As part of the newsletter that I send out free with tips on how to lose fat and get flat abs, I get a lot of questions. All these questions have one thing in common: the goal is to get flat abs or six pack abs.
I’ve decided to write a post which answers some of the questions that I get. Naturally, each person who writes to me has his or her writing style, so the way I phrase the questions is a sort of mix, but the general idea is to give answers to the questions that people keep asking me and to make it easier for everyone to get their answers in one place.
Question #1 – Will Running Burn Belly Fat
The answer is yes and no.
Yes, running is an awesome cardio workout to lose belly fat with. It moves your entire body, it can be done with high intensity, and it does burn a lot of calories. Some of those calories will be found in your fat stores and some of that fat will be in your belly or waist.
I actually love running and it was one of the main ways in which I lost weight years ago (and have kept it off ever since). However, I used it as a way to burn more body fat, not belly fat. There’s nothing about running that magically targets abdominal fat and burns this primarily. Running is a great sport and I recommend that you do it. It will burn belly fat, but not in any special way. Bottom line, what matters is how much total body fat you’re burning. Some of it will be from your abs. If you are interested in running optimally, check out my post on running to lose belly fat. It has some awesome tips that you can use.
Question #2 – Does The Ab (fill the rest of the name of the machine) work?
I get a lot of questions about ab machines. The most popular ones are the Ab King Pro, Ab Rocket and Ab Circle Pro. People usually want to know whether these machines work. What they’re really wondering is whether they can be as awesome as their infomercials make them out to be.
My answer is the same for all ab machines: since doing targeted ab exercises doesn’t burn belly fat and since these exercises are usually not calorie expensive (they burn a low amount of calories), I see no way in which these machines can deliver any real results. I also believe that for the price of these machines, you can usually buy other fitness equipment which is more useful. Dumbbells and a stability ball are a good place to start.
So, I don’t believe in abs machines. I don’t recommend them at all. Some are better than others and they may have some merit. However, I feel that they don’t really give any benefit which is worth their price.
Question #3 – What exercises can I do for my belly?
You should know that ab exercises alone cannot give you the kind of stomach you want. However, if you’re looking for the best exercises, I have some great articles on this site that give you plenty of options. I like the bicycle crunch, plank, reverse crunch, pikes, and leg raises. The stomach vacuum is also surprisingly effective.
The main thing about abdominal exercises that they are good mainly for strengthening the muscles which is great for health purposes and for toning and defining your muscles. The latter part can only be achieved after you’ve brought your body fat down to a low enough level for the muscles to actually show.
In the picture at the beginning of this post, you can see a man with defined abs. He has very low body fat percentage which is why you can actually see them.
So, I don’t worry too much about targeted exercises. Fat Loss is the key.
Question #4 – Which is the best Abs Program?
I’ve used the Truth About Abs program myself and I highly recommend it. I’ve had it for a few years now and it has helped me to shorten my workouts and make them more intense. I’m at a point in which I do very short workouts at home and I’m still burning lots of fat all the time. It does cost a bit of money, but it can make the road to flat abs or a six pack much shorter.
Question #5 – How Do I Really Get Flat Abs?
The answer to this question is in the many articles on this site. I am always writing more tips, exercises, and helpful information, but you have the things you need right here.
Basically, though, getting flat abs comes down to 3 things:
- Doing intense cardio to burn a lot of body fat.
- Doing hard strength training to boost your metabolism and burn more calories.
- Eating correctly to give your body the nutrients it needs without making it gain weight.
Browse around the various articles here and you will find tips to do all these 3 steps. I hope this post has helped you see what you need to do to get six pack abs. I’ll be back soon with more information.
