Our goal is to show you the best and practical way to burn stomach fat, so you can finally flaunt a well toned stomach. We have Mike Jackson – Nutritional Consultant and Physique Transformation Specialist to help you get toned and sexy abs. Read on and burn the unwanted calories with these exercises to burn stomach fat quickly.
# 1: Running or walking
Okay, you’re probably thinking, ‘How does moving your legs shrink those love handles?’ Well, the truth is there’s no way to target belly fat. Your genetics get to decide where the fat settles in your body, so the best thing to do is start moving.
As you exercise, calories are burned and your body fat percentage decreases. So, exercising not only helps you lose belly fat, it also sheds fat from other areas. Running and walking are two of the best fat-burning exercises. Plus, the only equipment you need is a good pair of shoes. Between the two, running burns more calories, but walking really isn’t too far behind.
Running and walking can be part of your interval training routine and do not forget to warm up and cool down if your take up running for weight loss.
# 2: Elliptical trainer
Some of us no longer have the strong joints we had as teenagers. Jogging is out of the question and walking doesn’t cut it. The good news is elliptical trainers provide an intense, low impact cardio workout. In fact, a 145-lb. person can burn about 300 calories in 30 minutes on an elliptical trainer. That’s about as many calories as running burns, but without the joint wear-and-tear.
# 3: Bicycling
Bicycling is another great low impact cardio exercise. Not to mention, it’s a great way to travel or see the countryside. Depending on the speed and intensity the average person can burn between 250 to 500 calories during a 30-minute bike ride.
# 4: The bicycle exercise
Burning body and belly fat with cardio exercises is half the battle. Next is strengthening abdominal muscles so you have something to show once the fat is shed. In a recent study, ab exercises were ranked from best to worst. The bicycle exercise ranked as #1 because it requires abdominal stabilization, body rotation, and more abdominal muscle activity.
These are some bicycle exercises you can do before you hop on your bike:
-Lie on your back with hands behind your head
-Raise knees to your chest while lifting head and shoulders off the ground
-Bring the right elbow to your left knee and straighten the right leg
-Switch sides – bring the left elbow to your right knee and straighten the left leg
-Continue switching sides to simulate a pedaling motion
-Breathing should be relaxed and even
-Do 1-3 sets with 12-16 repetitions
#5: The Captain’s chair leg raise
For this exercise you require a captain’s chair which is found in most gyms. The chair has a padded back and armrests with grips. Your legs hang free.
-Stand on the chair and grab the hand bars
-Keep your back flat against the pad while raising knees to your chest
-Then lower legs back down
-For added intensity, keep legs straight when you raise them
-Do 1-3 sets with 12-16 repetitions
# 6: Exercise ball crunch
This exercise needs a lot of stabilization which engages more muscles. You’ll need an exercise ball.
-Lie on the ball so your lower back is supported and feet are firmly planted on the ground
-Place hands across chest or behind the head
-Contract abs and lift your torso up and forward
-Lower back down
-Keep the ball stable during each crunch
-Exhale when you crunch; inhale when you lower back down
-Do 1-3 sets with 12-16 repetitions
# 7: Vertical leg crunch
The vertical leg crunch is similar to a regular crunch. But it requires you to keep your legs straight, which makes the abs work harder and increases the workout’s intensity.
-Lie down with hands behind your head
-Put your legs straight up with knees crossed
-Flex abs to lift head and shoulders off the floor
-Lay back down
-Keep legs extended in the air the whole time
-Exhale when you flex; inhale when you lay back down
-Do 1-3 sets with 12-16 repetitions
# 8: Reverse crunch
The reverse crunch was also ranked above regular crunches as the 5th best exercise for strengthening core muscles.
-Lie flat on the floor with arms at your sides
-Cross your feet and lift them off the floor so your knees create a 90-degree angle
-Contract ab muscles and lift head and shoulders off the ground
-Exhale when you contract; inhale when you lower back down
-Do 1-3 sets with 12-16 repetitions
Getting toned abs just got easy
Successfully flattening your stomach is a matter of burning body fat and building muscle. The best way to burn body fat is through cardio exercises such as running, walking, elliptical training, and bicycling. With these exercises, burning stomach fat, shedding love handles, and building a six pack is completely do-able. So send your body the memo: flat abs are in style and it’s time to get yours!
Mike Jackson is nutritional consultant at www.esupplements.com, as well as a freelance writer in the field of health and fitness. He specializes in physique transformation and contest preparation for all levels of competition.
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