12-Week Flat Stomach Workout Plan For Women

If you are struggling to get rid of those fat tires on your belly, then you are not alone in this battle. Belly fat is a real turn-off and its widespread. It’s more common in women than men. It’s a stubborn kind of fat that will leave you frustrated and desperate if you are not proceeding with a proper plan. 

Perhaps you have already tried everything under the sun to no avail! If this is your problem, you need to reevaluate your muscle-building, fat-burning strategy. Perhaps, you chose the wrong exercises or neglected the role of diet in fat burning or eliminated cardio from your schedule. It is also probable that you ignored strength exercises and muscle building altogether. 

If any of the above sounds true, you need to go through this workout plan to know the right way to do the ab magic. 

Workout Summary

Main Goal

Lose Fat

Workout Type

Single Muscle Group

Training Level

Beginner

Program Duration

12 Weeks

Days Per Week

2

Time Per Workout

15-30 Minutes

Equipment Required

Dumbbells

Target Gender

Female

Recommended Supplements 

Whey Protein

Fat Burner 

How Does Belly Fat Work in Women?

Getting rid of abdominal/visceral fat is important not just because it looks bad, but it is hazardous for health too. Better get rid of it as soon as you can. As a woman, the worst thing is that you may be more likely to gain fat layers around your waist than men. Childbearing, hormonal imbalances and menopause are the reasons why women are more susceptible to gaining weight around their waistlines. 

The saddest part is, once it’s there, it refuses to budge. You could be working out to the end of endurance without success. You may feel at your wit’s end. It’s frustrating for sure but change the angle and shift focus; belly fat asks for deep scrutiny into your lifestyle. In addition to being physically active, pay attention to what you are eating. 

As a woman, you will naturally move towards a wider waist even if you are not overeating or gaining weight. This is because of the lower estrogen, which is inevitable after a certain age (after menopause). Estrogen determines where your fat treasures will be deposited in the body.

All humans lose muscle at a specific rate every few years, but this rate is accelerated at and around menopause for women. Menopause is a highly significant event in the life of a woman. Her life will change forever after this inevitable physical change. In addition to many other problems, women start to lose muscle mass faster after and around menopause, and that’s one significant reason for visceral fat.

If you are struggling with belly fat and trying different things to get rid of it, you need to do it all over again, and this time with a proper diet and exercise plan. You will move strategically, building your flat stomach plan on solid research and experience. We are presenting an ab workout that tones and builds your core muscles, burns belly fat, and gives you to-die-for six-packs, managing your caloric intake and macronutrients. 

Yes, we remember you were confused and unsure after endless tries. That’s why we have made everything plain here. From exercises to diet, we have covered everything in this workout plan. Read below to find out how to flatten your stomach and burn belly fat.

Workout Description

This is the best workout plan for every woman wishing a flat stomach. It is a simple one, but it’s based on solid research and experience. It is a balanced mix of strength exercises, cardio, rest/recovery, and proper diet. When these aspects are covered according to the plan, there is no reason you shouldn’t have a flat stomach in 12 weeks. 

This workout is spanned over 12 weeks. These 12 weeks will be the most exciting ones for you if you want to give that dream of a flat stomach another shot. 

The plan aims at slow and gradual acclimation of the body towards muscle build-up. It does not burst into strength training. Your body will be given enough time to build the required stamina gradually. The plan is divided into three phases of 4 weeks each, starting from a very low number of sets and reps. Every phase adds more reps and sets to challenge the abdominal muscles harder.

This workout plan accumulates exercises that solely target belly fat and abs; it’s not a full-body workout. The most common resistance equipment used in this plan is dumbbells. If you do not have time for the gym, buy a set of adjustable dumbbells before starting this plan. 

Workout Frequency

It’s not a desperate plan though, if you are worrying about its frequency. It requires you to hit the gym or work out at home only 2-3 times a week. No need to grind yourself every single day for 12 weeks. 

It’s perfect for beginners who may be overwhelmed by anything more than two days a week. The rest of the week is given to cardio and muscle recovery. This helps you maximize your muscle gains and keep your body from ruining due to fatigue.  

Related Article: Post-Workout Recovery: Let Your Sore Muscles Heal

Cardio

In addition to being hard on your muscles, you also need to perform cardio. Yes! It’s pretty radical for a strength training program to call cardio, but women’s belly fat requires special treatment. Your cardio training is for adrenaline production, which torches belly fat. You are advised to go for 3-4 cardio workouts of 20-30 minutes per week to shoot up the adrenaline, so your body gets into that fat-burning phase that works magic for a flat belly. 

Related Article: Sweat It Out With These 17 Cardio Exercises

Diet

The proper diet for a flat stomach is not just about eating less: even under-eating can lead to fat accumulation.

Pay attention to what you are eating. Calculating your macros like carbs and fats goes a long way in helping you melt those much-loathed fat layers around the waist. The proper diet with perfect macro ratios could be the real table-turner for those who have been working on their abs for long without any success. 

Protein

Protein builds muscles, and that’s why you need to gear up your protein consumption when you want to kill fat. The essential amino acids that are building blocks of proteins must be eaten through food: your body does not produce them. So, you eat protein in a generous amount to build heavy muscles. 

If you are a busy bee and there is no time on your schedule for cooking according to the plan, you can make up for your protein needs with Whey protein powder. That’s one safe and delicious way of taking your protein intake to 100 gms daily. 

Related Article: Whey Protein: Health Benefits, Side Effects and Precautions

Fats

Hating fats is second nature because we have always heard weight-conscious people badmouth them. We think all fats are the culprits in weight gain cases, but it is not true. This may come as a shock, but your body needs good fats to burn fat. Good fats balance hormones which is the most critical thing in fat loss. They also improve brain function. 

Carbs

We are conditioned to love carbs by the food industry, they are so addictive. But, when it comes to losing weight, we have been taught to hate carbs unforgivingly. It’s true that you need to cut your refined carbs consumption if you want to stop further fat accumulation in the body. 

It’s important to let go of white/ refined carbs on so many levels that you should start restricting them right away. But do not totally exclude them from your diet. Choose organic, healthy carbs instead like quinoa, organic whole wheat, oats, etc. Carbs are important for the body and complete exclusion will lead to nutrient deficiency. 

Article Sources

• Kozakowski, Jarosław, et al. ‘Obesity in Menopause – Our Negligence or an Unfortunate Inevitability?’ Przegla̜d Menopauzalny = Menopause Review, vol. 16, no. 2, June 2017, pp. 61–65. PubMed Central, https://doi.org/10.5114/pm.2017.68594.
• Tipton, K. D., and R. R. Wolfe. ‘Exercise, Protein Metabolism, and Muscle Growth’. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, vol. 11, no. 1, Mar. 2001, pp. 109–32. PubMed, https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsnem.11.1.109.
• Westcott, Wayne L. ‘Resistance Training Is Medicine: Effects of Strength Training on Health’. Current Sports Medicine Reports, vol. 11, no. 4, Aug. 2012, pp. 209–16. PubMed, https://doi.org/10.1249/JSR.0b013e31825dabb8.