Usually when I’m viewing late night television I often see a commercial for some type of new ab machine that markets the dream of six-pack abs. Most of these infomercials display some type of portable machine that mimics the crunch exercise. They often have people who already have six-pack abs demonstrating their use and compare the machines to the gym while emphasizing the fact that you will save money and time.
The myth they are good at marketing
These ads are very good at marketing the myth of spot reduction. If there is any place on the body that most people wish they could spot reduce, it is the mid-section. Belly fat effects both men and women so an ab machine is an easy fix to market. Plus, with the new year approaching, the time is right to target the average consumer that still believes the myth of spot reducing trouble areas of the body.
The real way to lose belly fat
I’ve always said in other belly fat articles I have written that you can do ab exercises every day and still not have the six-pack abs you dream of. That is because the ab muscles you work so hard on are not going to show when there is a layer of fat hiding them. The real way to lose belly fat is by burning fat. There are 3 essential ways to do this:
You absolutely cannot achieve any fitness goals without first changing your eating habits. Eating clean is a matter of taking out the junk (processed foods, high-fat, sugar, etc.) and replacing with whole, natural foods (lean meats, vegetables, fruits.)
Effective Fat Burning Cardio
A majority of people don’t like cardio workouts because they are long and boring. I for one don’t like wasting time and what I love about interval training is the fact that I’m in and out of the gym or finished at home in a matter of 30 - 45 minutes. Studies have shown that interval training is more effective at burning fat than a typical cardio workout.
Strength Training to Burn Fat
Muscle burns more calories than fat. The more lean muscle you build, the more calories you will burn throughout the day. Strength training also gives you a nice physique. Weight loss is great but it’s even better when you develop definition. The most common misconception about lifting weights is that a person will “bulk up” like a bodybuilder. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Don’t be afraid to lift weights (particularly women) because of that.
I’m not against those ab machines but just remember that there are other factors that are necessary to lose weight and build muscle.
How do you get someone who hates exercising to start? This can be a difficult task and I have recently dealt with it myself. A good friend of mine is very stubborn when it comes to exercising. It is seriously like pulling teeth to get her to start. She used to belong to the same gym I belong to and even hired a personal trainer for a couple of months. Unfortunately, she ended up canceling her gym membership and stopped exercising all together. But guess what? I got her to exercise again and below is how I did it.
Figure out what they hate the most about exercise
I asked my friend to pinpoint exactly why she dislikes exercising. Below were her answers:
Laziness
Doesn’t like the smelly gyms
Doesn’t like boring cardio
Exercise takes too long
Everyone will have different answers but her answers were some of the most typical reasons most people do not exercise.
Interval training to the rescue
Laziness - This probably stems from the fact that she is lacking energy and doesn’t see exercise as an enjoyable activity. Intervals can help by boosting energy levels and providing a challenge with the different workouts she can do.
No Gym - Since she doesn’t like the gym, intervals will work out great for her because she can do them right at home or outdoors in her favorite locations (park, beach, etc.)
Boring Cardio - With intervals the typical cardio sessions no longer have to be boring. Even a boring cardio machine like the treadmill can be fun again.
Exercising Takes Too Long - Sure you can exercise for an hour or more but for people who lack time or don’t want to devote long hours to exercise, interval training fits in well. A good interval session takes no more than 30 minutes.
After pointing out how intervals may be what she was looking for, she decided to give it a try. We began exercising together and I showed her a sample body weight circuit video by Craig Ballantyne. She likes the fact that the routines are always different and she doesn’t have to go to the gym. I think she will stick to it - at least I hope so. She seemed really enthusiastic which is a great sign.
The video below is a good example of a body weight circuit:
I came across an awesome success story of a mother of two who used to weigh 300 pounds. Being caught up in raising her children without taking time out for herself played a part in her gradual weight gain. Before she knew it, she was tipping the scales at 300 lbs. This isn’t an uncommon occurrence for many people.
She contemplated weight-loss surgery but fortunately she was referred to a good personal trainer, changed her eating habits, and utilized intervals in her workout program:
Today, at age 49, Jacobs weighs less than 150 pounds. She runs an interval program on the treadmill 30 minutes every morning and evening, averaging 8 to 9 miles per hour. She continues to strength train with Eacrett three days a week at the gym. She’s so dedicated to healthy eating that she doesn’t even like to take “cheat” days when he tells her to. [Source: athensreview.com]
If you subscribe to Muscle and Fitness magazine then you’ve probably received the January issue featuring Dallas Cowboys Terrell Owens on the cover. Whether you like him or not, Terrell Owens has one of the best bodies in the NFL today. His workouts are intense on-season and off-season. One of the items that stood out for me was that Terrell includes jumping rope in between sets to help build his endurance. Many people haven’t jumped rope since they were kids if at all. I also fall into that category. However, there are some cool benefits to adding a jump rope into your workouts.
How jump roping works well with intervals
The best thing about interval training is that you can mix and match exercises to get a full body workout. That is why you rarely encounter boredom when interval training. Adding jump roping to your routine is as easy as jumping in between sets like TO does. For instance, if you are doing an upper body exercise you can immediately jump rope for 30 seconds after the set, then go into a lower body exercise.
The health benefits of jumping rope
When you think of athletes jumping rope, you may immediately think of boxers. A jump rope is good part of their training and here are a few reasons why:
Develop muscular and cardio endurance
Build coordination
Become more agile
Improve speed and explosiveness
Awesome fat burner
Works out your whole body
Jumping rope takes practice and the benefits are well worth it. They are inexpensive and you can jump rope just about anywhere you have space. The video below is a great intro to learning how to jump rope properly:
When beginning any type of workout program, it is so important to understand the basics of each exercise you are performing. The reason being so that you become aware of which muscles should be worked out during the exercise. Nothing is worse than poor form in any exercise. It leads to unnecessary strain in the wrong areas as well as increasing the risk of injury.
Although interval training often works with nothing more than body weight, poor form can still cause a lot of damage. It’s best to start off easy - even if it means holding on to a chair or other stable item for balance. If you’re unsure how an exercise is done, seek advice from a personal trainer or research proper form in books or videos.
Craig Ballantyne points out the importance progression when working out. In the video below, he uses the lunge as an example, but I feel that his advice is key for any beginner workout program.
Print This Post
