Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Women With Abs Resistance Train

By Robert Casewood

Not a few decades ago, only men could be found in gyms and fitness centers of the world working on their abs and their physiques. Women found exercise in a few select sports and dancing. Times have changed and now members of "the weaker sex" can even be found competing in contact sports like boxing and the MMA.

As such, women that frequent fitness gyms nowadays rival men in numbers. What was once believed to be "macho" for men- lean, well-defined bodies and shredded midsections are now sexy for women also.

Modern pop idols like Jessica Alba, Audrina Partridge and Alyssa Milano all exude a boyish charm that no doubt made them popular. They also sported at one time or another during their successful careers, six-pack abs that were without doubt sculpted by hours of pumping iron and sweating it out in the gym.

Modern culture's emphasis on being fit has women working-out as hard as men in fighting belly fat and getting and maintaining six-pack abs. An overwhelming number of both men and women are snapping-up ab machines, diet books and gimmicks in the quest for getting that much sought-after six pack.

Creams and ointments that are advertised to spot-reduce belly fat, diet shakes and abdominal exercise gadgets that promise to give you a six-pack in a few weeks for just "minutes a day"- these are all gobbled-up by desperate gym buffs trying to find the quickest path to six-pack glory.

These women that really have no professional insight into burning body fat realize soon after receiving their mail orders that all they paid for was more frustration and no six-pack abs. Any fitness expert worth his salt will tell you there is really no way to spot-reduce belly fat. Lose all-around body fat first and belly fat will follow.

Experts have determined that the shortest path for women (and men, for that matter) in getting those six-packs out is through a combo of aerobic total body exercise and resistance training. Cardio exercises that keep the heart rate steady just below the anaerobic threshold (when it's hard to talk without sounding like Darth Vader) eliminate body fat the fastest and weight-training elevates the body's metabolism by increasing muscle tissue.

Total body cardiovascular exercises that keep the heart rate around 60-70% of the maximum burns the most calories from the body's fat stores. A lot of women lose weight from improper exercise and dieting not knowing they're losing muscle tissue as well. - 16004

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