There are two main areas of belly fat: upper and lower. In reality, you abdominal muscles are actually one long slab of muscle. The problem is that it is easier to exercise the upper abdomen than it is to exercise the lower abdomen. Here are some exercises that workout each of the sections of your abs, so than you can develop that dreamed of six pack. At the end of this article will also be some fat burning tips.
Upper Belly Fat
Regular crunches. Lying flat on your back (on a mat or bench), place your hands behind your head gently to support your neck. Your knees should be bent with your feet flat on the floor. Contract you upper abdominal muscles and lift your shoulder blades off of the floor and lower back down. Repeat this several times.
Clam shell. This exercise is similar to the regular crunch, only there is an additional movement. As your bring your should blades off the floor, bring your knees in towards your midsection. When you lower your head back down, lower your legs back to the starting position.
Lower Belly Fat
Reverse crunches. Lying flat on your back, with your hands rested at your sides or behind your head, raise your legs so that they are perpendicular to the floor. Cross your legs with your knees slightly bent. Contract your lower abdominal muscles and raise your hips off of the floor. You back should remain straight and on the floor. Hold the position for a second and lower back down. Repeat the exercise until fatigue.
Abdominal leg raises. You will lie on your back for this exercise as well. Place your arms down at your sides and close your legs. Press your lower abdomen into the floor as you lift your feet off of the ground. Keep your legs straight. Lower your legs back down and raise them again. Repeat.
Fat Burning Exercise
Aerobics class. Sign up for an aerobics class and get your heart pumping. Aerobic activity is great for your respiratory system. It is without question, a great way to boost your metabolism and help you burn fat. You will also have accountability with your instructor and friends.
Dancing. You can sign up for a class in dancing as well. You can take ballroom dancing, hip-hop, Latin Dance, and many other types of dance. It will get your heart pumping just as much as other aerobic activities.
Fat Burning Diet
High fiber, low sugar. Fiber can work wonders for your diet. Increasing your intake of fibers will increase your metabolism and keep you from storing as much fat. Fiber will also help you to feel full faster, so that you won’t eat as much. Reducing your refined sugar intake will also help you to lose weight. Cut down on the cookies, cakes and donuts. You should also drink water instead of soda and fruit drinks that are not 100% fruit juice. The best tried and tested fat loss diet is the Fat Loss 4 Idiots. Thousands of people have had amazing success with it already!
Good fats, good carbs. Monounsaturated fats are the healthy types of fats that you can have. They are found in olive and peanut oils. Lower your intake of saturated fat, because that increases your cholesterol, and packs on weight. Good carbs, or complex carbohydrates are in wheat, rye, oats, and other whole grains. Make sure your breads are 100% whole grain, and not refined. White bread products are something to avoid.
Practicing these exercises will help you to lose both of your upper and lower belly fat. If you do them and make sure that you eat properly, you will see your belly shrink down, and expose a nice six pack.
FAT BURNING METHODS FOR MEN
When it comes to losing weight, nothing is more important for men than losing extra calories stored as fat and replacing them with muscle. While you can certainly lose weight through diet alone, health and fitness experts agree that permanent weight loss is the product of two components--diet and exercise. Diet helps to reduce the amount of stored fat, and exercise helps to insure that it stays off. Before you begin any weight management program, it's important to understand some basic concepts about burning fat.
BMR AND NORMAL BODY COMPOSITION
As a rule, men are leaner than women. Men are between 18 to 25-percent body fat. Women are between 25 to 31 percent. As men become more active, stored fat is replaced by metabolically active muscle tissue. The result is a higher number of calories burned by their basal metabolic rate (BMR)--the body's idling speed. The most efficient way to burn fat and keep it off is by increasing your BMR. To calculate your BMR, use the following formula:
Men: BMR = 66 + ( 6.23 x weight in pounds ) + ( 12.7 x height in inches ) - ( 6.8 x age in year )
AEROBIC EXERCISE
Add 20 to 30 minutes of aerobic exercise to your daily routine. Physical exercise burns calories during the exercise period and helps to maintain a higher BMR throughout the rest of the day. Good examples of aerobic exercise include running, swimming, cycling and walking. A 190 pound man cycling at 15 miles an hour can expend nearly 900 calories in one hour. Add that value to your BMR for total calories burned per hour.
STRENGTH TRAINING
Strength training is an effective way to increase muscle mass and reduce fat. It can be done using a number of approaches--home calisthenics, free weights, weight machines or physical activities. Adhering to a simple program of push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups and other exercises that build muscle will tip the balance toward a higher percentage of leaner, more metabolically active tissue. Add free weights or routines on weight-training machines and you'll be able to accelerate the process. Another simple and fun way to build muscle is to engage in outdoor activities that build strength. Examples are canoeing, whitewater rafting, rock climbing, hiking and other activities that build muscle mass.
BETTER DIETARY CHOICES
Learning how to improve dietary choices is a great way to help boost your BMR, provide energy for physical fitness and lose fat. The average active male requires 2,000 to 2,400 calories a day to remain healthy and fit. Replacing commercially prepared fast foods with whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables can help you feel satisfied and insure that you're getting the vitamins and nutrients you need. Many experts suggest eating more frequent smaller meals that keep your metabolism running at a higher speed throughout the day instead of fewer, heavier meals laden with calories. Avoid fasting or skipping meals--both can contribute to slowing down your BMR.
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