Fitness: Tips for a tighter tummy.

Love handle, muffin top, spare tyre or beer belly; call it what you like, the tummy is Fat Central for many of us and don’t we just hate it.

What makes matters even worse is the endless stream of in-your-face ads featuring instantly dislikeable people baring their marvellous midriffs in a thinly disguised effort to make us feel even more inadequate.

Well here are five tummy trimming tips for those of you who live in the real world:

1. We all know that cardio exercise burns calories, but if you want to boost your metabolism and fire up the fat burning furnace, you need to start lifting weights as well. A general weight training programme covering the major muscle groups will do just fine to start with. For most ladies this often means working with heavier weights than you normally do. Men should remember that correct technique, not necessarily more weight, will produce the best results.

2. All the research says that you will get a bigger bang for your calorie burning buck if you also increase the intensity of your cardio workout. We know it sounds like hard work but, trust us, brief bursts of aerobic exercise – treadmills, bikes, steppers etc. -  with a short rest in between, is the way to go if you want to turn up the heat on tummy fat.

3. Now we’ve got things moving in the calorie burning department, it’s time to take a look at toning the abdominal muscles themselves. Almost any exercise that involves flexing the spine (sitting up) will tone and strengthen the muscles in the tummy area; the secret to developing great abs is not what you do, it’s how you do it. Take exercise ball crunches for example: Slowing your speed down definitely raises the stakes in terms of getting results and so does limiting the range of movement. Next time you do crunches try just coming half way up, as shown in the video on the right, and see what a difference it makes. If you’re really serious about toning your tum, you should also try one of our many fat busting and toning class like Legs, Bums and Tums.

4. We’ve talked about dynamic (moving) exercises like crunches, but there are also isometric exercises like the plank that involve little or no movement but are great for toning your stomach muscles. Ladies may prefer to start with a half plank (kneeling); most men can start with the full plank position. Give it a try and see how long it takes before you have a fit of the shakes.

5. Bet you never thought relaxation would help you lose stomach fat, but it’s true. The stress hormone cortisol is known to increase tummy fat levels, so if you’ve been under prolonged stress and gained some weight around the midriff, that may be the reason why. If you work in a pressured environment, getting good sleep - particularly between 10pm and 2am – and taking time to manage your stress levels will help you to stave off a wider waist.

If all of the above still sounds a little daunting, why not take part in one of our Core Workshops? Our Workshops take place daily and are a great way to introduce yourself to a new way of working out. See the Gym Information board or listen out for PA announcements in club if you'd like to join in.

And if you want to step it up a level …

If you are after the proverbial six pack it helps to have an understanding of how the muscles of the abdomen operate and which exercises work best.

Here are five top tips for those of you in search of killer abs:

1. If you want to lose belly fat fast, then high intensity interval training (HIIT) is the way to go. If you are prepared to push yourself a little harder, the results will come faster. Talk to our coaches about designed a HIIT programme for you.

2. The abdominal muscles all work together, but if you want to isolate the lower part of the abs you need to look at exercises where the upper body remains still and the lower body moves. A good example would be leg raises on the hip flexor machine. As you get stronger you can make this exercise even more difficult by keeping your legs straight.

3. If you want to work the upper part of the abdominals you need to look at exercises where the lower body remains relatively stable but the upper body moves. Some people like to use the abdominal machine in the weights room, others prefer floor exercises like the exercise ball roll out as shown in the second video on the right.

4. The obliques are the muscles of the side (where love handles tend to live) and they are activated by turning and side bending exercises. Medicine ball twists are a classic exercise for the obliques, ask a member of the team to show you how to do them if you're not sure.

5. In addition to dynamic exercises like these, static isometric exercises like the plank (mentioned above) can be made harder by, for example, lifting one arm or one leg.