To lose belly fat, some do abdominal exercises in the hope of melting the fat mass around the waist. But is this method really effective? We asked Laura Négrier, trainer at L’Appart Fitness, to find out more. Bad news for budding athletes, this strategy turns out to be rather futile.
Also to discover: Exercising your abdominal muscles every day is a good or bad idea?
Working the abdominal muscles to lose fat around the abdomen is a bad idea
“Tightening the abdominal muscles does not allow you to lose localized fat in the abdomen”, says Laura Negrier. Because, in general, “Strengthening the muscles in an area has no direct effect on the fat mass stored above it.” Thus, squats also do not melt fat on the thighs, because the dips do not fly far from the triceps.
Also to discover: Ab Wheel: Tips From A Trainer To Build Abs At Home Using The Ab Wheel
The Only Solution to Fat Loss: Calorie Decrease
No fat loss (in general) without calorie deficit
On the other hand, a lack of calories is necessary to burn fat. it’s very simple, “The amount of energy expended by physical activity (sports, walking, daily movements, etc.) should be greater than the amount of energy ingested,” Little coach. The ideal is to reconcile the two sides, without focusing only on nutrition.
But we don’t know in which part of the body the fat will melt first.
Contrary to what some miracle diets claim, it is impossible to choose the areas where you will lose fat. It can also vary greatly depending on the person.says Laura Negrier. We don’t all store in the same place and the same goes for fat loss. Some are lost first in the abdomen, others in the arms, legs or even the chest in some women.
Hunger slows down the metabolism
If a calorie deficit allows you to lose excess fat, you must have achievable goals and not overeat fat. In addition to the obvious health risk this poses, not eating enough can be counterproductive if you’re aiming for a skinny silhouette. “Just eating a salad and doing an hour of cardio a day will put so much strain on the metabolism that it will then store whatever it finds,” Laura Negreer warns.
Abdominal muscles don’t melt fat, but they make the stomach (a little) flat
Exercising your abdominal muscles makes your stomach flatter (a little bit)
If hooking up crunches, planks, and scissors don’t melt the fat, these exercises obviously have many other advantages. Under the layer of fat, the abdominal muscles are strengthened, providing better support for the stomach and back. The key is the effect of flat stomach and posture improvement, which can reduce back pain.
Also to discover: How to build (all) your abs: 3 sessions to perform each week according to the trainer
Transverse ally of the engorged abdomen
To maximize this effect, deep muscle should be targeted, and transverse width in mind. It is shaped like a belt around the abdominal girdle, allowing for better support for the spine as well as the appearance of a flat stomach, precisely L’Appart Fitness Instructor. Work on it can refine the waist a little. It can be sought through specialties such as pilatesThe wrapping antihypertensive benefit-sharing”. This last technique, called a gastric vacuum, relies on deep breathing and removes pressure on the abdomen caused by certain exercises.
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