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15 Jun

EXERCISES FOR LOSING BELLY FAT FAST

When it comes to exercising, I like to keep things simple. So when I got serious about losing weight, I just wanted to know “What were the most effective exercises for losing belly fat fast?” It turns out, I wasn’t the first person to want to know. The American Council on Exercise also wanted to know. Who knew there was such a thing as The American Council on Exercise?

Anywho, they conducted a study, which included the use of an EMG, or electromyography device. This is a device used to record and measure the electrical activity of muscle tissue while working out. This device allowed researchers to test the effectiveness of various exercises for losing weight and sculpting abs. The results cleared up the confusion regarding which ab exercises are most effective once and for all.

The following exercises have been scientifically proven to be the most effective exercises for losing belly fat and sculpting abs. They help to increase the size of your abdominal muscles and decrease the fat covering them. These exercises + cardio and a healthy diet = chiseled abs!

THE EXERCISES

Bicycle Crunch Variations

Bicycle Crunches (Also Known as Bicycle Maneuvers)

Bicycle crunches were number 1 on the list of most effective exercises for losing belly fat. So be sure to include them in your ab workout to blast some serious belly fat fast!

To do bicycle crunches, lie flat on the floor with your lower back pressed to the ground (pull your navel in to also target your deep abs). Put your hands behind your head, then bring your knees in towards your chest and lift your shoulder blades off the ground, but be sure not to pull on your neck. Straighten your right leg out to about a 45-degree angle to the ground while turning your upper body to the left, bringing your right elbow towards the left knee. Make sure your rib cage is moving and not just your elbows. Now switch sides and do the same motion on the other side to complete one rep.

Begin flat on your back with your knees bent and the heels of your feet only a few inches from your buttocks. Bring your hands to your temples with palms out, and elbows out from the body at about thirty to forty-five degrees.

While exhaling, bring your shoulder blades off the ground fairly quickly, until you feel an intense pressure in the rectus abdominis muscles. Hold for a one to two-second count, then slowly release, beginning the next repetition when the head and shoulders are just about to touch the ground.

According to the study conducted by ACE, doing crunches on an exercise ball is even more effective.

PLANKS

Assume a modified push-up position with your elbows bent 90 degrees and both forearms resting on the floor. Position your elbows directly underneath your shoulders and look straight toward the floor. Your body should form a perfectly straight line from the crown of your head to your heels. Your feet are together with only the toes touching the floor.

Hold this position as long as you can, concentrating on keeping your abdominal and low back muscles tightened to prevent bending at the hips. Once a 30-second hold becomes easy, make the plank more challenging by alternately lifting each foot off the floor or holding the position for an extended amount of time.

At first, you’ll find it difficult to do this without bending at the waist or twisting along your long axis, but keep your body as straight and neutral as possible. Keep each foot elevated for a two-count and pause for a two-count between foot lifts. Build up to 10 lifts per foot.

Twisting Crunches

Start by lying on your back on a mat or a towel. Bring your hands up by your ears and take your elbows out wide. Then elevate your feet off the floor with a 90-degree bend at your hips and your knees. You want your thighs to be vertical and your shins to be parallel to the floor. This is the start position.

Then, keeping your lower back pressed down into the floor, tuck your chin to your chest, draw your belly button down and contract your abdominals to roll your upper spine up off the floor. At the same time, using your obliques, twist your upper body to the left so that your right shoulder and elbow rotate across towards your left knee. From here lower yourself back to the floor by rolling your spine back down to the floor, and return your right shoulder to the floor and right elbow back out to the wide starting position.

Repeat the same crunch and twist motion, this time bringing the left shoulder and elbow across to the right knee and lower back down to the center. This is one complete repetition. Keep your legs elevated and repeat the twisting crunches for the duration of the exercise, always finish on the opposite side to the side you started on.

 

Knee Drops

Lie flat on your back, with your feet on the floor and your knees bent. Make sure your shoulders are flat on the floor as well. Then extend your arms out on both sides. Make sure your lower back is flat on the floor. Raise your feet into the air, keeping your legs and feet close together.

Next rotate your legs to the right side as far as you can, making sure to keep your upper body and lower back flat on the floor. Once you have lowered your legs as close to the floor as you can, return them to the center body position. Repeat this lowering your legs to the left side.

17 Jan

Cardio exercises are any exercises that raise your heart rate, such as swimming, bicycling, jogging, jumping rope, doing jumping jacks, walking, riding an elliptical bike, even taking the stairs instead of taking the elevator will raise you heart rate and help you lose body fat.

However, each ab seeker will have different favorite cardio exercises. Stick to your favorites, and it will be easier to stick to your workout plan. Remember do what works for you. The key is consistency!

Some other excellent cardio exercises are high intensity interval training, circuit training, cross-country skiing, kickboxing, using gym style rowing machines, hiking, indoor rowing, using a treadmill, and step aerobics. Also, remember that some normal activates are actually cardio because they get your body moving and raise your heart rate. If you play your favorite music while you’re doing these activities you’ll burn even more calories without even thinking about it, because you’ll be having fun. Some great examples are dancing, household chores like sweeping, mopping, vacuuming, rearranging furniture or cleaning out the attic or garage, skating/rollerblading, walking your dog, enjoying outdoor activities with family, playing games and sports with your kids, competing in an awesome game of just dance with friends, or just watching workout videos and following along. There are endless ways to move your body, which is essentially all cardio really is. Find what you have fun doing and get moving. A very simple cardio regimen could be just starting a power-walking regimen, which is just walking at a brisk pace. I started with short 10-minute walks, 5 minutes in one direction and 5 minutes back to my starting destination. I gradually worked my way up to 30-minute walks, 15 minutes in one direction and 15 minutes back to my starting destination. Then I bought a sweet bike, and started a bike-riding regimen. I did this in addition to my workout. The weight loss calendar below details all of my daily activities to help you get started.