Best abs exercises for losing belly fat?

jenbenefit

hey everyone

I'm doing quite well with MFP so far, trying to do some form of cardio from just walking, to zumba or yoga, every day

And wondering what I can do to really focus on my abs and tummy region as this is where I seem to be storing most of my fat.

I've tried the 8minute abs video on youtube which seems good but any advice would be really appreciated.

Please bear in mind I'm still a beginner and might not understand any technical terms or names of exercises just yet!

Thanks in advance x

BeautyFromPain

Sadly, you can not spot reduce.

You will need to lose all the fat from other areas before it comes off your abs.
Also, we all have abs.. we just can not all see them.
You have to lower your body fat % enough to see them, that's all there is to it.

Hendrix7

Will all be down to diet, you cannot burn fat in a specific area by working muscles in that area.

The body fat % required to get visible abs is pretty lean, it will take some time but definitely achievable.

Shadowsan

I'm gonna have to break it to ya...

Targeted fat loss doesn't exist.

What people seem to define as inches lost is actually the effect of tightening up your core muscles (at least in the beginning) which benefits everyone - but there's no substitute for just continuing to lose weight in general - whether it comes off your tummy first or not is purely down to your genetics.

JesterMFP

Unfortunately there aren't any specific exercises that will make you lose belly fat; you just can't spot-reduce fat. You can target your abdominal muscles to make them bigger. Planks are good, as is all over strength training. There are certain lifts called compound lifts, that make you use several different muscles at once, and often help strengthen your core. Strength training really helps with losing the fat too, but again, you can't make it come off in a particular place. You just have to reduce fat in general with a moderate calorie deficit, and hope that it eventually comes off where you want it to. Your profile says that you are hoping to lose another 39 lbs, so I'm sure that if you do, some of that is going to be from your belly.

jenbenefit

thanks for the tips guys and girls,

How do you lower the body fat % - is that just general eating right, cardio and strength?

Is it really just a case of "keep doing what you're doing" and be patient with it all ?

Shadowsan

thanks for the tips guys and girls,

How do you lower the body fat % - is that just general eating right, cardio and strength?

Is it really just a case of "keep doing what you're doing" and be patient with it all ?

Pretty much. Just keep at it - as well as doing cardio work on a bit of strength, and keep tracking what you're taking in and the rest will take care of itself

If you're not convinced - not only track your weight but buy a tape measure and take measurements once a week to see the improvement as it happens.

Miiimii

If you have some belly fat and train you abs to much, your belly will even look bigger, because your muscles grow under your fat.

So train your abs, but not to much and focus on cardio, zumba and a whole body work out. Good luck.

weightloss12345678

curious

jenbenefit

Thanks everyone!

Going to get my zumba on after work and a tape measure is a good idea too!

I know this isn't the right forum butttt - do any foods make it worse, or better? Just want to know as much as I can so i can do as much as I can x

mattthepie

You just need to use your planner, and stay at your calorie goal. Don't be tempted to try and lose too quickly, if you do that, then your body dissolves muscle instead of fat.

If you do some weight training as well as cardio (not your abs, do arms, core, anything) then you're more likely to burn fat and not muscle when dieting.

hth.

rizzaG

Hi Jenbenefit,

We do have the same problem my stubborn fat around my midsection is always the last one to go, I'm 5'6 130lbs. I do have a proportionate body but I would like to work extra harder to loose weight hoping to even lower my body fat % and reach goal of 125lbs. yeah I know only 5 more lbs. to go but we all know that's the hardest to get rid of.

I have not gained a weight the past week but I obviously gained more body definition and muscle so I'm happy. Part of it is really our own genetics I agree with the others on that, pls. choose a workout that will reshape and develop your muscles, lots of cardio and most importantly proper nutrition. Best of luck!

rizzag

shelbyfrootcake

I've got a gunt, always have had (even when I was a skinny kid) and although I know I can't spot reduce it would be nice to know what can be done to help so I'm not stuck with this flabby stomach. I'm 5'4" and weigh 125lb.

marycmeadows

I've said this before and I'll say it again.....
ab exercises are pointless. Other exercises that work your CORE are great, core/stabilizer mucles are used doing other exercises (free weights)....

You can't spot reduce, though I'm sure you wanted to hear otherwise. belly fat is usually the last thing to go, unfortunately.

jacksonpt

scinamon1

I do Jillian Michael's six week six pack- I'm not actually aiming for a six pack, and I can never seem to do it for more than maybe 4 days in a row at a time, but my stomach is definitely flatter after about 3 days of it- it's only 25 mins long, and you can find it online for free. It's really good- it's effective but doesn't make you feel like you've died, and you don't need weights or anything for it!

Patovader

Try to lower your sugar intake and keep hitting the cardio hard, when your body fat is low enough they will appear. I was like most other people and my stomach was the last place the fat hung on to. I would recommend you do calisthenics if you are not doing so already, I started with 5 minutes every morning and now manage over 10 virtually every morning.

Good luck A

shelbyfrootcake

How low does BF% need to be (as an average sort of general rule of thumb) for abdomens to get flatter? I'm not a complete idiot so I know everyone is different/loses at different rates etc etc, so a very general ball park figure will suffice, but I am clueless about how to proceed during my last 12lb to move towards the body I want.

ksavy

The easiest ab exercise is walking... out of the kitchen.

elisheva

Laura London has a few great abs exercise videos on youtube. It's true that the abs are flattened by burning the fat through cardio, but I've noticed a big difference in how toned I am from these videos. So I still have a belly but you can see the lines of my muscles underneath. And a stronger core makes a huuuuge difference in your other workouts!

Patovader

How low does BF% need to be (as an average sort of general rule of thumb) for abdomens to get flatter? I'm not a complete idiot so I know everyone is different/loses at different rates etc etc, so a very general ball park figure will suffice, but I am clueless about how to proceed during my last 12lb to move towards the body I want.

Well, to give you an idea, most athletes have visible abs, a female athlete will typically have a body fat percentage of between 14 - 20% whereas a male athlete will have between 6 - 13%.