Exercises Focused on strengthening your abdominal muscles for a flatter stomach in a month's time
Leon Veal, a level three certified personal trainer and head of nutrition and innovation at Styrkr, outlines a strategy for achieving a flatter stomach in just 30 days. The approach combines high-intensity cardio with targeted core-strengthening exercises.
Core Strategy
Fat loss primarily comes from overall calorie burn through cardio and diet, not core exercises alone. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) boosts metabolism and promotes fat burning throughout the body, including the belly. Adding core exercises like planks, mountain climbers, leg raises, and rotational moves tones and stabilizes abdominal muscles, improving midsection definition.
Recommended 30-Day Workout Plan Focus
High-Intensity Cardio Circuit (20 minutes, 4 rounds)
- Rowing machine (engages core, full body)
- Kettlebell swings (core, glutes, hamstrings)
- Burpees (full body cardio & strength)
- Mountain climbers (fast-paced core-centric)
Perform each for 40 seconds, rest 20 seconds between exercises.
Core Strength Circuit (15-20 minutes)
- Planks and variations (front, side planks)
- Bicycle crunches
- Leg raises
- Rotational moves such as woodchops or cable twists
Perform each exercise for 45 seconds, rest 15 seconds, repeat twice.
Proper Execution Tips for Flattening the Stomach
Plank
- Keep elbows directly under shoulders, spine neutral, abs tight, hips level. Breathe steadily. Hold without sagging or arching your back.
Mountain Climbers
- Drive knees toward chest rapidly, keeping hips down and core stable. Avoid raising the buttocks.
Woodchops
- Use controlled twisting motion from hips and torso, not just arms. Keep abs engaged to resist rotational force.
Leg Raises
- Keep lower back pressed into the floor or mat to avoid strain. Lift legs with control, not momentum.
Additional Crucial Elements for Belly Fat Reduction
- Combine exercise with a high-protein, nutrient-rich diet and calorie deficit to lose fat.
- Prioritize adequate sleep, limit alcohol, minimize stress, and avoid smoking for overall fat reduction.
Core exercises alone won't melt belly fat without incorporating aerobic workouts and lifestyle changes. Following this combined approach for 30 days—high-intensity cardio, proper core exercise execution, and healthy eating—can significantly reduce stubborn abdominal fat and strengthen your core for a flatter stomach.
The Dead Bug exercise involves lying flat on the back, engaging the core, and lowering one arm and the opposite leg, followed by returning to the start position and repeating on the other side, with 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps on each side.
The Standing Cross-Body Knee Drive is a versatile exercise that can be performed at home without the need for any equipment. It is a high-intensity exercise that targets the core and oblique muscles. The Standing Cross-Body Knee Drive exercise involves starting standing tall, lifting your knee as you twist your torso and bring your right elbow toward it, alternating sides with control, and completing 3 sets of 15 reps on each side.
The Mountain Climbers (Slow Tempo) involve starting in a high plank, driving one knee at a time toward your chest, maintaining a braced core, and avoiding bouncing your hips, with 3 sets of 30 seconds performed at a moderate pace.
The Glute Bridge March exercise involves lying flat on the back, lifting hips into a glute bridge, lifting one knee to the chest, lowering, and switching sides, with 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps per leg. This exercise is not previously mentioned in the article but can be added to the core strength circuit for added variety and effectiveness.
- Leon Veal, a nutrition and innovation specialist, suggests a 30-day strategy that combines high-intensity cardio and target core exercises for a flatter stomach.
- The 30-day workout plan focuses on a High-Intensity Cardio Circuit for 20 minutes and a Core Strength Circuit for 15-20 minutes, promoting overall health-and-wellness and fitness-and-exercise.
- Science plays a significant role in this strategy, with high-intensity interval training (HIIT) boosting metabolism for fat burning throughout the body.
- Proper execution of core exercises, such as the Dead Bug, Standing Cross-Body Knee Drive, Mountain Climbers (Slow Tempo), and Glute Bridge March, is crucial for toning and stabilizing abdominal muscles.
- Additionally, a high-protein, nutrient-rich diet, adequate sleep, limiting alcohol, managing stress, and avoiding smoking contribute to reducing belly fat and overall health-and-wellness.