Coach reveals what really burns belly fat
The coach named methods that help reduce belly fat (Illustrative photo: Freepik)
Losing weight can be a challenging task, and the hardest part is often burning belly fat. A trainer has shared effective methods that can help kickstart fat burning, according to the Instagram page of Ukrainian trainer Yurii Popko.
Does exercise help burn fat
According to the expert, it's not guaranteed that you'll burn fat during a workout. Even if it happens, it's such a small amount that it's not even worth discussing.
There is a lot of information online about fat burning, some of it useful, but much of it ineffective.
Our body has several sources of energy. At the beginning of a workout, it uses energy in the form of glucose found in the blood, followed by glycogen reserves in the muscles and liver.
After a certain period of exercise, these glucose and glycogen stores are depleted, and the body is forced to use fat as energy.
"Just like in real life, the hryvnia card is out of money, cash is also gone, so we're going to exchange some dollars," the trainer added.
Another option is the ketogenic diet, where the body uses fat reserves for energy instead of glycogen, but to do so, carbs must be avoided. However, this diet has many drawbacks.
Additionally, there's a belief that to burn fat, you need cardio training, such as aerobic exercises like running, cycling, etc. Ideally, this should be done on an empty stomach.
It's important to monitor your heart rate during this method, keeping it within 60-70% of your maximum, approximately 120-130 beats per minute.
How to effectively get rid of belly fat
The main fat reserves are not burned during the workout but during rest. During exercise, we only create the conditions for fat burning.
The body burns energy every day and stores it as fat, 24/7.
Even if you burn a small amount of fat during a workout along with glycogen, once you eat, those glycogen and fat stores will fully replenish, unless you have a caloric deficit.
"Simply put, it’s important that during weight loss, there is a daily deficit of several hundred calories, and the body will adjust on its own, deciding where to store and where to draw from," the trainer added.
During the workout, it’s not essential to specifically target fat burning; the main goal is to increase energy expenditure. Don’t worry about the source of that energy - if you maintain a balanced diet and a caloric deficit, your body will naturally allocate and utilize energy as needed.
To lose fat in areas like the stomach, sides, and legs, the primary energy reserves need to decrease first.
For example, if 1,500 kcal is needed to maintain weight and a person consumes 1,200 kcal, they will have a 300 kcal deficit. The body will then take those extra calories from fat reserves.
"So, don’t stress about whether you burn fat during the workout. The key to weight loss is a caloric deficit," Popko emphasized.
Also, don’t forget about strength training, as it helps preserve muscle mass during weight loss, and muscles consume a lot of energy.
We also discussed whether expensive products are truly effective for weight loss.
