Exercises To Lose Belly Fat Compared

Everybody wants to look better, and everybody wants to get in shape, and  most of all, everybody has one particular area of their body that they wish they could make magically disappear. For most of us, it is that little pooch of flab that is lying just above the band of our blue jeans. Belly fat, muffin top, pot belly, whatever you want to call it, the stomach is one of the biggest concerns that dieters and health enthusiasts have. More people are worried about burning off that stomach flab than just about any other body part. The sad truth is that there is no such thing as spot reduction, no matter what the websites and weight loss gurus try to sell you. You can lose weight overall and that will make your stomach look better, and you can do specific exercises that will tighten up and strengthen the muscles of your belly, back and shoulders so you will not only be healthier but also stand up straighter and have more tone, but you are much better off forgetting about helping one specific area and concentrating on your head to toe fitness. If you begin by being realistic with your goals and understanding how weight loss and exercise works, you will end up much happier and much more satisfied with your overall results,  especially if you pursue the exercises that help you burn the most calories.

First, Get Realistic

If you’re going to be successful with your weight loss and fitness goals, look great in your jeans and feel better, the first thing you need to do is understand that there is no magic wand to fitness – you need to do the hard work, and you need to be realistic. Nothing is going to happen overnight or quickly. Getting fit takes time, and staying fit is a commitment. You need to cut your caloric intake at the same time as you are burning if you are trying to lose weight, and you are not only going to lose it from one area. If you’re burning calories it is going to come off all over. You also need to understand that as you get older it gets harder. If you’re above a certain age your skin is not as elastic as it once was and may be stretched out, your muscles can’t build mass as easily as when you were younger, and your metabolism has probably slowed down. Don’t look at that as working against you – it’s just a fact that you need to keep in mind when you’re setting goals for yourself.

Exercises/Activities that Burn the Most Calories

Cardio

Cardiovascular exercise is one of the absolute best ways to burn calories, and therefore burn fat. Whether you’re walking, running, swimming, biking, or doing some kind of fun aerobic exercise class, the secret is to keep at it and keep increasing your intensity. If you’ve been working out for a while and feel like your workout has been starting to feel a bit flat, it’s easy to turn that around by turning up your own intensity and frequency. If you’re exercising a couple of days per week then you need to increase the number of days that you’re out there, and if you’re exercising for thirty minutes at a shot then bump up your time by fifteen minutes per session. Don’t have the extra time? Then it’s time to change from what you’re currently doing to interval training. Interval training is a way of getting more exercise and benefit out of your workout in the same amount of time. If you’re currently walking for half an hour, then switch it up to walking for five minutes and running for one for the same thirty minute time period. Running? Then turn on the speed for that one minute interval before returning to another five minutes of your regular pace. You’ll end up working out for the same amount of time, but burning more calories, and therefore more fat. The greatest thing about interval training is that you are able to keep shaking it up, increasing the intensity of the high interval aspect of the workout.

Strength Training

Another great way of burning fat, increasing your overall metabolism and feeling wonderful is to lift weights. If you’re a woman and you’re concerned that strength training will make you build up and get too muscle-bound, there’s no need for concern – women who lift weights don’t get big … they just get strong. And the muscles that you’re building will burn fat and boost your metabolism much more effectively, so it aids your overall weight loss program. When starting a weight training program you should always take the time to learn to do it correctly so that you get the most out of your workout. Most gyms have personal trainers who you can schedule an educational training session with so that you know how to use the equipment properly and are best able to craft a program that fits with your goals. Strength training two to three times per week and making sure that your program focuses on your  entire body will do you a world of good.

Crunches

You knew this was coming. If it’s really your belly that you want to focus on, then you need to do everything that you can to strengthen those abdominal muscles, and the one sure-fire way of doing that is by doing crunches, sit ups and other abdominal exercises. The truth is that if you have a wall of fat sitting in front of your abdominal muscles then no matter how many sit ups you do, you’re still going to have a pot belly or muffin top. But if you’ve been burning the fat by doing your carb and concentrating on cutting your calories, then adding the daily ab workout will definitely make you look better in the stomach area.  

Nutrition

There’s no getting around it. If you want to get rid of fat anywhere, you have to get rid of it everywhere, and exercise alone won’t do it. After all, we’ve all seen the guy who is at the gym every day, working out and yet not getting any smaller. Why isn’t his workout doing what it should? Because after he leaves the gym he’s going home and having a double bacon cheeseburger and washing it down with some soda, or maybe even a couple of beers. Calories going in have to be lower than calories going out or else all the working out you do will only hold you steady. Make sure you’re adding lots of whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, lean protein and drinking plenty of water while you’re pursuing your exercise and fitness goals. Just as to lose weight off of your belly you have to lose weight off of your whole body, the process is also holistic – you can’t just concentrate on the effort you’re putting out. You have  to pay attention to what you’re using to fuel the machine too.