Quote:
Originally Posted by PunkChic  No matter how many crunches you do, it will not get rid of the stomach fat, instead it will build muscle on top of the fat.
Cardio is a great way of reducing the fat. Running, jogging, brisk walking, try it!
Once you have lost the tummy, then try the crunches. |
just to be clear on this... its the "build muscle on top of the fat" line that some might misinterpret or not completely understand... and a lot of people dont get how fat is distributed at the belly anyway, so its worth a discussion... some of which isnt necessarily applicable to the OP'er, as her body might not "need" any weight loss at all due to her size.
if you mean working these muscles will increase muscle mass "in addition to still having the fat", that is partly correct... with "partly" tied to the fact that muscle buildup from exercise is commonly tied to helping one lose excess fat...
if you mean the muscle will build anatomically over the fat, its also partly correct, or not, depending on the fat.
there is both subcutaneous fat and visceral fat. the fat that covers your six pack is subcutaneous... the muscle is under it. it is between your skin and your muscle. this kind of fat is commonly what one sees in the rear, hips, etc... reducing this layer of fat allows for better muscle definition, but again, no guarantee of 6/8 pack abs with normal health.
some people who strive for "perfect abs" find their body cannot handle the stress of extremely low body fat %... it can stress the immune system, throw off hormones, cause irregular cycles in women, cause fatigue... stopping your cycle might sound like a nice perk, but the accompanying screwed up hormones can also cause other issues, such as problems with bone health. this is why i was upset with members who say anyone without a 6 pack is a candidate for weight loss. not always. overall health is kind of important too, y'know?
visceral fat is under the muscle at the abdomen. here you can have both fat contribute to "belly issues"... the extreme belly, the "beer belly" that sticks out and bulges forward is a great ex. the visceral fat under the muscle pushes everything forward, bulging the belly out. here you can work your abs all you want, but you wont see major change without a dramatic change in overall body fat. you wont have flat until you reduce the visceral fat... you wont see definition very well until you reduce subcutaneous fat. the visceral typically goes fastest, the subcutaneous goes at a slower rate. the OP'er here likely has a lack of excessive visceral fat, and some subcutaneous fat.
this is where diet and activities that burn calories (the aerobic that was mentioned) come into play... but that does NOT mean a person should neglect their core (abs, back) until theyve shed weight.
strengthening the core helps prevent injury, and the core is often one of the weaker parts of the body when someone hasnt been exercising. tending to it through deliberate, controlled work is a good plan. basic pilates, for ex, can get a persons flexibility up while strengthening their core in ways that running simply will not address. im not knocking the need for aerobic work at all... im saying supplementing it with weight work and core work early on will pay dividends you wont see right away. dont "save" core work until later... begin to learn good form and control. as you lose the weight and get stronger, then you can change the intensity of the workout.
and, any muscle building exercise helps you shed lbs, through increased calorie use and metabolism. the muscles of the abs dont just draw from "ab fat" for energy... it comes from all over the body... but since the abs arent all that big, doing crunches or situps alone will not be enough to really lose overall fat.
and again... some people simply arent healthy at a low body fat %...
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