Getting A Flat Stomach - Cardio Versus Weight Training Discussed

Getting a flat stomach is a goal that many people share. Unfortunately, it is often times challenging.

The most difficult part of the process is knowing where to start. With all the conflicting advice out there, it’s impossible to know what kind of exercise you need to do to get the stomach of your dreams.

When it comes to obtaining a taut tummy, there are two types of exercises commonly used. They are cardio exercise and weight training.

Cardio exercise is any form of activity that raises your heart rate significantly. Common forms of cardio include jogging, swimming, and riding a bicycle.

Weight training, on the other hand, uses either external weight or body weight to put pressure on the muscles in the body. If done correctly, weight training breaks down the muscles.

The body then rebuilds them, but makes them bigger and stronger than before. Both of these exercise types affect the stomach area differently.

In terms of weight training, abdominal exercises like sit-ups, crunches, and plank position are the most common exercises for those in the process of getting a flat stomach. Luckily, they directly affect the stomach in a positive way. One such example would be the way they tighten the abdominal muscles.

Very tight muscles will help flatten out the stomach, and the sides of your torso. Building muscle of any kind helps to burn fat, so weight training can help get rid of some excess fat.

On the downside, if you have significant body fat around your midsection, doing weight training ab exercises can actually make you look bigger. This is because as the muscle grows, it sticks out slightly, giving lean people what’s commonly referred to as a “six pack”.

If too much body fat is covering the ab muscles, the muscles push against the fat, causing the fat to bulge out. Because of this, weight training works best for people who are already thin and only need toning and tightening to achieve their goals.

Cardio is quite the opposite from weight training as it does not focus directly on the abdominal muscles. That doesn’t mean, however, that it isn’t helpful in its own way.

Cardio works by making the body burn fat. Depending on what kind of activity is being done, the body will burn anywhere from 40 to 75 percent fat. This is helpful in getting rid of excess stomach fat. In fact, intense cardio exercise is sometimes the only way to get rid of the stubborn fat that likes to attach itself to the abdominal muscles.

The problem with cardio is the fact that it does nothing to help with muscle strength or skin turgor. After the excess fat is removed, the skin may be stretched out, or the muscles may be small. Most often it is a combination of the two. The result is a flabby stomach rather than a flat one.

Cardio and weight training both have their advantages and disadvantages when it comes to getting a flat stomach. The great thing is they work synergistically. Basically, they make up for each others short falls. When a tight and taut stomach is what’s desired, doing both of these exercise types together is the best way to go.

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