Targeting that little pouch below my bellybutton and small lovehandles

[The Bilingual Gringo]

Been going to the gym for about a month or so now, doing 30 mins of cardio (treadmill or elyptical) and then 30 minutes of lifting. I do crunches in the latter and on that ab machine for lifting.

I know that after a while it SHOULD go down, I don't eat bad, but what are some things to be done to target those areas?

[TRAE_POUND]

Just keep doing what your doing. Spot fat loss is impossible. All you can do is up that cardio (I jog about 3 or 4 miles in the morning) and keep lifting. Make sure your diet is completely in check. Fat on the stomach is the last thing you lose. I bet your arms and legs are getting more defined NO HOMO.

[The Bilingual Gringo]

Just keep doing what your doing. Spot fat loss is impossible. All you can do is up that cardio (I jog about 3 or 4 miles in the morning) and keep lifting. Make sure your diet is completely in check. Fat on the stomach is the last thing you lose. I bet your arms and legs are getting more defined NO HOMO.

I've cut down big time on sodas, but I guess I'm just type impatient because this is the first time that I've done a strict workout regiment, so I'll keep it up and see what the results will be in a few months. Good looks.

[winb]

you can spot reduce, it's called liposuction other than that the chips fall where they may

[The Bilingual Gringo]

you can spot reduce, it's called liposuction other than that the chips fall where they may

LOL, no thanks on that.

I'll keep on keepin' on and see what's up.

[offthabooks]

limit your sodium too...leads to bloating which can def accentuate that pouch look...

[The Bilingual Gringo]

limit your sodium too...leads to bloating which can def accentuate that pouch look...

I eat next to no sodium as is. Remember? LOL Mad plain everything!

[Shaolin Temple]

Been going to the gym for about a month or so now, doing 30 mins of cardio (treadmill or elyptical) and then 30 minutes of lifting. I do crunches in the latter and on that ab machine for lifting.
I know that after a while it SHOULD go down, I don't eat bad, but what are some things to be done to target those areas?

What is your average heart rate of your cardio workout?
How much food do you eat prior to your cardio workout?
How long do you go without food prior to your cardio session?
How much time between your cardio and lifting session?
What is your diet comprised of in the morning, afternoon and evening times?

[Big H]

Been going to the gym for about a month or so now, doing 30 mins of cardio (treadmill or elyptical) and then 30 minutes of lifting. I do crunches in the latter and on that ab machine for lifting.
I know that after a while it SHOULD go down, I don't eat bad, but what are some things to be done to target those areas?

There is no such thing as targeting fat loss. Its a huge myth.

The only thing that will drop that fat is lowering your overall bodyfat through strict dieting and heavy lifting. Its also much easier if you already develop the muscles underneath that fat, however don't be mistaken by thinking that will lead to fat loss. Buidling muscle under the fat tissue will only make it bigger, fat and muscle are two separate things.

Also, keep in mind that fat cells themselves never go away... they simply get bigger or smaller. The muscle tissue under the fat acts the same way. You can't build NEW muscle, you just expand the muscle your genetically given.

[AnotherGirl]

There is no such thing as targeting fat loss. Its a huge myth.
The only thing that will drop that fat is lowering your overall bodyfat through strict dieting and heavy lifting. Its also much easier if you already develop the muscles underneath that fat, however don't be mistaken by thinking that will lead to fat loss. Buidling muscle under the fat tissue will only make it bigger, fat and muscle are two separate things.
Also, keep in mind that fat cells themselves never go away... they simply get bigger or smaller. The muscle tissue under the fat acts the same way. You can't build NEW muscle, you just expand the muscle your genetically given.
dope info...:yes:

[whoisanita]

Also, keep in mind that fat cells themselves never go away... they simply get bigger or smaller.

I knew that this applied to muscle, but with fat, you don't actually burn off some fat mass? Explain please.

[caramellady85]

I knew that this applied to muscle, but with fat, you don't actually burn off some fat mass? Explain please.
http://www.askmen.com/sports/foodcourt_100/143b_eating_well.html
"3. If you lose a lot of weight, your fat cells shrink, but they do not disappear
Having 100 billion fat cells in your body from weight gain may sound scary.:gag: The good news is that you can still lose weight after your fat cells swell and multiply; in fact, when you lose weight, your fat cells shrink. Although their total number only decreases slightly (if at all), the cells become less metabolically active and remain in your body, waiting for you to pick up a bag of pork rinds so they can expand again.

This means that it's better to try to maintain a normal weight than to gain and lose weight on fast, "quick fix" types of diets. Someone who has maintained a normal weight (i.e. has been relatively thin) all of their life will have an easier time staying at that weight than someone whose fat cells have swelled and multiplied."
hm...

[Big H]

http://www.askmen.com/sports/foodcourt_100/143b_eating_well.html
"3. If you lose a lot of weight, your fat cells shrink, but they do not disappear
Having 100 billion fat cells in your body from weight gain may sound scary.:gag: The good news is that you can still lose weight after your fat cells swell and multiply; in fact, when you lose weight, your fat cells shrink. Although their total number only decreases slightly (if at all), the cells become less metabolically active and remain in your body, waiting for you to pick up a bag of pork rinds so they can expand again.
This means that it's better to try to maintain a normal weight than to gain and lose weight on fast, "quick fix" types of diets. Someone who has maintained a normal weight (i.e. has been relatively thin) all of their life will have an easier time staying at that weight than someone whose fat cells have swelled and multiplied."
hm...

Yea, and its something alot of people don't know. Fat cells for the average person simply expand and deflate numerous times throughout their life time.

And yes it applies to Muscle fibers as well. Too many people are under the assumption that you actually build new muscle tissue when you lift; however when you lift you expand existing muscle tissue that is genetically set from birth. Same applies to fast-twitch and slow-twitch muscle fibers; no one can actually gain or lose either one... its all genetics.

[The Bilingual Gringo]

What is your average heart rate of your cardio workout?
How much food do you eat prior to your cardio workout?
How long do you go without food prior to your cardio session?
How much time between your cardio and lifting session?
What is your diet comprised of in the morning, afternoon and evening times?

Dunno the average, I do 30 minutes. 15 minutes spike and then cool down twice basically. When I reached the top, it'll be about 150 to 160.

No food eaten prior, and the only food I have before that is lunch, I eat after I work out. Good/bad?

Only a few minutes in between cardio and lifting.

Breffis: Fruit, oatmeal, coffee and water
Lunch: Sammich, side (chips, but usually low salt, low fat) dessert, sodee.
Dinner: Meat (fish, chicken, beef, etc.) veggies and salad

[The Bilingual Gringo]

There is no such thing as targeting fat loss. Its a huge myth.
The only thing that will drop that fat is lowering your overall bodyfat through strict dieting and heavy lifting. Its also much easier if you already develop the muscles underneath that fat, however don't be mistaken by thinking that will lead to fat loss. Buidling muscle under the fat tissue will only make it bigger, fat and muscle are two separate things.
Also, keep in mind that fat cells themselves never go away... they simply get bigger or smaller. The muscle tissue under the fat acts the same way. You can't build NEW muscle, you just expand the muscle your genetically given.

Very good info. I'll just keep on doing what I'm doing and hopefully see some results. Upon flexing down there, things have been getting slightly smaller.

[Big H]

Dunno the average, I do 30 minutes. 15 minutes spike and then cool down twice basically. When I reached the top, it'll be about 150 to 160.
No food eaten prior, and the only food I have before that is lunch, I eat after I work out. Good/bad?
Only a few minutes in between cardio and lifting.
Breffis: Fruit, oatmeal, coffee and water
Lunch: Sammich, side (chips, but usually low salt, low fat) dessert, sodee.
Dinner: Meat (fish, chicken, beef, etc.) veggies and salad

Looks kinda like HIIT training which raises our heart rate considerably. Peaking and fluctuating intensity works wonders with cardio.

You don't wanna workout on a full stomach either so yea, keep working out on an empty stomach. Its best in the morning fresh outta bed, but sometimes its hard with people's schedules. Always eat some type of High protein food or shake after working out.

Also, Cut down on the fruit if you can. Berries and Bananas are good choices though. Bananas are a great workout booster, I used to lift with one of my homeys who was Dominican... this cat would eat platano before every workout and still feel light enough to lift heavy.

Lastly, make it 5-6 small meals a day. As a rule of thumb, you should be eating every 3 hours like clockwork. Don't skip or miss a meal. The last thing you want to do on a diet is throw your metabolism off. You should never feel hungry, but at the same time you should never feel full. Just eat enough to end that hunger.

[The Bilingual Gringo]

Looks kinda like HIIT training which raises our heart rate considerably. Peaking and fluctuating intensity works wonders with cardio.
You don't wanna workout on a full stomach either so yea, keep working out on an empty stomach. Its best in the morning fresh outta bed, but sometimes its hard with people's schedules. Always eat some type of High protein food or shake after working out.
Also, Cut down on the fruit if you can. Berries and Bananas are good choices though. Bananas are a great workout booster, I used to lift with one of my homeys who was Dominican... this cat would eat platano before every workout and still feel light enough to lift heavy.
Lastly, make it 5-6 small meals a day. As a rule of thumb, you should be eating every 3 hours like clockwork. Don't skip or miss a meal. The last thing you want to do on a diet is throw your metabolism off. You should never feel hungry, but at the same time you should never feel full. Just eat enough to end that hunger.

Good looks on this. So I'm mostly on the right track. I just pieced this routine together from what I've heard/read, so it seems like it should be doing the trick.

The # of meal thing a day is tough for me, but I'll have to see what I can maybe try and work out. Also, why's fruit so bad? I have an orange or an apple or grapefruit (not all 3) w/ breffis.

[Big H]

Good looks on this. So I'm mostly on the right track. I just pieced this routine together from what I've heard/read, so it seems like it should be doing the trick.
The # of meal thing a day is tough for me, but I'll have to see what I can maybe try and work out. Also, why's fruit so bad? I have an orange or an apple or grapefruit (not all 3) w/ breffis.

Well its not fruit is bad for you. It does offer any health benefits and is great for healthy living... but on a diet it can be an issue. Fruit contains a type of sugar callled Fructose. Now many people will say that because its a natural sugar that its good for you, but fact of the matter is that its still a sugar and on a diet sugar should be avoided like the plague.

[The Bilingual Gringo]

Well its not fruit is bad for you. It does offer any health benefits and is great for healthy living... but on a diet it can be an issue. Fruit contains a type of sugar callled Fructose. Now many people will say that because its a natural sugar that its good for you, but fact of the matter is that its still a sugar and on a diet sugar should be avoided like the plague.

I am concerned w/ sugars, but I'm not on a diet, I just need to tone all my chit and maybe bulk up a bit. I have cut out soda, A LOT, but I still have one w/ meals.

[winb]

There is no such thing as targeting fat loss. Its a huge myth.
The only thing that will drop that fat is lowering your overall bodyfat through strict dieting and heavy lifting. Its also much easier if you already develop the muscles underneath that fat, however don't be mistaken by thinking that will lead to fat loss. Buidling muscle under the fat tissue will only make it bigger, fat and muscle are two separate things.
Also, keep in mind that fat cells themselves never go away... they simply get bigger or smaller. The muscle tissue under the fat acts the same way. You can't build NEW muscle, you just expand the muscle your genetically given.
Doesn’t’ building muscle cause you to burn more fat?

[Big H]

Doesn’t’ building muscle cause you to burn more fat?

Building muscle increases your body's metabolism which in turn leads to more fat loss IF you follow a strict diet. Muscle mass needs calories to grow and most importantly to survive. This increases the bodies need for calories. This is one reason why bulking and cutting must be done in different phases to see results. You won't gain muscle without an excess amount of calories, and you won't burn fat with excess calories. People tend to bulk, reach a weight and then cut with the newly acquired muscle they have. This muscle has already boosted the person's metabolism; the trick now is to cut fat while maintaining that muscle and strength.

[Ariel Sharon]

lovehandles is a hereditary attribute that effects mostly women and men who were supposed to be born as females but God fell asleep at the wheel

you could try ab resistance exercises like seated crunches (http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/RectusAbdominis/LVSeatedCrunchGripless.html) which are your best bet for burning them off. and a healthy diet obviously

[Profasi]

lovehandles is a hereditary attribute that effects mostly women and men who were supposed to be born as females but God fell asleep at the wheel

you could try ab resistance exercises like seated crunches (http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/RectusAbdominis/LVSeatedCrunchGripless.html) which are your best bet for burning them off.
nonsense

[Logic86]

lovehandles is a hereditary attribute that effects mostly women and men who were supposed to be born as females but God fell asleep at the wheel

you could try ab resistance exercises like seated crunches (http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/RectusAbdominis/LVSeatedCrunchGripless.html) which are your best bet for burning them off. and a healthy diet obviously
False

[Shaolin Temple]

Dunno the average, I do 30 minutes. 15 minutes spike and then cool down twice basically. When I reached the top, it'll be about 150 to 160.
No food eaten prior, and the only food I have before that is lunch, I eat after I work out. Good/bad?
Only a few minutes in between cardio and lifting.
Breffis: Fruit, oatmeal, coffee and water
Lunch: Sammich, side (chips, but usually low salt, low fat) dessert, sodee.
Dinner: Meat (fish, chicken, beef, etc.) veggies and salad

This is what I suggest you do

1. I would change you cardio workouts by doing the following:
-If you can run in the morning, by all means, do so. You usually burn calories for another 6 hours after a good cardio workout.

-Do not eat too much prior to a cardio workout, drink a good deal of water. If you really need to eat, do not intake any carbs this time of the day. Reason being is that you want to minimize your glycogen levels. (More on this later)

-Purchase a polar heart rate monitor - I suggest the FS1 model (http://www.polar-usa.us/polar-fs1.html). It's usually $60 to $70, but it's on sale now at $50. The reason why I would suggest this heart rate monitor so that you know your average throughout the ENTIRE workout. The monitors on the trendmills and other cardio equipment are not nearly as accurate. It measures your pulse on your palms rather than your actual heart, which polar does. And polar is the bentley of HRMs, nothing but good customer reviews and I even have one myself and am very pleased.

-When you run, you want reasonable running shoes. I always say spend about $85 on a good pair of running shoes. You want it light, flexible and will great traction that can handle a variety of terrain. There are many good shoes out there, so you are not limited.

-During the running session, keep your heart rate at the desired zone. First you might want to start at 100 to 120 or 110-130, then move it to 120-140, until you can handle the zone of 140-160. I highly advise you to run 30 minutes minimal without exiting the desired zone, and not including warm-up jog and cool-down jog. The reason for this is because you need to deplete the glycogen in your cells. Glycogen is the number one source of energy. Once that is gone the body searches for another source of energy, which is usually the fat stores. In your case it will be if you do have a good deal of fat (not calling you fat :) ). You wont see great results until your average heart rate is mimimal 135 to 140, for most people the best range for the aerobic (keeping a consistantly high HR) workouts is near or about 150 to 155. Once in that range, you will need about 20 minutes for the body to use all of the glyocen and "burn" fat.

I would suggest that you run no less than 3 times a week. Try for 5 times a week.

About 20 to 30 minutes later, eat a full breakfast with 2 glasses of milk, good amount of complex carbs, proteins and some healthy fats (I usually like to eat healthy nuts within 1 hour to maybe 90 minutes prior to lifting

2. I advice you to lift (free weights). Increasing your muscle mass will dramatically help you case to burn more fat since it is metabolically expensive. Muscle burns calories 25 to 30 times faster than fat, and that is at rest. However, you must leave a gap of 6 to 8 hours between running and lifting. If you run before you lift, your lifting session will not reach it's potential due to the lack of glycogen, which is required during resistance training.

3. Eat 5 to 7 small meals a day, breakfast should be a decent size, however. Take out the chips and soda if you are serious about getting your ideal body and getting into better shape. They call these chips healthy, but are they really? Who cares that they are low in sodium and fat? What makes a healthy food healthy is of its contents, and not what it lacks. If you cannot tell me the nutritional benefit of what you put in your mouth, then it doesn't belong in your body.

Coffee should be eliminated, caffeine dehydrates your body, and when working out, you need to drink water, even when you are not thirsty, to stay completely hydrated. Why drink something that not only is not beneficial, but takes away from you? That is a negative effect. Once in a while, it's ok, but not every morning. If you need to gradually stop your coffee addiction, then whatever it takes.

I have more to write, but I gotta meet someone soon.

Hope this helps for now. Jump on that Polar HRM deal, it's worth every penny.

[Norton G.Nubuck]

Building muscle increases your body's metabolism which in turn leads to more fat loss IF you follow a strict diet. Muscle mass needs calories to grow and most importantly to survive. This increases the bodies need for calories. This is one reason why bulking and cutting must be done in different phases to see results. You won't gain muscle without an excess amount of calories, and you won't burn fat with excess calories. People tend to bulk, reach a weight and then cut with the newly acquired muscle they have. This muscle has already boosted the person's metabolism; the trick now is to cut fat while maintaining that muscle and strength.

so lifting and running in the same workout isn't a good idea if your trying to burn extra lbs?

[Big H]

so lifting and running in the same workout isn't a good idea if your trying to burn extra lbs?

If your trying to burn fat... yes its a good idea.

If your trying to build muscle... no.

[Norton G.Nubuck]

If your trying to burn fat... yes its a good idea.
If your trying to build muscle... no.

but i've been doing both so far........

not trying to undermine what your saying,just spitting real facts.......

[Reckless]

*subs*

[Big H]

but i've been doing both so far........
not trying to undermine what your saying,just spitting real facts.......

It comes down to calories. If you eating less then yea your gonna lose weight because there isn't enough calories for the body to build muscle with. If your bulking, you could easily do both and still see muscle gains.

[Norton G.Nubuck]

It comes down to calories. If you eating less then yea your gonna lose weight because there isn't enough calories for the body to build muscle with. If your bulking, you could easily do both and still see muscle gains.

i see............

would it be more optimum for weight loss if i split the two,and just concentrate on burning excess fat for now?

i don't really want to bulk,just gain some lean muscle...........

[Big H]

i see............
would it be more optimum for weight loss if i split the two,and just concentrate on burning excess fat for now?
i don't really want to bulk,just gain some lean muscle...........

Well its easier to do it in phases. You cut and then bulk, or bulk and then cut. It just makes it easier if you focus on each aspect alone. Unless your overweight or have a lot of bodyfat you could probably bulk for a lil bit and then go on a cut.

[Seven One Three]

Looks kinda like HIIT training which raises our heart rate considerably. Peaking and fluctuating intensity works wonders with cardio.
You don't wanna workout on a full stomach either so yea, keep working out on an empty stomach. Its best in the morning fresh outta bed, but sometimes its hard with people's schedules. Always eat some type of High protein food or shake after working out.
Also, Cut down on the fruit if you can. Berries and Bananas are good choices though. Bananas are a great workout booster, I used to lift with one of my homeys who was Dominican... this cat would eat platano before every workout and still feel light enough to lift heavy.
Lastly, make it 5-6 small meals a day. As a rule of thumb, you should be eating every 3 hours like clockwork. Don't skip or miss a meal. The last thing you want to do on a diet is throw your metabolism off. You should never feel hungry, but at the same time you should never feel full. Just eat enough to end that hunger.
what is platano?

[Big H]

what is platano?

Plantain, pretty much Bananas on steroids. Fried Plantain is the Dominican's food of choice haha.

[Just BlackAf]

Is it possible that some people just CANT lose fat in certain areas? Like no matter how much fat they lose that area will always carry more fat than the rest of the body? Cuz Iv had the "puch" below the belly button since I was a kid and Ive been kinda skinny at some points and kinda fat at other times and its always been there...

[Big H]

Is it possible that some people just CANT lose fat in certain areas? Like no matter how much fat they lose that area will always carry more fat than the rest of the body? Cuz Iv had the "puch" below the belly button since I was a kid and Ive been kinda skinny at some points and kinda fat at other times and its always been there...

Yes, its a sad fact. Genetics play a huge role in fat deposits and how much can actually be lost (think the notion of being Big Boned). Like I said a while back, fat cells never go away completely. They simply shrink and become smaller as you burn fat. You have a set amount of muscle and fat cells from birth; they either get bigger or get smaller.