Currently, there are several videos published on the internet with training tips for weight loss and losing belly fat. Searching on social networks can lead the user to find a large amount of information, but is everything said in these contents true and effective?
Thinking about resolving these doubts, the CNN selected 4 videos from YouTube’s main fitness influencers, with training suggestions to lose belly fat. The report also spoke to experts in the field to analyze and understand whether the information provided by the influencers made sense and whether it was really beneficial.
The selection of creators and videos was made with the help of the data team at CNN , which listed the biggest creators on the Winnin platform in the “Exercise & Wellbeing” category. Afterwards, a screening was carried out among the published videos to identify terms such as “best exercise” and “best training”, as well as titles that contained information supposedly based on scientific studies.
Finally, with the help of Pinpoint, a Google journalism tool, it was possible to check what the best exercises to lose belly fat . You can see the transcription of the videos on page of CNN on Pinpoint.
Exercises to lose belly fat
The selected videos with exercise tips to lose belly fat are:
- Carol Borba: “10-Minute Workout to Reduce Belly Fat in 7 Days”
- Gabriel Arones: “The best way to use cardio to lose belly fat? (Based on science)”
- Fabricio Pacholok: “3 exercises that will change your abs *sets, repetitions and myths*”
- Vivi Winkler: “The best workout to lose belly fat fast | Vivi Winkler training”
In content about exercises to lose belly fat, the predominant modality was abdominal , according to the analysis carried out by Pinpoint. The only exception is Gabriel Arones, who cites scientific studies that concluded that the best strategy for losing weight (and, consequently, losing belly fat) is the calorie deficit associated with weight training and aerobic exercise.
Next, Carlos Leandro Tiggemann, professor of the physical education course at Centro Universitário da Serra Gaúcha – FSG, analyzes the suggestions from the videos.
Abdominal
The expert clarifies that exercise alone does not make the body lose localized fat, that is, from a single place on the body, such as the belly. “Our body needs to seek out fat in a systemic way, and its burning will be in general, a little in each region”, points out Tiggemann. “Therefore, there are differences in each person’s weight loss process,” he adds. Therefore, abdominal exercises alone are not the solution to losing belly fat.
Standing sit-up
Abdominal exercises performed standing up appear in Carol Borba’s video. She states that the idea is to work the abdominal obliques and, at the same time, increase the heart rate to accelerate calorie burning.
Tiggemann believes that this variation of the sit-up can work well on the core, a region made up of the muscles of the abdomen, back and glutes. However, he adds that doing sit-ups while standing does not necessarily increase the intensity of the exercise.
“In the selected video, there is a combination of exercises that, with muscle contraction, there is a little cardio. So, the exercise becomes more intense due to cardiovascular work rather than localized muscular strength,” he says.
Aerobic exercise combined with weight training and calorie deficit in the diet
In relation to Gabriel Arones’ video, Tiggemann states that physical exercise is a strategy that contributes to weight loss in a modest way, as the body tends to adjust its metabolism to become more economical.
Therefore, the solution is, in fact, to associate physical activity with low-calorie diets. In general, this type of diet consists of eating fewer calories than are burned throughout the day.
“This must be done with healthy and balanced considerations, so that the person can maintain this weight loss over time and ingest the amount of essential macro and micronutrients”, he highlights.
After all, is it worth relying on online videos to practice physical exercises?
In general, online videos with bodybuilding tips and exercises for weight loss can be accessible and easy-to-understand ways for amateur athletes to obtain information about training . However, according to experts interviewed by CNN this type of content can bring benefits and harms.
For Fábio Dominski, university professor and Ph.D. in Physical Education, among the advantages is the autonomy of the practitioner being able to choose the type of exercise and the frequency of training, in addition to being able to carry out many workouts at home. However, he warns of the risks that these contents can pose, such as the lack of professional supervision.
Furthermore, he reinforces that the most important thing is adherence and consistency in training. “Researchers suggest worrying less about variables and more about getting people to actually train, that is, the factors that influence adherence to training. On this topic – motivation, what matters most, I observe that there are few influencers talking”, he concludes.
Check out other reports in the series: “Does exercising with internet videos work? See risks and benefits”
This article is part of a series of four reports published in CNN to analyze training videos available on the internet, their risks and benefits — from the point of view of experts in the field. Also check out the other reports at the links below:
- Exercises to lose weight;
- Exercises for glutes;
- Arm and chest exercises.
How to lose abdominal fat: see tips and exercises to practice
Source: CNN Brasil
I am an experienced journalist and writer with a career in the news industry. My focus is on covering Top News stories for World Stock Market, where I provide comprehensive analysis and commentary on markets around the world. I have expertise in writing both long-form articles and shorter pieces that deliver timely, relevant updates to readers.
