Sorry to wreck your plans of doing 1000 sit ups tonight before bedtime…but, here are a few hard-ab facts: body fat will not automatically move away from any area of your body just because the muscle underneath it has become stronger…that’s just not how it works.

SEE SPOT RUN –  The idea of “spot reduction,” (pinpointing specific areas of fat by doing certain targeted exercises) remains one of the longest running misconceptions (ah..lies) in the weight loss industry.

As difficult as it is to believe (even for many fitness professionals) thousands of hours of scientific research have gone into proving that muscle is muscle and body fat is body fat, and each requires a totally different plan of attack. One you want to keep, and the other you want to lose.

MUCHO MUSCLE VS. MUSHY FAT – Okay, so strengthen and building muscle will burn a few calories and burning calories can burn fat (sometimes.)  But, when it comes to flatter abs, strengthening muscle doesn’t hold a candle to the power of removing fat. So, the bottom line is this: doing crunches, sit ups and/or hundreds of reps of any exercise is the slow, painful and nearly impossible way to remove fat.

If that’s what you are doing to create a flatter, leaner belly…I should warn you…you are going to be on the floor for a long, long time with not that much to show for all your discomfort and sweat.

Bummer, I know, but here’s the good news. If your fitness routine includes the right balance of proper nutrition (90% of your results), strength training (about 1 hour total per week), and cardio (about 20 minutes 3 x per week of WAVE cardio…really), your body will let go of all that unwanted fat – love handles, thunder thighs and belly fat, and all. Here’s how it works:

WHO GOES FIRST – Genetics play a big role in where your body releases fat, while your metabolism and lifestyle determine when you will lose it.

As you reduce your calories through proper diet and exercise, your body will normally let go of visceral fat first – that’s the stuff tucked around your organs. Eventually, if you continue to lose, your body will draw from the subcutaneous layer – the fat that sits between the skin and muscle.
The primary function of subcutaneous fat is insulation and storage. Unfortunately, the storage system, typically located around your waist, thighs and hips, is usually the last to go.

DEFY YOUR DNA – In a perfect world, your body would release fat evenly from head to toe. However, that’s not always how it goes. Through your unique genetic makeup, the precise location of where your body releases fat is determined by your DNA.

This explains why, if you carry the same percentage of body fat as your Mom or your Dad, you will tend to have the same body shape. Carry around less fat than they typically do, and your body type and shape may look nothing like theirs.

So the next time you find yourself grabbing that flab around your belt, asking the question, “What exercise will get rid of this?”- you have your answer: Proper diet (90%), strength training and cardio (10%), determination, patience and practice (priceless).

If you believe someone would enjoy and benefit from this post, please share it. Just click on the + Share button and you will see lots of options for sharing it with friends including email, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Thanks!

About the Author:

Dianne Orwig is a success coach, motivational speaker, fitness trainer, and founder of LivingFit Online™, a fitness program that has helped thousands of men and women completely transform their bodies and live healthier, happier lives though her less-is-better approach.

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My #1 goal today is to save you all of that reading and research by giving you the absolute and definitive recipe for flatter abs, leaner thighs, and a smaller waistline. In other words, you’ve just hit the belly fat jack pot! I should warn you, though…it may not be what you expect.

Let’s start with a few things you should know (and a few things you should forget) about the myths and mystery surrounding that nastiness around your navel:

Bull’s Eye or Bull Poop - If you’re planning to put good money down on anything that claims to “target” belly fat, you might as well find the nearest dumpster and toss it in (your cash, not your belly fat.) The bottom line is this: losing belly fat begins with losing overall body fat. Then, understand that it’s your genes that determine where you lose it.

Now, notwithstanding what your genes decide to do, when you are burning fat, it will typically melt away in phases, starting first with the stuff surrounding your organs, then your upper body (face, shoulders and arms), then legs, and then, finally, thighs and hips and, lastly, your waist. While this will happen in a relatively even manner - that is to say that most people experience a gradual, overall reduction - for the majority of the population, the last bit of fat to grudgingly say “adios” is the stuff just above and below your belly button - meaning a good portion of your overall fat must be gone before your body will relinquish this last bit of stored fuel.

Supplement Shmuplement – Regardless of any scientific evidence that a certain supplement, or exercise, or state-of-the-art stress-reliever is capable of accelerating the fat-loss process, the real question is, “By how much?” Here are two answers to that question:

1. By NOTHING if you aren’t already losing fat through proper nutrition and exercise, or
2. By very, very, very little, if you are already losing fat through proper nutrition and exercise. In other words, supplements and exercises may help, but compared to the foundations of fat loss, they pale, and in most cases, fail in comparison.

The Foundations of Fat Loss (Belly and Otherwise) – Without a solid foundation, whatever you wish to build will eventually crumble. The following steps are the true bricks and concrete of weight loss, whether you're looking to lose belly fat, thunder thighs, or those stubborn love handles. Having helped thousands of men and women reshape their bodies and lives, I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt, the following steps are the best and most effective practices you can implement to get the same jaw-dropping results for yourself:

Step #1 - Prep, Plan, Prioritize and Visualize: Plain and simple, if you skip this step, or leave it for later in exchange for hitting weights and cardio first, you will fail. Poor preparation and planning is at the root of why 90% of the population start with the best intentions, and then end up heavier, weaker, and more stressed out than ever. Most people approach fitness in this order: Cardio 1st, Gym 2nd, Food 3rd, Schedule 4th, Create Vision 5th, De-clutter 6th and Chart Progress, 7th, or never. This is the exact opposite of the right way. This may explain why 90% of the population is still overweight and out of shape.

Step #2 – Eat To Get Results: Exercise, while important, is not what produces the majority of your visible results. Lean and defined shoulders, biceps, quads and abs are chiefly a product of proper nutrition. Absolutely…exercise must be present to achieve phenomenal results, but if your food isn’t spot-on, it’s likely you will never see evidence of your hard work and effort. And here is how easy it is: Eat small fist-sized meals that are half protein, half carbohydrate, every 2-1/2 to 3 hours, and drink 80-90 ounces of plain water per day. Really…that’s it!

Step #3 - Focus, Vision and Purpose: If you put two people on the same eating and exercise track, and watch one succeed and the other fail, in every case there will be specific habits, thought patterns, and trends that define their ultimate results. Those who fail tend to focus on the mechanics of fitness, using the cause-and-effect principle of: “If I do this, then X, Y and Z will happen,”  while those who succeed tend to think in a very different way. At the deepest core of their being, those who succeed, practice walking, talking, acting and thinking as though X, Y and Z have already occurred. THIS, above all else, is the true secret to all success.

If you believe someone would enjoy and benefit from this post, please share it. Just click on the + Share button and you will see lots of options for sharing it with friends including email, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

 About the Author:

Dianne Orwig is a fitness expert, success coach, speaker, and trainer, and founder of LivingFit Online™, an online fitness and personal development program that has helped thousands of men and women transform their bodies, and live more balanced, focused lives though her pioneering approach to fitness, health and well being. For more information visit www.lovelivingfit.com or send an email to Dianne@lovelivingfit.com.

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(c) Copyright - Dianne Orwig. All Rights Reserved Worldwide

You've seen the articles... "The best exercise for six pack abs!" or "Do this workout routine for thinner thighs in 30 days!" I know it seems logical that if you work a certain body part, you can expect that part to change, but I want you to know that these types of claims are completely bogus.

Let's just lay to rest, once and for all, the myth that doing extra leg lifts can somehow force the fat off your thighs or that hundreds of crunches can help melt the body fat from around your waist line. I wish that's how it worked (it would make my life a lot easier) but the truth is, there is no specific exercise that has the ability to target a specific area of fat.  
 

The Myth of the Magical Exercise
The idea of targeting specific pockets of fat by doing certain exercises, commonly referred to as "spot reduction," remains one of the longest running misconceptions in the weight-loss industry. As hard as it is to believe (even for many fitness professionals) thousands of hours of scientific research have gone into proving that the body just doesn't operate that way. Bummer, I know... but here's some good news. If your workout routine includes the right balance of strength training, cardio and, most importantly, proper nutrition, eventually, your body fat will have no choice but to leave the premises, love handles, thunder thighs, belly fat and all. Here's how it works:

Who Goes First
Genetics play a large role in where your body releases fat, while your metabolism determines when you will lose it. As you reduce your calories through proper diet and exercise, your body will normally let go of visceral fat first - that's the stuff tucked around your organs. Over time, if you continue to lose, your body will draw more and more from the subcutaneous layer - the fat that sits between the skin and muscle.
 

The primary function of subcutaneous fat is insulation and storage. On most human bodies, this storage system is located around the waist, hips, and thighs. Now, in a perfect world, the body would release fat evenly from head to toe but, because we are built to survive, these "stubborn trouble spots" are usually the last to go.
 

Guaranteed, however, if you persist, this subcutaneous layer will begin to thin out and, eventually, your body will have that lean, athletic, ready-for-the-beach look! The key, of course, is focus, intention, consistency and persistence.
 

So the next time you find yourself grabbing that flab around your belt, asking the question, "What exercise will get rid of this?" - you have your answer: Proper diet, strength training, cardio, determination and, above all, patience.

Dianne Orwig, CPT, CFC, CYFI, is founder and creator of LivingFit Online. For more information on fitness and nutrition go to www.lovelivingfit.com  
 
To take advantage of our special "Get Fit This Summer" program and receive the full 16-week LivngFit Online transformation program, plus lots of great bonuses, visit www.lovelivingfit.com/The_LFO_Store.html

Let's lay to rest, once and for all, the myth that doing extra leg lifts can somehow force the fat off your thighs or that hundreds of crunches can help melt the body fat from around your waist line.

The idea of targeting specific areas of fat by doing certain exercises, commonly referred to as "spot reduction," remains one of the longest running misconceptions in the weight-loss industry. As difficult as it is to believe (even for many fitness professionals) thousands of hours of scientific research have gone into proving that the body just doesn't work that way. Bummer, I know, but here's the good news. If your workout routine includes the right balance of strength training, cardio and proper nutrition, your body will, ultimately, let go of all that unwanted fat, love handles, thunder thighs and belly fat alike. Here's how it works:

WHO GOES FIRST

Genetics play a large role in where your body releases fat, while your metabolism determines when you will lose it. As you reduce your calories through proper diet and exercise, your body will normally let go of visceral fat first - that's the stuff tucked around your organs. Eventually, if you continue to lose, your body will draw from the subcutaneous layer - the fat that sits between the skin and muscle.

The primary function of subcutaneous fat is insulation and storage. Unfortunately, the storage system, typically located around your waist, thighs and hips, is usually the last to go. In a perfect world, the body would release fat evenly from head to toe. However, that's not always how it goes. The fact is, the precise location of where your body releases fat is determined by the unique make up of your DNA. This explains why, if you carry the same percentage of body fat as your parents, you will tend to have the same body shape. Lose the fat, and you may look nothing alike.

So the next time you find yourself grabbing that flab around your belt, asking the question, "What exercise will get rid of this?"- you have your answer: Proper diet, strength training, cardio, determination and, above all, patience.

Dianne Orwig CPT, CFC, CYFI

Dianne is founder and creator of Living Fit Online

For more information about her 12-week transformation program, please visit www.LoveLivingFit.com or www.LivingFitSeminars.com