As summer approaches I'm getting more and more questions on exactly how to reduce belly fat.
Does anyone else remember gym class back in the day when your PE teacher made you do super-fast crunches that were somehow supposed to showcase your athletic ability? Kids would race through them in a series of jerky movements while their friend held down their feet ...
Yeah these weren't very effective.
Though I'm sure PE teachers were well intentioned the truth is most traditional crunches are a total waste of time.
Crunches don't target the upper or lower abs - and while you may feel the burn - they aren't doing much to help define muscles or get you any closer to that elusive "six-pack."
So what actually makes an ab workout effective? It's all about hitting your core muscles from multiple angles through purposeful movement.
That's what will give your stomach that tapered in shape. And target the notoriously stubborn (particularly for women) lower stomach area where some ladies claim to feel "poochy" or like they look bloated (Especially after babies - which is natural initially!)
I always tell clients NOT to pick themselves apart. But there's nothing wrong with wanting to feel more confidant.
So I put together a quick workout below that targets your abs from EVERY angle for you guys.
But first, let's talk about reducing belly fat.
Reducing belly fat is part exercise, and part diet. And a bit of genetics too.
I'm a Professional Fitness Trainer, and I'm in the business of helping people exercise. But you guys know I always spill the no BS REAL DEAL tea. The truth is it's very difficult to maintain a flatter stomach or defined abdominal muscles if your diet is crappy.
You can't spot reduce - so genetics play the biggest role in where you'll lose or gain body fat first. For example, some people lose or gain weight from their lower body (butt, hips), others see a change in their chest and arms. You CANNOT instruct the body on where it should lose or gain.
What CAN you do? You can target muscles and lower overall body fat through cardio and toning exercises. Eat a healthy, well balanced diet with plenty of lean protein, fruit and veggies, and avoid an excess amount of sugar.
Plus make sure when you're doing an abdominal workout it's worth your time!
This workout is just that.
I've included links in case you aren't sure what the exercises refer to. I made sure that these were shown with good form. There's a lot of videos floating around where the form is poor. (A huge pet peeve of quality Professional Personal Trainers.)
One golden rule of any exercise, but especially core workouts is you want to make sure you are working with correct and deliberate form. Otherwise you aren't hitting the right muscles. This - along with effective exercises -is what yields results.
Check out these links for examples of each movement:
Burns so good :)
Want more at-home workouts ?
Head here for a workout you can do while watching Netlix.
Check out this post for a stress-relief workout and an effective body weight workout.
And this is a great QUICK resistance band workout.
As always email MissModernWellness@gmail.com if you have any questions, I love hearing from you!
