Trying to achieve a slightly athletic build for summer.?

Question

I'm 17, 5'8, and 180-190 pounds depending on time of day. I want to know what is the best way to lose my belly fat. I've been jumping rope for 20 minutes a day with 100 sit-ups but jumping rope has become very frustrating seeing as how i can never get past 20 jumps in a row. Is there any alternative exercise I can do to lose the fat for summer since I'm a lifegaurd. Any help is apreciated.

Answer 1

How's your diet looking? Jump roping is great to lose fat but it won't cut it alone. Despite the myth, sit-ups won't burn off your fat. Sit ups will strengthen abdominals under your fat.

First, go on a good meal plan. Try the Abs Diet, a book by Men's Health Magazine.

Next, increase your muscle mass. Cardio, like jump roping, burns calories only as you do the exercise; however, if you build muscle then that muscle built muscle will need to feed on calories throughout the day. The more muscle, the more calories you burn even when not working out. For example, I have much muscle and need to eat around 3000 calories a day just to sustain it (the 3000 includes the calories I need to work out too though). Try targeting your leg muscles. They're your biggest muscle group, so they have the potential to burn the most calories if you get them really strong.

Lastly, the whole 20 mins of jump roping to me is a joke. If I saw somebody doing that at the gym, along with the sit ups and if that's all I saw them doing before leaving.. I would laugh. Don't expect gains with such little work.

If you really want to cardio, then make sure you're working up a sweat. However, if you have the time, then cardio slowly for an hour or so. Always remember that a good weight-workout can easily burn more calories than a cardio workout.. the trick is doing a bit of cardio with some weight-training.

Join a gym. Watch the buff people who know what they're doing to learn and begin watching your diet (clean, high-protein diets are more than awesome). Unless you become really serious about gyming, there's no way you'll be ready for the summer with such little time until then.

Answer 2

the diet pretty much determines the rate of fat loss and the shape of the body. exercise only provides the neccessary stimulus to the muscles and CNS. if the body is not getting sufficient nutrients or calories in the diet the metabolism will not function at optimum levels.

if you are getting plenty of regular exercise (45-60 minutes 5-6x a week) and there is no reduction of body fat the problem lies in the diet.

Answer 3

You have to cut your calorie intake too. If you don't eat less, no amount of activity will make you lose weight.
Do fruits and nuts instead of candy and ice cream, do lean meat instead of carbs like bread and potatoes, eat carbs early in the day not late. Only drink diet soda, sugar soda is a huge culprit for making people overweight.