Toning and shrinking the belly area is a hot topic among my clients. It seems like everyone wants to have firmer, more defined abs. I get it - we all want to have that envy-inducing six-pack!

You will often here fitness professionals joke that a six-pack is made in the kitchen. They are absolutely right! What you eat has the biggest impact on the size of your belly. You can do 100 crunches a day and still not see any progress. You might strengthen your core, but if you have fat on top of your muscles, it will be hard to see the definition.

Although many of us want to decrease our belly fat to look better, the health benefits are life- saving. If you have a large amount of belly fat, you are at greater risk for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea and certain types of cancers. Waist measurements in women that are greater than 35 inches are concerning, and a waist measurement of 40 inches or more can be problematic for men.

Eating a balanced, healthy diet coupled with working out will give you the best shot at seeing definition in your abdominal muscles. Contrary to what it might seem, doing only abdominal strengthening exercises is not the workout you want to be doing. Yes, you want to strengthen your core (abdominal muscles, back muscles, pelvic core muscles and diaphragm), but you also want to make sure you are burning calories while you are working out. Strength training coupled with cardio intervals is a great way to achieve the results you want.

This workout is a great abdominal workout. You have core exercise sprinkled throughout the workout, but you are also doing movements that increase your heart rate and caloric burn. It’s a win-win. Check out my workout page for more cardiovascular and strength training workouts that will help you achieve the abs want.

Repeat each circuit 2-3 times before moving to the next circuit.