Last Updated on October 16, 2021 by FS Studios Personal Training

3-Step Tummy Trim & Tone Program

Wouldn’t it be nice to buckle down that belt buckle and trim, tone and tighten that tummy while the kids head back to school to buckle down on their studies?

You bet it would and fall presents a fantastic time of year during which many people get productive with their fitness and do just that. This fall, we’re going to show you how to follow suit and trim that mid section down to get an A+ tummy. Your schooling will cover your food, cardio and weight training. This 3-step approach will teach you how to trim your tummy like never before. Let’s look at step one: The food.

Step #1: Food

Firm tummies come from lots of healthy food, not crash diets. Your body likes nutrients and it’ll be much more willing to shed fat when it’s getting high quality food all the time. Here’s how to find all the high quality food on earth: trust yourself. Go back to the basics and trust what you know.

You know that an apple is healthier than a bag of chips and that having breakfast is better than no breakfast at all. Get yourself eating healthy first and you’ll be seeing fine lines before you know it. During my last 10 years of personal training, literally every client that’s focused on making healthy choices versus trying to diet has seen incredible thigh, arm and waist trimming and toning results.

All that healthy eating will also give you the energy to do some cardio. Focus on slightly higher intensity bouts for shorter periods of time to really burn that belly fat. Clients who do interval training 2-3 times a week for 20-30 minutes shed fat fast.

Next time you’re at the gym, hop on a treadmill, bike or elliptical and try an interval program. Go easy at first if you’re a beginner, then build up the intensity to trim down that tummy. Now that you’ve got the food and the cardio ready to go, let’s add some stomach synching abdominal exercises to your routine to make this program complete.

Step #2: Weights

Follow a total body weight training program 2 times per week for about 35 minutes that finishes with these abdominal exercises:

Exercise #1: Straight leg raise with crunch (Tightens lower abs). Begin this exercise lying on your back with your legs comfortably extended up in the air. Draw your tummy in and lower your legs as far as you can without letting your lower back come off the mat. Then, lift your legs back up and crunch up at the same time. Complete 3-4 sets of 20 reps.

Exercise #2: Side Supports. (Firms your love handles). Support yourself on your forearm and the inside edge of your foot and hold yourself up for as long as you can. You can perform little up and down pulses if holding the position on it’s own is too easy.

Complete 3 sets of 30sec holds or 12-15 pulses on each side.

Exercise #3: Bridge with reverse leg raise (Tones overall torso). Support yourself on your forearms and toes while performing alternating leg lifts. Be sure to hold your tummy in during this exercise as well and keep your bodyline in an ever so slightly peaked position. Complete 3 sets of 10-12 lifts on each leg.

Step #3: Cardio

Yes, cardio plays a role but it’s not as important as the two areas above. Throw some cardio into your routine before your weight sessions or on your off days. Get out for anything from a 20 minute walk to a jog to a hike.

Cardio is just a way to burn a  little more fat off. It’s not going to have the same effects as healthy eating and weight training.

Many top fitness competitors don’t believe it’s cardio that gets them really lean. They believe more in food and weights to complete the fit look.

If you’re looking for a fitness routine like this one with more detail, get in touch with us today for a free consult!

FS Studios