Weight Loss Tips - 5 Easy Exercises To Target The Tummy

If you're looking to start up a workout program to slim the tummy and get rid of your love handles, performing the right exercises will be key.  By fully challenging all the muscles surrounding the core region, you can see better fat burning benefits and really get that toned look that you're going for.

Unfortunately though, many women spend far too much time on exercises that won't deliver, which is why it's definitely worth your time and effort to learn those that will.  By including the following five exercises in your program more often, you will see much faster progress.


Let's have a look at the main ones to consider.

The Plank

The very first exercise to include is the plank.  The plank should always be a standby in your ab workout because not only is it going to work the abs, but it'll also work all the muscles lining the back as well.

To perform it simply place the forearms on the floor underneath the body with the legs stretched out behind you, balancing on your toes.  When in this position keep your body as flat as possible so you resemble that of a table top.

Hold this for 30-60 seconds, or until you can no longer maintain proper form.

Crunches On An Exercise Ball

Next up on our list of exercises to target your tummy are crunches on an exercise ball.  These are fantastic for calling the muscle fibers deep within the core into play.  Due to the reduced base of support underneath you, you're going to have to work that much harder to maintain balance.
Try and perform a set of 12 reps at a time before taking a rest and continuing on.

Lying Leg Raises

Third, leg raises are the next exercise to include.  These are fantastic for working the lower abdominal muscles, which tends to be problematic for most women. 

To perform them, lie flat on the ground and then slowly lift the legs up off the floor and bring them to ninety degrees.  Pause for a second and then lower so they're just about touching the floor again.

Don't let them come completely down however as this will really reduce the tension on the abs and the goal is to keep them in a constantly contracted state.

The Bicycle

The bicycle is another excellent tummy exercise that will firm those love handles quickly.  To perform this one lift the legs slightly above the ground while you bring one knee into the chest.  While doing so, simultaneously twist the body so the opposite side comes to meet that knee and then reverse directions for the next rep.

Perform ten reps for each side in a row and then relax again before doing a second set.

Accordion Sit-Ups

Finally, the last tummy toner you should be doing is the accordion sit-up.  These are very simple and straightforward.  First, get into a flat lying position on the floor. 

From there, bring the upper body up while you bring the knees up to meet it at the same time.  In essence, it should look like you're an accordion as you do this movement.

Pause at the top and then lower back down again.

So there you have the top tummy toners that will quickly firm up your stomach and help you see faster results. If you can combine all of these three times a week with a good appetite suppressant such as Phen375 to help you maintain your lower calorie diet, it won't be long before you have your own set of toned abs.

About Fat - Body Fat And Cholesterol: What's The Connection

It's no secret that if you're overweight, you're going to suffer from a number of negative health risks.  Everything from high blood pressure to the development of diabetes to a higher incidence of stroke can be linked to being obese or overweight.

But, one connection that sometimes goes overlooked is that of body fat levels to your cholesterol levels.

Let's take a closer look at what this is all about.

The Diet That You're Eating
The very first thing that you need to consider regarding your body fat level and how it relates to your cholesterol is how you gained that body fat in the first place – the diet that you eat daily.

Those who are quite obese and who are carrying an excess of body fat often got this way because they are eating far too much fast and convenience food.

They didn't get that way because their diet was too full of fresh fruits and vegetables along with whole grains and lean proteins as these foods are naturally lower in calories and you just wouldn't eat enough of them to accumulate that degree of excess body fat.

Because of the types of foods they're eating, this means they will have higher intakes of saturated fat and cholesterol, therefore this will cause their overall cholesterol level to go up.

While in a few very rare cases if someone was feasting on healthy fats (such as consuming high quantities of nuts, nut butters, and healthy oils) each day in addition to their usual diet that could cause them to become overweight without suffering high cholesterol, those cases are far in between.


The Lack Of Exercise

The second major reason why being overweight or obese can cause you to have high cholesterol levels is because the second thing that most of these individuals are doing is not exercising.

Being overweight is attributed to too many calories coming in while too few calories are going out. This is accomplished through that higher calorie diet along with the lack of physical activity to burn those excess calories off.

Those who are exercising regularly and who are still at a slightly higher body weight may not see nearly the same degree of blood cholesterol levels as those who aren't.

Exercise does help to combat high cholesterol levels so this on its own will definitely provide some benefits.

Even still, if you're exercising but eating a diet high in saturated fat you're still going to be running into problems as far as your overall cholesterol profile goes.

So there you have the information you need about the connection between having high body fat levels and having a high cholesterol level. It's vital that you do take your body fat level seriously so that you can gain control over it and avoid all the negative health consequences that come with high cholesterol.