Centurion Blog

Welcome to the Centurion Training daily fitness blog. 

Today's blog has 6 tips to increase the chance of you achieving that perfect stomach!


Sleep on it! 

Research from the New York Obesity Nutrition Research Centre has shown that people who only sleep for four hours a night eat an average of 263 more calories than people who sleep for eight hours.

So if you find that due to work, family or other commitments that you sleep less then you could potentially eat enough calories to gain an extra ONE POUND OF FAT per week!

Milk it!

The Journal of Nutrition have recently found that consuming foods that are high in calcium and protein (typically from dairy sources, hence the milk related title!) will specifically target adipose tissue (fat) in the abdominal area.

These foods should be consumed in conjunction with low carbohydrates and also a reduced calorie intake which should reduce your stubborn stomach fat!

Go Fresh!

New research has found that breathing in polluted air can increase the amount of fat your body stores. Scientists at Ohio State University found exposure to dirty air can trigger an increase in the size of fat cells.

If you exercise near a major source of pollution such as running along a motorway then wear a cycling mask whilst training, be warned ... you may get some funny looks!

Espresso yourself!

Consuming caffeine before training can make you work harder and longer. Research from the University of Louisiana has shown that caffeine can delay the onset of lactic acid which means you can work harder for longer before the burn makes you stop. Another benefit of caffeine is increased metabolism, as most people know caffeine is a stimulant and gives your metabolism a quick kick which means if you consume a strong coffee (I recommend a double espresso!) before training you can burn an extra 10% of your normal calories!

Create Tension!

In any resistance training, especially for the abdominals, muscular tension is essential! During exercises such as leg raises and crunches keeping tension on the muscles will increase the overall workload and make your workout more intense. As well as making sure you keep your muscles under tension ensure you use a full range of movement on all exercises.

Which whey to go?!

Protein shakes are designed to help you reduce bodyfat and increase lean muscle tissue if used correctly as a supplement and not a nutritional staple. A new Swiss study has found that although Whey protein is typically considered superior due to it's fast digestion (ideal for post workout), Casein protein (Milk based protein) can be more effective for achieving your physique goals as it is slower digesting and helps to drip feed your muscles, this promotes anabolism (muscle building) and when you increase muscle mass you also increase your daily calorie burn (resting metabolic rate).


I hope that these small tips have given you some more ways of burning that post Christmas bulge! Stay tuned for the blog posts this week on the Paleo Diet and also my week detoxing my body .... I might be cranky!

Josh Mullin - Master Trainer