If the amount of tummy trimmers and abdominal trainers featured in advertising is anything to go by, losing body fat off your and stomach is a popular pursuit. But have you ever stopped to think just how effective these devices are? If you can look beyond the crazy promises and free steak knives for a moment, consider this. They recently failed an important test in my local suburb - the six monthly council clean up. They were clogging up the curb-side everywhere, on the fast track to a landfill site near you. The reason why so many people can bear to part with these gadgets is fairly obvious – they don’t work.
Strengthening your abdominal muscle cells will not make your tummy fat cells smaller, just like chewing gum won’t rid you of a double chin. You can’t determine where fat comes off your body by doing exercises specifically for that area. This is sometimes called spot reduction, and is sadly one of the many lingering health and fitness myths. Yes, strong abdominal muscles are important for posture and back support. But to remove the body fat sitting over the top of your abdominal muscles, or to reduce the size of fat cells in any part of your body, don’t rely on sit ups. You need to combine whole body strength training exercises with cardiovascular exercise that burns body fat as fuel.
There’s a popular saying in fitness circles that abs are shaped in the kitchen. Healthy eating is also vital if you want to lose body fat.
Have you ever used an ab trainer or tummy trimming device that helped you lose abdominal fat? Do you think abs are shaped in the kitchen?
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