You might think that the abdominal crunch is the best exercise to lose belly fat. You’re probably doing hundreds of crunches, different types of crunches, every day and wondering why you still have a fat belly.

While crunches are great for toning your abs, they won’t do a thing to “uncover” them from under the layer of fat on top them. There is no such thing as “spot reducing.” By working out a specific part of your body, like your abs,  you won’t just lose fat over that part of the body. You may get stronger, which is great, but you can do a million abdominal crunches and still have fat covering your belly. In order to lose the fat in your midsection, you need to burn fat at an increased rate so that you lose it everywhere.   The best exercise to lose belly fat is, believe it or not,  any strength training exercise that targets the big muscles of your body. Why? Because the big muscles make up your fat burning engine, and when toned and trained, will burn fat 24 hours, 7 days a week, from every part of your body. The big muscles of your body are those in your legs and chest. Because they are big muscles, they demand more fuel, and thus will burn more fat, leading to a tighter, more toned physique. Examples of exercises that work the big muscles of your body are:1: Squats2: Leg lifts3: Lunges4: Bench press5: Push UpsIdeally, you want to exercise all of your big muscles, at least three times a week. This amounts to once every other day, with a day of rest in between. Rest is important, too, because while you’re resting, your muscles are repairing themselves and getting more efficient at burning fat.

If you’re a woman, don’t worry that doing strength training will cause you to look like one of those female bodybuilders. The types of exercises you’ll be doing, and the quantity of them will make you look leaner rather than bulkier. You need to train a heck of a lot more than 3 times a week as well as have the genetics or maybe some male hormone injections to “bulk” up.

A few months ago I was at my local watering hole enjoying my usual wings and beer with my friends when a broadcast of UFC 101 comes on one big screens.  I am captivated by this sport, but not because of the brutality, or the sportsmanship these guys display after beating the piss out of each other, but I’m captivated by the abs these guys have.  Don’t get wrong, I’m not into men, but I am a 43 year old white collar type who is out of shape enough to admire these shredded up warriors.  Many years behind a desk, and skipping workouts to spend time with my kids, has really taken a toll on my once ripped physique.  I still get to the gym, however, the typical weight routine does little for a man of my age who produces a fraction of the testosterone I once produced.  I also tried P90X, which was a great routine for losing weight; however, it became routine and unfulfilling for me after 4 months of doing this in my basement.  So, my hunt began for a local MMA gym to see what I could do to evolve my workout.

There are about three MMA gyms within driving distance from my office and, much to my surprise, two of the three had weight areas and decent locker area.  With little hesitation I joined, and I have been really pleased with the results thus far.  Keep in mind, I’m not about to step into a cage with another mid-life crisis sufferer, but the training is intense and very group oriented.

The Routine:

Monday: Muay Thai Class + Weights

Tuesday: Grappling (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu)

Wednesday: Muay Thai Class + Weigths

Thursday: Grapping (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu)

Friday: Plyometric training

**The Grappling classes start off with a 30 minute military style fitness “warm up”, but I’m almost puking by the end of this routine.

Food Intake:

MMA requires ample food intake, at least equal to 15 to 18 times your body weight daily. For protein I multiply my weight by 1.25 for my daily intake. I also keep a food journal to self-“police” my eating habits.  Unlike true weight loss programs I gain a pound in the first month.  My pants are getting loose so this is definitely a result of muscle mass gain and the fat is melting away.

Nutritional Supplementation:

My instructor laid out a simple plan for my supplements, which I need to get through these grueling 1 -2 hour sessions.

-MMA Supplementation Stack

-Omega 3

-Protein Shakes

-Joint Complex

My results are amazing after the first three months.  I’ve dropped one pant size and my arms are starting to look more muscular – Take that P90X.  I can definitely feel myself getting in better shape as the classes get a little easier.  My six pack is only months away if I can keep up this training tempo.  The instructors, being live instead of a DVD, can switch the classes to push the students beyond normal comfort levels.  I would highly recommend checking out a local MMA gym for anyone looking to get in shape.  Female are more than welcome at the gyms I researched, and they kickboxing if you don’t want to roll around on the mats with a sweaty old guy like me.  Next stop – UFC!!

Most women would love well toned calf and leg muscles

But the problem is, many women just don’t know how to develop beautiful toned feminine calf muscles! There is a myth out there that men and women should train their bodies differently

I disagree with this especially when it comes to training women’s calves.If you want results as a woman you should train with the same intensity as a man. To get beautiful calves you need to develop your calves’ muscles and to do that you need adequate weights and high intensity training.

Women’s calves should be well shaped and well balanced in look. The calf muscles must be well proportionate. With the development of other parts of the body- again this means you need to Build those calf muscles!

If you are scared that your calves will get too big fear not! Women don’t have the necessary testosterone levels to build big muscles as men do! And if you envision those muscular women on ESPN rest assured that you can never get to that level unless you are on steroids! On the contrary if you train your calves like a “man” (with heavy weights and high intensity), you will get beautiful toned female calves.

Another problem is that most women usually don’t train their thighs and hips correctly as well! Most women rather place more emphasis on their upper bodes and trouble areas like the arms and abs. The lower body is the most important muscle groups that supports the weight of the body.Training the lower body will also boost your metabolism which means you will be able to lean out and lose weight faster..Remember your calves carry your entire weight of your body all through the day and hence should get a lot of attention in your workouts. Women’s calves function better when both the Gastrocnemius and the Soleus muscles are well trained and developed.

The Gastrocnemius muscle is a fast-twitch muscle and comes into action During fast moving activity spanning a short duration after which it gets Exhausted. The Soleus muscles come into action during long activities requiring a lot of endurance. The Gastrocnemius muscles of the calves responds well to heavy weights, while the Soleus responds well to light weights but more reps. Train both the muscles appropriately and equally to develop great women’s muscular calves.

To get well toned muscular calves you must be on a well balanced diet to enable the calf muscles to grow. Your regular diet may not be complete in all the essential nutrients and therefore must be compensated with supplements. Other tips for building your calves is you should flex and stretch the muscles before , during and after exercising your calves as doing so will make your calf muscles work more efficiently and allow you to prevent any injury!

As a general rule for building muscular female calves, you should choose exercises that target the calves from all the angles.Good calf exercises include Standing Machine Calf Raise, Donkey Calf Raise, Seated Calf Raise, Seated Calf Press, Leg Press Machine toe raises, and One-Leg Standing Dumbbell Calf Raise.All you need is to select 3 exercises and perform 3 sets of each in the 12-15 rep range! If you follow these simple tips you will get the calves muscles you desire