What is the best way to lose my belly fat?

What is the best way to lose my belly fat – strength or cardio training?

If you live in the Rijswijk area and sometimes ask yourself the question above, read on. 

If your subcutaneous fat deposits become somewhat fuller due to overeating (a positive energy balance), the body begins to accumulate fat around the waist, on the torso, and also around the organs in the deep abdominal cavity—the so-called visceral fat. It is precisely this fat that disrupts organ function and can lead to, for example, prediabetes or other health diseases. Although long-term dieting also leads to a reduction in this unwanted fat, a combination of more exercise and don't eat too much to be most effective. By increasing physical activity, you ensure that blood circulation in those areas improves, which you will not achieve with dieting alone. For subcutaneous fat, dieting is more effective, but we believe that a combination will lead to the best results here as well. 

Cardio training versus strength training

There are many forms of exercise, but the eternal battle between strength and cardio training is ultimately settled primarily in favor of cardio training, according to research.

Strength training is beneficial for many things, but it does very little for the deep abdominal cavity; therefore, it is important to add cardio if there is a risk of body fat accumulation. This has also been confirmed in scientific research, where less favorable changes were detected with strength training. Although studies comparing strength training to the reduction of deep abdominal fat are underrepresented, it is plausible that cardio training yields better results. After all, the deep abdominal cavity requires good blood flow for a positive effect. In short, you burn deep abdominal fat with cardio training, rather than strength training. 

Using cardio training to lose belly fat

The cardio intensity, the level of exertion, must be above 60 percent of the heart rate, otherwise the effect is not significant. If you enjoy weights, nothing prevents you from doing cardio with weights. Three sessions per week of 45 to 60 minutes for a period of twelve weeks are sufficient to achieve a health-promoting effect, according to research, and we at RWIJK GYM see this reflected in our own members as well. Insufficient research has been conducted into the effect of short high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on belly fat reduction to make a definitive statement. For the time being, therefore, you will have to make do with the tip to do more cardio training.

Conclusion

Although losing excess belly fat through diet can be very helpful, physical activity combined with a suitable and sustainable diet proves to be the most effective. 

So dust off your walking shoes and take a long, brisk walk more often in all the beautiful parks Rijswijk has to offer, or along the beach at Scheveningen. Take your bike more often to go to work, do your shopping, or take your children to and from school. And take a good, critical look at your dietary intake pattern to see what you can improve or reduce.

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