Even though you can focus on doing only abdominal strengthening one day and cardio the next day, incorporating both together in one workout may be a more efficient way to reach your goals. In fact, cardio is a necessary part of toning your midsection as it helps maintain a healthy weight by burning excess calories.
You'll get more out of your ab workout if you do it before cardio because you'll have more energy, "which will allow you to train with more intensity," Lee explained.
You can do ab workouts before, after, or even during your runs, but if your goal is a strong core, doing abs before cardio is actually the way to go - with some caveats.
If you intersperse ab moves throughout your cardio, "your body will be warmed up yet not too fatigued," Holland explains, helping your body to get more out of the exercises. Whatever you choose, doing core work along with your cardio is a good habit to maintain, and the benefits go far beyond aesthetics.
2-3 exercises 2-3 times per week is plenty to maximize development without overdoing it. If you are already working out 3 times per week you can just tack 1-2 ab exercises on to the end of your workouts. Remember, your abs get a lot of work on other exercises, so you don't need a ton of extra volume on them usually.
Actually, performing too much cardio will put your body in a catabolic state and burn hard-earned muscle. The loss of muscle will not only reduce strength, but it will also slow down your metabolism. If your metabolism slows down too much, you'll have a tough time burning fat.
“Yes, running can help give you defined abs,” said Todd Buckingham, Ph. D., exercise physiologist. But before you get too excited, it's important to note that running alone isn't enough to improve muscular definition in your midsection.
The best types of cardio to aid in weight loss are either low-impact, low intensity cardio like rowing, incline walking, and biking, or HIIT workouts implemented in small doses such as kickboxing, interval training, and weight training.
It found that, for women, morning workouts zapped abdominal fat and improved blood pressure better than late-day training. For men, evening exercise led to greater fat burning and better blood pressure control. Evening exercise also amplified the benefits of strength training, but more so for women.
Therefore, to see your abs, you need to reduce your body fat first – once you have reduced your body fat, your body will start to show the definition underneath.
But it also depends on how low you need to go. “You can get 'looking good on the beach' lean without any cardio,” he says. “And there are folks with fast metabolisms who can get 'abs visible from across the room' lean without cardio. But for most people most of the time, some form is going to be necessary.”
Let us explain. Assuming you're cutting calories and lifting weights three to four days per week (three is the minimum amount that most trainers say you need to see progress), you only need about three cardio days per week to see your abs.
Although you certainly can work out abs every day, in most cases, doing targeted ab exercises every day is usually not ideal. Like all muscle groups, the abdominal muscles need time to rest and recover after exercise in order to repair and rebuild back stronger.
They need some rest in-between exercise bouts as well. Doing some crunches or planks at the end of every workout leaves your midsection in a constantly overworked state, preventing any results you'd like to see. To get results and prevent overtraining, focus on hitting your core two to three times a week post-workout.
During light aerobic exercise or short workouts, our body uses glycogen (the stored form of glucose). It is only after about 20 minutes that our muscles switch to the fat-loss mode. It is true that 30–60 minutes of lower- or moderate-intensity exercise are necessary to achieve efficient fat loss.
One of the main reasons why burning calories through exercise may still not result in weight loss is due to overexertion, or inflammation of your body. If you exercise too hard on a daily basis, there is an excess of inflammation in your body. All the added up inflammation makes you gain more weight than lose.
Cardio, also known as aerobic exercise, is one of the most common forms of exercise and is defined as any type of activity that increases your heart rate. Adding cardio to your routine may be one of the most effective ways to enhance fat burning.
Final Thoughts: Should You Workout Your Abs If You Have Belly Fat? Yes you should because your abs play several important roles and strong abs are essential even if they are hidden underneath the belly fat.
As a general goal, aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity every day. If you want to lose weight, maintain weight loss or meet specific fitness goals, you may need to exercise more. Reducing sitting time is important, too. The more hours you sit each day, the higher your risk of metabolic problems.
The more you exercise, the more calories you'll burn. If you're trying to lose weight, you should aim for doing cardio at least five days per week for a total of at least 250 minutes (4 hours, 10 minutes) each week. Contrary to what many believe, you can do aerobic exercise seven days per week.
Suck in your stomach.
Not only will this move instantly make your stomach look flatter, but you will also be giving your abs a workout. Your deep core muscles are activated by sucking in your stomach and the longer you suck in, the more toned your core will be.