Stop killing yourself with crunches, because that won’t get rid of the belly fat. Neither will enduring mile after mile of running on that treadmill. However, certain types of cardio will—and when you time it right, you’ll finally have a thin, toned mid-section that will turn heads.
Bypass the Mistakes You Keep Making
Do you spend countless grueling hours at the gym every week with cardio—and face the disappointment of a flabby stomach that isn’t any less round than it used to be? If your workouts are cardio-focused (or you’re simply doing your cardio before weights), this may be the problem right there.
It takes more than burning calories to burn fat, because your fat burning zone is actually found in the metabolism-boosting workouts, instead. When you focus on weights first, you’ll have more energy to power through those kettlebell squats, shoulder press, and push-ups, which will promote faster results.
Also, make sure that you’re fueling up on protein following your workout. In a study published by Fitness Management, participants who drank a protein shake within 45 minutes after a workout showed a loss of 50 percent more body fat than those who didn’t fuel up on protein.
The Right Time and Place For Your Cardio
Weights are so important in order to target your fat burning zone, but cardio (when done after weight lifting or resistance training) is just as important. Just make sure that you’re doing a high-intensity workout plan that revs up your heart rate, and challenges your strength training workout. Here are some top cardio routines that target stubborn belly fat:
• The rowing workout. Alternate between quick rowing (as fast as you can for 30-second intervals), and switch up for one-minute intervals of long, rowing strides. This can be a great warm-up as a precursor for a weightlifting session, as well as an excellent cardio workout on its own.
• The heavy bag workout. Strap on your gloves, and combine side squats, kicks, and intervals of burpees with a punching workout. All it will take is 20 minutes, but this high impact workout will generate fast results!
• Cycling, running, or HIIT. You can combine all three if you want, but any one of these workouts will rev up your metabolism successfully. Try a spin or sprint/cycling class, or head outdoors for a boot camp class. The combination of challenging cardio (while moving from one form of cardio to another) will blast that fat away!
Blasting away belly fat has little to do with endless crunches and planks, and more to do with the timing and speed of your cardio workout. Follow our guide for amazing results, and boost your confidence with an amazing abdominal physique!
