Do You Want Effective Weight Loss? Strengthen Your Core

Ask any gym buff what the most difficult part about
working-out is and chances are they'll say it's losing fat
quickly. A major detriment to working-out consistently is
boredom brought about by lack of motivation. Of course,
results will come even slower by skipping workout sessions
regularly.

In muscle development and fat loss, how fast we achieve
results have less to do with body type (ectomorph,
endomorph, etc.) than how we eat and exercise. Losing weight
from body fat reduction really depends on how much excess
calories we have when we hit our pillows at night.

Any fitness expert will tell you that the problem of
fat-loss comes down to creating a calorie deficit- burning
more calories than we take-in through food each day. Due to
the sheer number of novelty diets and workout schemes out
there however, they will not always tell you the fastest way
of getting lean and forming a shredded six pack.

Core-strengthening exercises have recently been recognized
by experts to bring about faster gains in toning-up the body
and losing excess fat. The upper and lower abs, lower back,
the obliques and buttocks make-up our body's foundation- our
core. Strengthening our foundation will inadvertently
improve our strength, endurance and balance also.

The simultaneous activity of the core muscles translates to
more caloric energy being consumed, leading to fast and
effective weight-loss. Adding exercises that improve core
strength to normal workout routines is a good option for
frustrated folks who want results yesterday.

Doing typical workout routines are quite ineffective in
developing core strength. Normal gym routines leave-out
certain muscles of the midsection because of their limited
movement.The same applies to all those traditional cardio
machines, never my favorite weight loss method.
Incorporating Pilates sessions into your weekly workouts
will let you reap the maximum benefits of core exercises
and ensure rapid gains.

The wider range of motion and balancing efforts involved in
Pilates and core exercises recruits more muscle fibers
around the midsection. This entails further usage of stored
calories from body fat, toning-up the body and giving you
faster results and increased motivation.

Increasing the efficiency of your exercise sessions by
maximizing calorie burn can shorten the hours you spend in
the gym- letting you focus on other priorities. Improving
your core-strength will also lessen back pain and injuries
from bad posture at the same time giving you a lean,
well-defined abdomen.

Core Strengthening Exercises: Love Your Back

Core stability and core strengthening exercises are a much
overlooked, but vital, part of a comprehensive workout
routine and back health maintenance.

Twist. Turn. Bend over. Sit all day. Get in and out of the
car. Carry those groceries. We put our back through all
kinds of stuff, and it never complains. Or does it? If we're
out of shape in our core muscles, our back will let us know
pretty quick. The core muscles support the lower back and
internal organs, and if we stop taking care of them, like
most of us have, we are in for some soreness and more and
more days of pain the longer we let it go on.

And our workout routines become ever more risky; we always
are on the edge of straining our back.

OK, then, what are some really good core strengthening
exercises to do?

1. Pilates. Get in with the girls and do Pilates! Now, for
some reason, Pilates has a sort of wimpy reputation, but I
know first hand that a good Pilates routine will kick some
serious behind! I've gotten a lot stronger core since I
incorporated Pilates-type exercises into my regular workout
routine.

2. The Farmer's Walk. This is really a whole body exercise,
but your core will work real hard, as will your back, legs,
arms and hands. Just go pick up two very heavy dumbbells,
and carry them over to the other side of the room and back
again. Maybe another time. Your core will work overtime to
keep you balanced and stable.

3. The Wood Chopper. Hold a medicine ball in both hands over
your head and off to one side. Then, as if you were chopping
wood, swing it down and over toward the opposite foot. Then
swing it back up along the same path. Do that several times,
and switch sides. Make sure you use your legs and hips to
help keep your back from bending too much.

4. Saxon Bends. These are tough. Take that ball again, or a
weight plate if you need more weight, and hold it over your
head. Now bend over to one side, without bending your back
from front to back. You're just going side to side. When
you've gone as far over as you can, head on over to the
other side. Back to center again is one.

You can incorporate these exercises in your regular workout.
Put 'em in the middle, use them as a warm up (they are great
for warming up and getting away from the treadmill), or do
them at the end. Or devote a whole workout just to core
strengthening exercises; your body will thank you!