I think we have all have one part of our bodies that isn’t our favorite. For me, I am least fond of my stomach.

In a perfect world, we could do exercises for that particular area, and the fat around it would melt right off. But, in case you haven’t noticed yet (you lucky duck, you!), this is not a perfect world.

In the video, I mention a blog I wrote a while ago about the best workout for ____, and you can see that here!

I also mention that I prefer slow moving cardio, yoga, and strength training as workouts, especially with fat loss in mind. Here’s an explanation!

[Tweet “Can I spot-reduce fat? Via @Mandelicious”]

Strength Training 

Many people feel like strength training might be counter-intuitive for weight/fat loss, because building muscle makes you bigger/bulkier, and some people even worry about looking like a body builder.

Here are my thoughts on that:

Sooo…. Yeah. Basically, the more muscle you have, the more fat your body will burn. Unless you’re lifting with a very specified program and eating an extremely meticulous diet plan DESIGNED to increase your mass, (and probably also taking supplements with the same goal in mind), you are NOT going to suddenly look like Starla over here.

(Not that there is anything whatsoever wrong with looking like Starla – I just know it’s not for everyone!)

Slow Moving Cardio

As for cardio, so many people seem to think that if they don’t want to die by the end, it isn’t working, and that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Simply put, when you are between 55-85% of your maximum heart rate, you are burning fat, which is obviously ideal! Brisk walking, casual dancing, yoga, and other activities that are of a similar level of exertion put you in that level of heart rate!

When you are running or doing extreme cardio, you are burning sugars, which sounds great, but CAN have adverse effects on your progress. How? Because your blood sugar drops, which can make you feel tired and hungry, which can cause you to either over eat, make poor food choices after (that might spike your blood sugar), or both! It also causes a lot of stress on your body and can aggravate injuries or slow them from healing.

Here’s an article that explains it better than I can!

By the way – I am not saying you should NEVER run, just don’t overdo it! A good sprint every 7-10 days is great for you, whether that sprint is a running one, on a bike, or another intense cardio workout!

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xoxo,

Mandie

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