You've heard me say, "It's all about the moves". Well, it is. Have you ever asked yourself why you're spending so much time in the gym and you're still not seeing the results you want to? It's 90% diet and only 10% sweat when it comes to slimming your belly and losing weight.
That being said; we do need to work out. But if what you're doing isn't working it's time for a change. I say skip the gym and do metabolic boosting workouts at home instead. One of the best ways to harness the power of your metabolism is to make sure your workouts are "metabolic" and that your abdominal moves are going to flatten your tummy versus making it worse.
Did you know that people who work out at home get better results faster? In my 25+ years as a trainer I can vouch for this. The best part - they are able to maintain their fitness and weight loss results because it takes half the time to work out at home. You can get a complete metabolic workout done in the time that it would take to drive to and from a gym. All you need to work out at home is a pair of dumbbells and plan.
If you're not sure of form it is a good idea to follow a DVD like the LynFit Metabolic Boosting Workout DVDs or workouts that can easily be downloaded to a portable device. Metabolic workouts are designed to get you in shape fast in less time than a typical gym workout. They will boost your metabolism rather than bulk you up.
Even beginners can do this. Metabolic boosting workouts won't injure you the way some of the high intensity fitness programs can. The women I know who have done metabolic boosting workouts say they not only lost 1 pound per day but they also saw physical results in the same week while not getting hurt, making it easier to stick to the program.
For a flatter stomach you need to strengthen your core and the best way to do this without making your stomach stick out more is by doing Side Core Raises versus using machines. Most sit-ups do absolutely nothing when it comes to strengthening your core/tummy muscles. Most gym machines and classic abdominal moves actually make your stomach stick out even worse; or as we say in my business, "distend", or stick out. Who wants that? When it comes to trimming your tummy and melting belly fat you need your metabolism more than ever. Remember: It's always better to choose floor work over gym machines.
You want to train movements not just muscles if you're serious about getting your tummy trim and making your stomach flat. Here are two tummy trimming moves that also boost your metabolism to do at home that will melt belly fat and keep you out of the gym:
The Tummy Trimming Side Core Raise
Lying on your side on your elbows, lift your body off the floor using your core. Too hard? Use an arm or leg to help out. Be sure to keep your body in a straight line. You can do this against a wall at first to be sure you stay in proper alignment.
Perform 2-3 sets of 12-15 repetitions - No weight needed.
Working the core so your abs get flatter is more than doing abdominal work. It also means you need to work the stabilizing muscles which help keep us upright and help with better posture. In order to work these muscles we need to work all of the muscles of the core including the buttocks and lower back.
Butt-Lifter | Posture-Correcting Rear Fly
Lying face down with your arms out to the side (like a bird) and squeezing your buttocks together tightly, raise your upper body off of the floor using your lower back muscles as if your were reverse flying.
Perform 2-3 sets of 12-15 repetitions. To make it more difficult use 2-3 pound hand weights.
Check out The Metabolism Solution for more information about metabolic boosting workouts.