How do I reduce lower belly fat for men?

Sorry Gentlemen, you can't spot reduce. You will lose body fat in the way your genetics are designed to let you lose them. If your genetics demand that you lose body fat last from the lower belly then that's the last spot to lose fat.
But this needn't dishearten you. You can speed up the process by following a simple regime of dieting and exercise. Nutrition plays a very important role in fat loss and getting lean, so pay some attention here. Also, exercising will increase that rate at which your body burns fat.

1. Workout to build muscle - This will ensure you have more metabolically active tissue to increase energy consumption in your body thus enhancing your BMR. Engage in  comprehensive bodyweight training as this will build muscle and regulate fat loss like not other training method can.
2. Eat small meals more often - This triggers a message to your brain that you need not store energy in the form of body fat as there is a continuous supply of calories coming into the body.
3. Curtail excessive insulin release - This is a hormone that triggers fat storage, especially when the blood has high sugar content and high saturated fat in the diet. You can avoid this by increasing your comlex carbohydrate intake, protein intake and fiber intake. Also have more unsaturated fatty acids - they tend to be rich in Omega-3s that help enhance muscle cells insuling sensitivity, thus reducing fat storage.
4. DO NOT CONSUME CARBS BEFORE BED - Let the last meal that you consume for the day be devoid of carbohydrates. This enhances growth hormone production and release while you are sleeping. This was the greatest change that helped me lose 20 lbs in 17.5 weeks and I actually leaned out on a simple calisthenics program at home while also putting on muscle.

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To Workout or To Not Workout - Week 2 Day 1 of The Bodyweight 8X8 training Program

What was supposed to be a workout for Sunday got pushed to Monday. I have strongly believed that when you are not up to the mark with your health, do not push yourself. The goal of a fitness program is to make you healthy and strong not to worsen the situation. All the macho banter about going the distance is great motivational talk in magazines and DVDs. But in real life, if your workouts are stressing you out and delaying recuperation, then you are not doing the right thing by pushing too hard. Do that when you are better not when you are under the weather.

I was down with a heavy cold, runny nose some fever and headache. I did pull out my TRX and proceed to set it up. But I thought about earlier that day when I had to drop my in-law and return home. Scaling the three flights of stairs were a really daunting task and my lungs gave out before I reached my door steps. I simply put all the equipment back in place and decided not to workout out.

Today was supposed to be a rest day (until I can devise a good and quick stretching and static straight arm strength program for Mondays and Wednesdays). So I decided to try working out today (on Monday i.e) instead. While I was still a little down, it wasn’t as bad as yesterday and in fact I was able to escalate the training to 5X8 on all the BIG 3 moves.

The routine looked like this:

·         Jackknife Squats – 5X8

·         Inverted Rows – 5X8

·         Incline Push-Ups – 5X8

This was followed by:

·         Flat tucked Leg raises – 3X5

·         Simple Bridge – 3X5

·         Pike Press – 3X5

In all this, I was able to pull off the big 3 moves pretty well. I did take a small break just before the 5^th set. Not too long, about 8-12 seconds. But the last three moves I got done quickly and was able to do the pike press rather easily compared to my previous sessions. I guess it’s time to escalate the workload on this circuit too.

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What made me switch from heavy weight training in the gym to bodyweight exercises at home?

I loved the sights of the gym, the sound of metal clanging against metal, the feel of the cold iron on my skin as I wrapped my hands around a bar before hoisting it. For 15 years I lived and breathed bodybuilding and strength training style of exercises. I lived each day to get to the gym and workout. It wasn’t a means to an end, it was the end and everything else was the means leading to it.

But today, 2 years after I have quit working out at the gym, I can’t help but feel that I have wasted the best years of my productive life not capitalising on the one thing I really should have when it came to challenging my own strength and bodybuilding skills – mastering my own bodyweight.

Never followed a structured bodyweight training program

I have, before June 2012, never followed a structured bodyweight only training program for more than 4-5 days, 7 tops. This was followed by months and years of no bodyweight training at all. I only lifted heavy weights and did all the compound movements – bench press, squats, barbell rows and deadlifts, all the exercises that promised to make me really strong and inhuman. Yet I failed at doing a decent set of pull-ups or a set of 30 consecutive push-ups. There was a time when I could do up to 10 clean pull-ups, but that was when only the pull-ups were a staple in my back program for a few months.

I often felt that being able to move 300+lbs of weight on the Deadlift mean zilch if I couldn’t do 10 pull-ups and 30 push-ups.

The Youtube.com calisthenics video epidemic – read Hannibal King, Adam Raw and Fran Medrano

No one is oblivious to the fact that youtube.com is now home to many calisthenics athletes showcasing their skills with extreme bodyweight exercises. Neither was I when the above thoughts had begun making home on my head. I observed the bodies of these monsters and the control they exerted over their physiques. They were literally defying gravity or were making the effort look really easy. Either ways I was sold to the idea of developing my own skills in bodyweight exercises, at least the basics to being with – Push-ups, Horizontal Pull-ups, Squats and core strengthening movements, to begin with.

The TRX incident in the GYM

This one fateful day, after I had been observing the bodyweight athletes on youtube.com and later reading extensively about how the TRX suspension trainer was doing wonders in enhancing bodyweight training, the gym that I as a member with ( the largest gym chain in the world..I think so) bought and installed a RIP-60 suspension trainer in their facility. They initially made no noise if anyone wanted to use it. But later, you’d find the entire installation missing from its place. Later they started making the installation available but the handles were missing. I was a little pissed at this and demanded that they give me the handle to train with the RIP-60. I didn’t need special attention or special direction with it, I was going to use it for specific exercises as an extension to my existing workout routine. Well they said I’d have to pay extra for the RIP-60. I mean, COME ON!!!!! You are letting us use the swimming pool at no extra cost, there’s something that needs special care, attention and maintenance. This forced me to buy a TRX of my own and actually carry it to the gym. They didn’t object to my using the equipment in the gym but I had made up my mind. This was my last outing at a commercial bodybuilding gym. PERIOD!!!

Frank Sommer’s book on Gymnastic strength training and Convict conditioning by Paul Wade

If you haven’t read either of these books, then you really need to get out there and grab a copy of each. Frank’s book Building the Gymnastic Body: the Science of Gymnastics Strength Training, speaks of a live example of one of his students who walked into the gym for the first time and deadlifted 400lbs. His prior training was only with his bodyweight as a gymnast. Convict conditioning was all about how inmates used the old school bodyweight training methods to build their incredible physiques. I read them twice thrice and made up my mind that bodyweight exercises were my calling. If you haven’t made up your mind or need more convincing about bodyweight exercises, I recommend you buy these books here – Convict Conditioning and Building The Gymnastic Body: The Science Of Gymnastics Strength Training

I have been training with bodyweight exercises and have experienced incredible results. No barbell, dumbbells and fancy isolation machines. It’s pure bodyweight work with some kettlebell cardio thrown in rarely for variety. The image is posted below for your perusal. The images were taken over a period of 17.5 weeks. Observe my face closely and your see the change in there to. These things can’t be faked. Not by me, I love to brag about this achievement.

Taken over a period of 17.5 weeks. The results were gotten purely through bodyweight exercises and at home.

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The Bodyweight 8X8 training program in action, trial day 3

You know you are progressing when your workout was better than the last one. However, the only way to be sure is to start gauging progress. The only way to do that is to note each workout down. Noting every measureable aspect, reps, inches, time taken and intangibles like how you felt at the end of the workout. Was your cardiovascular system challenged as much as the last workout or was it too comfortable at the end of the workout.

So the next step in the process of developing the bodyweight 8X8 training program would be to build a log book catering to bodyweight exercises based training program.

While I dwell on the design with my drawing board, let me share today’s workout results.

Today’s routine was:

Bodyweight 8X8 training routine

·         Jackknife Squats

·         Incline Push-Ups

·         Inverted Rows

·         Flat Tucked leg raises

·         Simple Bridges

·         Pike Press

The last three were done 3X5, however, I feel it’s time to escalate the number of sets for the leg raises and bridges while I continue to stay on 3 sets for the pike press. The cardiovascular system was challenged but I think I was panting harder the last time.

Note to self:Take a pulse count at the end of the 8X8 workout, this will tell you how well the workout went compared to the last one, as far as cardiovascular conditioning is concerned.

The next 8X8 session is clubbed with the legs workout and this is going to be interesting. How to make the hypertrophy workout count without making it too long and indulge in extremely high repetitions?

The basic movements are etched in my mind and the hypertrophy routine is going to look like this:

·         Regular Squats

·         Sissy Squats

·         Elevated Bridges

·         Straight Bridges

I am excited about the workout and am also gonna be spiking up the reps in the 8X8 routine for most exercises except the pike press.Can’t wait for Sunday.

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The Bodyweight 8X8 training program in action, trial day 2

Originally planned, the workout was supposed to be a 3 day a week affair. However, I feel this can be better utilized to enhance other weak areas of the physique like the flexibility. A lot of injuries that we bear are owing to a lack of flexibility.  Hence it becomes crucial to actually focus on this particular aspect of fitness.

A note to self would be to incorporate the following in the Bodyweight 8X8 training program:

·         Strength training – low reps X high Volume

·         Hypertrophy training – High Reps X Low Volume

·         Flexibility training – Dynamic and static stretching

·         Static holds for straight arm strength – Beginning of the flexibility workout

Why do I find these important in forming the entire console of The Bodyweight 8X8 Training Program.

Bodyweight Strength Training helps develop raw brute strength and help keep you action ready. Also these bodyweight exercises would train you to actually function more optimally and efficiently. The outcome of this training is to enhance your overall physical coordination between body parts to deliver a peak performing entity.

Hypertrophy training – Help build the aesthetics of your physique. The more muscle you have the greater is the fat loss induced. Also a muscular body looks better than a skinny one. Hence, hypertrophy training is definitely a part of The Bodyweight 8X8 Training Program.

Flexibility training – Would help develop your flexibility making your body limber and increase the range of motion of your joints. This helps reduce the risk of injury related to functioning and training by a great margin.

Static Holds – help develop the tendon and ligament strength due to the isometric nature of the exercises. This is also enhanced by the strength training protocol mentioned above, but is more greatly felt through these exercises.

This would render the workout as a 5-6 days a week routine and can be practiced at home by anyone willing to devote 45-75 minutes a day to their own physical fitness and overall good health. 

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The Bodyweight 8X8 plan in action, trial day 1

Keeping in line with the plan to pursue bodyweight exercises to achieve my fitness goals, I’d devised a training method called the Bodyweight 8X8 Program.

Yesterday was the first day of actual deployment. The program has been designed to take into account the status of the person’s expertise with exercise and physical conditioning. I personally have been off my mark for a while so I started with LEVEL 1.

The exercises were performed as a circuit and were all major compound movements. There were two circuits comprising of three movements in each. The exercises are chosen to target the major moving muscle groups and were performed in a 5X5 fashion until the entire circuit was completed 5 times.

The exercises selected were:

·         Inverted Row

·         Incline Push-Ups

·         Supported Squats

·         Straight Bridge

·         Bent Knee Hip Curls

·         Pike Press

The First circuit consisted of the first three exercises and the next circuit consisted of the last three. However, in the last circuit, I only did 3X5. This is a good thing to note considering all the major muscles and tissues involved in these exercises were actually worked to great degree in the first circuit itself.

The Workout therefore looked like this:

Inverted Row	5X5
Incline Push-Ups	5X5
Supported Squats	5X5
Straight Bridge	3X5
Flat Bent Knee Leg raises	3X5
Straight Bridge	3X5

The entire routine took close to 30 minutes to get done and this included the warm-up time. This was followed by some Inverted Rows for Reps (read Hypertrophy work), close grip inverted rows and finally some bodyweight exercises for biceps. The entire workout took close to 48 minutes with the warm-up. Not bad considering that it consisted to strength, hypertrophy and cardio all rolled into the same session.

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Bodyweight 8X8 program – Day 1

While the program was supposed to be an 8X8 program, I was overestimating my own conditioning and failed at meeting the basic requirements of this program. SO I am now gonna change the step-up plan a bit.

Before that, here was today’s workout:

·         Inverted Rows – 5X8

·         Incline Push-Ups – 5X8

·         Squats – 5X8

I did not look into the other six exercises. This was rather challenging today.

How did I feel after the workout?

My body was definitely feeling fuller due to the pump.

My back was the most pumped, next was the chest and the legs the least. I guess the legs can get some more work. They can definitely handle more workload.

My heart was racing, so it was definitely a great stimulant of the cardiovascular system

The good part:

I was able to cover more rep under lesser time and the time taken to finish the 5 sets was lesser than it would have been to cover say,

·         Inverted Rows – 3X12

·         Push-Ups – 3X12

·         Squats – 3X12

The Bad part:

I forgot to keep a track of the actual time taken to finish the workout.

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Beginning the program - Aiming for Increase in strength and Stamina

This is my first official post on the blog. Hi, I am Devendran Mudaliar, a fitness enthusiast and a one time successful fat loss experiment specimen. After 15 years of training in a gym with heavy weights, volume training and H.I.T principles, I finally hit the fat loss jackpot when I switched to a complete bodyweight workout.

However, post my wedding and mostly due to letting go a little, I have piled on the pounds again. So I am now taking this opportunity to put to the test a pilot workout system that i have developed.

This here is going to be my official blog of all the progress I make and the things I did, from workouts to diets and the like, to get the results.

I found it really hard to give up weight training but when I did take up bodyweight training and found the results i have gotten with it, I wish i had started a bodyweight training program early on. But it isn't too late yet. So let's hang on and enjoy the ride.

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