Guys, we hear you loud and clear—if you eat clean, work out four or five times a week, and even take the right supplements, why the heck do you still have a four-pack instead of eight? Well, you’re not alone; for most men, belly fat is public enemy No.1. And even if you already have good definition around your upper body and arms, it takes a different set of tactics to scorch that last bit of fat from your torso.
Follow our guide to crank up your exercise routine and diet, and melt that stubborn belly fat for good. Chances are you’re closer than you think to getting an eight-pack.
If you’re still using body-part splits, incorporate more strength training exercises into your routine that simultaneously target several muscle groups like squats, deadlifts, barbell rows, and presses. First, you’ll burn more calories than before as you put a larger stress on your muscular system. Second, you’ll create a higher metabolic effect after you finish your workout.
You’ll also elevate your testosterone levels because heavy strength exercises put a massive stimulus on your hormonal system. This will help you get your six-pack because there’s growing evidence to suggest the annoying layer of fat around your belly is related to lower levels of testosterone.
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Eat Carbs (on Workout Days Only)
Carbs are great for fat loss. Seriously. They give your body the fuel it needs to repeatedly blast your muscles in the gym with heavy weights; without it, however, and you’ll get weak and run out of energy. By eating your carbs on workout days only, you’ll ensure that your body only uses those macronutrients for muscle growth, recovery, and fuel storage in the form of muscle and liver glycogen.
Carbs also enhance your fat loss by spiking leptin levels—as you continue a caloric deficit, your body’s leptin levels drop to fight against perceived starvation. This, unfortunately, stalls your fat loss and maintains that last bit of belly fat. By eating carbs during a diet (also called “refeeds”), however, you’ll re-elevate your leptin and restart your fat loss.
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Walk, Don’t Run
If you want to rev up your fat loss, you’ll need to do some cardio. But if you watch most guys at the gym, they’re actually hurting their progress because they run too much. While running burns some calories, it exhausts your fast-twitch muscle fibers, which reduces your strength and power output. Now, you won’t be able to lift as much weight while hurting your recovery in between workouts.
Instead, walk on an incline at a brisk pace (around 3 mph). That way, you’ll spare the fast-twitch muscle fibers by emphasizing the fatigue-resistant slow-twitch muscle fibers. Also, by staying between 130 – 140bpm, you’ll give your body a nice recovery workout to clear waste, improve your aerobic capacity, and, of course, burn fat.
Drink BCAAs pre- and post-workout for more energy to burn during your training session and a quicker switch from a catabolic (muscle-burning) to anabolic state (muscle-building) after you leave the gym.
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Drink More Water
Drinking more water is a simple way to increase your fat loss. A study from The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism found that drinking two cups of cold water increased metabolism by 30 percent within 30 to 40 minutes of consumption. (Two liters of water per day was also shown to boost energy expenditure by almost 100 extra calories.)
Start with a tall glass of water after you wake up—in the morning, your body is already dehydrated because you haven’t drunk liquids in over eight hours. Even just a 1% loss of your bodyweight in water will hurt your physical performance. Also your fat loss will stall as your bodily functions slow down to conserve fluids.
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Reduce Your Alcohol Consumption
If the previous suggestions still don’t work, take a good, hard look at your after-hour habits. High in calories and low in nutritional value, most alcoholic beverages are little more than fat gainers and sleep (and recovery) killers.
Sure, it’s still possible to melt your belly fat if you still drink alcohol frequently, but it will be harder. Instead, limit your alcohol consumption to just two drinks per week—this will let you go out and still have fun, but prevent too much fat gain or interference to your muscle recovery.
