Running OR Swimming ?? (for fat burning)

hello i am a 18yearold male. im trying to get lean and nice abs but im having trouble with my beer belly...
I've been trying to eat everything without carbohydrates or fat for a week now..
my question is what cardio activity should i do ?? Running or Swimming ?

running makes me more exhausted but i prefer swimming than running..
does any1 know which cardio-activity burns more calories / fat with the same amount of workout time ??

also any tips for making the abs would be very nice =)

thank you.

Post edited by: vickdashiznit, at: 2008/05/26 14:32

Hi Vickdashiznit, welcome to the forum

I find that belly-exercises help most with getting the belly-muscles strong and hard again. For cardio I would advise swimming, but that is a personal preference since between running and swimming there is a discussion as to what is more effective.

hey thanks for the reply saskia,

and also does any1 know what is usually the fat percentage of someone to have a distinct six-pack ??

again tips would be very appreciated =)

thanks

Huh? No, there is no such thing, as far as I am aware. This is, I think, not something you should concern yourself with. The human body is a magnificent piece of machinery and once you start to target certain parts of it the 'percentages' aren't all that important anymore.

ahhh ic... k k thx

Hahahaha let me know how you are making progress?

hey so i found this supplement called "Gaspari's Cytolean Fat burner"

has any1 ever tried that before ??
any1 know does this thing has side effects later on ?

Vick! My own, personal, advise is not to use any supplements. All natural foods and in quantities recommended (and later tested by your own body) are my biggest advice

i see.. i agree with you too but i just want to get rid of this belly fat ...

and i was also thinking about those protein shakes, does that considered as supplements ??

is there any like milk or anything that can help me build my muscles ??

Well, the only thing that help reduce belly fat and get those muscles into shape is by eating healthy and exercising. This takes long but it has a lasting effect. It means a change of life-style. But, I guarantee you, after you get used to it, you will be very happy you took that choice

hey saskia,

do you know in swimming, which style burns more calorie ? freestyle or frog style ?

and also any links for a good abs exercise i only do normal crunch and the other one is i lie down and lifting my leg to around 45 degree..
any other suggestion for abs exercise ?

I think both styles are fine, Vick. I never checked which requires burning more calories but I am sure it won't differ that much.

Besides the crunch - the bicycle exercise seems to be pretty good for this target:

Lie on the your back on the floor and fold your fingers together behind you head. Bring your knees to your chest and lift your shoulderblades off the floor and don't pull your neck. Stretch your left leg to an approx. 45 degr. angle while turning your upper body to the right simultaneously turning your left elbow towards you right knee.
Switch sides...

In regards to your question about percentages, they actually ARE important.

The biggest factor in a visible sex pack is minimizing the layer of fat covering it. (Think back to high school Remember the kid with the ripped six pack all the girls thought was so hot? Skinny little guy actually right? No mass, just very low bodyfat)

Anyways, the gereneral concensus (varies by individual though) is that Men need to get down to about 10% body fat or less te get good visible abs. Women only need to get down to about 14%.

Why do women get to have a bit more fats and still show abs? Gender related fat distibution. Men naturally store more of their fat at the midsection, while women naturally store more fat in the hips and butt. (This BTW, is one reason men have a higher rate of heart disease. Abdominal fat is more mobile inthe body. THose belly fat cells are more likely to move thoughout the body and cause negative effects on internal organs like the heart)