exercises to reduce abdominal fat!?

[medimanda]

Are there any exercises I should be doing to focus on burning fat in my abdominal area? I just started taking CLA (Conjugated linoleic acid) as it is said to increase metabolism and burn fat specifically in that area.

Any help or tips would be appreciated!

[JoyRenee]

I've never heard of CLA. Anytime you take something, though, you run the risk of becoming dependent on it to keep you slim and most weight-loss drugs are not FDA approved, if that is even what it is.

I have abdominal fat from being pregnant and gaining too much while pregnant. I have REALLY slimmed down since eating correctly and exercising almost every day. I do crunches every day. But I also do other workouts throughout the week, including weight training (I just use 3-lb dumbells).

I don't even have to do a lot of crunches- it all counts when you do them correctly. Getting your body moving and feeding it the proper fuel is what will help! Good luck and I hope you stick around here. I've learned a TON from being here for just a month!

[twehner5]

There is a myth surrounding "spot reduction".  You cannot decide where you will lose weight.  Simply by eating less and exercising more, you WILL lose unwanted body weight, but your body will decide from where to lose that weight.

BUT!!!  You can exercise target areas and tone and ELONGATE those muscle groups.  That is where the long, lean look comes in.  Some people choose to only eat less and they lose weight just fine, but they NEVER get that firm look.  WHY NOT GO FOR THE GUSTO?

To get a well-defined figure, you must not only get in aerobic (cardio) exercise, you MUST also integrate strength-training into your repertoire!!!  Two days/week is the minimum, 3 days is the most you'd ever need.

[medimanda]

Thank you both for your input!

JoyRenee - CLA is from HerbalMagic and it's all natural. It's an essential fatty acid that is said to help burn fat specifically to the abdominal area. I know there a lot of CLA brands out there, but I went with HerbalMagic to be safe and keep it natural (HM is a leading weight loss centre here in Canada). It doesn't seem to be helping much yet, so I'm not sure if I'll buy another bottle...but I wanted to give it a shot!

I look forward to learning more about nutrition and exercise by sticking around this forum.

[Ranaesheart]

Exercises for tummy fat were also discussed on this thread .. you may find the information provided useful .. http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/758428

[Barb135]

CLA is used more for preventing fat, than for getting rid of it.  I've done some research on it, but don't think it does a whole lot.  

You will do better to take a good multi, watch calories and get exercise.  You can read over some of the previous posts - there's a lot of excellent ideas/advice.  

Good luck.  

[twehner5]

Let me see if this clarifies:  You can do exercises to BUILD lean muscles in the abdominal area, but only by BURNING FAT will you lose fat in your body, and you can't choose where your body loses fat...your body's genetic make-up determines this.  That's why specific exercises ARE important - you will strengthen muscle groups!

Please read this:  http://www.truestarhealth.com/members/cm_archives11ML3P1A2.html

[Ranaesheart]

Here's an exercise to target this area .. http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/762115