For those of you that love to know what my personal fitness training is…here you go. Brandon, my trainer is here to help you guys get into summer shape. I have asked him to explain and give you guys some of the same routines we go through together. Enjoy.
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If I had a dollar for every time someone pinched their belly and asked “how do I get rid of this?” I’d have retired to my personal island a long time ago. Happiness it seems, is directly tied to the level of leanness on our midsections.
The pursuit of washboard abs is what’s driven the fitness industry for decades, and it doesn’t look like it’s slowing down anytime soon.
So what’s the answer? Actually it’s a tightly kept secret, but for only $99.95 I can reveal it to you….just kidding. There is no secret and no shortcut. In fact the idea that any specific exercise, workout, food or supplement can hone in and target belly fat is FALSE. It continues to be most prevalent, and aggravating, myth in the fitness industry. Thanks to the neverending stream of profiteers trying to separate people from their money. Ab exercises alone will not get you flat abs. Cannot stress this enough. There are reasons to work all the muscles around your midsection, but shedding body fat is NOT and never has been one of them. Exercises that target the abs burn very few calories, especially when compared to larger multi-joint movements that utilize the arms, legs and trunk all at once.
Getting your tummy pool party ready in time for summer is about two things – good nutrition and burning calories. The nutrition side is the most important factor for most people, but we’ll leave that topic for another post.
Today I want to give you a workout that’ll ignite your calorie burning furnace and maximize fat burn. Go with a moderately heavy weight on all the dumbbell exercises. Don’t go too light! It has to be a little bit of a struggle or it won’t be as effective. Pushing your muscles and energy systems a little past their comfort zone is the best way of burning fat when it comes to your workouts. Grabbing a 2 pound dumbbell and going through the motions will net almost zero benefit.
You have to challenge yourself if you want to change yourself. Perform in a circuit with little to no rest in between exercises. The less downtime between exercises the more your heart and lungs are working. Which is vital for conditioning and fat loss. Take 2 minutes to recover after the last exercise and do this circuit 2-3 times. Do this workout twice a week, with two 45 minute sessions of aerobic training mixed in. Pick whatever form of cardio you prefer, swimming, biking, running, elliptical, etc..
Warm-up:
Jump Rope for 5 Minutes
1. Jump squats: 20 Reps
2. Mountain Climbers: 45 seconds
3. Dumbbell Squat to Overhead Press: 15 Reps
4. Front Plank with Spiderman Knees: 20 Reps Each Side
5. Burpee with Hop: 15 Reps
6. Dumbbell Chest Press on Exercise Ball: 15 reps
7. Bent Over Dumbbell Row: 15 reps
8. Walking Lunge with Dumbbell Bicep Curl: 20 reps
Cool Down:
Stretching, but remember to breathe deeply, and slowly through the stretches to properly return your nervous system to resting levels and emphasize relaxation of muscle tone.
-Brandon Cole
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