Bust you belly and let your abs shine through!

Hi Davey,

I am 5′ 8” and 173 lbs. I used to weigh 194 lbs. I started to diet and exercise, but I have not managed to loose any weight on my stomach. I have this little pot belly that I just can’t get rid of. I have tried cruches, side bends. It will not come off.

Can you please give me any hints as to what I can do to get this belly off of me.

Thanks,
Kenny

Dear Kenny,

First of all, thanks for the email and congratulations on the weight loss.

Second, you’re in good company. Turns out, most of us can’t crunch our way to a flat stomach or six pack abs. That’s just not how it works.

If you want more muscular arms, doing strength training arm exercises will do the trick. We can target muscle growth to the areas we want. But the same is true with getting rid of body fat. We can’t pick and choose those areas of our body from which to release body fat. It comes off in a predetermined and often unbalanced order – and yes, the belly is often the last place where men lose it.

The best way to release body fat is to use a workout that combines cardiovascular activity and strength training. The cardio (I always recommend interval training) gets your heart pumping, and the added muscle from strength training burns calories all day long. Oh, and don’t forget about nutrition – that is, of course, the other side of the health and fitness equation.

If showcasing your six pack is a focus, know that you’ll have to achieve a very low body fat percentage (probably 6% – 8%). Even the smallest layer of body fat will prevent your abs from popping through.

Doing crunches or side bends alone won’t really do much. At the very most, it will create some strong ab muscles that will be hidden under your belly.

Hope that helps!

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