This is always a hot topic, so here goes again.  ABS – Abdominals.  First of all you can’t spot reduce fat.  Training abs by themselves will not reduce body fat.  TV commercials have led people to believe that you can get six-pack abs doing crunches or get fabulous results using their piece of equipment.  They don’t care about your health or well-being, they just want your money.

To lose fat & gain lean muscle you need to: 

Pay attention to your food intake:

Create a calorie deficit (consume less calories than you burn).

Eat better (more wholesome, less processed) foods.

Strength Train:

Perform high calorie-demand exercise. Involve the large muscles of the body.

Train your abdominals sensibly, it is muscle you are working, not fat.

Cardio – interval training (short bursts of all effort)

Cardio – long, steady state (swimming, biking, jogging etc.).  This type of cardio in my opinion is more for a state of well-being & pleasure than anything else.

Calorie restriction, resistance training, and physical activity in the form of moderate intensity aerobic work, was seen as a key factor in successful fat loss.  Following a sensible eating plan, resistance training three to four times per week, and walking an hour daily is the prescription.

 Here are some truth & false that I came across…

FAT-LOSS FALSEHOOD: “If I train abs really hard every day, I will lose belly fat and get a six-pack.”

REALITY: Everyone has a six-pack. It’s a muscle called your rectus abdominus. The only reason it’s not visible on everyone is because it’s usually covered with a layer of body fat. You could do 1,000 crunches seven days per week, but that won’t help you burn that layer of fat.

FAT-LOSS FALSEHOOD: “You can turn all of your body fat into toned muscle by lifting weights.”

REALITY: It is not possible to turn your body fat into muscle. Fat is fat and muscle is muscle—you can’t magically turn one into the other by lifting weights or doing cardio. However, weight training is the easiest way to control the shape of your body. The more muscle you have, the more fat your body will burn.

FAT-LOSS FALSEHOOD: “Eating fat makes you fat.”

REALITY: Fat doesn’t make you fat—consuming too many calories does. Foods that contain fat are part of a healthy diet, help maintain your lean body mass, and assist with metabolic function. Healthy fats, like omega-3 fatty acids, can be found in extra-virgin olive oil, coconut oil, almonds, avocados, cashews, peanuts, walnuts, flaxseeds, and more. If you want to lose fat, you need to eat fewer calories and/or burn more calories.

FAT-LOSS FALSEHOOD: “Cardio is all I need for fat loss.”

REALITY: Every gym has the guy or gal who does an hour and half of cardio but never seems to make physique changes. They’re living proof that if you don’t change things up, steady-state cardio will become less and less effective at reducing your body fat.

If you’re within normal bodyweight range & you’ve been working at losing fat & gaining muscle & are saying… ‘The scale hasn’t changed’, throw out the scale!  Muscle is a dense tissue, fat is not.  Five pounds of fat is 5 pounds of fat, 5 pounds of muscle is 5 pounds of muscle.  Keep in mind that 5 pounds of fat takes up way more space than 5 pounds of muscle.  Go by how you feel & how your clothes fit.

Keep in mind that high stress levels can contribute to weight gain.  You have to find balance.  Are you working too hard?  Not hard enough?  Are you happy doing what you’re doing?  It’s for you to decide.

Disclaimer:  It is my pleasure to answer your questions regarding exercises.  I am not however able to help you if you’ve recently had an injury or surgery & have not yet received your doctors approval to exercise.  You must have the green light to start an exercise program before I can recommend appropriate exercises for you.  I am all about safety first!

Move more to feel better.
Where there’s a will, there’s a way & I can find a way that works well for you :)
kettlebellkandice@gmail.com