Expert: Ken Alan - 8/7/2007

Question
I have a pretty bad protruding stomach, but the rest of me doesn't really have much fat on it.  Just joined a gym, but I'm not entirely sure what exercises I should be doing to maximize my results.  So far I've been doing about 30-45 minutes on the Elliptical, crunches, and some upper-body weight training?  Am I on the right track?  Also, I have read that to maximize fat burning results during cardio, you have to work at a lower intensity.  Should I be doing "fat burn" or "cardio" or a combination of both?  Any other advice would be greatly appreciated.

Answer
You're on the right track.  Cardio exercise helps consume calories (fat).  Crunches will strengthen and tone the abdominal muscles.  Add some lower body weight training to balance out the upper body training.  Plus, the more muscle you build, the higher your metabolic rate goes, which helps to keep bodyfat in check.

Do both the fat burn program and cardio program for variety.
If you have the motivation, it's okay to do higher intensity training during your workouts, because you'll get a greater caloric burn during that workout.

Hope this helps, and keep on exercising.