Woodlands Fitness Centre

Can you target specific areas to burn off unwanted fat?

Thursday 19th September 2013

I'm always being asked by members to show them exercises to help them burn off unwanted fat on specific areas, normally the belly, bum and hips. Sadly you cannot target specific areas to burn off unwanted fat. Many magazines and articles lead you to believe that if you do 100 sit-ups a day you will have a flat tummy. The body works as a whole system, and only by addressing the whole system (nutrition, lean muscle mass, energy output, metabolism) will improvements come. The body burns fat from all over, so resistance training all body areas will start to tone and increase overall lean muscle mass and burn fat from all over.

Muscles that are toned are on standby all day, and burn more energy. In our previous article we talked about the all-important metabolic rate, and how lean muscle mass influences it. By resistance training you will begin to increase this mass ans so are starting up an engine that will be using fat all day.

If you do start to reduce your calorie intake to lose weight, the silver lining is that as you are placing demands on the muscles the body must hold on to them-starvation response is avoided and the only source of energy left is fat.

There are even more benefits-as we age our bones become more brittle and porous, but weight training reverses this process and makes the bones adapt to stimulus. This ensures your bones retain their vital strength. The earlier you start the better, but even at the age of 90 resistance training can give dramatic improvements in bone density.

You will also stabilise the joints, improving your balance and co-ordination. All the joints are held together and supported by the muscles-the stronger they are then the stronger and more stable your joints are. Weights also improve the way your brain communicates with your muscles, making you more co-ordinated. They similarly improve the fast twitch fibres that you use when reacting quickly. This is the key to good reflexes and will help if you ever have to brake suddenly in the car or step out of the way of a bus!.

Gym. Health club. Personal training. Classes. Zumba. Pilates.
Matlock. Bakewell. Baslow. Derbyshire.

The Woodlands Fitness Centre Ltd
A: Unit 29, Peak Village Estate, Chatsworth Road, Rowsley, Derbyshire, DE4 2JE
T: (01629) 733 123
E: Woodlandsfitness@yahoo.co.uk
W: www.Woodlandsfitnessrowsley.co.uk