How to lose that final one inch of fat (tummy)

[MYOB]

Hello all

I have lost 3.5 stones in the last year. I'm 6ft, 12 stones, 8lbs. I have lost 6 inches off my waist and chest, but I still have circa 1" of fat around my tummy that I cannot shift.

I'm not looking to be a powerfully built PH director, and am striving to a leaner and meaner look.

I eat very well these days (no processed food, chicken, fish, rice etc) and don't drink alcohol on a regular basis.

I walk very briskly circa 20 miles a week. I row 30 mins (hard, circa 36 strokes a min) twice a week, sometimes to alternative I do 2 sessions of HIIT rowing for 20 minutes, and do 20-30 minutes of weights (mainly upper body and leg squats) twice a week. In all, this is spread over 6 days with one day of relaxation.

Obviously this has worked very well for me, but is there anything specifically I can do to shift that final 1" of fat around my tummy or is it a case of continuing what I'm doing and being patience? I can feel my core stomach muscles toning but over the last 4-6 weeks, I'm not really noticing anything different.

And please, no suggestions of sit-ups!

Thanks.

[goldblum]

Run. 2 x 40 mins to start with, ditch the rowing and HIIT - you need to force your body to adapt.

[MYOB]

I used to run some years ago and hated it. Would I really notice any difference running as opposed to rowing? I do like rowing as it helps with the muscles in my upper body, and it does give an all-round workout.

[goldblum]

Yes it does but your body will be used to it now. Rowing is very good for burning calories but as you're sat down during the exercise you'll have to put a helluva lot of intensity in to burn the same cals as a long run. So - rowing at full bore for 30 mins or a 40 minute medium speed run? When you factor in adaptation and training effect (you will get fitter so start to run faster/longer/burn more cals etc) you will lose more calories this way.

[Hoofy]

Your diet > than your output. Eat slightly less, keep the protein up. Your diet was probably fine until now but I am guessing you're eating enough to maintain so need to drop it further. Otherwise, you're doing pretty much the right stuff. WRT weights, make sure they're really bastid heavy.

As for running, yeah, try that - most efficient especially uphill and sprint training. HIIT uphill sprint training. I keep thinking I should do some but I visualise it and think "fk that!"

[Regiment]

I'm in the same boat with the final inch of tummy fat being a bit stubborn, I'm between 12%-14% body fat. All in doing is keeping my diet, which is a solid diet but could be better, the same and just upping my high intensity runs when I can I.e. when my fitness level allows me to run faster, increasing the distance of my road runs, again as my fitness allows, and upping the weights I'm lifting, again as my strength allows.

[Hoofy]

Try eating 10% less than you are now.

[MYOB]

Ok thank guys.

Think I will continue the two sessions of rowing (which I have been doing for 4 years) and the weights (but add a bit more weight). One of my walks with the dog could be done as a run (cross country) so I will give that a go. Should mix up the exercise routine somewhat. Rowing (much as I hate it) is the only fitness regime I have persevered with for some time so am reluctance to drop this especially as I paid a fortune for the machine.

As for diet, I cannot see how else I can trim it down with the exception of potentially reducing the portion of my main meals - I will attempt to start leaving some on plate which will be hard as I was brought up not to leave any food on the plate! I suppose a way around this is to instruct the wife to serve less!

Once again, cheers for your views.

[Hoofy]

Food: post up everything you ate yesterday no matter how small (yes, that sweet your colleague offered you counts).

Weights: you want to be doing low reps and high mass so if you're following a 3x6 programme then your 18th rep should be a real struggle. If you're not making a sex face or sex noise then you're probably not going hard enough.

[MYOB]

Yesterday's food:

Breakfast - small bowl of bran flakes and a small amount of semi skimmed milk

Lunch - salad, rice and crayfish and tub of tropical fruit

Dinner - lean steak, roasted vegs and a tiny amount of low fat chips (around 8 chips).

By the way, i have a small amount of these low fat chips once a week.

As for weights, I do 1 x 8, 1 x 10, and 1 x 12 of moderate weights but I'm usually struggling from the 10th rep on the 3rd set.

[z4chris99]

I'm the same, still got a bit of belly fat I need to shift. I'm 75/80kg and 5,11"

I've cut down on pretty much everything. no beer, and mixing up my cardio.

hoping to shift it in 3/4 weeks.

[reggiedamole]

He eats chips and then wonders why hes fat....

[ewenm]

Hoofy said:

HIIT uphill sprint training. I keep thinking I should do some but I visualise it and think "fk that!"

That was my training session yesterday - 10x250m uphill sprints with jog back recovery. Sprints were 47-50s and recovery 85-90s. Didn't throw up at the end but came close and it was a rather unstable 10 min run back to work afterwards

[mattikake]

MYOB said:

Yesterday's food:

Breakfast - small bowl of bran flakes and a small amount of semi skimmed milk

Lunch - salad, rice and crayfish and tub of tropical fruit

Dinner - lean steak, roasted vegs and a tiny amount of low fat chips (around 8 chips).

By the way, i have a small amount of these low fat chips once a week.

That's your problem then, you have a diet that is nowhere near good enough to get to circa sub 10% body fat.

Bran Flakes = bowl of sugar (read the label)
Rice = sugar
Tropical fruit? I bet it's the sugary variety.
Chips = sugar

Basically you're a sugar addict.

Cut out the refined carbs and/or gluten sources - rice, pasta (esp wheat based), bread, potatoes (all varieties), crackers, ryvita, biscuits etc. Pick starchy carb options instead (from veg/meats/legumes/seeds/nuts) or have a double portion of protein.

Time your meals WITH your exercise. You want your exercise to be burning fat, not sugar. So either make sure you don't have excesses of sugar in your blood when you exercise, or exercise to burn off the sugars (roughly 50-500kcals in muscles, depending on muscle groups/size, + 500kcals in your liver). e.g. work out at the gym, burn through the sugar with resistance and cv, then walk back home from the gym or walk at home after you get back from the gym for 5-10km. The walk is what will burn off your fat, not the gym exercise.

MYOB said:

As for weights, I do 1 x 8, 1 x 10, and 1 x 12 of moderate weights but I'm usually struggling from the 10th rep on the 3rd set.

Increase the intensity of your resistance exercising. Much heavier weight/lower reps. More exercises. Increase your routine density by spending more time exercising than resting.

NB: being brief!

[mattikake]

Hoofy said:

If you're not making a sex face or sex noise then you're probably not going hard enough.

Is that sex noise per rep or sex noise on the last couple of reps?

[MYOB]

Aha...so it's sugar that's the culprit. Most nights it's brown rice - is that refined carb too? Like I said, it's a handful of chips once a week/fortnight. And I suspect you're right about the bran flakes, will look into alternatives. I do eat nuts on some days with my lunch but need to look into reducing the pasta and rice.

I have just done some weight training and doubled the weight and did 3x6 (on most of my regular techniques). My left leg was quivering like jelly - hope that's normal!!!

Am picking up some good tips here. Much appreciated.

[Regiment]

mattikake said:

Is that sex noise per rep or sex noise on the last couple of reps?

If you're doing it on every rep, you're an annoying person, it should be done on the last few reps as you hit your maximum work effort.

Talking to the bar and telling the bar what you're going to do to it right before each set isn't acceptable either.

[mattikake]

Regiment said:

mattikake said:

Is that sex noise per rep or sex noise on the last couple of reps?

If you're doing it on every rep, you're an annoying person, it should be done on the last few reps as you hit your maximum work effort.

Talking to the bar and telling the bar what you're going to do to it right before each set isn't acceptable either.

Well I did feel the need to ask this one big noisy guy if he was like that in bed on every thrust. He wasn't too pleased, but some women in earshot wet their pants, which seemed to please him even less... He went outside for a fag. (cigarette!)

[Hoofy]

Regiment said:

If you're doing it on every rep, you're an annoying person, it should be done on the last few reps as you hit your maximum work effort.

Talking to the bar and telling the bar what you're going to do to it right before each set isn't acceptable either.

I'm going to do that on Tuesday.

"I'm going to move you, bh."
"Yeah, that's right, bh. Feel my thrust."
"Yeah, feel it."
"Yeah, you feel it."
"Yeah, you like it."

[Hoofy]

MYOB said:

Yesterday's food:

Breakfast - small bowl of bran flakes and a small amount of semi skimmed milk

Lunch - salad, rice and crayfish and tub of tropical fruit

Dinner - lean steak, roasted vegs and a tiny amount of low fat chips (around 8 chips).

By the way, i have a small amount of these low fat chips once a week.

As for weights, I do 1 x 8, 1 x 10, and 1 x 12 of moderate weights but I'm usually struggling from the 10th rep on the 3rd set.

Pretty much what Matt said. I would add up the calories for that load, preferably after weighing everything. A small bowl to you might be a large bowl to me...