Men and women are different in a lot of different ways and the area in which we store fat is certainly no exception. I’ve been training clients for over a decade now – 75% of which are female – so I’ve heard it all. I can’t even count how many times I’ve heard a women say that they want to lose fat from their hips and thighs.
The workouts I’ve designed for men are usually quite different from the workouts I’ve designed for women. Men, as you already know, are more concerned with adding muscle to their chests and arms so they can, well ..impress you ladies.
Women on the other hand seem to be constantly struggling with their “problem areas”. These areas – not that you don’t already know – are your hips, thighs, bum and of course, the back of your arms.
Men are genetically predisposed to storing body fat around their stomach while you ladies are predisposed to storing body fat from the waist down. The reasoning is due to the hormonal differences between genders and I won’t get into it here as it’s beyond the scope of this article. So, rather than talk about why you have the excess fat around your hips, let’s talk about how to get rid of it, shall we?
Exercise #1 – Dumbbell Lunges
Although somewhat of an advanced exercise, dumbbell lunges can be simplified by performing only 1 leg at a time.
– Perform 3 sets of 20 repetitions per leg.
– Rest 30-60 seconds between sets (depending on fitness level, you may rest longer)
Exercise #2 – “Crab Walks”
This is one of the most effective exercises that can be done to both burn calories and strengthen the buttocks, hips and thighs. Thing is, people don’t know about it so you rarely see anyone doing them.
– “Shuffle” the length of the aerobics room with light weights (barbell) on your back
– Rest 30-60 seconds and resume
– Perform a total of 3 times
Exercise #3 – Squats
Squats are one of the most popular and most effective exercises – and for good reason. They work! If you’re a beginner, you may opt to use the smith machine or even perform the movement without any added resistance at all.
– Perform 3 sets of 12-15 repetitions
– Rest 60 seconds between sets
Exercise #4 – Triceps Pushdowns
These will strengthen and sculpt the back of the arm (triceps). They’re easy to do and very suitable for beginners.
– Perform 3 sets of 12-15 repetitions
– Rest 60 seconds between sets
Now, if you don’t know how to properly perform these exercises, I recommend that you log yourself onto TheFitnessBlueprint.com to view the exercise videos and instructions before you give them a try.
Moving on, it’s also important to note that you can’t spot reduce. Basically, what that means is that you can’t select an area on your body and lose fat only from that area.
When you lose fat, it comes off everywhere. It’s also important to note that exercise on its own can only do so much. If you’re serious about this and you’re determined to get results, you need to get yourself on a healthy nutrition plan.
Notice I didn’t say “diet”? “Diets” are a temporary solution. What you need to do is educate yourself and make a complete lifestyle change if you plan on not only losing weight, but of equal importance – keeping it off.