Should I "build muscle" or "lose fat" if my abdominal muscles cannot be released? Experts reveal one trick to "burn fat + build muscle" to burn off calories and reduce body fat
Why can’t my abdominal muscles come out? Should we “build muscle” first or “lose fat” first?
Regardless of men and women, everyone hopes to have obvious abdominal muscles, but they are unable to get rid of abdominal fat. Hu Xiaoxin, the director of Good Habits Exercise Classroom and a fitness coach, said that our abdominal muscles are actually hidden under fat. “Excessive body fat” is the main reason why abdominal muscles cannot be seen.
Hu Xiaoxin pointed out that for ordinary men, if they want to have abdominal muscles without exerting force and relaxing their body, their body fat rate needs to be maintained at around 12%. If the abdominal muscles can be seen when tightening with a little force, the body fat rate also needs to be controlled between 16% and 18%. Therefore, if you want your abdominal muscles to “reappear”, reducing your body fat rate is the most important key.
What’s the most effective way to burn fat? Is “high-intensity interval training” useful?
Hu Xiaoxin pointed out that the body’s caloric intake and consumption are like a “seesaw”, which will affect the body fat rate. When you take in too many calories, your body will accumulate fat and it will be difficult for your abdominal muscles to show up. As long as you reduce your caloric intake and increase your consumption, you will slowly be able to reduce body fat and have the opportunity to see abdominal muscle lines.
Hu Xiaoxin said that there are two most effective ways to exercise to burn body fat. The first is to achieve slight panting and the longer the better; the second is to use high-intensity intermittent exercise to increase caloric consumption by alternating between quick sprints and rest. Especially suitable for situations where training time is limited. However, usually high-intensity exercise cannot last for more than 23 minutes, and the physical burden is relatively large. The training method should be determined based on your own physical strength and body fat status or consulting a coach.
Can resistance training also burn fat? Does “circuit training” burn calories faster?
Exercise intensity and time will affect the efficiency of fat burning. Coach Hu Xiaoxin said that only exercising to the point of panting means that cardiorespiratory endurance and blood circulation have improved, which will increase the body’s rate of burning calories. As for muscle strength training and weight training, you can quickly feel your muscles tightening.
Therefore, if you want to perform muscle strength training and burn calories at the same time, you can adopt the “circuit training” mode. First, exercise the chest muscles, thighs, biceps, and posterior grooves of the front thighs. The muscle strength training movements are performed alternately, which can not only increase the Blood circulation can also burn calories, and at the same time achieve the effect of firming muscles.
How long does it take to retrain without losing weight? Is it healthy to be so thin that you have abdominal muscles?
Although many people lose weight in a short period of time through increased exercise intensity, they are prone to gain weight again due to insufficient muscle mass. Coach Hu Xiaoxin said that to reduce the chance of regaining weight, it is best to continue muscle strength training for 3 to 6 months so that the body can grow enough muscle and the metabolic rate will naturally increase. Even if you maintain the same diet, it will be easier to maintain your body shape because of the increased muscle mass.
However, some people have abdominal muscles but are built like lean ribs. Coach Hu Xiaoxin reminded that these groups may have poor nutrient intake and muscle growth due to gastrointestinal problems, hormonal secretion, etc. They should consult doctors and nutritionists for advice, or take additional nutritional supplements. It’s not healthy to be too thin just to have abs.
How to reduce body fat if it is too high? Which type of training is suitable?
Coach Hu Xiaoxin pointed out that if your body fat is above 25%-30%, it is recommended to lose weight first and focus on aerobic exercise to avoid excessive accumulation of fat in visceral tissues, which can easily cause inflammation of the body.
People with body fat below 25% are recommended to use circuit training. Relevant studies have also pointed out that circuit training can reduce the incidence of diabetes, increase insulin sensitivity, and maintain blood sugar stability.
If you have a training foundation and are physically strong, but you have just regained weight or recently gained weight due to eating and drinking, you can quickly increase your caloric consumption through high-intensity intermittent exercise, and you can quickly return to your best condition.
