Fat Loss And Core Strength - Start With Trunk And Legs

Life as we know it these days has become more complicated and this has made our list of daily ‘to dos’ longer. Indeed, the tight schedule most of us keep each day prevents us from maintaining a healthy lifestyle and this is evidenced by recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that says 66% adults in the U.S. are overweight.

The food industry’s successful production of fast gastronomic fare that more often than not fills-up our system with empty calories isn’t making things easier on our bellies either. Buckets of greasy chicken and calorie-loaded shakes are available to us round the clock and they’re taking their toll on our figures.

Since we’re living in a democracy and our government can’t really dictate what stores and restaurants serve, it’s quite obvious that the only way to curb effects of high-calorie dining is through regular exercise. Adopting a regular workout routine even for 30 minutes a day can get us in shape as well as reduce the stresses of the day.

Contrary to traditional weight loss beliefs, daily workout sessions don’t have to last for an hour or two. What’s really important is burning enough calories to create a deficit, meaning using-up more energy than we get from the food we eat each day.

Our body packs on the pounds when we regularly consume more calories than we need for our daily activities. Those ugly love handles are filled with stored energy in the form of fat tissue and the only way to get rid of it is by creating a calorie deficit each day.

Experts discovered that high intensity interval training (a combination of 2 types of cardio exercises) consume the most energy in less time. Since we also have to increase our body’s metabolism and cannot rely solely on cardio exercises for sustainable fat loss, modifying our muscle-building routines to maximize calorie-burn is also a good technique for achieving rapid fat loss.

Involving the most number of muscle groups in a workout will multiply the amount of calories used up and doing core exercises that strengthen the trunk and legs is perfect for that. When the upper and lower abs, the lumbar, oblique and leg muscles are working together, such as lifting weights while trying to balance on the uneven surface of a Bosu ball, you can bet you’re using-up way more energy than if you were on a flat surface.

There are several ways to engage our base muscles and speed-up fat-loss in our workouts. Standing on one foot, while doing curls and presses, or using a Swiss ball as a platform in abdominal exercises will result in instability. The effort made by the core muscles in keeping the body steady results in a more intense workout, a more stable base and ultimately speedier fat loss.