Fat around the belly can be challenging to lose. Even with diet and exercise, it can often be the last part of the body to slim down. "How can I get a Flat Stomach?" is one of my most frequently asked questions. The steps to achieving this goal are not complex, but that are challenging and take time. There are many misconceptions about shredding belly fat. Therefore, before I give you the secret to success at obtaining a ripped core, I find it necessary to explain why certain strategies will not give you the results you are looking for. I believe that educating you as a student in the fitness industry will create more educated exercisers, who can redirect others that may be struggling to achieve a flat core as well. You can find all sorts of articles online saying why you should and should not do certain exercises. It seems like every week they're writing about some breakthrough exercise or diet that will give you results in an unrealistic time frame. What you will also find every other week, is an article telling you why the quick result diet or exercise is completely bogus. This is not one of those articles. I am writing this so that you can understand how your body works and why the quick fads do not. First things first, let's look at the effects of ab exercises on belly fat.
Abdominal Exercises
Understand that there're many abdominal exercises that are beneficial to developing a strong and stable core. On the other hand, a strong and stable core doesn't translate into a flat core. Doing exercises that engage the abdominal muscles will NOT target abdominal fat burning. Let's think about this for a minute. Why is it most people think that exercising a targeted area on the body will burn calories in that area alone? Yes, you are engaging those muscles specifically, but your body does not sectionalize fat burning as it does muscle strengthening. Have you ever seen someone with a really ripped and flat core, have a lot subcutaneous fat elsewhere? The reason you haven't is because your body works as one system. Therefore, doing sit ups and crunches will not burn calories at a rate that will adequately burn subcutaneous fat throughout the body. If you can't see your abs, your core strength is not the problem, your body fat is.
Burning Fat
There's no secret on how to burn belly fat. There is only those who accept the challenge and those who do not. If you are serious about getting a flat core, you must engage in activity that promotes fat burning. Believe it or not, a combination of strength training and cardio endurance exercises, are your ticket to a flat stomach. This does not mean you must run 3 miles a day to get a nice core (Although that would help). It simply means you must increase your heart rate and maintain an increased heart rate for an adequate amount of time. Activities including, interval training, Zumba, H.I.I.T. and weight lifting are all great alternatives to going out and running for 60 minutes (Unless of course, that's your cup of tea). Now as you may know, there is still one aspect of flat, ripped cores that we haven't addressed. This factor is the MOST important of them all, diet.
Diet
Did you read the word "diet" and immediately think of some gluten free or Irish kale cleanse nonsense, that you saw on Facebook? If so, allow me to explain what I mean by diet. The simplest way to put this is, clean eating. As an adult, you know what you should and should not eat. Avoid foods high in fats and sugars. Eat lean meats, vegetables, and complex carbohydrates daily. Yes, you read that correctly, eat carbohydrates. The name of the game is caloric deficit. A caloric deficit occurs when you consistently provide your body with fewer calories than it needs to support caloric expenditure. For instance, if your body requires 2,500 calories/day to maintain your current weight, you'll need restrict your caloric intake below this number. A safe caloric deficit occurs around ~500 calories per day. So for someone needing 2,500 calories a day, their goal should be about 2,000 calories/day. If you do this consistently, you'll lose 1 pound of fat each week..
So What?
In conclusion, I would like to make it clear that abdominal exercises are great for defininig and toning your abs. On the otherhand, if you are someone with a bit of body fat in your abdominal section, then it is important to know that abdominal exercises will not be your ticket to sheding pounds around the lower torso. Engage in strength training and aerobic activities to burn some calories. The combination of consistent exercise and a caloric deficit will provide for the quickest and most efficient results. Do not eliminate abdominal exercises from your workout regimen because you need to shed some pounds before hand. Participating in both cardiovascular exercises and core exercises is your best bet.