![]() If you work out with weights, you may gain a few pounds while losing inches around the waist. Don't use a scale to measure your progress. The most important thing you need to do is to program yourself mentally. Doing crunches will not get rid of this fat, and neither will the vibrating belt in the television ads. Do you know where most of the rest of it is? Inside the muscles. ![]() Why is this? Because of the fat! If a heavy woman does hundreds of crunches a day, she may develop strong abs, and they might tighten up a bit, but they'll still be hidden by fat, and she won't look any thinner.Ībout 50 percent of your body fat is located directly beneath the skin. Strengthening your abs alone (and these machines couldn't possibly do much of that) just won't do it. This is feeding the viewership's disillusionment about how to lose belly fat. Several people in these ads claim to have lost inches around their waist as a result of using these products. I even saw an infomercial for an "ab belt" that claimed it does the work of 700 sit-ups in 10 minutes! The ad shows people doing various abdominal exercises the wrong way, hating every second of it, versus smiling men and women going about their days with "Ab-whatevers" strapped around them. Many television ads are now pitching devices that supposedly stimulate muscles to contract repeatedly without exercise. Adding muscle also does wonders for your energy level and self-esteem as you age. Weight training not only helps the metabolism, but it also strengthens the bones. Walk for at least thirty minutes each time to achieve the aerobic effect, and be sure to drink plenty of water. ![]() Once you get your body accustomed to a daily walk, you'll hate to go a day without it. Make sure you swing your arms and contract your midsection while you walk, and maintain a brisk pace. Walking puts all of the abdominal muscles to work. Exercises that call for raising the legs instead of the upper body are effective at strengthening the transversus. ![]() Often called "lower abs," these are the muscles that women who are trying to lose their belly after pregnancy should concentrate on. The transversus abdominal muscles are located at your sides, below the obliques. Adding a twist to crunches works, as well as dumbbell side bends, but be careful not to use any jerky motions, especially if you've had back problems. They also contract to compress the abdomen, so you should work them just as hard as you work the rectus abdominis. They are the muscles you use when you bend sideways at the spine or twist at the waist. The internal and external obliques, which I like to call "nature's girdle," are located at the sides of the rectus abdominis. This muscle compresses the abdomen to a point, but there are other muscles you need to pay attention to, as well. Crunches and Janda sit-ups primarily work the largest abdominal muscle, the rectus abdominis, which flexes the spine. You are indirectly using them for all the other exercises you do.ĭoing core exercises is still important, though. Your body fat is like one organ, located throughout your body, and you can't take it off just one spot unless you have liposuction done.Īlways work your abs at the end of your workout. Your conditioned heart (from the cardiovascular stuff) is more effective at burning calories as well, so you have the golden combination there.Īs the fat comes off your body, it will come off your belly. Your muscles need extra calories to maintain themselves, so more of the food you eat will be feeding your muscles instead of your trouble spots. The truth is that when you work all the larger muscle groups, adding more mass to your muscles, you rev up your metabolism to heights it has never before reached. Toning along with cardiovascular work will speed up and improve the process, but don't think that you only need to work on your abs.
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