Quote:
|
Originally Posted by popthree
i'm in too.... @ 5'9" x 160 lbs, I have a flabby belly issue. I could probably stand to love 5 lbs. primarily by cutting out the after dinner snacks, and drinking more water....both of which I've been doing for the most part already. but I need to start working out, and try to tone my gut. I plan to do sit-ups 5 times a week... I can do about 80 of them now. I need to work up to where I'm doing about 200 or so. anyone have a better idea for toning the gut?
|
Pop, I've been there, got rid of it, let it get away and now back there again. I'll tell you what a doctor told me about this that really helped me.
He said that as you enter middle age your body naturally starts to lose some muscle mass. Instead of losing weight with the muscle loss, your body starts trying to maintain it's weight by storing fat. This is why you see so many men from middle age on up that may not be over their target weight, but have a spare tire hanging over their belt and have no ass.
In females it's similar, but the location of the accumulation starts in the butt and thigh area. (ain't mother nature cruel?)
The location of the fat has nothing to do with a lack of muscle tone in that area. If you can do 80 situps I would think that you probably have a six pack under there already.
Back to what the doctor was telling me, spot weight loss, all the bunns o' steel, area focus stuff is a myth. You will have better results by getting your muscle mass back up starting with the larger muscle groups, legs and upper body. In other words, walking, biking, etc. can actually have more effect on the middle than situps.
The older you are, the more difficult it gets to maintain muscle mass, no way to get around that. It seems that most women over 40 that still have a bikini figure and men at that age that still have six pack abs are usually pretty much fitness fanatics, but it can be done.