flat tums ahhh!!!!

[trouble16]

how long does it take to get a fairly flat tummy? the only thing i hate about my body is my tum, i feel its too wobbely, (but not that bad). i call it "controlled flab!!" my gym instuctor has told me to do roughly 20 crunches twice and 15 crunches with your legs off the floor, twice, it realy hurts, but im nt sure if wat im noticing in the change in my figure is true or all in the mind. i run and do a little resistance, but im getting fed up of it and it makes me concious!

help!

xx

[Impret-Sir]

The sad fact is that what you are trying to do will take a lot of time, and effort, it is a lot harder to cause the problem than to cure it. It is a common misconception that crunches etc will remove a layer of flab from your belly. They wont. They will firm/tone/develop, (depending on how many you do and how often) the wall of muscle at the front of your abdomen, but then you will have good toned abs, with a layer of fat over the top! The only way to remove excess flab is by regular airobic exercise, and plenty of it, treadmill running is great, swimming is good, cycling, etc etc, all good for this. Plus, a sensible approach to what you eat, not a mad crash diet, but cutting back on fatty/sugary foods, and staying off them. Combine all of this with your crunches/sit-ups etc, and you will achieve your goals. But I'm afraid it will take a while, dont expect results overnight. PS, your ab exercises should never "really hurt", please make sure you are doing them properly, or you may be doing more harm than good.

[trouble16]

thankyou! are u like a gym instuctor or sumthing its just the way you speak sounds like you know what ur talking about! nope i was just exagerating, they feel like they are working, which is gud. i mean when i first wnt to the gym my tummy ached so bad the next day, but i was o.k and happy cos i felt better (in a stange way!). the only prob is im at college and its full of vending machines and mac donalds! and its cheap, but i tend to eat healthy just at the moment im eating loads of junk cos i aint had a gud week. dat what happens in the world of me! thanx again, but what do u mean "airobic" its a new word to me! thanx

x

[Impret-Sir]

I have been involved with fitness training for about 15 years. The term aerobic exercise refers to the fact that during it you increase your breathing rate and depth, increase your pulse, and so shift lafger amounts of oxygen into your blood stream and thus into your muscles. The opposite is anaerobic, which basically means static, weight lifting type exercises, which are used to tone and develop muscle size and strength.

Every time you think about eating a McDonalds, just picture yourself on the treadmill trying to run off those calories!