Resistance training becomes increasingly important as we age, for many reasons, including reducing the accumulation of belly fat. A study published in a 2013 issue of the International Journal of Cardiology showed that high-intensity resistance training induces faster belly fat loss than cardio activity alone.
Weight training is also an important part of burning off belly fat. Since muscles burn off more calories than fat does when the body is at rest, having more muscle tone can help you to burn off more fat.
Crunches:
The most effective exercise to burn stomach fat is crunches. Crunches rank top when we talk of fat-burning exercises. You can start by lying down flat with your knees bent and your feet on the ground. Lift your hands and then place them behind the head.
And while it's true that doing steady state cardio probably will help with weight loss, experts say it's totally unnecessary if your main goal is fat loss. In fact, you can lose weight just by lifting weights.
Losing belly fat and getting a flat stomach is done through achieving a caloric deficit by eating less, exercising more, and doing that for at least 6-12 weeks.
Cardio has been shown to specifically reduce visceral fat, meaning belly fat. While it's clear weight training burns fat better than cardio, cardio training may target the waistline more specifically than lifting weights. That's a huge benefit, as many people are actively seeking to cut inches around the midsection.
According to estimates from Harvard Health, a 155-pound person burns roughly 108 calories in 30 minutes of general weight lifting. That same person burns 252 calories, cycling at a moderate intensity for the same time.
Using weights alone without cardio, you will most likely develop bulk instead of a toned and streamlined body. When deciding between cardio or weights, remember that both types of exercises are needed when trying to achieve a healthy, strong body.
The short response to this question is yes. However, they both have their pros and cons, and the real answer is that it depends on how much time you have to work out, how quickly you want to burn fat, and what your overall health and fitness goals are.
1. Exercise: Vigorous exercise trims all your fat, including visceral fat. Get at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise at least 5 days a week. Walking counts, as long as it's brisk enough that you work up a sweat and breathe harder, with your heart rate faster than usual.
Cardio such as swimming, aerobics, running or dancing will burn this excess fat store. HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) is the fastest way to trim down stomach fat.
It can take about three to four weeks to see a visible change. You'll see some real results after 12 weeks, but it "all depends on your goals, and what type of strength training you are doing," says Haroldsdottir. Muscles are made up of two different types of individual muscle fibers: type one and type two.
Gaining muscle and not losing fat often comes down to diet. It's possible that you're eating too much and may need to decrease your calories slightly. You'll also need to analyze your workouts and overall daily activity levels and consider adding in more calorie-burning activities to boost your fat loss efforts.
Since the formula for weight loss is to burn more calories than you consume, increasing the calories you burn will help you lose weight (given you don't increase your calories). To maximize the benefits of strength training, you should try to do some sort of strength training for an hour three to five times per week.
Weight lifting may not set you up for the calorie deficit that cardio can, but it may help ensure that your body burns fat instead of muscle. One study found that people who completed two to three 45- to 60-minute strength training sessions lost 1.4% of their total body fat on average after 5 months.
The best diet for losing weight while working out is one that includes high-quality foods that are unrefined and minimally processed. A balanced diet should include plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, healthy (unsaturated) fats, and healthy protein sources.
Strength training can help you lose fat while preserving muscle, whereas a cardio-only regime is more likely to result in losing both fat and muscle. “If you lose weight without strength training, this typically leaves you looking like a smaller version of where you started,” Matteo points out.
Your body needs protein to build and repair tissues, so if you aren't eating enough, your muscles won't have the material they need to grow. You could feel “punch drunk” after working out, your arms and other muscles might ache more than usual, and your body may even feel generally weaker.
Cardio exercises can slow down the process of fat burning. Yes, you heard it right. Even though cardio is greatly effective in aiding weight loss, it is because it aids burning of calories. It encourages the body to hold on to fat and break down muscle instead.
Over the long term, it's smart to aim for losing 1 to 2 pounds (0.5 to 1 kilogram) a week. Generally to lose 1 to 2 pounds a week, you need to burn 500 to 1,000 calories more than you consume each day, through a lower calorie diet and regular physical activity.
How Much Weight Can I Lose in 3 Months? A safe, healthy, and realistic goal is to lose 0.5-to-1% of your body weight per week, which is around 1-to-2 pounds of weight loss per week for most people. In other words, you can expect to lose 12-to-24 pounds in a 3-month period.
For an effective outcome, beginners should lift weights 2 to 3 days per week. They may start with a lightweight depending on their physical strength and fitness level. To make the workout session effective, a beginner must lift weight for 90 to 60 minutes every time.