Killeen Temple Fort Hood

A strong, flat stomach is definitely nice to look at, and it also improves and protects your lower back. But developing a lean, flat stomach generally takes time, a lot of hard work and patience. There are factors that determine the shape of your abdomen, and the length of time you are going to get a flat stomach. These factors include genetics, gender and age.

Genetics

Genetically, the human body is programmed to store and utilise fat. There just are specific spots in our body where fat seems to stick like glue. Where those spots are - the thighs, stomach, or elsewhere in the body - will be determined by heredity. These parts of the body act like storage depots for fuel or the strategic petroleum reserve, because fats may be called upon to provide energy when the body runs out of sugar. Several studies have indicated the possibility that genetics plays a critical role in determining how much your body weight shall be. Given the same calorie intake, one person may be more predisposed to weight gain than another.

It is certainly possible to stave off the genetic tendency to deposit fat in the abdomen, by engaging in appropriate exercise and adopting sensible dietary habits. However, the reality is the feat of achieving a flat stomach is going to happen much sooner for some persons than for others.

Gender

Body fat comes in two varieties. Subcutaneous fat lies just below the skin, whilst visceral fat is buried deep in the abdomen. Men tend to store visceral fat deep in their bellies. The reason for this is that as a man gets older, especially after age 30, testosterone production tends to go down. The lower testosterone levels results in reduced lean muscle mass and a higher rate of accumulation of abdominal fat. It becomes considerably more difficult to lose weight. Fortunately for men, visceral fat is easier to lose than subcutaneous fat.

Women, on the other hand, have a genetic predisposition for depositing subcutaneous fat in the abdomen. This is nature's way of providing layers of protection to the childbearing areas. Placement of extra fat around the abdominal and pelvic areas provides a cushion that prevents trauma on a developing baby. For this reason, women tend to find it more difficult to flatten their stomach than men.

Age

The aging process generally leads to increased percentage of body fat and reduced quantities of lean muscle mass. As you get older, your metabolism changes, and you have a tendency to easily store fat around the midsection. A research study had these interesting findings: (1) as age progressed, muscle thickness decreased while subcutaneous fat increased, around the abdomen in both males and females, with the rate of change in both measures being higher in women than in men, and (2) subcutaneous fat is a more significant factor affecting waist circumference than muscle thickness, irrespective of age or gender.

To flatten your stomach as you get older, you are actually fighting nature. Hence, if you want lose a certain amount of weight, you will have to work much harder and much longer than when you were twenty before you can achieve your desired flat stomach.

Although the configuration of your abdominal muscles are dependent on your genetics, gender and age, you can still enhance their quality through proper resistance training. You can devise an exercise programme that targets the most effective ways to develop your abdominal muscles. This may or may not result in a having a well-defined six-pack abs, but you will be able to flatten your stomach over time.

You can read more at:
http://www.sixpacktips.com

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