How To Get a Firm and Tight Butt

January 18, 2012 by  
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As long as men have been trying to learn how to build muscle, women have been asking how to get a tight butt to trainers and fitness experts worldwide. Nevertheless, I have good news for you, by the end of this article you will know exactly what steps you can take to get a firm butt and why so many people are doing it wrong.

There is no such thing as ‘spot reduction’

The first misconception to dismiss is “Spot Reduction”, every beginner in fitness and even some veterans believe in this magical theory that has been disproved time and time again by studies. No matter how hard you work one particular area like your butt, thighs or abs, you will NOT directly burn fat away from that area.  When you do lunges for example, you are not burning fat directly away from your butt and thighs, you are only building the muscle underneath the fat and in a way tightening or shaping the muscle along with burning calories throughout your entire body.

You have fat stores placed all over your body, which includes places like your butt, hips, abdomen etc. And when you do any exercise you are decreasing the total fat from all of these areas, not specifically targeting the one area you are working.  Your body just does not work like that; the only way to reduce fat from your entire body including your butt is through regular exercise and dieting.

Your butt is a group of muscles…

Eventually I will address both these techniques for you, but let us begin with exercises and a short anatomy lesson. Your “butt” is actually a complex system of gluteal muscles including the Gluteus Maximus, Medius, and Minimus.  The largest of the three, shown below is the Gluteus Maximus.

Gluteus MuscleThis is the muscle primarily responsible for the shape of your butt and is the main muscle you should target to achieve your goal as quickly as possible. The Gluteus Maximus is one of the most used muscles for basic movement and is responsible for hip extension and external rotation.

The other muscles I mentioned are the Gluteus Medius and Minimus, which are smaller muscles that can be found underneath the Gluteus Maximus and are responsible for abduction and internal rotation of your hip.

How to get a tight butt through exercise

As I said before, to develop a firm and tight butt you are going to have to exercise regularly and follow a proper diet. Nevertheless, with your gluteal muscles being responsible for so much of your lower body movements, you have many exercises to choose from:

Walking Lunges

Side Lunges

Back Lunges

Stiff Legged Deadlifts

Sumo Deadlifts

Squats

Split Squats

Step Ups

Lateral Step Ups

Standing Hip Extensions

Leg Presses

However, to further help you, I will go over the exercises I feel will benefit you the most.

Lunges

Lunges come in many variations and can be performed with just your bodyweight, a barbell or dumbbells. However, the same basic movement applies for all of them and that is what we will cover here.

Lunges

General Guidelines : To  ensure proper safety during lunges be sure to keep your torso upright during the entire movement to avoid stressing your  lower back.  Also, be sure to keep the lunge at a long but safe stride length to emphasize the Gluteus Maximus muscle.

Step 1. Depending on which type of lunge you decided to do, either grab a dumbbell firmly in each hand, or un-rack a barbell on your back. If you do not have access to weights or are a beginner, bodyweight lunges will be fine as well.

Step 2. To begin the movement lunge forward with your left leg in a slow and controlled motion until your back legs knee is almost in contact with the floor as illustrated below.

Step 3.   Pause at this bottom position shortly before returning to your original standing position. That is one repetition and should be repeated while alternating leading legs.

Step-Ups

Step-ups are another exercise, which can be performed almost anywhere and yield great results.  You can do them on a bench, flight of stairs, footrest ect and this is what makes them so versatile.

Step ups

General Guidelines:  For proper safety when performing step ups please be sure the surface your stepping up on is at a low enough height so you do not have a risk of falling or pulling a muscle. Also, be sure the surface is flat and not slippery. The shorter the surface you are using to step up on the easier the exercise will be.

Step 1: Stand directly in front of the ledge, bench, or platform.

Step 2:  Lift your right foot up and  plant it on the surface then follow up with the left foot , you are now completely on top of the surface.

Step 3:  Step back, leading again with your right foot and following with your left into the starting position.

Step 4:  Alternate which foot you lead with and repeat the motion.

5 Diet tips for a firm butt

The last step to get a tight and firm butt is to monitor your diet, which will help get rid of the extra fat stored around your body and therefore on your butt. I included an easy to follow list of diets tips below to help you.

1. Distribute your protein, carbohydrate, and fat intake evenly throughout the entire day and at each meal.

2. Go for whole grains and fresh vegetables over refrained grains and simple sugars, as a good amount of fiber and starch will aid overall hunger control.

3. Avoid empty calories drinks or highly processed foods whenever possible, which contain many calories and do not effect your feeling of fullness.

4. Drink 8-12 cups of water per day, The National Academy of Sports Medicine recommends individuals looking to lose weight drink 96 ounces of water plus an additional 8 ounces per 25lbs they want to lose.

5.  Weigh and measure your food to become aware of actual serving sizes.

Sample Workout routine

Congratulations, you now know the ins and outs of each step you can take to reach your goal and now all you have to do is combine them and implement them! The most important thing will be your diet followed by the exercises l listed above, but if you want results even faster, you could also do a cardio session around 3 times a week such as jogging or biking.

Here is an example of a routine someone could use in addition to dieting properly and expect great results.

Monday- Do 30 minutes cardio such as jogging or biking

Tuesday- Do 5 sets of 1 minute of lunges, then immediately 1 minute of step-ups, rest 60 seconds in-between each set

Wednesday – Do 30 minutes cardio such as jogging or biking

Thursday- Do 5 sets of 1 minute of lunges, then immediately 1 minute of step ups, rest 60 seconds in-between each set

Friday- Do 30 minutes cardio such as jogging or biking

Saturday- Do 5 sets of: 1 minute of lunges, then immediately 1 minute of step-ups, rest 60 seconds in-between each set

Sunday- OFF

* images are courtesy of bikeradar

Lose belly fat and get 6 pack abs

April 20, 2011 by  
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If you can manage to lose belly fat and get 6 pack abs then you must feel proud because this is one of the most challenging tasks in fitness. The question is how can someone replace belly fat with a set of stunning abs? Just like solving a problem you will need a good plan, knowledge about the subject, patience and hard work. But unlike mathematical problems, the solution is quite simple but most of us don’t really see it. A lot of people who aspire to have six pack abs just go on and work on their abdomens doing thousands of crunches not knowing that the abdominal workout is just one part of the equation, and focusing on it alone is like studying one chapter instead of the whole book. This is why a lot of people fail. But this shouldn’t be the case. You can definitely get a beautiful set of six pack abs just by learning the equation! Let’s examine below 4 of the most important steps in losing belly fat and getting a 6 pack.

1. Healthy balanced diet

Diet is a very important factor in weight loss, it is crucial when you want to lose belly fat and it is also critical when you want to build a six pack. But dieting alone does not do the trick. A diet can help you burn the fat from the belly – a step necessary to reveal the muscles ‘hidden’ behind the fat tissues but you will need exercise to work the muscles. Nevertheless, the best diet to follow is a balanced diet which is low in calories, high in nutrients without completely restricting any food group.  A balanced diet promotes healthy eating and living and the primary components are natural and organic food items.

In simple terms, following a balanced diet means giving preference to fruits and vegetables, whole grain, fish meat, seafood and avoiding the over consumption of fats, sugars and high calories items. You can also read our previous post on fat friendly foods.

2. Get rid of bad habits

Bad habits like drinking too much alcohol, eating too much fast food products, and being stagnant all the time are factors that do not help you lose fat or getting a six pack. You will have to minimize the occurrence of these habits and form a mindset to really counter these temptations. For example, when ordering fast food you always have the choice to go for small size meals rather than your regular or large meals, which may ruin your diet. You will have to discover and learn effective ways on how to handle such scenarios, and remember that no best advice can ever tell you to do things unless you decide yourself.  You will always be the last judge.

3. Abdominal workout

Actually in obtaining six pack abs, you don’t just focus on the abdominal workout. You will have to add cardio or aerobic exercises to help maintain a set of slim and flat abs. Cardio exercises are very effective in losing fat and strength training exercises can help you build muscles and generate long lasting results. It is advisable to maintain an hour or at least 40 minutes of cardio daily, especially when you are serious about forming six pack abs. You will have to do double effort on your cardio, if you are unable to get rid of your bad habits or if you still have issues with your belly fats. Do this 5 to 6 times a week, but it is safe to do daily as well.

Abdominal workout can either be done at home or at the gym. It is advisable to learn the different variations of abdominal exercises before doing them alone. You should focus on quality over quantity, once you perform quality repetitions that will be the right time to increase them. You can do abdominal workout for about 3 to 4 times a week, provided that the day’s interval are rest days. Crunches and other variations of abdominal exercises must target all muscle groups and not just the belly. See also: exercises to lose belly fat

4. Hard work discipline

Hard work and discipline are the last but still two of the most important factors needed for you complete the equation. You won’t actually get anywhere without hard work and discipline. Some people fail just by having a plan and later on forget to really implement it. That is why hard work and discipline works in tandem to help you reach your six pack goals.

To sum up, if you are willing to follow a healthy diet, get rid of your bad habits, workout hard and be committed to your goals for a long time then it is almost certain that after a couple of months you will be very proud of yourself because you have not only managed to get rid of belly fat but also form those ripped abs you always wanted.

Best exercises to lose belly fat fast and healthy

January 23, 2011 by  
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There many people who want to lose fat and more particularly the so called belly fat. Because it took months or years for you to get them, it would definitely take just about the same time or even more to get rid of them naturally. For that reason, some people consider the idea of availing surgical procedures like liposuction to achieve a faster result. However, since liposuction is an invasive procedure, the risk of infection and hemorrhage is always there. So, if you wish to learn how to lose belly fat, nothing still beats the natural method. This article tells you the best exercises to lose belly fat fast and healthy.

LOSE THE FLAB THRU CARDIO

Go from flab to fab by hopping on a treadmill for at least 30 minutes a day. Cardio machines like treadmills, stationary bikes, elliptical trainers, and stair mills are great calorie burners because it requires your body to convert fat deposits to energy to accomplish the tasks.

A good cardio workout is very important if you wish to lose weight fast. Crunches and other belly specific workouts do burn calories, but they are mainly focused in sculpting the midsection for a stronger core.

DO BELLY SPECIFIC WORKOUTS

Although cardio workouts are your best option to lose the belly fat, fitness experts would always recommend incorporating it with some belly specific workouts. Below are the top three on our list based on its ability to work on the three major abdominal muscles – rectus abdominis, internal and external obliques, and transverse abdominis.

#1 Bicycle Crunch exercise:

  1. Lie flat on the floor
  2. Place your hands under your head
  3. raise your legs and move it in a circular pedal motion
  4. While doing leg work, bring your left elbow to your right knee; right elbow to left knee as you continue pedaling.
  5. Do 15-20 counts for 2-3 cycles

#2 Captain’s Chair exercise

  1. Using the Captain’s Chair, Start by dangling your legs and slowly lifting your lower limbs up towards the chest
  2. Control your movement as you deliberately return to the starting position.
  3. Use your abdominal muscles to lift your lower extremities.
  4. Do 10 to 15 counts for 1-3 cycles

#3 Balance Ball crunch

  1. Lie on the balance ball with your feet flat on the floor.
  2. Use your abdominal muscles to lift your torso to no more than 45 degrees
  3. As much as you can, keep the ball stable as you do your crunches.
  4. Do 10 to 15 counts for 1 to 3 cycles.

DO FLEXIBILITY EXERCISES

Do not limit your workouts to cardio and strength training. Enrolling in classes that help your body become more flexible like Yoga, Tai Chi, and Pilates are very beneficial to achieve a flatter belly. Though these workouts do not burn as much calories, flexibility workouts put the body and mind in synch and helps reduce the risk of joint and muscle pains when doing other exercises.

If you wish to lose the belly fat fast and healthy, make sure that you incorporate these three exercises in your daily routine – Cardio workouts, Strength training, and Flexibility exercises.

Can I lose belly fat with exercise alone?

January 6, 2011 by  
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The belly is one of the hardest body parts to work with. If you take a look online or even on TV, a lot of products are offered to deal with belly fats. This is because you cannot be truly sexy unless you have a flat, toned abdomen. A lot of people think losing belly fat is not that complicated. Just do as much crunches as you can daily, and you’re on your way to getting the abs that you want.

When I was young, I tried doing crunches every night. I started with 20, then to 50 then finally to eighty. While I feel my abs ache as a result of the exercise, I never got the same abs that Britney Spears have. This made me frustrated, and I eventually stopped doing the crunches. If I had only done it right, the time I spent doing crunches every night might have yielded to better results. To prevent yourself from going through the same level of frustration, here’s what you can do to lose belly fat.

DE- STRESS

Yes, keeping yourself from stress will actually help get rid of belly fat. Studies have shown that the area around the belly has more cortisol receptors than any other parts of our body. Cortisol is the hormone produced by our system when we get stressed. Since the area around the belly is abundant with it, the receptors cause more fats to be deposited on it whenever we get stressed. Who’ll think that stress actually causes more belly fat, right? Now that you know, avoid being stressed as much as possible. My secret is to take a deep breath every time something stressful happens, which is actually quite effective. Taking a break from work every now and then will also help your body cope up with stress. Instead of working on your rest day, take the time to go fishing with your family. You’ll find that this will help you lose your belly fat in no time, and would even strengthen your family bond as a bonus.

DO MORE THAN CRUNCHES

Even when you want to lose belly fat, working out the belly area alone is not very effective. To have a flatter belly, you’d need to do more than crunches. You can start with doing cardio exercises, which will help burn the fat stored in your belly. Not only that, cardio exercises will also increase your metabolism which means you’ll lose weight too. There are a lot of cardio exercises one can choose from. You can jog on your treadmill daily, or you can also run outside and enjoy the outdoors. You can also swim laps if you love water. The important thing here is to make your body move, raising your heart rate.

SLEEP MORE

If you don’t sleep as much as you need to, your body metabolism slows down. This is your body’s way of coping with the lack of sleep, in that it preserves as much energy as possible. Remember that less fat is burned when you have slow metabolism, and this will not help in losing belly fat in any way. Another reason for you to get more sleep is because lack of it will cause more stress. People who were not able to get a good night’s sleep are not able to focus on work or on school, leading to more frustration and stress. Remember that stress will cause your system to produce more cortisol, and it will end up in your belly. To avoid having a bump where a six pack should be, work out; rest, and prevent yourself from getting stressed.

Sample weekly meal plan and exercise schedule on how to lose belly fat

November 17, 2010 by  
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Many people have difficulties understanding how to lose belly fat. They know the theory about losing fat from the belly but they do not know from where to start. To give you an idea of what you need to do to lose belly fat we have prepared a sample meal and exercise schedule. Following this plan will help you get into the right track and sooner or later you will get the results you want. Knowing exactly what you need to eat and what kind of exercises you need to perform can be very helpful in the beginning until you figure out your own meal and exercise schedule. What will bring you long lasting results is not a plan prepared by someone else but a plan that suits you own needs and requirements.

Menu for the week

MondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturdaySunday
Breakfast (about 400 calories)
scrambled eggs with mushrooms and a sliced of Canadian Bacon sandwiched on two pieces of whole grain bread

+

1 cup of non-fat milk

Total: 410 calories

Waffles with Blueberry maple Syrup

+

1 glass of fresh orange juice

Total: 380 calories

Fresh vegetables, scrambled egg, and ham sautéed in ginger and soy sauce

+

Mannicotti pancakes

+

1 cup of non-fat milk

Total: 411calories

Bagel with cottage cheese and Tomatoes

+

1 glass of fresh grape juice

Total:

415 calories

Spinach and bacon Omelette

+

1 cup of non- fat milk

Total:

420 calories

Peanut Butter and banana pancakes

+

1 glass of fresh mango juice

Total:

415 calories

Vanilla Spice French toast with apple slices

+

1 glass of non-fat milk

Total:

405 calories

AM Snacks (about 100 calories)
calories

Air popper popcorn

Total: 150 calories

Bow Tie-Pasta with red pepper sauce

Total: 95 calories

Carrots and Celery sticks with low fat yogurt dip

Total: 99 calories

Veggie Fajitas

Total: 51

2 medium peaches

Total: 76 calories

A slice of Plain rice cake

Total: 35 calories

Garbanzo bean burgers

Total: 56 calories

Lunch (about 300 calories)
Lean sloppy Joe burger

Total: 244 calories

Grilled Chicken adobo with brown rice

Total: 350 calories

Cabbage rolls stuffed with lean ground beef, onion, rice, and tomato sauce

Total: 246 calories

Balsamic Roasted Pork Loin

Total: 299 calories

Roasted Veggies with Couscous

Total: 254

Grilled Chicken Citrus Salad

Total: 290 calories

Spicy lime grilled shrimp

+

Baked gnocchi

Total: 380 calories

PM snacks (about 100 calories)
Pumpkin Tacos

Total: 100 calories

Apple with peanut butter

Total:

100 calories

Mushroom burgers

Total: 81 calories

Peach upside cake

Total: 100 calories

A slice of Zucchini cake

Total: 96 calories

100 calorie sun chips

Total: 100 calories

Dark- Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

Total: 150 calories

Dinner (about 300 calories)
Baked Vegetable Spaghetti

Total: 290 calories

Asian beef with snow peas

Total: 203 calories

Tuna Salad wit fresh Dill

+

200 grams of grilled chicken breast

Total: 275 calories

Pineapple and cranberry salad with 100 grams of baked king salmon

Total: 250 calories

Grilled Flank steak with Dijon Mustard and Worcestershire sauce

Total: 305 calories

Warm Chicken and Mango Salad

Total: 310 calories

Shrimp Garden salad

+

rice with black beans

Total:

222 calories

Total Daily Calories
1254112811121115115111501213

Exercise plan for the week

MondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturdaySunday
Cardio exercise
30 mins elliptical trainer

Total: 387 calories

30 mins

Running 5 mph

Total:

288 calories

30 mins Bicycling / cycling 14-16 mph

Total:

360 calories

30 mins Rope jumping

Total: 342 calories

30 mins Ski machine

Total: 328 calories

30 mins Rowing machine

Total:

297 calories

30 mins Jogging

Total: 238 calories

Flexibility Exercise
30 mins

Stretching

Calories: 135 calories

30 mins

Calisthenics

Total: 153 calories

30 mins

Tai Chi

Total: 136 calories

30 mins

power yoga

Total: 175 calories

30 mins

Ashtanga yoga

Total: 175 calories

30 mins

Moderate speed Pilates

Total: 175 calories

30 mins

Vinyasa Yoga

Total: 297

Strengthening exercise
25 counts

Pushups – moderate

Total: 171 calories

25 counts

Situps / crunches – moderate

Total: 153 calories

25 counts

Weight lifting – general

Total: 117 calories

25 counts

Pushups – moderate

Total: 171 calories

25 counts

Situps / crunches – moderate

Total: 153 calories

25 counts

Weight lifting – general

Total: 117 calories

25 counts

Situps / crunches – moderate

Total: 153 calories

See also: Exercises to lose belly fat and best way to lose belly fat

How to lose belly fat in 2 weeks without starving

October 27, 2010 by  
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When a person wants to lose belly fat fast, s/he tends to do stupid things. S/he could resort to weight loss pills, fad diets, or even go under the knife. However, those ways could be very expensive, thus people look for other weight loss alternatives that does not require you to shell out cash.

The most popular choice is starvation because it is convenient, inexpensive, and said to be effective. But do you know that starvation diet is dangerous? It slows your metabolism, deprives your body from the nutrients it need to function properly, and could even resort to an eating disorder called anorexia nervosa. If you want to know how to lose belly fat in 2 weeks without starving, this article is for you.

#1 Understand how it works

Belly fat is burned when the body requires high amount of calories to be converted to energy. Therefore, you need to either reduce you calorie intake or increase your daily activity and aim to lose the excess body fat deposited in different areas of your body.

#2 Know how much you need

You may use online calorie calculators or The Harris-Benedict Equation to know your daily calorie requirement. This is essential so you can effectively formulate your belly-fat burning game plan.

#3 Do a calorie deficit

Consume fewer calories than what your body burns. For example, if you burn 2000 calories daily, reducing your calorie intake to 1500 calories per day will require your body to burn the stored fat to produce the amount of energy you need, thus creating a calorie deficit. For every 3500 calories converted to energy from body fat, you’ll get to lose one pound. Having a 500 calorie deficit daily results to 2 pounds lost in a week.

#4 Burn calories

Though regulating your calories work, doing exercises to burn the belly fat works faster. You may do high intensity interval trainings (HIIT) to burn calories super fast. HIIT is composed of the usual exercises like cycling but with higher intensity and with a shorter duration. A typical HIIT will only last for 20 minutes per session and 3 sessions per day.

#5 Do belly specific exercises

Though crunches and plank poses do not greatly help in losing belly fat, it is still important to incorporate these abdominal exercises in your routine because it will aid in sculpting a well-formed belly. In choosing your exercises to lose belly fat, simply target the major abdominal muscles because they will define the shape of your belly, thus producing a slender and a well toned look.

Best way to lose belly fat and love handles

September 18, 2010 by  
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Men and women have been opting to have a well-sculpted body. This includes a broad shoulder, a firm chest, lean thighs and arms, and flat abs. These areas tend to accumulate fat easily because they contain most of the fat tissues in the body.

The abdomen will be the first part of your body to bulge due to the amount of fat deposits and the last to tone down because of its large share of adipose tissues or fat tissues. The rule of gaining and losing body fat can be summarized as “first in; last out”. This means, if you start seeing an increase of body fat in your belly, let it be a message that you need to start doing something about it. Furthermore, if you feel that your abdomen starts to flatten, it tells you that you are on your way to a healthier and leaner you.

The size of your abdomen tells a lot about your weight. The appearance of belly fat and love handles are definitely not a good sign because it tells you that you are getting unhealthy and it could also stop you from wearing tight-fitting clothes as well as swimsuits.

If you are desperate to learn how to lose belly fat and love handles, you would probably resort in purchasing expensive abs workout machines, taking weight loss pills, or even thinking of getting a surgery. These procedures may work but any health expert would surely recommend taking the healthy path.

It may sound too cliché but the best way to lose belly fat and love handles is to eat a balanced diet. A balanced diet includes consuming food from all the major food groups which includes protein, carbohydrates, fats, calcium, and vitamins and minerals. Be aware though that not all foods are healthy, so you need to check the labels. Choose foods that are high in nutrients but low in calories. Find the lowest calorie food you can find and try to mix and match this with other low calorie food to attain a fulfilling meal. You can find all sorts of “low-calorie” or “no-calorie” food alternatives in the grocery take advantage of these goods because losing weight is equal to losing belly fat and love handles.

Another cliché advice that you’ll receive is exercising regularly. As boring as it may sound, but working out will really help you lose weight and eventually that sagging tummy bulge. The effectiveness of losing weight through workouts depends on factors like the kind of exercise, the intensity, and the amount of time you allotted for it. Exercises with higher intensity and done more frequently require the body to produce a good amount of energy, and guess where the body gets the reserved energy? From the fat deposit sites like the belly, of course.  That means, the best exercises to lose belly fat and love handles are those that require a good amount of energy to perform like cycling, running, and jumping and not the “crunches” like what most people think.

It is important to remember that you need to watch what you eat and burn the calories that you don’t need, whether you aim to lose body fat on specific parts of your body or you just want to maintain your current shape. Eating a balanced diet and getting a regular workout are two elements that are essential for you to attain the body of your dreams. Losing belly fat and love handles healthily does take a while, however everything will seem fast once you get used to it and start enjoying it. The important thing is you get to have a leaner and healthier body that you’ll be proud of.

Best exercise to lose belly fat

August 24, 2010 by  
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Losing belly fat is not as easy as gaining them. When people want to lose that saggy fat on the abdomen, temptations in taking diet pills and buying expensive Abs- Workout machines are all over the place. However, as promising as they may sound, these products are probably the least solution to your problem. The fact remains that there is no short-cut in losing a belly fat. What you can do instead is watch out your diet and follow a workout routine that will help you lose weight and fat from all your body and not just the belly. So, the best exercise to lose belly fat is a combination of cardio exercises and exercises that will tone your abs.

Lose Fat with Cardio Workout

Cardio Workout in general do not target belly fat alone, but it helps in burning the calories in your entire body. When you do cardio exercises, it would require your body more physical exertion thus fat deposits are burned to meet the energy requirement of the body.

Apart from what is commonly believed, crunches do not lose belly fat. It is advisable to lose weight in general first by starting with a variety of frequent short-timed cardio exercises and gradually increase the duration overtime. A good starting program is, 10 minutes walking + 10 minutes biking + 10 minutes ski machine (elliptical) for 2-3 days a week. As you get comfortable, you may increase the duration to 15- 30 minutes per machine as well as the resistance.

Six Pack Exercises

You must know that abs workout do not help you lose belly fat, however it can help in shaping and toning the abdominal muscles. Rectus Abdominis is the muscle that is located vertically on each side of the anterior wall of the abdomen; it is the muscle that we commonly refer as “six packs”. The best exercise in shaping the Rectus Abdominis is by doing floor Bicycle exercises.

Bicycle Exercise to lose belly fat

Bicycle Exercise to lose belly fat

1. Lie flat on back.
2. Place hands beside the head
3. Bend knees up and attain an air bicycle position, around 45- degree angle.
4. Reach your left knee with you right elbow and your right knee with your left elbow.
5. Continue the 4th step for 2-4 sets of 12-16 reps in a “pedaling” motion; remember to do relaxed breathing as you do the exercise.

External Oblique

The external oblique is the irregular quadrilateral muscle that is located in the anteriolateral part of the abdomen. The best abs workout to tone the external oblique is by doing Oblique Side Crunches with Heel Touches.

Oblique crunch exercise to lose belly fat

Oblique crunch exercise to lose belly fat

1. Lie flat on back.

2. Bend hips to a 90 degree angle; hands on sides
3. Crunch body forward and reach rich right heel with right hand
4. Touch right heel and return to starting position; do 1-3 sets of 10 to 25 reps.
5. Do the same with left hand reaching left heel; do 1-3 sets of 10 to 25 reps.

Transverse Abdominus

The transverse Abdominus is the third of the anterior flat muscles of the abdomen, it run from the side to the front of the abdomen with its fibers positioned horizontally. The best exercise to tone the Transverse Abdominus is by doing Pelvic Tilts.

Pelvic Tilts exercise to lose belly fat

Pelvic Tilts exercise to lose belly fat

1. Lie flat on back.
2. Bend knees while keeping feet flat on the floor.
3. Lift pelvis up slowly and hold position for 1-2 seconds before slowly lowering back on floor. Make sure that the upper body remains on floor throughout the exercise.
4. do 1-3 sets of 15-25 reps.

You must know that the food we eat contains calories that are essential for the body to produce energy. However, if we take in too much calories and do less activities, the calories will be stored in the body as fat deposits particularly in the abdomen rather than being converted as energy. This implies that if you are determined to lose that belly fat, you must first start with major lifestyle changes. Start by decreasing caloric intake to the amount that is proportional to your daily activities. Too less and too much of anything is definitely unhealthy. This goes the same with exercise, do set realistic goals and do gradual workouts. Doing five hours of intense workout in your first day will not make you lose that belly fat fast but instead, it will only cause you muscle and joint strains.

Read more about exercises to lose belly fat

How to reduce belly fat

February 6, 2010 by  
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If you want to know how to reduce belly fat then you are on the right post. Reducing belly fat does not in any way mean taking fat burner pills as many people suggest. There is a healthy way to reduce fat and this is based on exercise and diet tricks that will help your body fight the fat reserves that have accumulated in the belly area. The whole process on how to lose belly fat is trivial and needs a lot of effort and patience.

How to reduce belly fat with weight lifting

This comes first in the list because it is one of the most important methods to lose belly fat. It is proven that people who perform weight lifting exercises regularly are able to lose fat and more particularly belly fat. Weight lifting or other strength training exercises does not only help you to lose weight but also makes weight loss results visual. In other words you actually lose inches especially in the belly.

How to reduce belly fat with diet and exercise

Weight lifting is one of the tools for losing belly fat, the other tools are diet and cardio exercises. Through a balanced diet you will be able to lose weight and through regular cardio exercise you will be able to increase your metabolism that will get you faster and better results. Your diet should exclude foods that are high in saturated fats and sugars and include more fruits, vegetables and low fat products. Your exercise should be regular, at least 3 times per week and should include a combination of cardio and aerobics exercise. It should also be noted that the more exercise you can do the better.

How to reduce belly fat with exercise tips

Exercise is a big chapter in losing belly fat and as we said above there are many types of exercise that are beneficial for losing fat, cardio and strength training exercises. Below there are some tips to help you get the most of your exercise sessions:

Start slow and gradually increase the duration of the exercise: if you are starting now with exercise then you better start slow. You need to give enough time to your body to cope with the exercise requirements and extra effort. As you become more experience you should gradually increase the duration of the exercise by 10 minutes every month.

Increase the intensity: during your exercise sessions try to vary the intensity of the exercise. For example you can start by walking for 10 minutes, and then you can run for 15 minutes and then end up with 5 minutes walking. You can follow the same pattern with any exercise type including weight lifting.
 
Variation: when doing the same type of exercises over and over again you may get bored and this will slow down your results. When you feel that you are bored then change the type of exercise you perform. This variation will keep you motivated and away from bored.

Ab exercises: many people have the misconception that by doing abdominal exercises they will lose belly fat faster. This is not absolutely true. Abdominal exercises can help you lose belly fat and generally fat but they are not among the best ways to lose belly fat. The best way to lose belly fat is consuming fewer calories and performing weight lifting and cardio exercises.

How to reduce belly fat with eating tips

What you eat is very important on how fast or slow you will lose belly fat. By going after a balanced diet and by minimizing the consumption of foods that are high in fat is the first step. This is also the general rule for losing fat with a diet. Other small tips for reducing belly fat include:

Whole grains, fruits and vegetables: whole grains, fruits and vegetables are full in fiber and it is proven that regular consumption of these foods may lead to a reduction in belly fat. Fiber offers a lot of benefits to the overall health and it helps a lot in losing weight.

Wine and black chocolate: many people do not know that wine and black chocolate can help you fight fat. Different studies showed that moderate consumption of wine and black chocolate can assist in reducing belly fat.

The above tips will give you an insight on how to reduce belly fat in a healthy and secure way without taking any pills or fat burners. Keep browsing our web site for more information on how to lose belly fat using natural, fast and effective ways.

How to lose belly fat for women

It is very common for women to have problems with belly fat. The main reasons are due to the hormonal changes their body has to undergo such as period, menopause and pregnancy and sometimes the problem is due to heredity. Besides the visual problems that belly fat creates it also increases the risk of various diseases like heart problems, diabetes and some forms of cancer. For many women the occurrence of fat in the belly makes them feel uncomfortable about their body and this has a negative impact on their confidence and self esteem. In this article we will concentrate on how to lose belly fat for women in a fast and healthy way.

What are the major causes of belly fat in women?

Fat is created in the body when the metabolism is reduced. The metabolism is responsible for burning the unnecessary calories and fat that is accumulated in the body from the consumption of food. The higher the metabolism the easier it is to burn fat and calories. The metabolism slows down as we grow older and especially in women this creates more fat tissues in the body and the belly area in particular. Another major reason of why women have more belly fat than men is the fact that a woman’s metabolism and body is greatly affected by sudden changes in the hormonal levels. Women experience these changes during their period, before and after menopause and during their pregnancy period.

How to lose belly fat for women

Getting rid of belly fat is not an easy task to do. It requires a lot of effort through exercise and diet and it may take a lot of time. As women normally have less muscle tissues than men, their task is even more difficult. Some ways to adopt for better results are:

Exercise. As expected exercise is the first item on the list. Exercise is by far the best way to lose belly fat for women.  Through exercise you can build more muscle tissue which in turn will help your body eliminate and fight fat. Maintaining an exercise routine on a regular basis is very beneficial for your task but for better results you need to constantly increase both the intensity and duration of exercise. When exercising you need to feel your muscles working and you need to make effort. Do not just exercise for the sake of exercise, push yourself to the limits and force your body to spend more energy.  This assumes of course that you do not have any other more serious health problems that prohibit you from exercising hard. Better discuss your plans with your doctor to ensure that everything is ok. See our previous post, exercises to lose belly fat for a more detail information.

Weight lifting. Although any form of exercise is beneficial for weight loss and fat loss, many studies have shown that weight lifting and strength training are more beneficial for fat burning especially in the belly area.

Diet. Diet also plays an important role in burning belly fat for women. A large proportion of fat is accumulated in the body through the food we eat. If you change your diet and start consuming foods that are low in fat then the whole fat burning process will be easier. There are also some food types that can help you fight fat. Have a look at how to lose belly fat with food. When you get into this habit of taking care of the food you eat you will learn to read the food labels and identify which foods are low in fat and calories. This cannot be done overnight but gradually you will learn how to change your eating patterns to match a healthiest lifestyle. For example you can start by excluding regular soft drinks, fried food, processed and canned food, full fat dairy products and sweets from your daily diet. This simple change alone will save you enough calories and fat.

Set realistic expectations. We said above that one of the reasons that women experience fat in the belly is due to heredity. This means that for some women the situation cannot be changed drastically. Of course exercise and diet and can help you improve the situation but if the reason you are having belly fat is due to heredity then there is a limit of what you can achieve. This however should not stop you from aiming for the best. Set your goals regarding how much weight you want to lose and how many inches and stick to your goals with patience and willpower until you achieve them.

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