Philosophies Behind 6 Pack Abs
Getting 6 pack abs means eliminating enough belly fat to expose the contours of the muscle tissues around the abdomen. Since fat can't really be spot-reduced through exercise, the trick is to just work on shedding all-around body fat through calorie burn. Programs that include some form of cardio exercises are proven to be the fastest way to achieve this.
Though there's little contest about the effectiveness of combining resistance training and aerobic exercises for developing a lean, shredded midsection, there is some debate as to which type of cardio exercises to do. Building muscle raises the metabolism and cardio exercise burn calories from body fat.
There's low intensity cardio exercise and those done at high intensity (around 90% of the maximum heart rate). The low-intensity theory is has more followers because although workout sessions are longer, they're relatively easier and so beginners, the aged and obese can execute them.
The second reason low intensity cardio exercisers have a larger following even in expert circles is because study after study has proven that these are most effective in targeting body fat as the sole source of caloric energy. When exercising at high intensity levels, the body starts to access glycogen stores in our muscles.
The stored form of carbohydrates in muscle tissue is known as glycogen and it is needed in proper muscle formation. In losing weight and getting 6 pack abs, it is important to maintain as much muscle as possible because it helps keep the body's metabolism high.
Experts who swear by high-intensity cardio exercise for forming 6 pack abs say the sheer amount of calories burned working out hard offsets glycogen loss which can be replenished through post workout food. Of course, the faster the calorie-burn, the shorter the workout sessions.
High intensity folks also say hard cardio exercise causes muscle development because it works the whole body hard. In addition, intense workouts kick-up the body's metabolic rate hours after leaving the gym. The more calories spent throughout the day, more fat loss and faster 6 pack abs.
Low-intensity exercises may not be for people that are on a tight schedule because aside from hour-long sessions, it takes a full 10 minutes for the fat-burning effect to kick-in after beginning the workout. Intense cardio exercises, although more potent in the calorie-burn department may not be for everyone because of its difficulty.
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