Whole Foodie Fitness

 

Hey everyone! A question I get asked a lot at work is what to do to loss fat in the mid section of your body & if it is a good or bad idea to do endless crunches. Well the first thing that I’ll say is something that many people are sad to hear,  it is IMPOSSIBLE to target one area of your body and lose fat in just that area.  You lose fat by burning calories (the best way to do that is through cardio) and where you lose that fat is somewhat based on genetics. Doing crunches are highly ineffective if that is the only thing that you are doing.

So now that we’ve got that out of the way… The good news is that you can target the areas that you want to define your muscles, this is done through resistance training!  So the magic formula for getting a flat stomach is cardio  (to burn fat)+ abdominal resistance training (to define your muscles).

Here are my 5 favorite core exercises!

1. The Plank

 

In my opinion this is by far the best move that you can do for your core & it is very challenging! Even holding this position for 30 seconds will make your abs BURN!

2. The Jack Knife

Takes a little getting used to but it is not as scary as it looks. You can start with the ball resting on your thighs for more stability.

3. Bicycle Crunch

This is a fun move that is also really challenging and effective.

4.  Mountain Climbers

I love this because it combines my favorite move, the plank, with some cardio when done at a fast pace.

5. Side Planks

Same idea as the regular plank but it targets your obliques!

Those are my 5 favorite moves! Try them out along with a regular cardio routine and you’re on your way to a flat stomach!

Also, it’s not a good idea to only focus on your stomach while in the gym. You want to build lean muscle all over to turn your body into a healthy calorie burning machine! Focusing on just one part of your body isn’t effective and leads to frustration. You will get the best results from training all of your major muscle groups, not just your abs.  Women should not be afraid that they are going to “bulk up” from resistance training. We simply do not have the hormone levels to do so, unless of course steroids are involved. 

Good eating habits are also very important & I can’t stress that enough. The saying goes, “Abs are made in the kitchen” & it is 100% true. You can workout all day but if you aren’t eating right you will be running in circles trying to reach your goals.

Good luck! Anyone can reach their fitness goals with a willpower and determination. It takes a lot of hard work but it will payoff in the end if you stick to it I promise! Thank you for reading my little blog, I’m having a lot of fun putting it together & I hope that someone out there is having fun reading it!

Something to talk about:

What are your favorite core exercises? What are your least favorite? Leave your answer in the comments!

Something to read:

An article & short video form two of my favorite fitness trainers about spot reducing fat and why it doesn't work.