Forget about the bogus pills and weight loss gizmos you see on late night TV. They are NOT the genuine article, and you should avoid them. You’ve probably been told that you can “spot reduce”, right? 

Well, it’s a myth. A 10 person study of 5 weeks publicised in the prestigious European Journal of Applied Psychology and Occupational Physiology concluded targeted exercises (such as ab crunches) cannot be used for fat burn in a targeted area (such as the belly).  

First, and foremost, your best option is to work on your overall body fat content and THEN your abdominal muscles will show themselves! There’s no use in doing crunches – or any other ab exercises – if you have a layer of fat beneath your skin covering them up.  

Seems obvious doesn’t it? 

So what is the best way to burn fat quickly and simultaneously work on your core – your abdominals? Do functional exercises. These are exercises that work your big muscle groups. We’re talking squats, dead lifts, pull ups etc.

Why? Because your big muscles use more energy and will continue to burn more energy after your workout. This equates to fat loss!  Lose Fat and Gain Muscle that’s the name of the game.

You don’t have to do hundreds of crunches to get a flat stomach. A much smarter and time efficient way is to work on your big muscle groups.  

How To Burn Even More Fat And Gain Muscle 

If you really want to burn it up, do your exercises at a higher intensity. The goal being is to expand your oxygen capacity  

You do this by exerting yourself at short, but intense bouts for up to 20-25 minutes. Exercises include hill sprinting, speed skipping, sprint bike riding etc., this will stimulate a higher metabolic response than other types of exercise.

Have a look at these studies: 

In a study published in Journal of Applied Sport Science Research, metabolic rate was measured for nine subjects after 40 minutes of bike riding, 40 minutes of circuit training, 40 minutes of resistance lifting and a control interval. All exercises increased metabolic rate immediately after workout. For the circuit and heavy resistance lifting, the increase was significant a fully half an hour afterwards.

My Second Most Important Tip 

I recommend you take a close look at your eating. Do NOT diet as diets don’t work. Rather I recommend you make manage your eating with small, easy changes.

Some of my recommendations are: 

Eat plentiful amounts of leafy green vegetables. And fruits such as apples, pears and grapefruit. Mix the fruits with a low fat yoghurt for a nutritious snack.  

Be sure to get most of your carbs from vegetables, and less on grains. In other words, cut back on the breads, potatoes and pasta.  

Get your protein – but only HIGH quality protein. I like wild salmon, tuna, free range chicken and free range eggs. Unsweetened whey protein is good too.  

Eat healthy fats such as olive oil, organic coconut oil, avocado, and wild salmon.  

And finally, eat smaller meals less often. A study published in The New England Journal of Medicine found participants who grazed 17 times per day -  after two weeks – had 15% lower blood cholestorol, 28% lower insulin and cortisol levels lowered 17% (cortisol is an indicator of stress. So less cortisol implies less stress. And all this after just two weeks.

So, the way to make it practical is be sure to have healthy snack foods near you all day – and keep nibbling every hour or so.

Make sure you have a light lunch and light dinner, but keep on nibbling. These two tips should help you on your way to burn fat and gain muscle.  Start with these 2 simple steps.