Posts Tagged ‘weight loss’

Aerobic Cardio Exercises alone will not give you the results you are looking for in the belly region. Sticking to those type of exercises without lifting weights can result in muscle loss as well as the shape I like to call “skinny fat.” Skinny Fat people are those who are really thin but flabby. There is no definition to their body at all. Belly Fat responds better to exercise circuits that are High Intensity (fast paced) and include heavy weights. The reason being is that Visceral Fat is that fat that lines the abdominal cavity. So if you are using your abdominal muscles to lift or push weights, to run, to walk, and to perform abdominal exercises, you will burn more calories. In all actuality, you should be contracting you abdominal muscles in all of your exercises. Proper form requires that your core is engaged which will give you proper posture thus you will have proper form when performing your various exercises.

Don’t be afraid to lift heavy weight. The chances of you becoming bulky is very low but the chances of you looking fit are very high. What I mean by heavy weight? When you are using dumbbells to do squats, arm curls, chest press, shoulder press and tricep extensions you should be using dumbbells that are 10lbs and higher. I would encourage you to challenge yourself by changing the weight of your dumbbell every two weeks until you get to a dumbbell weight of 40 lbs. The heavier you lift the more your muscles have to repair themselves while you are at rest which can burn an additional 50 – 100 calories while you are sleep.

Create a High Intensity Circuit (25 – 40 mins) of 8 – 9 different exercise that includes weight training.
Try not to rest too much in between each exercise and drink water as needed while you’re exercising.
Your diet is important when trying to get in shape. After all, your belly fat is 70% of what you eat! Eat the majority of your carbs while you are most active. Carbs are an energy source and excess amounts of carbs in your body will be stored in your body as fat. If you are really serious about improving your belly fat then you must learn when and how to eat your carbs. Weight training will require that you eat carbs, you can’t get explosive energy from too little carbs. Yes, muscle needs protein but they also need carbs. Both protein and carbs will work together to help your body metabolize fat.
So don’t be afraid to lift those heavy weights and make It Hurt So Good.

© Brandi Anderson

Cardio exercises are important. You will burn calories consistently whether you walk or run. However, if you want to tone you should add resistance training to that cardio workout. Exercises such as lunges, squats, leg lifts and 90 degree leg curls with just your body weight alone can increase the way your body burns fat. When you add dumbbells to your workout routine some people can burn up to 50% more calories in their workout. It is also important to tone as you lose weight. Weight training will build stronger muscles, stronger connective tissues and improves the stabilization of your joints. You don’t have to go hard and heavy to reap the benefits of weight training but you must push yourself. If you don’t challenge your body you won’t see the change you want to see. The next time you are at the gym try this. Try a HIIT run on the elliptical or the treadmill for 10 – 15 mins. Get that heart rate up. HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) you see these workouts used in the videos P90x and Insanity. For 10 – 15 mins, you go as hard as you can on these machines. Of course walk it out or jog it out slowly if it becomes too much for you but you don’t stop. You keep going until your 10 – 15 mins are up. You should be hot and sweaty, if you aren’t a sweater than you most certainly should be hot. Get you some water and head straight to the weights. I do a total body weight training session each time I go to the gym. I start with my arms since I just got off a machine that used my legs. On each arm machine I will do 8 – 10 reps and 4 sets. Breathing and your form is important in these exercises. Breathing will help you push it out when your arms get tired and form will help you isolate your biceps, triceps, shoulders and avoid injury. Then I will go to my legs, I do the leg press, both curls, again 8 – 10 reps with 4 sets. I will do the crunches with the weights after the legs. I do as many crunches as my body will allow me to. I don’t count those. Then last weight machines will be for my back. I do 8 – 10 reps with 4 sets. If I still have energy after all of that (which I usually do) I had over to the floor exercise area and do squats, lunges and an abdominal workout that usually kills my body for the rest of the day. The amount of calories I burn during this type of workout is estimated at 1100 – 1400 cals ( I am usually in the gym for 2.5hrs)