How To Go From A Keg Belly To A Six Pack
21 12 2009
Everyone wants to know if aerobics is better than strength training or cardio better than intervals. The main question is “What is the best way to lose my belly fat?”
I have to say, I’ve tried them all!
With over 15 years experience helping others, training myself, training for sports, spending countless hours in the gym, AND actually conducting laboratory research studies on different exercise methods, I’m pretty confident in knowing what works and what does not.
Time. Do you have it? For those of you who can’t spend 90 minutes per day exercising I want to talk to you.
That’s why there is a huge disconnect between some of the information found in magazines and the ability of the reader to apply it to their lives.
You don’t need 6-8 hours/week to exercise. Maybe if your goal is a triathlon you do. But for those of us trying to lose and tone there is still hope.
So, to get a better body, the key is…
Use bodyweight exercises to warm-up, strength training supersets to build muscle, and then finish your workout with interval training to burn fat in a short amount of time. I’ve structured my system so that you are in and out of the gym in 45 minutes, three times per week.
You’ll do 5 minutes of bodyweight exercises to warm-up. This is a much more efficient approach than spending 5 minutes walking on a treadmill, which really doesn’t prepare you for anything except more walking on a treadmill.
The next 20 minutes are going to be spent with strength training supersets. Use two exercises back to back with minimum rest in the middle. For this you will use basic exrcises and depending on your goal for muscle building possibly add more bodyweight exercises.
Finally, 18 minutes of interval training. This will include a warm up, then determined by the client’s fitness level five or six short intervals while switching off with short periods of low intensity recovery.
That will be a much more effective workout than running, cycling, or a cardio machine for 45 min straight. Sure they all burn calories but they don’t build a better body.
The downside to long cardio includes injuries due to overuse of a muscle and it really is an inefficient way to exercise. If you only have 30-45 minutes to workout, when are you going to work the rest of your muscle groups and get that beautiful body you want if you are on 1 cardio machine for 45 minutes?
So the best way to burn belly fat is with a combination of strength training and interval training. It’s fast, it works, and it’s fun!
Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men’s Health, Men’s Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. To learn more please visit Craig Ballantyne’s Website here.
