I'm a fairly skinny guy, about 5'11", 170 pounds, but I've got a belly coming in and I want to get rid of it ASAP. I go to the gym maybe once a week and do about 20 minutes on the elliptical and lift weights for about 40. I want to know what sort of exercises I should focus on if I want to get rid of it. I'm not interested in weight loss. My diet kinda sucks, I do try to eat healthy and I'm doing my best to cut down on eating out. Somebody please tell me the best way to do this i need to start looking for a girlfriend and i dont want to have a belly

10/23/2007 8:48:28 PM

just do alot of crunches !!!

10/23/2007 8:49:19 PM

ugh.. crunches... i can usually do about 25 before giving out. how should i do them please guys i need tips on improving my workout

10/23/2007 8:52:17 PM

i'm joking dude. don't do crunches.
get off the eliptical, eliptical is for bitches or fat guys with bad joint.
start running if you want to lose weight. 20 minutes on the treadmill is good...do it more than once a week.
and most importantly, weightlift. Go to bodybuilders.com and getcha read on

10/23/2007 8:54:59 PM

heres what i did

i was in no way a fatty though, but did have a little pouch

lift weights 3 times a week, be sure to do the crunches though, uf you cant do but 25 do 25 then after your workout do 25 more, get to doing about 100 a day...do inclined, side bridges, bicycles, and leg raises

run...and run about 30 minutes at the time


the key is your diet though, stop drinking carbonated drinks, stop eating fried stuff, u can eat fried stuff like once a week...no trans fats, alot of greens and proteins eating 6 times a day.


a great book is the abs diet.

but thats a preview

10/23/2007 9:00:47 PM

you cant target fat in a certain area with excercise. fat will diminsh where it wants to. weights will define but you have to do general cardio/weights/eating right to lose the fat

running is the fastest & easiest. dont overdo it or you'll lose interest

10/23/2007 9:09:46 PM

and no more beer

10/23/2007 9:35:33 PM

lay off the bon bons.

10/23/2007 9:41:34 PM

if you drink alcohol, then cut back as much as possible. alcohol is notorious for packing fat around your abdomen and internal organs.

you seem confused about what you want; you say you don't want to lose weight but also say you want to get rid of excess fat in your gut. The way to do that is by losing weight with diet and cardio. You're not going to be able to put on muscle and trim away the belly at the same time, so pick one or the other. You sound like getting rid of the gut is your biggest concern, so focus on that first. Go to the gym more often and focus more time on the elliptical. 20 minutes once a week isn't going to cut it. you should try to do 30-45 minute sessions at a minimum when doing cardio, and get in there 4-5 times a week.

there's nothing wrong with an elliptical trainer. you can burn calories just as well on an elliptical as you can running, and with less stress on your joints too. your body will thank you 30 years from now for making that decision.

10/23/2007 10:11:50 PM

i disagree that elliptical is as good as running

its definitely better for the joints

nothing is wrong with running as long as you have a good diet so you dont wreck your bones and joints and are paying attention to any problems you run into. you can take suppliments for joint pain that minimizes it. also, strech and listen to your body. if it hurts, stop!

running will work faster than the elliptical. if you're looking for short term results run then do the elliptical to maintain but you'll have to do it for longer than you run

and yes cutting out alcohol, soda and sugars will be the best way to trim down

also drink 64oz of water a day (64oz = 2 large nalgenes)

[Edited on October 23, 2007 at 11:01 PM. Reason : sjdfjdshf]

10/23/2007 11:00:16 PM

do not eat before you go to bed, wake up early in the morning and go running before you eat breakfast...this is one of the best ways to "shrink" your stomach so that you don't eat more than you really have to. Eat a good breakfast, it will keep you full for much longer than any other meal...a whole egg with a couple egg whites, yogurt, oatmeal, breakfast is the cheapest and healthiest meal of the day. If you feel that your work out becomes a routine then change it up, i.e. if you run on the elliptical for 30 mins everyday for a month then it is going to become a lot easier, try to so some sprints or a faster paced jog, but for less time. Get yourself some Centrum multivitamins too, with the flu season right around the corner and you cutting weight you will be more likely to get sick.

My personal opinion on working out, if you feel bad and don't want to work out because you are sore, or if you don't like doing a particular exercise because you aren't as good or as strong at it then those are the days and exercises you need to focus on.

Also if you are lifting weights and want to cut some weight then do more reps in each set.

10/23/2007 11:38:17 PM

for me, running just to be running is quite boring. I think jump roping is my favorite form of cardio, then rowing machine. Google HIIT. It'll keep your metabolism going throughout the day instead of just burning calories while you are doing the actual exercise.

10/23/2007 11:39:43 PM

also with a shitty diet but a very good workout plan you can still lose weight, it all depends on how many calories you burn in comparison to how much you intake.

10/23/2007 11:40:17 PM

fitness advise from the majority of tww.......

*carl face*

10/23/2007 11:44:34 PM

eat healthier, run, crunches, row machine.


thats all you really need. Or pick up a sport like soccer where you run a lot.

10/23/2007 11:45:23 PM

we need to see your stomach, Wolfy, for comparison's sake

10/23/2007 11:52:24 PM

pix plz

[Edited on October 23, 2007 at 11:59 PM. Reason : ]

10/23/2007 11:57:47 PM

Quote :

"You're not going to be able to put on muscle and trim away the belly at the same time, so pick one or the other."

you have no clue what you are talking about.

10/24/2007 1:34:12 AM

Quote :

"I go to the gym maybe once a week and do about 20 minutes on the elliptical and lift weights for about 40. I want to know what sort of exercises I should focus on if I want to get rid of it. I'm not interested in weight loss. My diet kinda sucks"

going to the gym for an hour per week is pretty much a waste of an hour.

and if your diet sucks, it will be all but impossible to get defined, even if you work out a lot.

10/24/2007 1:36:08 AM

i've found that while diet and cardio are important, working those muscles around the midsection will help to melt a few inches off.

hanging leg raises destroy most other ab workouts, and i feel like they are relatively low impact. there are some variations on them, like the "windshield wiper" that target oft unused muscles, or at least ones that i don't use.

10/24/2007 1:46:04 AM

Hey guess what, i get a great ABZ workout doing deads, squats, rows/pullups, and presses.

Nothing beats the olys for ABZ or even better gymnastic style bodyweight work...various planches, standing overhead presses, levers etc etc etc

Seeing your ABZS is a result of having enough lean body mass and low bodyfat.

My recommendation is to clean up your diet and focus on gaining lean body mass by lifting.

I'd give you some links for workouts and diet help, but I'm not going to get through to you either because of A. some other asshat's post, B. you don't like what I'm telling you, C. you don't care, D. you are scared of work, or E. i don't really care to post it right now.

Do you even know what your caloric needs for maintaining right now are, or what you currently take in?



[Edited on October 24, 2007 at 2:00 AM. Reason : ]

10/24/2007 1:58:41 AM

what the fuck is ABZ

10/24/2007 2:14:54 AM

Its my sarcarstic nickname for abs or abnominal muscles or rectus abdominus/traverse abdominus/internal and external obliques...



[Edited on October 24, 2007 at 2:30 AM. Reason : ]

10/24/2007 2:23:31 AM

PM me for a work out, f15smtd.











AHAHAHAHA, why do dudes say that shit? And then they go into this actually genuine speech about how they really read somewhere what a good workout sex can be. Like, you're shaving years off your life by not having sex with them.

10/24/2007 3:14:23 AM

Nothing beats a thread full of misinformation!

10/24/2007 3:21:08 AM

Quote :

"you have no clue what you are talking about. "

what I said is completely correct, so apparently you don't know what the fuck you are arguing about. the body doesn't gain weight and lose weight simultaneously - our hormonal system won't allow it.

10/24/2007 9:59:42 AM

Quote :

"i disagree that elliptical is as good as running its definitely better for the joints nothing is wrong with running as long as you have a good diet so you dont wreck your bones and joints and are paying attention to any problems you run into. you can take suppliments for joint pain that minimizes it. also, strech and listen to your body. if it hurts, stop! running will work faster than the elliptical. if you're looking for short term results run then do the elliptical to maintain but you'll have to do it for longer than you run"

if you're not burning calories at the same rate when on an elliptical as compared to running, then crank up the resistance and speed up! it doesn't have anything to do with the exercise not being as good for you. an elliptical with both arm and leg movements will allow most people to burn more calories than they are capable of burning by running for any extended period of time. The continuous motion of an elliptical is what allows this to happen.

You wouldn't try to claim that running is better than swimming, would you? Swimming burns more calories because of the continuous flow of the motions combined with resistance. Same concept for ellipticals.

10/24/2007 10:04:58 AM

Quote :

"You wouldn't try to claim that running is better than swimming, would you? Swimming burns more calories because of the continuous flow of the motions combined with resistance. Same concept for ellipticals."

Hrm. This is an incorrect statement. Just because you lack the efficiency in your stroke to swim effectively, doesn't mean you have to be "windmilling."

Advanced swimmers all know that we strive to achieve DPS or distance per stroke. Basically, we're striving to reduce the drag and maximize our glide phase. I can push off the wall and glide halfway down the length of the pool, can you do that with running?

Personally, I'm able to achieve a much higher HR than I could swimming. This isn't to say one is better than the other. This is apples and oranges.

I think you are all taking the wrong approach to this. It's not which exercise burns more calories is better. It's an exercise that will keep you moving and improve your cardiorespiratory fitness and overall sense of well-being that is the best. If you find you love to swim, swim. If you love running, run. Don't let others choose which exercise you should or shouldn't do. You should discover which exercise matches your needs/goals, etc. There is no one answer.

10/24/2007 11:24:54 AM

no need to get wet,
just run brah

10/24/2007 11:30:42 AM

but just like i mentioned that if you constantly do something then your body will get used to it and you it will become less effective. If you swim 10 laps a day everyday for a month then I guarantee you that on day 30 after swimming 10 laps you won't be tired at all. To assume that people on TWW don't know shit about working out is just plain ignorant, and to say that none of the advice given is accurate is just plain stupid.

10/24/2007 11:35:10 AM

Quote :

"I think you are all taking the wrong approach to this. It's not which exercise burns more calories is better. It's an exercise that will keep you moving and improve your cardiorespiratory fitness and overall sense of well-being that is the best. "

that wasn't the point of my statement. I was stating why the logic being put forth about running being superior to an elliptical is unfounded. What you claim about swimming efficiency is true, but most people who swim for cardiovascular health wouldn't focus on lap speed or getting their heart rate as high as possible. You don't have to get your heart pounding out of your chest to obtain cardiovascular health and/or lose weight.

I explained why ellipticals are fine because the original poster stated he was currently using an elliptical. Apparently he is OK with using this equipment currently, so I was simply pointing out why he should continue to use it.

10/24/2007 12:55:43 PM

Quote :

"To assume that people on TWW don't know shit about working out is just plain ignorant, and to say that none of the advice given is accurate is just plain stupid. "

agreed...but that problem is that no one will admit that they really don't know what they are talking about, so if you really are clueluess and ask for help, you're going to get 230498234908 different "expert" opinions which all contradict each other.

10/24/2007 12:59:21 PM

Quote :

"I go to the gym maybe once a week "

There is your first problem. Granted once >>>> none.

You should be getting some kinda exercise 3-4 times a week. I go for two days of lifting sometimes 3 and 2-3 days of some kinda recreational/run/physical activity that gets the heart rate up for an extended period.

10/24/2007 1:00:41 PM

Quote :

""You're not going to be able to put on muscle and trim away the belly at the same time, so pick one or the other." what I said is completely correct, so apparently you don't know what the fuck you are arguing about. the body doesn't gain weight and lose weight simultaneously - our hormonal system won't allow it. "

I'm pretty sure you can gain muscle mass while losing fat. Exercising/working muscles will build muscle... eating fewer calories than you expend doing said exercises will burn fat. Thus you can maintain your weight (altho the muscle may build faster than you lose fat, or vice versa).

so, wtf are you talking about?

10/24/2007 1:23:12 PM

exercising alone will not build muscle. weight training while the body is in a state of caloric surplus along with sufficient protein intake will cause muscles to grow. the body doesn't lose weight when it's in a caloric surplus though.

A person that doesn't exercise at all and is 50+ pounds overweight might be able to make miniscule gains in muscle size while losing weight their first month in the gym, but that may be nothing more than training their body to be less insulin resistant and to store muscle glycogen easier.

10/24/2007 1:48:58 PM

Quote :

"if you really are clueluess and ask for help, you're going to get 230498234908 different "expert" opinions which all contradict each other."

thats fucking stupid, no one claimed to be an expert in anything, but it doesn't take a fucking rocket scientist to know how to exercise properly and how to maintain a proper diet. You can do anything you want to lose weight, fucking do richard simmons workouts, tae bo, any sort of physical activity will work. So in the end following any of the "contradicting" advice will work, you just have to stick with it.

10/24/2007 2:00:10 PM

thanks for proving my point.

10/24/2007 4:04:13 PM

I don't think that so much proved your point as much as it just stated that everything you believed to be "contradicting" would actually be true.

[Edited on October 24, 2007 at 4:21 PM. Reason : asdf]

10/24/2007 4:18:10 PM

it's pretty simple. if you want to lose weight, just make sure that energy out >>>>> energy in. that's it.

10/24/2007 4:27:14 PM

^FTW

10/24/2007 4:28:58 PM

Elliptical is better for your joints, because most people have shit form when running. If people learn to run with minimum bouncing, they'll get a much better workout from it without ruining their joints.

10/24/2007 5:05:35 PM

Quote :

"My diet kinda sucks"

Quote :

"I go to the gym maybe once a week"

just get off your ass and do it man, after a week or two you'll start to enjoy it

especially when you see results



^(some number) adding muscle may make you gain weight (muscle weight), but it will raise your metabolism and help burn fat simultaneously

[Edited on October 24, 2007 at 5:10 PM. Reason : .]

10/24/2007 5:09:19 PM

Quote :

"what I said is completely correct, so apparently you don't know what the fuck you are arguing about. the body doesn't gain weight and lose weight simultaneously - our hormonal system won't allow it."

now you switched the wording to gain weight instead of gain muscle. nice twist. we are talking about reducing bad weight - fat, not good weight - muscle.

muscles increase resting metabolism and burn fat even when they are resting. if you are doing weight training you will SIMULTANEOUSLY reduce fat, while increasing muscle mass.

[Edited on October 24, 2007 at 5:13 PM. Reason : f]

10/24/2007 5:12:42 PM

also, why don't people swim? quit whining about what machine is better/worse for your joints - just get in the damn pool and start splashing down the lane. heaven forbid your cardio workout involves your upper body

10/24/2007 5:15:17 PM

Quote :

"the body doesn't gain weight and lose weight simultaneously - our hormonal system physics won't allow it"

[Edited on October 24, 2007 at 5:16 PM. Reason : /]

10/24/2007 5:16:05 PM

Quote :

"I think you are all taking the wrong approach to this. It's not which exercise burns more calories is better. It's an exercise that will keep you moving and improve your cardiorespiratory fitness and overall sense of well-being that is the best. If you find you love to swim, swim. If you love running, run. Don't let others choose which exercise you should or shouldn't do. You should discover which exercise matches your needs/goals, etc. There is no one answer."

Best answer yet!

Quote :

"nothing is wrong with running as long as you have a good diet so you dont wreck your bones and joints and are paying attention to any problems you run into."

The damage is already done by the time you start "paying attention to any problems." Wrecked cartilage can't just heal itself with ice, heat, and a week off. The impact of running is probably good for your bones though. Your bones will grow thicker and denser with the proper diet when they are receiving some impact to reinforce the need for stronger bones. Cyclists are notorious for having weak bones despite the fact that they have great diets and work out all the time because they don't get any impact when they're pedaling a bike.

Quote :

"an elliptical with both arm and leg movements will allow most people to burn more calories than they are capable of burning by running for any extended period of time. The continuous motion of an elliptical is what allows this to happen."

I agree. You can burn a lot of calories when you're working your whole body with resistance.

Quote :

"If you swim 10 laps a day everyday for a month then I guarantee you that on day 30 after swimming 10 laps you won't be tired at all."

That "getting used to it" that you're talking about is what other people refer to as "getting in shape." It's kindof the main goal of working out. p.s. You'll also be swimming those 10 laps in less time. You could do something crazy like focus on the time and intensity levels when you're in the pool rather than just the number of laps.

Quote :

"I'm pretty sure you can gain muscle mass while losing fat. Exercising/working muscles will build muscle... eating fewer calories than you expend doing said exercises will burn fat."

As eleusis said, you can make some minimal gains, but nothing to write home about. Your body needs protein and calories to create muscle. Building muscle without calories is like trying to start a fire with gasoline and a spark but no oxygen. It's just not going to happen.

That's why bodybuilders focus on one aspect of training at a time. They cut fat for several weeks, then focus on building muscle for several weeks. During the muscle building phase they might put a little bit of fat back on, but they counter that when they go back into their next fat loss phase.

Quote :

"muscles increase resting metabolism and burn fat even when they are resting. if you are doing weight training you will SIMULTANEOUSLY reduce fat, while increasing muscle mass."

Yes, BUT YOU HAVE TO GET THE MUSCLE FIRST. It doesn't magically appear just because you're working out. You have to feed it and if you feed it you're not going to lose fat at the same time. Building muscle is one of the least efficient ways to lose fat. A pound of muscle might burn 10-15 calories per day in a resting state. Work your ass off, put on 10 pounds of muscle, and you'll lose somewhere around 125 calories per day. At 3500 calories per pound of fat you'll burn one pound of fat per month with that muscle. Great, in a year you can drop 10 pounds; oh but wait you have to spend weeks in the gym building muscle first.

Don't get me wrong...Muscle is great in a ton of ways. It's just not a quick fix to belly flab.

[Edited on October 24, 2007 at 5:24 PM. Reason : l ]

10/24/2007 5:16:39 PM

Quote :

"Yes, BUT YOU HAVE TO GET THE MUSCLE FIRST. It doesn't magically appear just because you're working out. You have to feed it."

it is implied, that your protein intake is adequate. i was arguing the point that you cannot simultaneously lose fat and gain muscle. thats nonsense.

[Edited on October 24, 2007 at 5:21 PM. Reason : f]

10/24/2007 5:21:29 PM

Quote :

"That "getting used to it" that you're talking about is what other people refer to as "getting in shape." It's kindof the main goal of working out. p.s. You'll also be swimming those 10 laps in less time. You could do something crazy like focus on the time and intensity levels when you're in the pool rather than just the number of laps."

If you read my other posts then you would've noticed that I said that...I told him to constantly change his routine when his body started getting used to the workouts.

10/24/2007 5:29:16 PM

eat the right portions, and get good sleep........you burn a ton of calories when you sleep and getting good sleep is starting to become more and more recognized as a way to keep weight off.

10/24/2007 5:32:01 PM

to sum up this thread


get off your ass and workout/run
start a good diet
be consistent
profit

10/24/2007 6:18:18 PM