Types Of Abdominal Fat

Most people nowadays have an excess of abdominal fat. In the United States, up to 70 percent of the population are now considered obese. One of the main problems with abdominal fat is that it's unsightly, and of course when you've got it, your abs can't be seen - your body is just not a pretty sight.

Not only is abdominal fat unsightly, it also poses a health risk. Research has shown that this particular form of body fat is particularly dangerous to have.

If you have fat in your abdominal area, it is one of two types - subcutaneous or visceral. Subcutaneous fat is located just under the surface of your skin and it conceals your abdominal muscles ('abs'). The visceral type of fat lies deeper down in your abdomen and is found between the organs. This is more of a risk that the subcutaneous type, although both types have been shown to be potentially damaging to your health.

Visceral fat, in particular, can lead to conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure. In extreme cases, it can lead to a stroke. And there is also a risk of the development of various forms of cancer.

C-reactive protein(CRP) is a protein found in the blood, the levels of which rise in response to inflammation. With a higher than normal level of stomach fat, the levels of CRP are higher (so indicating inflammation). This can lead to serious health issues such as heart disease. Visceral fat actually releases more inflammatory molecules into the bloodstream regularly.

What can give rise to high levels of visceral fat? Eating too many carbohydrates and sugars, for one thing. A high-carb diet over many years can lead to the body's resistance to insulin - which is essential in regulating the metabolism of fat in your body. Insulin achieves this by, among other activities, taking up excess glucose from the blood.

Too much fructose in your diet can cause result levels of visceral fat. Corn syrup (especially the high-fructose variety) is noted for this.

To improve the quality of your life (physically), you should make it your goal to get down your abdominal fat levels (in particular the visceral type). Watching your stomach flatten out as you take the required steps, has to be one of the most rewarding things about pursuing this goal.

It's not a "quick fix" either - your best resources are to implement a diet plan that targets these types of fat, and back it up with suitable exercises.

And remember to get professional advice before starting any kind of exercise plan (especially the "bootcamp" types).

For more information on burning fat, go to Fat Burning

Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert

Abdominal Exercises for Fat Loss?

I often get asked the question "What's the best way to get rid of the fat around my mid-section?" and people generally seem to be looking for a really unique core exercise that will "burn fat." I hear countless stories of people training their abs every day, but to no avail they still can't see that hidden six pack inside of them. Unfortunately, abdominal exercises are not effective in losing your love handles. Why might you ask? Listen up.

A recent study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research investigated the effect of having participants complete a 6-week regimen of abdominal exercises (7 core exercises, 2 sets each, 10 reps, 5 days a week for 6 weeks) and compared that group to a control group (this group didn't do anything). Prior to, and at the end of the 6-weeks, researchers measured body mass index, body fat percentage (specifically the fat around the midsection), and abdominal endurance (# of crunches) of 24 participants. At the end of the 6 week, there was no statically significant difference between the two groups in body weight, body fat percentage, abdominal fat, or waist circumference. Conclusion, abdominal exercises are not meant to create a six pack!!!

Now that I told you that core exercises are pointless, let me tell you why you shouldn't give up on them just yet. Core exercises are needed in developing proper core strength for everyday activities and for increased performance. They also help in transferring power between our upper and lower extremities such as hitting a golf ball, throwing a football, or any high-intensity exercises. Developing your core muscles should be part of everyone's training regimen, but it should never be the sole focus of it. Further developing your midsection will increase other aspects of your health, such as muscular strength and aerobic endurance.

Many people believe abdominal exercises will build a six pack because of the infamous "Spot Reduction" method. Spot reduction postulates that if you work out a certain muscle, for instance your abdominals, that you will burn fat from the same area, thus developing a six pack. WRONG!!! This method, as shown above, has been proved wrong in numerous studies. When your body wants to burn fat, it will burn fat from areas it chooses too, not where you want it too. Furthermore, primarily focusing on core exercises is inefficient at burning fat because they are such a small muscle group compared to other muscle groups (your legs, back, or chest).

So how do I burn fat so I can see my midsection? As I'm sure you know, this is a very hard question to answer and we will be looking into this subject in future articles but I will leave you with this! Leaning and toning down encompasses two aspects 1) Decreasing your calories 2) Increasing your exercises. I don't want to focus on food in this article, so here are some simple exercises tips to start developing your six pack.

1. Total Body Workouts: Exercises all your muscle groups to burn the most amount of calories

2. High-Intensity Drills: All out efforts (sprinting, cycling, and swimming) are greater for reducing body fat. Try a 10-sec sprint, rest for 50-sec, and repeat 10 times!

3. Consistency: No one sees results after 1 workout. If you want real results, you need to stay active every day!

Christopher Sunseri, MS Candidate, BS Nutrition, NSCA-Certified Personal Trainer. Chris is the owner of Camp Hurricane - Take Your Body By Storm.

Please visit camphurricane.com for information on boot camps in the Houston Area.

Please visit https://www.facebook.com/CampHurricane for our latest news.

Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert