Excessive belly fat isn't just unsightly - it's also very harmful to your health and well-being. Fortunately, there are a lot of options when it comes to the exercises and diet modifications to help you burn fat and achieve a flat stomach or even sport 6-pack abs.
For most people, getting a flat stomach is plenty good - they're not looking to go overboard with extreme exercise and nutrition regimes, but simply want to lower bodyfat to a healthier level. A certain level of fat is required to protect the joints and cushion internal organs, and these people simply want to move closer to that healthy level from being overweight or obese.
Some will stop at that point, but others will decide they like how much better they feel, how much more energy they have and how much more attention and positive re-enforcement they receive as they achieve noticeable weight loss - and they'll decide to go that extra mile and build 6-pack abs. If you're new to the term, having 6-pack abs refers to building your abdominal muscles and reducing the belly fat covering them to reveal the 2 vertical rows of muscle through your mid-section. Physiology differs from person to person, and you may find the area split in 4, 6 or 8 horizontal 'bumps', but since 6 is the most common occurrence your abdominal showcase is generically referred to as your 6-pack.
You've probably seen the saying that '6-packs are built in the kitchen' - this is an oversimplification and not really accurate. Like any other muscles, your abdominal muscles are built in the gym, using progressively heavier resistance and/or additional repetitions. No matter how well you build them though, they won't be visible unless you're following a healthy nutrition program that reduces belly fat to reveal the muscles you've built.
For most people it's adhering to the strict dietary program that is the hardest, not the exercising. This is because it's simply not possible to spot-reduce when burning fat. Instead, body fat reduction occurs proportionately over your whole body, and since your belly probably holds the most fat, you'll have to reduce fat levels a fair way to remove the bulk of it from your mid-section. Most people will find the muscles on their other body parts looking ripped before their abs look shredded - use that extra definition on your other muscles as motivation to continue with your quest for a 6-pack!
If you're just starting your weight loss journey, decide to aim for a flat stomach first. As you get close to that goal you'll have a much better understanding of what it takes to build and reveal your 6-pack abs and can decide at that point whether to continue on or just maintain the flat stomach you've achieved.
Aiming to go from overweight or obese to a 6-pack may prove to be too far-off an end goal to keep you on track and motivated, so break your quest into 2 or 3 parts and focus on one at a time, knowing all the while that you'll keep going as long as you find it worthwhile to continue. If you're overweight or obese and have been living a sedentary lifestyle, make an appointment with your doctor and hire a personal trainer - getting started and changing your mindset and activity level is actually the hardest step to take... But once you're on your path to a flat stomach or 6-pack abs, you'll love how much better you feel each and every day as your weight drops, your belly flattens, your energy soars and your self-confidence builds - welcome to your new healthier success lifestyle!
D. Champigny is well known in the fitness world - he's a published fitness photographer, certified personal trainer, fitness author and publisher of the popular Flirting With Fitness website. For more help from Champigny, add him to your circles on Google+ today!
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