There are a plethora of ways to work the mid-section, but there are 2 in particular that are my ABsolute favorites, I guess you could say ?
- Total Body Strength Training
- Kickboxing (on or off the heavy bag)
In the #FitTipFriday a couple weeks back, I talked about Core Training and I shared how important it was to understand that there are 3 major tissues involved: muscle, fat (over the top of muscle) & fascia (which is connective tissue that weaves around & throughout EVERYTHING in the body.)
Knowing that muscle fuels the energy in your body, it makes sense to move the body in ways that build overall strength and develop those major muscles in your core:
1. Flexing the body forward works your abdominals
2. Extending your body upright works your lower back
3. Twisting & turning works your obliques
4. Side bending works a bit of everything
So, now it makes even MORE sense that the two things I recommend most for core work is picking up dumbbells and approaching it with a total body strategy because that will... BONUS! Get the heart rate up & become built-in cardio…. And kickboxing because of all the natural moves you make on your feet throwing punches & kicks.
No need to get on the floor to do crunches if you want to REALLY work the belly!
You must think whole-istically in order to get the muscles balanced and keep the joints - like your hips & your spine - free from injury, safe & STRONG for the long haul.
[Tweet This] Doing crunches and working ONLY the abs is a MAJOR misconception about burning belly fat.
The science doesn’t work that way.
You may FEEL your muscles burning beneath the fat, but that does not equate to the fat being burned in that particular area over the muscle burn.
The body gains & loses fat (in other words existing fat cells grow & shrink) from areas of the body that are predisposed to gaining & losing fat.
As a general rule, the last place you gained, is the first place you lose.
That is because the longer you have larger fat cells in certain areas, nerves & capillaries begin to grow and become comfortable there. It becomes challenging for the body to let that shit go! AND… because… FASCIA.
Fascia is the connective tissue that can get bound up & hold fat cells in place if not healed and restored.
This is partly why women have a harder time releasing belly fat after having children. It’s not just fat, it’s fascia.
I have dedicated the past few years of my career to studying mindset and the science of fitness - which includes fascia.
One of the greatest values of the member’s only area is that my members have known all of this information for awhile now. I am on the cutting edge of what works for women - and what does NOT work for women.
That is why I was the lone chick doing burpees next to the smith machine back in the day. I understood the power of HIIT training before we called it HIIT. That was me back in 1999. The weirdo girl, by herself, doing mountain climbers on the bosu. Doing box jumps using a bench.
Get IN on the cutting edge mindset training & top-notch workouts & coaching for women by joining RealResults.
The mainstream sites are exactly that - mainstream for men AND women. I focus on what women want & what works for their bodies. And I do it with incredible fun, style & creativity. Try it today - there is a 100% 30-day money-back guarantee. The only thing to lose is the old information and old thinking that has been holding you back from getting a body you love.
Realfit Kick & Box: Box It or Bag It - 30 Minutes or Less Striking with Power
Barbara & I are heavy bag partners on this 30 minute boxing challenge that focuses on the POWER of each move.
Whether that’s upper body or lower body, there is the throwing “out” phase of the move & there is the pulling “in” phase of the move.
Power simply means speed over time. So when you throw your punch out (full range of motion from the chin), we’ll be practicing retracting that punch as quickly as possible. Same goes with out roundhouse kicks today.
Remember, you can use 2-3 pound weights in your hands if you don’t have a bag. HOWEVER, because we are focusing on power, I DO NOT recommend you go heavier than that. Weights will slow you down & it defeats the purpose of today’s focus.
This one felt so good! There’s just nothin’ like taking out frustration or stress on a heavy bag! Fill your water bottle, wrap those hands & let’s hit it!
