Course: Lose Belly Fat
Lesson 1
Everyone says they want to lose belly fat, but the truth is they just don't know how. You are pushed by crazy infomercials to believe that if you do their "exercises" then you will have the body of your dreams.
Crazy I tell you.
I hate to be the barer of bad news, but doing 4 minutes worth of crunches each morning isn't going to deliver a chiseled stomach. I know its not fair… these people promise results and say that they owe their own tight body to the piece of equipment they are selling… but they're wrong.
Well, now it's time for you to get up to date with the real facts that will give you a flat stomach. It's going to take work, but if you are serious about your goals then let's get started!
3 Tips Towards Having A Great Belly
We all want a six-pack but in reality this is the hardest fitness goal to accomplish and one rarely achieved. The problem? We all have abs but we have to decrease our belly fat that lies on top of those nice muscles so we can show them off.
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There is no such thing as spot reduction. You can't start an exercise program with the goal of losing just belly fat… the body doesn't know how to target only your problem zones. You will lose fat all over, and depending on genetics some places will lose faster and easier than others.
Now the good news: Here are 3 sure fire tricks for losing fat… fast! The faster you lose body fat, the faster your stomach will flatten.
I wish getting a great stomach was as easy as doing 20 crunches every morning. So many people think that doing abdominal workouts all day long will deliver that tight, 6-pack stomach… but that's not the case. Once again, the muscles aren't so much of the problem as is the fat that lays over them.
If doing 500 crunches a day isn't going to give a flatter stomach… what will? Let's get started on the three tricks to losing belly fat (and total body fat).
1. A workout designed with your goals in mind: believe it or not, all workouts are not created equal. If you want to lose body fat you need a weight training program designed for (big surprise here)… losing fat. I won't get into details but following the advice of your treadmill neighbor is going to hold you back, there are either flat out wrong… or their advice will have you quickly reaching a plateau.
Cardio is not the total answer… Sure, cardio is great for the heart, lungs and overall wellbeing, but it is only a piece of the puzzle. Cardio actually creates what I call "skinny fat" you can lose weight, but that weight could be muscle… meaning you are still holding on to fat.
A great workout combines a fat-loss specific weight-training program that is constantly changing and pushing you along with a cardio program. Cardio only makes up a fraction of the overall program!
If you have never lifted weights before you will be amazed by how your body will react. For fat loss… keep reps high, weight low, and rest to a minimum!
2. Clean eating is a must. Exercise is important, but I believe nutrition is just as equally important (if not a little more) when it comes to losing body fat.
Clean eating is the idea of waving good-bye to all processed foods, sugars, and simple carbohydrates. Replace them with great complex carbs (wheat bread, wheat pasta, sweet potatoes, brown rice, etc), fresh fruits and vegetables and lean meats.
Clean eating is a great habit that you and your family will love. We are talking increased energy and results you will see at your midsection when clothes become looser. A great source to read for more on clean eating and to see how easy it really is, you can check out our interview with Tosca Reno (the author of Clean Eating).
3. Believe in yourself and picture the outcome. Tracking your progress with journals or pictures is a great trick for staying motivated. As you see your body changing and your waist becoming more narrow you will be more pumped than ever to stick with the workouts and with clean eating.
Write your goals down and read them every day. I always have my clients tell me their long-term goals and then tell me a mini goal which can be hit over 4 weeks. Having something to strive for will push you and keep your willpower strong.
When I was training for my last figure show, I took pictures every two weeks! This was a long enough period for changes to be seen from photo to photo and close enough where I wasn't losing patience waiting for picture time.
So there you have the three great tips for losing that unsightly belly fat! These tips accompanied by a great structured workout will quickly get you on your way to a tighter, better you.
Now with the basic ideas out of the way we can go deeper into more exciting info to help you stay on track. You know about healthy eating but do you know how to start applying it in your house?
Get ready to get the answer. Learn to give up sugar and turn to healthier alternatives.
Get more information about exercises to lose weight and make sure you check out our fitness courses podcast where we talk about current fitness events and give you help to get great results.