If I asked my pre-lockdown self that same question, I would probably say, “Why would you even consider that as a blog topic? Of course, it does!” Well, my post-lockdown self has a completely different answer. And I found that answer the hard way, so you don’t have to.
For the past three weeks, I’ve added some new ab exercises to my workout routine. Pre-covid, I used to do strictly cardio and weightlifting at the gym, finding core exercises difficult and giving up quickly. Now, deciding quitting is lame, I do core workouts five days a week. I never had a strong core in my life and wanted to feel what it’s like! And let me tell you, my core is already getting stronger. Moves I found hard before (leg lifts, planks) are nowhere near as rough for me as they were at first. Hooray for me!
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However, my clothes don’t fit any better. In fact, they’re slightly tighter than they were three weeks ago. Very frustrating, especially since I once wrote a blog about how tight clothing harms your skin and organs. So, what was going on?!
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Thankfully, I’ve done my reading and have gathered why I’m not losing belly fat, despite my devotion to ab workouts. I’m still going to do them, and you should absolutely do them too! But do them
When you spend considerably more time on just one part of your body, you most likely won’t reach your ultimate fitness goal. Especially if you do what I did… significantly decreasing my time that was reserved for cardio to make room for my ab workouts.
To get the most from your ab building routine, don’t let ab exercises alone be your new lifestyle change. What other factors in your daily life can impact the midsection? Here’s a list!
Best Stomach Exercises For A Flat Tummy At Home
I mentioned earlier that ab exercises have become considerably easier for me than they were a few weeks ago. I’ve got muscle tone developing, but a layer of subcutaneous fat is sitting on top of it. So even though I didn’t get the exact results I was looking for, I did get a worthwhile result! I’m building strength, and that will aid me in other categories of fitness. I will use this to work toward my goal. Yay for happy accidents!
My takeaway is this: when you make a workout mistake, don’t beat yourself up, and absolutely don’t give up. Look at the positives of what you’ve done for your body, even if they came with some unwanted results. Learn from your mistakes and keep on moving!
Katrina Jenkins graduated from Towson University in 2013 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Health Science and worked as a nurse’s aide briefly before pursuing her true passion. She graduated from the Massage Therapy Institute of Colorado in April 2016 with honors and completed the Touch of Healers Scholarship Program the following summer. She has been a part of the Moyer Total Wellness Team since the summer of 2017.
Switch To These 5 Exercises For Flat Abs And Belly
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Can You Crunch Your Way To A Flat Stomach?
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The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.Excess abdominal fat, or belly fat, is associated with a higher risk of insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and heart disease (
Subcutaneous fat is not directly related to metabolic risk. In moderate amounts, it will not dramatically increase your risk of disease (
Best Exercises To Flatten Your Stomach
Bottom Line: There are two types of abdominal fat — subcutaneous and visceral. Visceral fat releases hormones that have been linked to disease.
However, twisting, crunching and side bending will not make your abdominal muscles visible if they are covered by a thick layer of fat.
In order to have defined abs or a six pack, you need to get rid of subcutaneous fat from your abdominal area.
Need A Flat Belly? 3 Reasons Why You Should Avoid Ab Exercises
Bottom Line: Exercising your abs will help them become strong and muscular. However, you won’t be able to see them if they’re covered by subcutaneous fat.
The term “spot reduction” refers to the misconception that you can lose fat in one spot by exercising that part of your body. It’s true that spot-training exercises will make you “feel the burn” while muscles grow and strengthen. However, studies show they won’t help you get rid of belly fat.

One study followed 24 people who did ab exercises 5 days a week for 6 weeks. This training alone did not reduce subcutaneous belly fat (
How To Make Your Stomach Flat Overnight: Healthy Changes To Finally See The Payoff!
Another study tested the effects of a 27-day sit-up program. It found that neither fat cell size nor subcutaneous belly fat thickness decreased (13).
They measured subcutaneous fat before and after the program and found that participants lost fat throughout their bodies, not just in their trained arms (
One study tested whether spot reduction decreased subcutaneous arm fat. It found that exercise in a specific area of the arm reduced the fat in that area (
Try These Plank Exercise Variations For A Strong Core
Another study examined whether the location of the subcutaneous fat mattered. It compared subcutaneous fat beside working muscles to fat next to resting muscles.
Interestingly, no matter how intense the exercise, blood flow and fat breakdown were higher in subcutaneous fat that was close to active muscles (
Bottom Line: The evidence is mixed, but many studies have shown that training one area of your body will not help you burn fat in that area. Studies also show that ab exercises alone have no effect on subcutaneous belly fat.
The One Ab Exercise No One Will Tell You Actually Does *nothing* For A Flat Stomach
One reason why targeted fat loss does not work is because muscle cells cannot use the fat contained in fat cells directly.
Fat mass needs to be broken down before it can enter the bloodstream. This fat can come from anywhere in the body, and not just from the body part being exercised.

Regular, whole-body exercises will speed up your metabolism and burn calories and fat. Aerobic exercise (cardio) may also be effective at targeting visceral belly fat (
Do Ab Workouts Burn Belly Fat?
Intensity plays a role as well. Moderate or high-intensity exercise can reduce belly fat mass, compared to low-intensity aerobic exercise or strength training (
For example, do moderate-intensity cardio for 30 minutes, five days a week, or high-intensity cardio for 20 minutes, three days a week (
The muscle changes that take place in response to exercise also promote fat loss. In other words, the more muscle mass you build, the more fat you will burn (
Things That Get In The Way Of A Flat Tummy
High-intensity intermittent exercise (HIIE) is another approach that has been shown to reduce body fat more efficiently than standard aerobic exercise (
HIIE is a type of interval training that combines short bouts of high-intensity exercise followed by slightly longer but less intense recovery periods (
Even if you don’t want to do HIIE or resistance training, studies have shown that just regular brisk walks can also effectively reduce belly fat and total body fat (
The Abs Exercises You Should Skip If You Have Lower Back Pain
Bottom Line: Aerobic training and HIIE burn calories and speed up your metabolism. Combining aerobic exercise and resistance training seems to be particularly effective.
Instead, focus on consuming higher amounts of protein. High-protein diets have been linked to greater feelings of fullness that may translate to lower calorie intake.

A study of overweight and obese men showed that when protein made up 25% of their calorie intake, appetite control and feelings of fullness increased by 60% (
Ways To Achieve A Flat Belly
Moreover, a protein intake of around 25–30% of your daily calories may increase your metabolism by up to 100 calories per day (
Increasing your fiber intake is another good strategy for weight loss. Vegetables high in soluble fiber have been shown to help with weight loss. They may increase feelings of fullness and decrease calorie intake over time (39,
When you consume whole foods, more fiber, more protein and control your portions, you are more likely to cut back on calories.
Best Ab Exercises With Weights That'll Work Your Core
Studies show that people can lose belly fat through either moderate or vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise, as long as they maintain a caloric deficit (
Bottom Line: Good nutrition is important for losing belly fat. Eat fewer processed foods, watch your portions and eat more protein and fiber.
In addition, eat a healthy diet with plenty of protein, fiber and portion control — all of which are proven to help
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