This is the best exercise to get rid of the belly, says science –

Abdominal fat is like a boring visit: it arrives, settles and never seems to want to go away. In the desire to get rid of it, you do an hour on the treadmill every day, trying to expel that pizza you devoured over the weekend. It’s no use, because she wants to stay. The solution: It’s time to change the way you exercise for good.

For starters, let’s forget about counting calories burned during exercise. When the goal is to trim inches around your waist, you should bet on HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training, or high intensity interval training, in good Portuguese). In it, what really matters is preparing the body to continue incinerating fat for hours, even days on end. Just imagine: toasting your love handles while watching your favorite series – and still lying on the couch!

The secret is to keep your body far away from your comfort zone while working out. In long-duration exercise, like when you run for 50 minutes, you can’t maintain your effort threshold for very long. And after almost an hour of moving, metabolism stays high for up to seven. “When you put on maximum intensity, you can reduce the training to four to 15 minutes and boost your basal calorie expenditure for days”, guarantees personal trainer Vinícius Possebon, creator of the 48 Hour Burn method.

Are you finding it exaggerated? Research published in the US journal Journal of Obesity found that exercising at high intensity and in short intervals turns out to be more efficient when it comes to reducing abdominal fat than any other type of training. In the study, a group of women pedaled for eight seconds and rested for 12 – remaining in that circuit for 20 minutes. The other team stayed on the bike for 40 minutes at a slower, more continuous pace. The result, after 15 weeks, showed that the first team lost an average of 9.5% of their abdominal fat, while the second gained 10.6% (possibly due to excessive snacking). The author of the study, Gail Trapp, points out that, even if the number of calories burned during the activity is the same in both cases, intense exercises take advantage of maintaining this expenditure for up to 72 hours. Did you do the math? It’s three days!

“In HIIT circuits, your body doesn’t have enough time to recover, since the slowed down intervals are very short”, explains physical educator Luiz Carlos Carnevali Júnior, spokesman for the Bio Ritmo gym chain, in São Paulo. The consequence of this generated stress is the release of more catecholamines, hormones that help in the use of fat as a source of energy. “You have to reach 80 to 100% of your maximum effort capacity to achieve this effect”, emphasizes Carlos. Warning: You know you’re really pumping when you can’t talk while working out. Imagine this set at high speed: 30 seconds of burpees with 10 rest + 30 seconds of skipping with 10 rest + 30 seconds of push-ups. Tired just reading, huh?

PERFECT COMBO
Combining HIIT with bodybuilding makes everything even more intense and also takes away the monotony.

By involving several members in the same activity, this duo turns your body into a fat burning machine. It is the principle of Orangetheory Fitness, a method that has been successful in the United States. “People with a high percentage of lean mass have a higher energy expenditure because they need to rebuild and maintain muscle fibers”,
explains endocrinologist Alfredo Cury, from the Posse do Corpo spa, in Rio de Janeiro. “Another idea is to intersperse activities to generate different stimuli: Tuesday and Thursday, you do a short one, but with greater intensity. On the other days, you opt for a more prolonged and moderate training”, suggests Bianca Vilela, physical educator and master in physiology, from São Paulo. Below, Vinícius recommends a four-minute workout to incinerate the fat that he insists on staying on his abdomen. The circuit must be repeated three times without rest.

• BURPEE: 20 seconds
• ACTIVE REST (WITH RUNNING IN PLACE): 10 seconds
• CLIMBING PLANK (BROUGHT KNEES TO CHEST): 20 seconds
• ABDOMINALS: 20 seconds
• ACTIVE REST (WITH RUNNING IN PLACE): 10 seconds

LOSS THROUGH THE MOUTH

IN ADDITION TO A THOROUGH TRAINING, INGINGING THE RIGHT FOODS WILL BOOST YOUR BURNING EXTRA FAT.

Bet on supplements “Caffeine, guarana, green tea, taurine and other substances accelerate metabolism”, says endocrinologist Pedro Assed, from Rio de Janeiro. But look for a professional before buying yours, okay?

Go for thermogenic ginger, green tea, olive oil, coconut oil, apple cider vinegar and mint are good natural options to enhance weight loss. Another tip: season with pepper and cinnamon. These spices have the power to raise the body temperature. “This generates a high energy expenditure during digestion”, explains Alfredo Cury.

“OMMMM” BELLY PLATE
From afar, yoga even looks like a very peaceful modality. But, according to the book The Cortisol Connection, the Indian method can be a great ally when it comes to balancing cortisol levels. The hormone linked to stress is one of those responsible for encouraging the accumulation of fat in the abdominal region of women, according to a survey by Yale University in the United States. Bet on practice on days when you don’t train HIIT.

WHEN LESS IS MORE
Ideally, HIIT training should not exceed three times a week. “When you exercise, your body undergoes small ‘inflammations’. If this is done in excess, the body can have a severe drop in immunity”, says Carlos Carnevali. Not to mention the injuries. So start slowly and always with the help of a professional.