Bodybuilding for a Jiggly Belly

You stare at your reflection in the mirror and you gape at the sight of the protruding bulge of jiggly fat on your belly. You decide that it's time to get back in the gym. You contemplate over which exercise is best to get a flat tummy. Well ponder no further. You will need to burn calories with a mixture of cardiovascular exercise, eating a balanced diet and strength training or toning.

  1. Calorie Intake

    • Stay under your caloric intake.

      Calculate how many calories your body burns each day by multiplying your current weight by 15. This is your calorie intake, the number of calories you can consume each day and maintain your weight. Then subtract 500 from your calorie intake. This is your calorie goal, the number of calories you can consume every day to lose 1 pound per week. You can increase your goal by subtracting 1,000 calories each day, which would result in losing 2 pounds per week. Do not go below 1,200 calories per day if you are a woman and 1,800 if you are a man. Doing so my cause your body to go into starvation mode and slow your metabolism.

    Cardiovascular Exercise

    • High-intensity cardio will burn lots of calories.

      Cardio is the process of increasing your heart rate and respiration while significant muscles work in a continual, repetitive motion. When you raise your heart rate consistently for 20 minutes or more, your body starts burning fat. This process takes place all over your body. You cannot target one body part where you want to burn fat first. You have to lose fat all over your body. Some high-intensity cardio examples are running, aerobics and bicycling. If you want to lose fat sooner, do cardio five to six times per week. If you want to lose it gradually, perform cardio two to three times per week.

    Balanced Diet

    • A balanced diet will help shed the belly fat.

      Eating a balanced diet every day is crucial to melt the belly bulge. Your meals should contain small proportional servings of each food group -- vegetables, fruits, grains, protein and dairy. Drinking lots of water is essential. One of the benefits from these groups is fiber. It helps with digestion and makes you feel full longer. The amount of recommended fiber varies depending on your age and gender. You will also need to eliminate fats, sweets and high-fat snacks. Eat below your caloric intake to see all-over-body results, especially in the mid-section.

    Strength Training or Toning

    • Crunches on an exercise ball are a great way to build ab muscles.

      When you add strength training or toning, you speed the fat-burning process. This is because muscles use calories for nourishment. The more muscles you tone or build, the more calories you are burning. Any ab exercise involving crunches, situps or exercise machines will be efficient for building ab muscles. Add this to your calorie goal, a balanced diet and cardio exercises and you will see maximum results. It won't be long before that flat belly begins to reveal itself.