“I
just want to tone up right around my mid-section.”
I could retire if I
had a nickel for every time I have heard this statement. It is normally
followed by this question, “Which machine or what
exercise can I do to lose this flab in my belly?” My answer is never
what they want to hear – You could do abdominal exercises for 24 hours
and your mid-section will not get smaller. You cannot change fat into
muscle, period. They are two separate types
of tissue. If a trainer tells you that you can turn your fat into
muscle – run fast and far from that “professional.” You have bone
structure and muscles attach to those bones. Then, as you store unused
calories in your body as fat cells, these fat cells
form on top of muscle tissue – under the deepest layer of skin.
In order to
lose weight, or flab, around your mid-section you have to do two things
very consistently and without lapse – cardio and eat right.
Cardio
will shed pounds and thus decrease the “flab”
at your mid-section. Eating right (see clean eating blog), will insure
that you do not continue to deposit more fat or stored calories in that
area. Notice I said that you have to do these things consistently and
lapse. You cannot eat right and exercise for
a couple of days and expect results. The process is not that fast. A
lifestyle change is required. Cardio exercise that gets your heart rate
up for at least 30-60 minutes every day and eating right every day. I
am not a proponent of cheat meals – they are
a slippery slope. Having a cheat meal is like sticking a pin in a water
balloon and then trying to stop the water from escaping – there is no
going back.
The great
news is that once you have lost weight in your abdominal area, crunches
and other abdominal exercises will give your mid-section a nice toned,
defined look. But, you can have six – pack
abs and never see them if you do not ad cardio and eating clean to your
regimen. Check out other blog posts for routines that will help you
burn calories, boost metabolism and eat clean!
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