You’ve mustered up the determination and the drive to hit the gym regularly. You’re faithfully pumping iron and sticking with your weightlifting program. You even feel good because your muscles are responding and your physique is taking shape. However, that chiseled waist and those ripped abs that you have dreamed of are still obscured by stomach flab, better known as love handles. What can you do?

Fine-Tune Your Diet

Belly fat is difficult to get rid of once it has taken hold and set up residence. All the calories in that junk food and those extra sugar-filled snacks that you enjoyed before starting to the gym have been stored around your midsection.

Therefore, in order to gain some ground, you need to fine-tune your diet. Chuck the junk food and unhealthy snacks and replace them with more fruits, vegetables and lean meats which are low in calories and carbs and high in fiber, but yet supply the required nutrients your body needs to build muscle and restore energy reserves.

Say No to Alcohol

Alcohol, and especially beer, is chock full of calories which your body will continue to store in your “beer gut”. Therefore, in order to drop the handles, it is essential to say no to alcohol.

Before you have a hissy fit, you should know that an occasional drink to reward yourself for a well kept exercise routine is fine. However, stick to wine and drink with strict moderation and both you and your abs will be happy.

Add a Cardio Program

Weightlifting is great. However, just pumping iron won’t do much for that extra belly fat hanging around. That stuff needs to be burned off and to do so you need to implement some serious cardiovascular exercise into your overall workout program.

High intensity exercises don’t have to be boring either. The treadmill is great, but you can incorporate other fun aerobic exercises into your regimen like swimming, cycling, jogging, trekking, etc which will help break the gym routine, add some adventure to your day, get the heart pumping and melt off those pesky love handles.

Add Targeted Exercises

Finally, don’t have mercy on those crying fat rolls. Instead, hit them hard with exercises that target the problem. Body twists, leg lifts, toe touches and other abdominal exercises will add extra oomph to trimming up your waistline.

Just remember, abdominal exercise only tightens up the muscles hidden underneath the flab. Belly fat is stored fuel and needs to be burnt by aerobic exercise and not replenished by poor eating habits. However, by exercising your abs, you are laying the foundation for those stunning 6 packs you’ve been dreaming of once those love handles disappear.