Best exercises to reduce reduce waist size in a month

gazzer

For the last few years I have been weight training in the gym. I have put on a nice bit of muscle and have a good workout routine going (well in my opinion anyway). However I tend not to do any cardio as although I have a bit of fat around my stomach it is nothing major (32" Waist). Prior to starting weight training I always had a size 30" waist.

I have a wedding next month and have to wair a tux for it. By chance yesterday I saw one for sale up in Enniskillen for the bargain price of £10(last one in stock). The jacket fits perfectly but the trousers are 30" Waist. I figured that I may was well buy the suit as it is so cheap.

I have decided to set myself a challange. I want to go from a 32" to a 30" Waist in 5 weeks (thats when the wedding is). I would love to have a flat stomach by then so that the trousers fit me. Im not looking for a six pack(though I would love to have one of them by the summer) but just a toned stomach.

I have tons of keep fit and weight lifting books and have read loads of different web sites but I was just wondering if anybody here had any tried and tested plans they used to help them reduce their fat size. Is running better than using an exercise bike, is the stepper better than the threadmill. All advice is greatly welcome. Should I do cardio every day or every other day? Should I mix it up with weights or just stick solely to cardio for the 5 weeks and then do a new routine once I have reduced some weight?

A typical days eating for me at the moment would be:
Breakfast:
Porridge and Orange Juice
Mid Morning:
Banana
Lunch:
Meat/Chicken, veg and potatoes/rice
Mid afternoon:
Half pint of milk
Dinner:
Meat/Chicken, veg and potatoes/rice or Pasta
Bed Time
Half pint of milk.

The only junk food that I eat is Pringles and I would have approx 4 cups of tea a day with 2 teaspoons of sugar.

I am 5ft 10 inches tall and I weigh 12.5 stone.

I would apprciate any advice/stories/links to websites that you would have. I intend to start on some type of routine from this coming Tuesday. Thanks in advance and sorry for the long post

BossArky

• Drink buckets of water
• Avoid milk
• Avoid bread, pasta, rice and pasta
• Run ~5km four days a week. Walk or cycle on the days off from running.
• No alcohol or other junk, or sugar in tea
• Eat lots of fresh chopped veg and tuna as snacks when hungry or for main meals
• Generally eat less and be more active

That is probably a bit drastic but should work. Report back in a month.

EileenG

I agree, waist and belly size is far more to do with what you eat than the exercise you do. Cut out all the refined carbs, including box breakfast cereals, fruit juice (whole fruit is fine, as long as you eat more veg than fruit), rice, pasta, bread, sugar and Pringles.

Do your cardio at a relatively high intensity (60-80% of VO2 max, which corresponds to 75-88% of max heart rate) burns the most bodyfat, and lift hard. Aim for three sets of each exercise at 80% of your max lift.

There's a lot of research to show that when you replace carbs in your diet with protein, you lose more bodyfat than someone on a carb-based diet with the same calories. The most drastic (and effective) form is a ketogenic diet (no carbs except lots of green veg) but that would be a very drastic change for you.

Vamoose Killers

So what would you replace pasta/rice with?

I normally have pasta after a weights session, should I just have veg and chicken?

EileenG

After a weights session is the one time you can eat simple carbs. A carb and protein meal after lifting will help you replenish muscle glycogen and repair your muscles. Chicken and rice is a classic for a reason.

Apart from that, replace the white carbs with green vegetables or lean proteins. You can throw cottage cheese into a lot of meals to increase protein.

Vamoose Killers

Yeah I have a protein shake with some glucose directly after and then a meal with chicken/brown pasta or ice/veg.

I tend to have a protein shake with milk before bed but I'm not sure whether this is a good idea when wanting to lose some weight. Alternatives? Or is it okay to have the shake?

ronbyrne2005

Cut back calories by around 500-1000 a day, maybe by dropping the milk for a while. Drop sugar in tea, alcohol etc. Do HIIT for the month too if you havent time for hours of cardio a week. Maybe do some extra sets/days of weights in higher rep/lighter weight range. Also , are you doing much Core work?

Zamboni

If I was looking to reduce waist size fast I would hit the squat rack.

3 full body weight training workouts a week covering all the main body parts and using only compound movements combined with a low calorie diet will melt fat off your waistline.

Squats, deadlifts, bench, military, pull ups, dips etc.

Bye bye fat cells

D-WRX

Cardio before breakfast burns 2-3 times more calories than any other time
No food after 8pm

Zamboni is spot on

Static M.e.

Sorry whats "HIIT"?

D-WRX

High Intensity Interval Training

Zamboni

PS lose the Pringles
Yeah once you pop.... but you're throwing 800 calories of fat, salt and MSG down your neck per tube.

gazzer

Thanks guys for the advice.

Last year at the gym I was doing 4 nights a week and working one body part a week. Since I have moved out of Dublin to Cavan I only get to do a full body workout twice a week (my gym doesnt open at weekends :mad: and I have college 2 nights a week on weeknights)

I do:

Squats (4 x 8) 40KG + Bar weight
Chest Press (4 X 6) 40KG + Bar Weight
Dumbell Flyes (3 X 10) 12.5 KG each dumbell
Shoulder Press (4 X 8) 10kg Dumbells
Standing Bar Bell curls (3 X 8) 18KG bar ball
Pull Ups (4 x 5) Cant do any more at the moment
superset with
Dips (4 x 5)

As I said in my original post I dont do any cardio. I have college on Mon and Wednesday and I go to the gym on Tues and Thurs. I could also go to the gym on Fri but I imagine I would have to do a different workout that day to the one I am currently doing.

Am I doing too little core work and not using enough compound movements? Should I fit in the deadlift maybe every other workout?

My gym isnt open at weekends so I was going to do cardio work (running, cycling) then. Also I was going to do some cardio work first thing in the morning before I eat.

How does that as an overall package sound?

billyhead

I am no expert but you could incorporate torso twists. The have a machine in my gym that carrys this out. Also side bends holding a dumbell in each hand could be added to your routine. Both these exercise will work your middle body Apart from that your routine looks good.

itsallaboutheL

billyhead wrote: »

torso Also side bends holding a dumbell in each hand could be added to your routine.

Dumbell in one hand
Dumbell in one hand
Dumbell in one hand

This drives me nuts:D

Zamboni

billyhead wrote: »

I am no expert but you could incorporate torso twists. The have a machine in my gym that carrys this out. Also side bends holding a dumbell in each hand could be added to your routine. Both these exercise will work your middle body Apart from that your routine looks good.

I don't know of any good machine for ab work.
I'd rather do hanging leg raises or ab workouts on a swiss ball