Photo by Jocelyn Holt

Let us first banish the rumors. Sit-ups do not eradicate belly fat. Remembering first off that the perfect body comes from 70 percent of what you eat, and 30 percent of what you actually do physically. Simple sit-ups alone do not banish belly fat. You must clean up your diet from the onset, by ridding the food intake of all processed carbohydrates, sugars and fats, including sugary drinks, instant microwave meals and any artificially flavored or sweetened food. They should be replaced with fresh, healthy produce with a balance of slow-release carbohydrates to optimize blood sugar stability and reduce sugar lows – all culprits that promote fat absorption. The quality of the food you consume is important in the fat-burning process, too – wholesome, natural foods including nuts, fruits, organic meats, fish and cereals will all contribute to ridding your belly of excess fat and giving your body what it needs to function properly. Following the “nomadic food theory,” whereby you eat what would be readily available to you (should you be a caveman many years ago), strips the dietary intake back to the basics of fundamental survival, and with it the excess storage of body fat. After all, a fat caveman would never survive if he was unable to catch his prey or run from predators!

Once your diet is on track, you must focus on your activity levels. It is important to remember that the core is what essentially drives or powers the entire body on every level, and so it is the epicenter of overall body movement. As a result, the higher the fitness level, the stronger the core and the better the balance. Athletes, gymnasts, surfers, dancers and cyclists must all have excellent core strength in order to excel in their sports. Following from this it is easy to see how the best stomach can be achieved from doing the right activities. Interval training are the two magic words to banishing belly fat. Interval training adopts methods which effectively shock the body into losing fat by pushing it to a high-intensity workout level, resting out briefly, then pushing it again, over a number of repetitions, working at an 80-90 percent intensity. This method is far more effective than slower aerobic cardio, which is carried out around a 60 percent intensity over a much longer period of time. Interval training is fast, efficient, time-friendly and targets the body in a manner far superior to any other workout regime. It covers all ranges including Fartlek training, a long-established Swedish cardiovascular training method, putting both aerobic and anaerobic systems at a high-working level.

Abdominal workouts should be brought into play once the interval and resistance training methods have been established to a respectable level. Such workouts should include training with stability balls, resistance bands, cable pulls and simple plank mat work. Sit-ups, for all the good that they do, can often put an unnecessary strain on the lower back and neck, and are best reserved for those whom already boast an enviable torso. Sit-ups can also overpromote hypertrophy (muscle growth) and so adding bulk to the area instead of carving it down. Stick to variety, too: varying your workout with squats, lunges, oblique trunks, and leg adductor exercises will all play their part in contributing to body fat busting and muscle carving.

A flat ripped stomach is achievable, provided you want it enough and are prepared to work for it. In the end the perfect body is what you feel most comfortable in, yet for many it is the storage of excess body fat that brings down confidence levels and leaves the individual feeling low. Boost your confidence levels by learning to respect your body, working out regularly and eating the right foods at the right times. Your perfect body will come naturally from this. Remember that you only ever reap what you sow!

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