A Frustrating Experience

I contribute to another website regularly and read through other people’s work on this website. I came across a page that was titled ‘The Top 5 Exercises to Burn Belly Fat’. This list included exercises such as crunches, sit ups and stomach twists. As I have mentioned on this blog before, to burn fat, including belly fat, you have to burn more calories than you take in and it is as simple as that. I sent the author a reply suggesting that these exercises will not really burn the belly fat, but will help to tone the abdominal muscles.

I said:

“These exercises don't burn belly fat! They just tone the abdominal muscles.”

His reply:

“In order to tone you need to exercise. Exercise burns fat. Just noting that.”

I sent another reply, trying to explain myself, suggesting that aerobic exercises, that burn more calories are better for reducing the belly fat and that these exercises are good, but are not the best for ditching the gut. I have yet to receive another reply as of writing this. I really hope that I do get a reply as I am very intrigued to what he has to say.

I have nothing against the exercises that the guy was writing about but I really disagree with him promoting (probably in order to make money) these exercises as the top five to burn belly fat when they really are not. Another thing that I did not really understand was the fact that the profile picture suggested that he was…… ahem, fat.

It is really frustrating that people are putting pages like that on the web with seemingly no research behind it at all. I am quite happy to admit if I have made a mistake, but I will have put research in at least.

Rant over!

My 5 key exercises

I am going to discuss what I consider to be 5 key exercises that I incorporate into my workouts each week. These are exercises that I think are the best. I primarily complete home workouts and each of these exercises can be completed at home any time.

1. Pull ups – pull ups are probably the best exercise from this list. They are so beneficial to us and should be included in our workouts. They are great for the biceps, the back, the shoulders and the core.

2. Push ups – a must in any home workout! This exercise works the triceps, shoulders, chest and back muscles and also helps strengthen the core.

3. Squats – this is my favourite workout for the legs. Squats contribute to increasing the size of the leg muscles (and the buttocks) and also help to develop core strength. The exercise can be made more difficult by adding weights. These help to create explosive power in our legs!

4. Skipping – the benefits of skipping are vast. This is where the cardio comes from in my list. Skipping helps to improve fitness, flexibility, co-ordination and balance. The great thing about skipping is that it is easier on the knees than running/jogging and cycling.

5. The Plank – my love for The Plank is no secret. It may be my favourite exercise of all time! It has been in my workouts for so long now and I can’t see it leaving. The Plank helps develop core strength, and tones the abdominal muscles.

This, of course, is just my opinion. These are the exercises that I get the most out of and do the best for me. However, I think that if you use them correctly, they will help to develop the body that you want.

The Benefits of Stretching

We are often so pressed for time (a poor excuse) that we often forget the importance of stretching and leave it from our workout. However, a few minutes invested in stretching, before and after a workout, can be extremely beneficial.

Here are some of the benefits:

1. Increased flexibility - some reports suggest that as little as 5-7 minutes before and after exercise will lead to an increase in flexibility.

2. Injury prevention - through stretching it has be found that we are far less likely to injure ourselves when exercising and exerting our muscles.

3. Muscle tone - it is suggested that through stretching our muscles can gain a more defined look as muscle toning is heightened.

There are many other benefits to stretching too, such as improved circulation, and it is important that we make sure we do not miss stretching from our workouts.

Benefits of Weight Training for Fitness and Health

When thinking of our general health and well being weight training is something that should definitely be considered. In this post I will discuss some of the many benefits of building muscle.

Firstly, although cardiovascular exercise is a fantastic method for us to burn fat, building muscle will help us burn extra calories each day. Some sources claim that an additional pound of muscle gained can lead to our body burning an extra 50 calories each day. The good thing about this is that we're burning muscle while we are resting.

An obvious, but important, benefit to weight training is the increased strength we can achieve. For many this is why we begin weight training.

Another great benefit of weight training is that the risk of injury can be reduced. The stronger the muscles we have, the more stress and impact our body can take and we should see increased muscle flexibility, which can help keep us from pulling muscles.

Our physical appearance can improve through weight training. Aside from the fact that muscle building can help us to lose fat, we can also can lean muscle and get a more defined look about us, a look that many people want.

The final benefit that I will mention in this post is the fact that weight training can help our body to function better. Through stronger muscles we can get more support to our joints and will also see an improvement in our posture.

These are just some of the benefits of weight/muscle training, there are others too. Hope these inspire!

Curl Ups - A great abdominal exercise

This blog post is about an exercise known as Curl Ups and they target the whole abdominal area. This is a very effective abdominal exercise and will help tone and develop the abdomen.

To do the exercise, firstly we lie down; face up with our left leg straight on the floor and the right leg bent, with the right foot flat. Underneath the natural arch of our back we place our hands, palm down. We then slowly raise our head and shoulders from the floor without bending the lower back and spine. When we are in this position we hold it for 8-10 seconds. This counts for one repetition. Complete 5 repetitions and then swap legs and complete another 5 on the other side.

This exercise is so good because it works the whole abdomen but minimises the stress on our back/spine.