Lose that Excess body Fat

Billions of people gawk and fantasize about them when they see them on billboards, on the pages of GQ or Vogue on MTV and on the silver screen. Indeed, six pack abs adorning the midsections of models and actors are a sight to behold and who would not want their own?

Watching movies and TV, it’s easy to think that America is filled with physically fit men and women with lean, shredded abs. Sadly, like most things on the silver screen and on the boob tube, this is just fiction.

Recent data from the CDCP (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) show that sixty-six percent of adults in the United States are actually overweight and almost half of that (32%) are already suffering from obesity. It all comes from the lifestyles we have- watching too much TV or sitting back on the computer chair surfing for hours.

Sad but true that the very things that are supposed to give us a better quality life- the internet, instant food and cable TV are causing us to become inactive and unhealthy. Indeed, maintaining a lean and sculpted body is becoming increasingly difficult at this day and age.

You know what? We aren’t at all helpless. It may seem impossible but getting lean enough to get a well-defined six pack on our midsections is just a matter of finding the right workout that fits with a tight schedule.

Exercises that increase total body strength build muscle mass of course, but did you know that muscle-building exercises also lead to a higher Basal Metabolic Rate? Our BMR dictates how much calories our body uses up while maintaining basic body functions like breathing, heartbeat and other organ and muscle functions.

Our basal metabolic rate is our normal rate of metabolism- when we’re at rest. The high percentage of calories it consumes means raising our BMR through regular exercise will result in more calories burned during and even after our workouts. The key to rapid fat-loss is using-up more calories than we get from the food we eat.

Another great thing about exercising to build strength is that if it’s done intense enough, the daily calorie deficit produced by boosting our metabolism and during the actual workout will enable us to keep eating modestly. Since eating has become part of our emotional as well as our physical needs, it’s ultimately easier (not to mention more enjoyable) to hit the gym and adopt a regular exercise regimen rather than restricting our diet.