There are six reasons why you haven’t been able to lose your belly fat even though (or so you think) you’ve “tried everything.”
Fforget everything you THINK you know about how to lose belly fat.
Here are the reasons why you have not been able to lose belly fat:
No. 1. You are spending too much time doing abdominal exercises and not enough time working the LEGS. (I’ll explain that in a moment).
No. 2: You are not doing enough general strength training.
No. 3: Your cardio routines are not intense enough, and probably too LONG. (I’ll explain that in a moment).
No. 4: You’re performing strength training routines and cardio routines incorrectly.
No. 5: You’re not lifting heavy enough weight in your strength training routines.
No. 6: You are going long periods of time without eating.
#1: Fat is a fuel source. Abdominal muscles are small and don’t need that much fuel to exercise or recover from exercise.
Hence, why loads of ab exercises will not cause the fat in this area to be burned up for fuel.
Shutterstock/Pises Tungittipokai
Leg muscles are the biggest in the body, and thus, require a lot of fuel to exercise and recover from exercise.
If you hit the legs hard with exercise (squats, leg press, leg curls, leg extensions, etc.), they will need large amounts of fuel. This will cause the fat in your belly to be burned for fuel.
#2: The more strength training you do, the faster will be your resting metabolism, or your ability to burn fat for fuel just to keep you alive.
A complete strength training program will elevate your body’s ability to burn fat, including belly fat.
#3: Cardio can burn substantial amounts of belly fat — in one of two ways. The first way is to jog 10 miles nearly every day in as short a time as possible.
The second way is to do high intensity interval training for about 30 minutes, two or three times a week.
HIIT can be done by just about anybody. Alternate BRIEF bursts of your fastest running, walking, pedaling or stepping with one to several minutes of easy pacing. Depositphotos.com
HIIT triggers higher production of certain hormones that create a fat burning effect. Long duration cardio does not.
#4: Incorrectly performing strength training routines will burn far fewer calories (and thus less belly fat) than if done properly. I recommend hiring a certified personal trainer to learn correct techniques.
Note that the barbell is crooked. This can strain muscles. Shutterstock/fotoliza
As for cardio, hanging onto cardio equipment (treadmill, revolving staircase, elliptical apparatus) will burn 20 percent LESS calories than when not hanging on.
Clinging to cardio machines (with exception of stationary bike) will interfere with efforts to burn belly fat.
#5: The heavier the weight lifted, the more fat your body will burn, including in the belly, for fuel. But lifting heavy does not mean you’ll bulk up.
Freepik.com
A program for bulking up is specific and requires an equally specific diet to succeed in.
Look around at your gym and you’ll see sleek, lean people with enviable waistlines lifting loads of weight.
#6: Haven’t you heard this one already? That going long periods without food can slow metabolism? A slow metabolism will interfere with losing fat in the belly.
When your body does not “know” when it will next get food, it will cling onto stored fat, “just in case” food doesn’t come for a long time.
The human body is hardwired for this response, courtesy of hundreds of thousands of years of evolution, and this is what kept humans flourishing throughout the ages during famines.
But today, this biological response is an obstacle to losing belly fat. Eat something every three hours.
Plus, you’ll want to replace table sugar with the herb Stevia, a natural, zero-calorie sweetener that can aid in belly fat loss.
Lorra Garrick is a former personal trainer certified through the American Council on Exercise. At Bally Total Fitness she trained women and men of all ages for fat loss, muscle building, fitness and improved health.
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