Summer or winter, it's no secret that a flat stomach is the body part that most women and men want. And as part of Us Weekly and Gold's Gym's 2nd Annual Hollywood's Hottest Bodies Awards, women voted Duchess Kate as having the most sought-after abs. And between her street style to her gala gowns, it comes as no surprise that the 29-year-old Duchess has become a style (and body) icon.
So for those looking to sculpt a stomach like Kate's, Gold's Gym Celebrity Trainer Adam Friedman has given Us the must-know exercise and nutrition tips to get started.
"Be prepared to put in a lot of time and hard work," Friedman stresses. "It's been reported that Kate Middleton not only loves sports but also has an athletic background, and it's taken her years to build the muscular foundation to have a fast metabolism"
Here are Friedman's five tips for getting Kate's lean physique, that might even score you a prince of your own!
1. Eat to Release Stored Body Fat
"Underneath a layer of belly fat lies a potentially toned mid-section for everyone," says Friedman. The first step to shedding that layer is to stabilize your blood sugar by following these three guidelines:
A. Eat the correct ratio of protein, carbohydrates, and fat in each and every meal: 35-40 percent, 20-30 percent, and 25-35 percent, respectively. Those three nutrients all work together in digestion to provide steady nutrient absorption to stabilize blood glucose.
B. Eat the correct number of calories each meal. Having too little leads to a deprivation of nutrients while too many leads to sugar spikes and releases of insulin. The amount of calories per meal or snack for the average active male is around 400 calories; 250 for females.
C. Eat around every three-to-four hours. This will supply a steady stream of nutrients to the body throughout the day in order to maintain your blood glucose levels. If you're one to wait too long to eat in between meals, have a snack to ward off low blood sugar.
2. Eat High Quality (Non-processed) Foods
The better the food, the better the body is at digesting and absorbing nutrients for energy. Otherwise, the body uses up valuable energy to break down processed foods. "And keep in mind that any calories that aren't nutrient-rich get easily converted into sugar, which then get converted into fat," says Friedman.
3. Hit the Weights
Building strength and power supports the growth of lean muscle, which will increase your metabolism. "One pound of muscle burns three times as many calories as one pound of fat during rest, and as much as 25 times as much during exercise," says Friedman. "This can significantly impact the results for your waistline over time." He recommends lifting weights at a moderate to high intensity three to four times each week to see a boost in metabolism.
4. Build a Strong Core
The core consists of all the muscles from the top of your thigh to the bottom of your rib cage. "These muscles provide stability in our spine and pelvis and also generate power in much of our movement," says Friedman. "During your abdominal work, make sure to engage them by drawing them in rather then pushing them out, and keep them tense during physicial activity."
For a core-specific workout, Friedman recommends taking Pilates or Yoga classes, or using a Stability Ball three to four times a week for 15 minutes.
5. Interval Training
Performing short bursts of high intensity sprints with an active recovery is a surfire fat-blasting technique. Try this routine on a track, hill, or in a spinning class:
– 10 minute warm-up
– 30-60 second sprints for 15 minutes, broken up by one-three minutes of recovery in between
– 5 minute cool-down
Incorporate one high-intensity interval workout and one moderate-intensity interval workout each week in between two to three days of longer, steady-paced cardio workouts.
