By Anthony Noud
How many women (and men) want less stomach fat? A lean and toned tummy clearly displaying the countless years you have spent doing sit ups, crunches, oblique twists and a million other abdominal exercises… After all, that’s how you get those abs of steel don’t you?
Also on the hit list are “tuckshop lady arms”, “bingo wings” or similar affectionate nicknames for that extra bit of fat found on the upper arm- usually around the triceps – that women seem to like to point out that it wobbles when they wave goodbye. Common sense would dictate that in order to lose weight from your arms you need to exercise your arms…to get skinnier thighs one must work lots of legs….or my personal favourite, people carrying clearly visible abdominal fat dismissing my suggestions in exchange for “working my core” or suggesting “lets do abs” because “I am happy with my legs, I want a flatter tummy so I have to do abs”.
Let’s take a look at the fat itself. Women tend to carry fat on the hips, bottom, thighs and stomach as well as on the backs of the arms. This is subcutaneous fat (underneath the skin) and is initially stored as “reproductive emergency” fat or the emergency supply of fat/energy needed for a baby to grow.. This usually results in the appearance of a “pear shaped” body.
Most men on the other hand tend to build up visceral fat, first being stored around the abdominal area. This is the fat that surrounds internal organs… ever hear of central obesity? Think heart disease and diabetes. This is visually most evident in those males with a “beer gut”- a tendency to carry excess fat around the abdomen, (often A LOT) yet remain quite lean elsewhere. This can sometimes be known as an “apple shaped” body. These are only the predominant patterns, both “apple” and “pear” can be found in both genders. I personally find myself built like a “Greek grandma” (that’s my technical term) with my body preferring to store fat around my hips, bum and thighs.
As you can see, where your fat is stored is firstly determined by your sex, but it also comes down to your genetics and hormones. I have quite often heard a friend of mine say, “this is going straight to my hips” as she eats a particularly high fat/calorie food. So how do I get it OFF my hips and gone for good I hear you ask?
Generally speaking, and in an unkind, ironic twist of nature, the place where you first notice fat arriving on your body will be the last place for it to disappear from. The only way to reduce fat from one area is to reduce TOTAL body fat. That means that to lose the fat off your stomach, you do the exact same thing you would to lose fat from your arms…. You reduce or adjust your food intake and increase your output or do MORE effective exercise. Everyone who has ever tried to lose weight wishes there was another way around it, but there isn’t. You can’t choose where you lose your fat from, your genetics and hormones have total control here. So yes, for women your breasts will probably shrink before your bum does.
For a simple and effective approach to losing significant excess fat (9kg+), look at it as if you are peeling layers from an onion, rather than reducing fat from a targeted area of the body. You are reducing fat from the entire body as a whole, bit by bit. For every cm that comes off your bust, remember that cm also represents fat coming off your back and by doing so, you are well on the way to losing that unwanted fat from the areas on your hit list. As with all weight loss you need to be patient and stick to your exercise and food plan.
For those of you with less than 5kg’s to lose this becomes a trickier, more complicated endeavor- (and something in which i specialise). It is not uncommon for slim women to carry a fat deposit around the navel, or have a washboard stomach while still carrying extra fat on the thighs and bum. Again, we are all limited by our genetics to a certain extent but that doesn’t mean that you can’t have your very own best body.
The last few kilos (no matter on which area of the body they may reside) require a new level of expertise with regard to training intensity, diet and then a commitment to consistency in sticking to all of the above. This is where the real fun begins because once you have shed most of your unwanted fat, you now DO have some control over the shape and proportion of your body. You can concentrate on and target specific muscle groups for a leaner and more toned look, think a firm bum that sits higher on your frame, taut and shapely arms and shoulders connected to a Décolletage fit to suit the lowest of necklines, all supported by sweeping lats (outer back muscles) creating symmetry with your hips and thighs while narrowing your waist. For men, think super ripped abs, massive boulder shoulders and chest, with equally impressive biceps and calves. All of this can be achieved through weight and resistance training. Add in a tailor made, clean diet, coupled with regular cardio to burn excess fat and you will be well on your way to having the best body you can achieve!
Although it is unfortunate that there is no secret herb or magical exercise program that will help target stubborn fat in specific unwanted, areas, all hope is not lost, continue on or begin to partake in a regular and effective exercise program, prepared and executed in conjunction with a clean, nutrient rich diet on a consistent and regular basis and you will be well on your way to your fat loss/body shape goals.
If you have found you are experiencing a plateau, a lack of motivation or are simply overwhelmed and unsure of where to start, contact me via email anthony@purehealthclubs.com.au or come see me at PURE health clubs http://www.purehealthclubs.com.au and lets get started creating your best body ever…a truly exquisite physique!
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