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3 Secret Exercise Tricks for a Flatter Stomach After 50, Trainer Says
Adding these sequences to your normal workout routine can equal major gains in core strength.
No matter how old you are, achieving a flatter stomach is a common fitness goal that many people have. However, the older you get, the harder it is to achieve. This is for several reasons: It's common to become more sedentary as you age and, if you're active, to stick to the same fitness routine without changing things up, which leads to a lower calorie burn. Your metabolism also tends to slow down and you lose muscle mass, which can lead to weight gain.
These factors make it increasingly difficult to achieve the results you want in your midsection once you're over the age of 50. To counteract them, you should consider adopting a strength training and cardio routine in order to help lose fat. And if you've been doing the same workouts for a while, then it's time to introduce some new tricks to your go-to moves.
So, if you want to get a flatter stomach and you're over 50, here are three exercise tricks you can start trying today in order to see better results. And for more, don't miss these Exercise Tricks for Getting Rid of Belly Fat.
Trick #1: Add loaded carries to the end of your workouts
Tim Liu, C.S.C.S.
An underrated exercise that you can introduce to your routine is loaded carries, which is the practice of carrying a heavy weight while you walk for a certain distance and/or time. These carry exercises engage your full body and require a good amount of core strength. They can also be used as a conditioning exercise, which can help you achieve a flatter stomach.
One sequence you can try is a Suitcase Carry (pictured above). Hold a heavy dumbbell at your side, keeping your chest tall, core tight, and spine neutral. Brace your abs hard, then begin walking, under control, for 50-100 feet. The weight will be trying to pull you down to one side, but resisting it will work your core. Once you complete the distance, turn around, switch the weight to your other hand, and walk back to the start. Do this three times though.
If you want to burn some extra calories at the end of your training session, throw in a finisher of some kind. It should be fast-paced and work multiple muscle groups at the same time.
The following finisher is a great one to do for your legs and requires performing three different exercises back-to-back three times through.
Move 1: Bodyweight Squat (shown above)
Keeping your chest tall and core tight, push your hips back and squat down until your quads are parallel to the ground. Drive through your heels and hips to come back up to standing, flexing your quads and glutes to finish. Do 15 reps.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e
Alternating Forward Lunges
Tim Liu, C.S.C.S.
Move 2 in this finisher sequence is alternating forward lunges. Begin by taking a long stride forward with one leg. Firmly plant your heel down, then lower yourself until your back knee touches the ground. Push through with your front leg to come back up, then repeat with the other side. Do this 8 times on each leg.
In the third move in this finisher, place your upper back on a bench or sturdy surface with your feet in front of you. Keeping your core tight and chin tucked, lower your hips (under control), then drive through with your heels to raise your hips up until they're almost parallel to the ground. Squeeze your glutes hard at the top, then lower before performing another rep.
Trick #3: Train your abs in-between cardio intervals
Tim Liu, C.S.C.S.
One of the reasons people have trouble slimming down their stomachs is due to a lack of blood flow to that area during exercise. The more blood flow that goes to a muscle, the greater amount of fatty acids can be released.
In this case, the abdominal area doesn't get as much as, say, your arms and legs, so what you can do is incorporate cardio intervals into your program to drive your heart rate up, then immediately perform a set of ab exercises in-between to drive blood to your stomach area.
To do this, perform the following supersets for 4-5 rounds total.
Move 1: Treadmill Sprints (shown above)
Hop on a treadmill and set the speed up to a fast pace that you can maintain for 20-30 seconds. Run on the balls of your feet, and keep up with the pace of the belt. Once you've sprinted for the prescribed time, immediately follow it up with…
Lying Leg Raises
Tim Liu, C.S.C.S.
Begin by lying flat on your back with your ribs pulled down toward the ground. Keeping your core tight and legs straight, raise your legs up toward the ceiling. Flex your abs hard at the end of the movement, then lower them back to starting position (under control), maintaining tension the entire time before performing another rep. Repeat this movement for 30-60 seconds.
And there you have it, a series of exercise tricks that can get you a flatter stomach after age 50 and beyond!
