Abdominal & Obligue fat

LeaveMeAtPeace
LeaveMeAtPeace Posts: 15 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi guys :) I'm wondering what type of workouts would help my back/stomach/obliques melt fat and tone up. I know "target area exercising" does NOT work, and more cardio will help rid the fat. However I was wondering if they will look better quicker with muscle building in those areas, and what workouts would help make it look better?
I'm 5'4 and 174 lbs.

Replies

  • bremca28
    bremca28 Posts: 21 Member
    here for the tips also!!!
  • trmatthewsphatgirl
    trmatthewsphatgirl Posts: 21 Member
    Please help because I need an answer as well!!!!!!!!!



    Hi guys :) I'm wondering what type of workouts would help my back/stomach/obliques melt fat and tone up. I know "target area exercising" does NOT work, and more cardio will help rid the fat. However I was wondering if they will look better quicker with muscle building in those areas, and what workouts would help make it look better?
    I'm 5'4 and 174 lbs.
    [/quote]
  • orangebluesun
    orangebluesun Posts: 26 Member
    Bumping....
  • LeaveMeAtPeace
    LeaveMeAtPeace Posts: 15 Member
    Glad I'm not alone here :) I was thinking of trying to do an ab challenge (I have one saved my phone) along with daily pushups/leg lifts and just going extreme hardcore for like 30 days or 5 weeks or something to see if there are any before/afters.
  • sculli123
    sculli123 Posts: 1,221 Member
    Abs are made in the kitchen. But yes, building the ab muscles will make them look better once the fat is gone. Mine are really still a work in progress but everyone comments on them. I still have some fat in the lower abs and obliques. But I have muscle so they look good already. Should look a little better in a few weeks.

    f1f571300cb0b18ae6c48ebf8139e5e8dfce_thumb.jpg
  • 212019156
    212019156 Posts: 341 Member
    There are no exercises that melt fat away from specific locations. Reduce your calories and your fat will come off throughout your body. If you want to experience spot reduction your need to go to a plastic surgeon and get liposuction.
  • LeaveMeAtPeace
    LeaveMeAtPeace Posts: 15 Member
    There are no exercises that melt fat away from specific locations. Reduce your calories and your fat will come off throughout your body. If you want to experience spot reduction your need to go to a plastic surgeon and get liposuction.

    This was not my question. I know target area reduction isn't real, as stated in the original post... I was asking if they will look slimmer/fitter if I build muscle there and asking for potential exercises or others' experiences
  • JasonKnight85
    JasonKnight85 Posts: 67 Member
    Cardio, cardio, cardio.

    And... while targeted area exercises might not work to burn fat they can help to improve areas of weakness for yourself. To get down to the real answer though...

    Yes, yes IMHO they do look better quicker if you build muscle, that is, mostly because you'll start to actually see muscle where it should be, just under all the fat. That can be a focus for motivation. The real benefit is that more muscle helps burn fat quicker, so it's a win win.

    You want to do core exercises pretty much it sounds like.

    My recommendations are:

    Bent over dumbbell rows (they engage your Upper & Mid Back, Biceps and Forearms)
    Bicycle from a C-Sit position or on a Bench (Obliques & Stomach)
    Barbell Dead-lift (Lower back)
    Hyper-extensions (Lower back)
    Squats & Lunges (Glutes, Hamstrings, Quadriceps.)


    bodybuilding.com should have videos of all these exercises, or youtube.
  • rayjdragonballz
    rayjdragonballz Posts: 2 Member
    They may help tighten up your stomach. Great exercises for that are stomach vacuums, planks, renegade rows, deadlifts.
  • LeaveMeAtPeace
    LeaveMeAtPeace Posts: 15 Member
    Thank you guys :) I'm going to start adding some of these reps and upping my cardio tomorrow. My goal is by September to be at 150. (that's 24 pounds :indifferent: ) I have 12 weeks to accomplish that. Living on a prayer, lol
  • steve0820
    steve0820 Posts: 510 Member
    Hi guys :) I'm wondering what type of workouts would help my back/stomach/obliques melt fat and tone up. I know "target area exercising" does NOT work, and more cardio will help rid the fat. However I was wondering if they will look better quicker with muscle building in those areas, and what workouts would help make it look better?
    I'm 5'4 and 174 lbs.

    Sounds like you want to work out trunk, which is a good way to describe all that. Squats and Deadlifts are what work best. You can always add some extra core work like planks, v-holds, l-sits, rollouts. etc....

    As you already mentioned, you can't spot reduce and abs are made with your nutrition. No amount of cardio or exercises will change that, it's all about lowering your BF%

    My current pic is at the end of my bulk, so my core definition is almost gone haha, but I've been cutting for the last 4 weeks now, and my 6 pack is already there, the only thing I changed was my nutrition. My exercises routine is pretty much the same, I'd even say i'm doing less core work currently.
  • stephe1987
    stephe1987 Posts: 406 Member
    Step 1: Lower your body fat percentage. Find a good goal weight based on pics of someone of the same height and frame size as you. This can be done through mostly cardio with a bit of strength training thrown in.

    Step 2: Once you reach your goal weight, do strength exercises to build muscle and burn the rest of the extra fat.
  • RaggedyPond
    RaggedyPond Posts: 1,487 Member
    Basically just lowering body fat.
  • pinkiemarie252
    pinkiemarie252 Posts: 222 Member
    Reduce your body fat. You can do core exercises to help hold your guts up, but you won't see the fruits of your labor until you lose fat. The easiest way to lose fat is weight lifting. You won't necessarily lose WEIGHT, but you'll see a huge improvement in your body and your body will burn more calories even when you aren't exercising.
  • bunbunzee44
    bunbunzee44 Posts: 592 Member
    Well.. in my experience when I only lost weight my stomach looked leaner compared to when I started working out. It has discouraged me to continue before.. but I'm sure it would look great now if I could get rid off the fat on top of it x3
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,178 Member
    You body will look slimmer when you lose fat. If you add lots of exercise and strength training in particular, then yes, you can build muscles in specific areas, assuming you also plan to eat the calories to build this muscle. But until the fat is gone, you can have killer abs, and not see them until you lower your weight. Absolutely add some sort of strenght training in your weekly routine, so you will get strongther, healthier and not lose muscle as you slim down, but regarding a more toned look, expect to see first results only where your body already has less fat.
  • spinneyhex
    spinneyhex Posts: 54 Member
    Look up Holly Rigsby (Fit Yummy Mummy)on YouTube she has great advice :)
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,984 Member
    1. Cardio burns calories. First from glycogen, then from fat when glycogen stores are depleted (which take A LOT of work to do). When people inform you that cardio burns fat, the information is misdirected. It helps to create a calorie deficit, but if cardio only burned fat, then lean muscle reduction shouldn't happen with endurance athletes.

    2. Building muscle while in calorie deficit is improbable. There are exceptions, but it doesn't sound like you're one of them.

    3. Genetics determines where fat will come off last and for many it will be the ab area (regardless of sex). Losing fat weight comes down to consistency with calorie deficit. Physical activity helps with calorie deficit and retaining and strengthening muscle while doing the process.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • Elektrolyfe
    Elektrolyfe Posts: 151 Member
    Cardio, cardio, cardio.

    And... while targeted area exercises might not work to burn fat they can help to improve areas of weakness for yourself. To get down to the real answer though...

    Yes, yes IMHO they do look better quicker if you build muscle, that is, mostly because you'll start to actually see muscle where it should be, just under all the fat. That can be a focus for motivation. The real benefit is that more muscle helps burn fat quicker, so it's a win win.

    All my weight loss didn't require ANY cardio, just a deficit and lifting 5x a week. If I did cardio, it would be because my calories are getting too low or I wanted to eat that extra slice of pizza.

    BTW I am not saying don't do cardio, I am just saying weight loss can be achieved without cardio. Cardio will help create that deficit you need to start losing fat.
  • LeaveMeAtPeace
    LeaveMeAtPeace Posts: 15 Member
    Thanks to all of you guys giving advice! I'm at a calorie deficit to lose weight of course, but will this allow me to gain muscle as well? (I am doing about 50/50 cardio & strength each day) Should I put on more cardio until I'm closer to my goal weight? Also should I eat back some of my calories to help build a bit of my strength? Or leave my net low? (Still being at a deficit, of course.)
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
    Thanks to all of you guys giving advice! I'm at a calorie deficit to lose weight of course, but will this allow me to gain muscle as well? (I am doing about 50/50 cardio & strength each day) Should I put on more cardio until I'm closer to my goal weight? Also should I eat back some of my calories to help build a bit of my strength? Or leave my net low? (Still being at a deficit, of course.)

    OP, doubtful you're going to gain muscle with what is explained here.....

    Gaining muscle takes: An ON POINT diet (with a surplus of calories), Hours of proper lifting on a solid program (ab exercises are quite inefficient), and a ton of patience.......for guys. It's exponentially harder for women.

    You can do 10,000 crunches a day, but if you have fat in other areas to burn, the body will (and there are much more efficient exercises for that). You can incorporate full body workouts that fire the core as well that would be much more efficient.

    It takes:

    A moderate caloric deficit + Work (cardio AND a heavy lifting program) + patience. You can get there with just 1 and 3, but would probably be happier if you incorporate all 3.

    It's not about getting to a goal weight, it's about getting to a goal BF%. In a deficit you lose muscle, water, and fat. Lifting in a deficit is a cornerstone of your composition as lifting heavy will help you maintain muscle mass while losing mostly water and fat, thus lowering your BF%

    I wouldn't sweat the isolated ab exercises. Many on this site with a nice midsection do a little to no isolated ab work. It's all about BF%, not weight.

    Unless you're close to maintenance, you should always be eating back some of your exercise calories to properly fuel your body.
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    Hi guys :) I'm wondering what type of workouts would help my back/stomach/obliques melt fat and tone up. I know "target area exercising" does NOT work, and more cardio will help rid the fat. However I was wondering if they will look better quicker with muscle building in those areas, and what workouts would help make it look better?
    I'm 5'4 and 174 lbs.

    if you want a some want 'tone' or muscular look, then the answer is yes.

    it will get you there faster then dieting until a certain point and then doing the core work.

    wont necessairly burn fat any faster but would get you the desired effect sooner.
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    2. Building muscle while in calorie deficit is improbable. There are exceptions, but it doesn't sound like you're one of them.
    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    you wont build mass but you will still condition the muscle, which, in my opinion could make a visible difference when the fat is stripped off.

    if nothing else it would leave her in a better postion to build once she stops cuting.
  • RavenLibra
    RavenLibra Posts: 1,737 Member
    Strictly speaking from a physical standpoint it seems to me that IF you work on the obliques... the outcome would be drawing the stomach in and tighter to the spine... which in my mind... would assist in reducing food intake by not providing that expanded room (as in an extended stomach?)... is that an incorrect assumption? of course it would help to focus work on all the ab muscles... in concert with the "core" ( or as one poster put it the trunk)... anyway... with a tighter set of oblique's wouldn't one expect the over all abdomen to be drwean in "tighter" ?

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