Did you know that the fitness industry is cluttered with new fads and gadgets that promise to burn abdominal fat in a very short period of time.  I think we have all saw out fair share of quick fix fitness programs on television.  They will put a lean female or a muscular male in the commercial which makes you believe that they got their results by using their product.  Unfortunately you can’t do endless ab crunches, or simply twist your way to lower levels of belly fat.  But boy are those companies making millions on people who want a quick fix to their years of gaining belly fat.

 

The first thing you need to realize is that there is no ‘quick’ way to lose belly fat, or any body fat for that matter.  Our society is always looking for the quickest way to get what they want and if you can make someone believe that it is possible they will buy it hook, line, and sinker.  The best advice I can give to anyone who is ready to get serious about losing belly fat is to avoid buying anything that promises quick results.

 

The truth about Burning Belly Fat is that it will take time, commitment, and work.  Yikes! Yes I used the word work.  Nothing worth having comes easy.  I understand work in most instances is not very much fun.  But fitness can, and should, be fun!  If you make it a group or family effort then it will be more exciting!

 

Another Truth about Burning Belly Fat is that you must increase your cardiovascular exercise.  Walking, biking, hiking, and swimming are excellent ways to increase your aerobic exercise.  In order for aerobic exercise to be beneficial is to make sure that you are increasing your heart rate.  Slow leisurely walks will not benefit you in burning fat.  They are great to hold a conversation with an old friend but you must push your body beyond what it is accustomed to.  Remember your goal is to burn as much fat as your body will allow you to.

 

If you are already performing a resistance (weight) exercise program then you are a step ahead.  Weight training is a very much overlooked key to losing belly fat; and overall body fat for that matter.  Training with weights will help you to increase your lean muscle mass which will also help you to burn more calories at rest.  If you are concerned about gaining too much muscle, don’t be.  You have to make a concerted effort to gain too much muscle.  Besides the amount of lean muscle you will build by training with weights will only be recognizable by seeing toned and tighter arms, legs, and abdominals.

 

Now if you are looking to show off your tight and toned belly then you must complete abdominal exercises at least two times per week.  I’m not talking about one or two sets of 20 crunches.  Everything in exercise must be purposeful in order to get the results you seek.  Creating a lean midsection will take effort outside of your diet and cardiovascular program.

 

What are some exercises that you can perform to get started with a tighter, toner midsection?  I have listed 3 GREAT abdominal exercises that you can start with right away.  But please keep in mind that if you are looking for a great, flat belly, you will need to get strict with your diet and aerobic exercise.

Planks:

Planks are performed by placing your body in the push-up position.  Bring your upper body down on to your elbows.  Focusing on keeping your stomach tight, hold firmly for 30 seconds.  Then place your knees on the floor and rest for 60 seconds.  You should repeat this exercise 3 times for 30 seconds each.  As you improve you should challenge yourself by holding the position for a longer period of time.

 

 

 

Ab Crunches:

Lay on your back on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.  Place your hands just behind your ears keeping the pressure light.  The key is to ‘crunch’ your abs by lifting the back of your shoulders off of the floor about 3-4 inches.  As you crunch try and keep your lower back on the floor. Return to the starting position and repeat for 15 repetitions.  You should perform 3 sets of this exercise.

 

Knee-Ups:

Sit on a bench or sturdy chair with your butt towards the edge.  Place your hands on each side of your butt allowing for some space between your hands and butt (about 3-6 inches).  If your feet easily reach the floor move them out away from the chair several inches.  While gripping the chair or bench firmly with your hands, bring your knees up towards your body.  Bring your knees up just past the point where they are slightly higher than the seat of the chair.  Without touching the floor, bring them back down and immediately repeat.  You will want to perform 3 sets of 12 repetitions.

 

The truth about burning belly fat is that there is no ‘quick’ way to do it.  Do not buy into the empty promises of the infommercials you see on TV.  You will waist your money and not see results.  It will take some time and effort but if you follow the easy guidelines I have mapped out in this article you will see long lasting results!