more fat and it’s often found on your stomach. Allow yourself 1-2 cups of coffee and tea during the day, but challenge yourself to drink one full glass of water every hour. By doing this, your body will be able to work properly, cleanse, and you’ll feel less bloated! Not to mention, this trick will cause your skin to glow!
Diet and food tips
- Control your diet! Have you ever heard the phrase, abs are made in the kitchen? Well, it’s true. Eat less sugary and processed foods and stick to healthy fats, fibrinous foods, and lots of protein! Nuts, egg whites, and blueberries will be your friend if you want a toned stomach.
- Speaking of food, learn how to eat. It’s very important to eat the right foods at the right times. Eat good carbs and sugars like oatmeal and fruits in the morning so you’ll have the opportunity to use them as fuel during the day. When you eat carbs and sugar at night, your body doesn’t have the ability to work off the calories. It’s also important to snack well in between your meals by eating a healthy fat combined with a protein, like almond butter and Greek yogurt. By doing this, your blood sugar won’t spike.
- It’s also very important to eat a lot of protein. When your body is deprived of protein, it craves sugar and sugar does not equal abs, so skip the cookie and go for some hard-boiled egg whites! Learning these easy food swaps will help you eat cleanly and stay on track to ensure that you get your stomach ready for summer!
Exercise tips
- When doing your ab exercises, control your abdominals! Focus on your stomach when working your abs by tightening your tummy, sucking your bellybutton to your spine and controlling your core with tension. By isolating your abdominals, you’ll be able to see results quicker because your muscle is being worked harder! By tightening your core with tension and sucking your bellybutton to your spine, you will be more conscious about isolating those abdominals.
- Incorporate HITT workouts into your exercises! High Intensity Interval Training (HITT) will help you burn fat fast in short amounts of time. If you have 15 or 20 minutes of free time, challenge yourself to a quick workout that will cause you to work hard, sweat, and lose that belly fat!
- Commit to your ab workouts! Even if it’s just for 10 minutes every day before bed, it’s important to work your abs to ensure that the muscle is nice and toned! That being said, skip the crunches and focus more on the planks. Planks will help tone your belly fast while also strengthening your arms and shoulders.
It’s important to discipline and train your body, but it’s also important to love your body. Follow these tips to get abs so that youmake yourself happier!