How to Get a Flatter Tummy in 30 Days

This post is a simple guide for how to get a flatter tummy in 30 days.

Belly fat, for some, can seem nearly impossible to get rid of. Worse yet, all the fixes feel either too complicated or just plain ineffective.

Faced with these options, a lack of motivation and a drop in self-esteem is sure to follow.

To avoid this outcome, one thing we can do is try to make the process simpler.

In this post, we’ll discuss the factors keeping people from reaching their weight loss goals and provide sound advice to help anyone achieve a flatter tummy in 30 days.

Where Does the Fat Come From?

There are two types of fat in the body: subcutaneous and visceral fat.

Subcutaneous fat is the layer of fatty tissue beneath the skin’s surface. It’s the soft, plushness you feel when poking or pinching yourself.

We all have this type of fat which serves a variety of purposes:

It controls body temperature

Provides padding for the bones and muscles, shielding us from any accidents

Transports nerves and blood vessels from our skin to our bones

Attaches the dermis (or middle layer of skin) to our muscles and bones with the help of specialized connective tissue.

Visceral fat, on the other hand, is found deep behind our abdomen (or abs) and around other internal organs.

Much like subcutaneous fat, everyone contains this type of tissue inside of them mainly because it safeguards our organs.

It also plays an active role in hormone function which is why it’s sometimes called “active fat”.

In a general sense, genetic and environmental factors determine how much visceral fat our body will store up.

A little visceral fat is healthy and actually pretty necessary.

But, poor lifestyle choices such as the lack of regular exercise and a bad diet can lead to excessive storage.

And as the fat builds, it begins pushing the stomach outward creating what is known as the “beer belly” or “pear” shapes.

If this process continues unchecked it can open the body up to conditions like diabetes and heart disease.

So, the best way to achieve a flatter tummy is by shrinking the visceral fat.

How to Achieve a Flatter Tummy in 30 Days Guide

The first step in achieving a flatter tummy is to adopt the right mindset.

The mind is incredibly powerful and your body will only do what you believe it’s capable of.

Losing weight can be a long, arduous process so you’ll need a lot of faith to see your goals through and overcome pitfalls.

The second thing you must do is accept that the journey you’re about to undertake is permanent.

Therefore, mentally prepare yourself for the lifestyle changes you’ll have to make so you can maintain them.

Once you’ve done these two things we can dig into what it takes to obtain a flatter tummy.

Resistance Training for a Flatter Tummy

Every weight loss plan for the average healthy person should involve some form of resistance training.

Why?

Because muscles burn more calories than fat.

Resistance training, also known as strength or weight training, builds muscle and speeds up metabolism. This, in turn, allows you to burn calories long after the workout.

During this style of training, you increase your level of strength by working against a weight or another form of resistance.

Take the squat for example.

When you stand from a squat you are pushing against your body weight or resistance.

You can do the same thing with a bench press, where instead of your own weight, a dumbbell or barbell provides the resistance.

Other types of strength training include:

Bodyweight exercises

Free weights

Weight machines

Resistance Bands

Beginners should focus on a full-body resistance training routine 2 to 3 times per week for about 30 minutes.

If you’re an intermediate, start a split routine 3 to 4 times a week for 30 minutes.

And for those more experienced or advanced, working out 4 to 5 times a week is highly recommended. Try 3 days on and 1 day off for 30 minutes per session.

Cardio for a Flatter Tummy

Cardio is perhaps the number one solution most people consider when designing their weight loss programs.

While there is nothing wrong with this method exactly, it is not easy to lose weight from cardio alone. Nor is it very practical.

We can think about it this way.

To lose weight, you need a calorie deficit. This is just a fancy way of saying you must either burn more calories than you’re taking in or consume less.

Cardio is great for burning calories.

You can actually burn more calories in a single workout session than with weight training.

It sounds good, right?

The problem is, if you’re only doing cardio, you are losing fat and muscle.

Well, muscle burns more calories than fat.

So, when you lose muscle, you slow your metabolism which means your weight loss to slow down too.

The next thing you know, you’re hitting a plateau.

In other words, your progress comes to a screeching halt where you’re no longer seeing the progress you did before even if you are still exercising faithfully.

That’s not to say cardio is bad for weight loss. Not at all. It increases your heart and breathing rate giving the muscle groups a nice workout.

However, if cardio burns more calories and resistance training burns them longer, combining these two training styles would serve you better than choosing one over the other.

With that said, try adding 2 to 4 hours of cardio per week for weight loss. Here are some great cardio options below:

HIIT

Swimming

Walking

Jogging

Cycling

Elliptical

It may not surprise you to hear that running is the best form of cardio.

That’s because it can burn 600 to 1000 calories per hour depending on various factors like training intensity and size.

Good Nutrition for a Flatter Tummy

Fad diets are never recommended for weight loss since many of their claims have very little if any scientific support and can harm the body.

It’s also not a good idea to restrict yourself from the foods you enjoy.

Remember, this is going to be a lifestyle and you’ll need incentive to keep up.

Instead of restriction, experts suggest looking at the diet you already have and finding ways to improve it.

For instance, when weight training, it’s important to consume protein as this will help build muscle and replace fat loss.

Rather than ordering a hamburger with fries in a drive-thru, try cooking for yourself at home.

You can use lean beef and garnish it with grilled onions, mushrooms, and a little garlic. Cut up some potato fries and bake them in the oven.

Then wash it down with a homemade milkshake or sparkling water. Skip a lot of the condiments or purchase low-sodium/sugar alternatives.

Homemade cooking is often a much healthier option than eating out, plus if you continue making your own food, you’ll eventually start to prefer it.

It’s important to mention that a good diet involves foods like fruits, vegetables, whole carbs, lean proteins, and healthy fats.

Eating this way is sure to keep you feeling fuller longer.

If possible, do your best to limit or stay away from the following:

Alcohol

Sweetened Drinks

Sugar/Sweeteners

Sugary Condiments

Sodas

Fried Foods

Refined Carbs

Just avoiding the items on the list above could dramatically trim your waistline.

However, if you’d like even more options about what to add to your new and improved diet then check out this mini-list:

Fat-free dairy products

Broth-based soups

Whole grains or whole wheat grains

Lean meats

Legumes

Workout Plan for Flatter Tummy in 30 Days

Even though we went through the elements of a good workout plan, you may still have questions about what your program should look like.

In this section, you’ll see a sample plan for beginners that you can customize to suit your needs.

If any of the suggested exercises are too difficult to perform, simply change or modify them. This goes for the number of training days as well. Add more or less, it’s up to you.

Training Schedule

This beginner training schedule will consist of both cardio and full-body resistance training. You’ll also notice that it allows for 2 to 3 days of rest or active rest.

Later on, as your body gets used to exercising, you can progress to a split routine (i.e., upper and lower body workouts across different days).

Here is a sample schedule from Monday to Sunday:

Monday- Moderate cardio (30 minutes)

Tuesday- Full-body resistance training (30 minutes)

Wednesday- Rest or Active Rest (Yoga or other light stretching)

Thursday- Moderate cardio (30 minutes)

Friday- Full-body resistance training (30 minutes)

Saturday- Rest or Active Rest (Yoga or other light stretching)

Sunday- Rest or optional full-body resistance training (30 minutes)

Resistance Training Workout Plan for a Flatter Tummy

This is a sample workout plan you can use to help get you closer to that flatter tummy goal. As stated earlier, if any of these exercises are too difficult to perform, try an alternative.

Before starting the resistance training workout, make sure to do a 3 to 5-minute warm-up (light cardio-jogging, walking, cycling, etc…) Then a 2 to 3-minute dynamic stretch for the legs, arms, and core.

Last but not least, take a 60 to 90-second rest in between each exercise and work to decrease your rest periods over time.

This is a 30-minute workout plan:

3 sets: 5-10 Push-ups or variations (i.e.-on knees, elevated, or negatives)

3 sets: 10 Banded Bicep curls

3 sets: 10 squats or variation or assisted (i.e.-TRX squats)

3 sets: 10 weighted deadlifts

3 sets: 10 Bulgarian squats (weights optional)

Bonus: 2 sets: 15 to 20-second bent knee hollow body hold

These exercises are great for beginners trying to lose weight.

Try this for 2 to 4 weeks and then progress. In other words, up the intensity.

How to Progress?

After about a month, increase the difficulty of your workouts. You can do this by changing the reps, sets, rest times, adding more weight or training days, etc,…

For example, if you were performing knee push-ups, progress to negatives, and so forth.

Here is a progression of the sample workout to give you an idea of how to make the exercises more challenging:

3 sets: 10-15 Push-ups or variations (i.e.-negatives, elevated, or on knees)

3 sets: 10 Weighted Bicep curls

3 sets: 15-20 squats or 5-10 weighted squats or variation or assisted (i.e.-lunges, TRX squats)

3 sets: 10 weighted single-leg deadlifts

3 sets: 10-15 weighted Bulgarian squats

Bonus: 2-3 sets: 20 to 25-second bent knee hollow body hold

For hollow body. Try to work up to a minute hold in a bent knee position before progressing to another variation.

The Best Way to a Flatter Tummy

Designing a workout routine around cardio, resistance training, and nutrition is not only the fastest but safest route to achieving your goals. The results will also be much easier to sustain.

Simply follow the tips in this post and you’ll be that much closer to making your flatter tummy dreams a reality.

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