How to pump up your abs to lose belly fat

The stereotype that you need to pump up your abs to lose belly fat is known to almost everyone. This is the primary solution that is used to eliminate fat and bring the abdomen to an aesthetically athletic appearance. However, is it possible to lose weight by working out your abs or is exercise alone not enough for the abdominal area? Coaches and sports specialists have a clear answer on this matter.

How to pump up your abs to get rid of your belly fat

The abdominal muscles are one of the most popular areas in fitness and serve as an indicator of fitness and fitness. However, only a few athletes manage to remove their belly fat and pump up their abs to the state of the coveted six-pack. The reason lies in a number of mistakes, ranging from the development of a training program to the approach to creating a diet. Before delving into the question of whether it is possible to lose belly fat by pumping up the abs, it is necessary to consider the basic concepts of physiology and anatomy:

• The load on the muscles ensures an increase in their volume and strength.
• For muscle growth, amino acids are needed, which are supplied to the body from protein foods.
• Despite the fact that the rectus abdominis muscle is one mass, it needs to be trained with a separation of both the lower and upper parts (due to the influence of different nerve endings on each area).
• Regardless of muscle size, losing belly fat for abs is essential. Otherwise, the cubes will be “buried” under a layer of fat.
• The abs have a large number of slow-twitch muscle fibers and are not able to contract strongly, so all exercises must be performed with maximum concentration on the target muscles.

Even if you provide the most rigorous training with weights and pump up your abs to lose weight, this will not provide the desired relief, but will simply strengthen and enlarge the muscle. However, to define and define your six-pack, you need to tone your abs and lose fat. It is simply impossible to do this only with the help of exercise and without nutrition.

Abdominal training and belly slimming program

Classic ab program:

How long does it take to pump up your abs to get rid of your belly?

The concept of how much you need to pump your abs to get rid of your belly is in most cases incorrect. This is what leads many athletes to a lack of results even with diligent training. The desire to get six packs as quickly as possible forces athletes to train more often. However, you need to pump your abs correctly to get rid of your belly, taking into account the time that the muscle needs to recover. Otherwise, the abs will not increase in volume, and the amount of fat will continue to cover the entire abdominal area.

The second important point is the technique of performing exercises. In military training, MMA fighter training, and even school physical education, the number of repetitions performed plays a major role. This is relevant for comprehensive training and improvement of physical skills. However, this approach is not suitable for losing weight or getting a six-pack.

To remove your belly, you need to pump up your abs in a small range of repetitions, from 12 to 15 (depending on the movement). The style is predominantly concentrated so that the remaining muscles do not take on the load, as happens when performing sit-ups and other high-repetition movements (when the abs quickly get tired, and the main load is distributed to other muscles).

Exercises

The arsenal of possible movements for the ab is narrow. To pump up the abs and remove the stomach for a man or tidy up the waist for a woman, it is enough to perform 4-5 movements, but taking into account the correct technique.

1. Crunches

The simplest, most universal and effective movement to lose weight and pump up your abs. It is performed in a concentrated style (the muscle must be constantly under tension) and with a very short amplitude. It imitates the main function of the rectus abdominis muscle, which is why it is considered one of the most effective.

Technique:

1. Lie on the floor, bend your knees at a right angle (or fix them in the simulator). Hands behind your head, the back of your head does not touch the floor.
2. Begin to lift your shoulder blades off the floor, twisting your body so that your head moves towards your knees.
3. At the peak point, pause (as you exhale), then slowly return to the starting position. Repeat the movement without relaxing your muscles.

Key points: do not pull your neck with your hands (this will certainly lead to injuries in the cervical region), avoid jerking, inertia, and “falling” of the body in the negative phase.

Learn more about how to do crunches →

2. Hanging Leg Raise

Loads the lower abs and helps to remove the belly, although it affects the abs to a lesser extent than crunches. Performed on a horizontal bar, crossbar or exercise machine with elbow fixation.

Technique:

1. Hang by your hands, your body should be straight, your gaze directed straight ahead.
2. Begin to slowly raise your legs forward, bending your knees.
3. Bring your legs to the level where your thighs are parallel to the floor. Pause (while exhaling) and slowly lower your legs to the starting position.

Key points: You cannot lift your legs using the strength of your hips and allow inertia and swaying of the body.

Read more about hanging leg raises on the horizontal bar →

3. Lying leg raises

An alternative to the hanging raise that allows you to better eliminate other muscles from working and concentrate the load on the abs. The key thing in the exercise is how much you need to pump your abs to get rid of your belly.

1. To develop six-pack and build powerful muscles – 10 to 12 repetitions.
2. To improve muscle tone and slightly accelerate fat burning (mainly by increasing calorie expenditure and improving blood flow to the area), it is optimal to do 15-20 repetitions.

Technique:

1. Lie down on the floor or bench. Fix your hands to the support or place them along the body. Legs are brought together.
2. Begin to slowly raise your straight legs up.
3. When your thighs are perpendicular to the floor, exhale and pause for 1 second.
4. Slowly lower your legs down, avoiding touching the floor.

Key points: The main mistake of beginners is to “drop” their legs down after lifting. The slow negative phase and maintaining tension in the muscles significantly increase the efficiency of the movement. This allows you to quickly lose belly fat and make your abs strong.

4. Russian twist

One of the most effective movements for the side ab. It is performed with weight, therefore it provides a powerful load on the oblique abdominal muscles. Great for reducing your sides and toning your abs.

Technique:

1. Sit on the floor, and move your body back a little. Legs are straightened and brought together. Take any weight in your hands (dumbbell, plate, water bottle).
2. Move your arms with the weight to the side (with your elbows slightly bent) and try to touch the floor.
3. Move them to the other side, simultaneously with the body turning.

Key points: Avoid inertia and swinging, and securely fix the body.

5. Exercise “climber”

An incredibly effective exercise, often called the “dynamic plank.” Loads mainly the lower part and is performed in any conditions.

Technique:

1. Stand on your hands and toes, as if doing push-ups. The back is straight, the body forms a single line from the heels to the neck.
2. Bring one leg in so that your knee moves as close to your chest as possible.
3. Return your leg to the starting position and repeat the same movement for the other leg.

Key points: the movement is performed based on time, not the number of repetitions. It is optimal to start with 30 seconds of intense work, gradually increasing the indicator to a minute in one set.

Conclusion

The question of whether it is possible to remove a man’s belly by pumping up his abs must take into account nutrition. With a normal diet and a calorie surplus, it will not be possible to get sculpted abs, although the muscles themselves will grow in volume and become stronger. When performing physical activity and following a diet, you can achieve impressive results, but only if the caloric content of the diet is slightly below the daily requirement. This will preserve muscle and eliminate fat. Otherwise, you will have to get rid of the belly in two cycles: gaining weight (to form muscles) and drying (to eliminate fat and definition).