14 DAY TRIAL // As a rule, when working out, women usually focus on the parts of their body that they know they have problems with, like the back of the legs, where cellulite is more visible, the ab and the arms. Because of this, the so-called muffin top is somewhat neglected – but is not impossible to rid ourselves of, as Janey Holliday, founder of Fit For A Princess, tells the Daily Mail.
The muffin top is definitely not a good look for anyone, especially with summer approaching and low-waist jeans still being the standard. It consists of fat that is wrapped around the body in the abdominal area and is, statistically speaking, the hardest to take off for good, precisely because few are the women who focus entirely on it. Nevertheless, that is not to say it cannot be done, as Holliday also points out.
The first thing we should keep in mind when setting out to take off the “extra tire” around our waist is that nothing burns more fat than cardio does. So, instead of doing more crunches than we can physically take, we should start jogging or, even better, do some kickboxing.
“This is arguably the best way to get rid of excess bulge around the middle, with its side-kick combinations, punch work across the body and movements that involve twisting and jumping side-to-side. The fact that it is high intensity, and includes balancing and core work with pretty much every sort of movement, means you really can't beat this as a muffin-top-blasting workout.” Holliday explains.
Exercises that focus exclusively on the sides of the body, as well as on the back muscles, are also important. No amount of sit-ups or crunches will get us a wasp-like waist, Holliday adds – but lateral workouts might. So, we should include lateral galloping or side-to-side exercises in our daily routine to strengthen the side and back muscles as well.
If this is too much for us, then we also have the option of doing basic weight training especially for the sides of the body, which imply less effort but are equally successful in combating fat from the muffin top, the only difference being that they take longer to show results.
Of course, as with all weight-loss goals, getting rid of the muffin top also implies some drastic changes in our lifestyle and eating habits. A smaller consumption of sugar and unhealthy fats, as well as cutting down stress levels, are a must if looking smashing in our swimsuit is our summer goal. For the best results, we should also consider doing exercises that aim at correcting our posture, like yoga, Pilates, or simple stretching. Scrubbing and massaging the area where fat is stored, much in the manner we do with cellulite, are also said to return great results, so perhaps we should focus more on this next time we hit the shower.