Push ups & stomach fat?

running the roads

Hi my stomach protrudes a bit in a running top or t-shirt, despite not being overweight and very fit. The sales assistant and former olympian said that push ups would help tone my tummy and remove this appearance, would it does anyone know? have never really been able to do push ups and neglected this area of my body. Advice appreciated.
Thanks

Doug Cartel

There is nothing in particular about push ups that will remove fat from your midsection any more than any other exercise.

Alf Veedersane

running the roads wrote: »

Hi my stomach protrudes a bit in a running top or t-shirt, despite not being overweight and very fit. The sales assistant and former olympian said that push ups would help tone my tummy and remove this appearance, would it does anyone know? have never really been able to do push ups and neglected this area of my body. Advice appreciated.
Thanks

No one exercise will reduce fat in any particular place.

Improved diet and some more exercise will help reduce overall bodyfat and that's the only way you will reduce the bit of a tummy.

Mellor

running the roads wrote: »

Hi my stomach protrudes a bit in a running top or t-shirt, despite not being overweight and very fit. The sales assistant and former olympian said that push ups would help tone my tummy and remove this appearance, would it does anyone know? have never really been able to do push ups and neglected this area of my body. Advice appreciated.
Thanks

It's most likely excess fat, even if you aren't what would be considered "overweight".
Push ups won't target the belly, no exercise will. And if you aren't really able to do push ups, then you'll be far less effect than general exercise for burning energy.

I'm a bit curious by former olympian sales assistant. Very bizarre advice from him.

As already said, nothing is going to strip fat off one particular part of your body. But if you do want to tone up the muscle in that area, some simple pilates exercises could help. Even just some planking and twisting could help.

Or you could buy bigger clothes.

generic2012

Hate to break it to you but if you can't do a push up you probably are overweight.

Typer Monkey

generic2012 wrote: »

Hate to break it to you but if you can't do a push up you probably are overweight.

Not necessarily. It just means he has terrible upper body strength.

To get rid of the belly fat you need to eat a calorie deficit. If you want to improve your upper body strength just start doing push-ups. Start with however many you can manage and do them every day/second day and you'll gradually get better..like anything else really

LuckyLloyd

generic2012 wrote: »

Hate to break it to you but if you can't do a push up you probably are overweight.

Hmm, I know plenty of women weighing healthily who would be unable to do a proper form full pushup. I doubt Mo Farrah's max unbroken pushup number is particularly impressive either.

I'm fat but I can still bang out a few pushups. The movement requires and helps develop upper body pushing strength and core control (when done properly).

TommyKnocker

Can I just ask, isn't there some postural abnormality, Anterior pelvic tilt? which I believe is not that uncommon and think can give the appearance of a "pot bely"?

Might be another reason rather than carrying more body fat then you think as advised above. Your GP or possibly a Physio might be able to check this for you.

loveisdivine

TommyKnocker wrote: »

Can I just ask, isn't there some postural abnormality, Anterior pelvic tilt? which I believe is not that uncommon and think can give the appearance of a "pot bely"?

Might be another reason rather than carrying more body fat then you think as advised above. Your GP or possibly a Physio might be able to check this for you.

Hyper Lordosis. I suffer from it a myself. Not extreme, but enough thats its always pointed out by my doctor. There are certain stretches/exercises that help correct it. Stretching the hip flexors is a big part of it.

Brian?

generic2012 wrote: »

Hate to break it to you but if you can't do a push up you probably are overweight.

That's nonsense.

jane82

I can go from having a small pot belly to little or no belly depending on how much bread and chips I ate in the few days before. Its more bloating than anything else I think. If you tense up and can still grab bits you more than likely just eat a little more and exercise a little less than it takes to achieve your idea of your perfect body.
I would start with all types of upper body and lower body exercises. The more you do the more fat will be burned off the belly. It wont happen overnight. I would also try make cuts to any heavy carby food you eat. Lower the portions of things like bread potatoes biscuits cake pasta rice chips etc etc.
Of course you need some carbs but if you have a bigger belly than you want you more than likely eat too many.

rubadub

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

No one exercise will reduce fat in any particular place.

I don't think the advice as given as a means of spot reducing fat.

I think it was more along these lines

TommyKnocker wrote: »

Can I just ask, isn't there some postural abnormality, Anterior pelvic tilt? which I believe is not that uncommon and think can give the appearance of a "pot bely"?

I also remember hearing the late Gerry Ryan going on about some ab device he was using and saying something along the lines of the somewhat developed muscle holding in fat better. Now I am not saying this is true or false, but I have heard similar ideas since then too, how developed ab muscles might hold in the gut. Certainly on "embarrassing bodies" there was a woman with damaged or torn ab muscles after pregnancy who had a belly due to it, and got surgery on the muscles.

Doug Cartel

rubadub wrote: »

I also remember hearing the late Gerry Ryan going on about some ab device he was using and saying something along the lines of the somewhat developed muscle holding in fat better.

More developed abdominal muscles might do a better job of holding in viceral fat (the fat under the muscles) but if you've got a lot of viceral fat in your abdominal cavity, you would be better off trying to get rid of that fat, as it's really, really unhealthy stuff.

Alf Veedersane

If it's anterior pelvic tilt, I'm not sure push ups would necessarily be the best exercises.

And if it's strengthening the abs or core, push ups wouldn't be the first exercise that springs to mind.

Just sounds like odd advice, but maybe that's just because there's a bit of chinese whispers about the OP in relation to what might have been said exactly.

Dietsquirt

OP, as someone mentioned earlier in the thread, you can't target fat loss in a particular part of your body. In fact your stomach area would probably be the last place fat will be burned. To lose fat, which is the hardest part of getting in to shape, is to be at a caloric deficit.
What does that mean? You need to be burning more calories than you are eating.

Watch what you eat, it's easy to omit some stuff from your diet; Ie: Chose ryvita over bread, chicken over pork etc..

I wouldn't worry too much about push-ups/sit-ups. Just run/cycle/elliptical machine in the gym <-- great cardio exercise imo.

If you can do the above 3/4 times a week for 30 mins and pay attention to what you eat (no burger king!) you should notice it dwindling away.

When you say 'very fit' could you clarify?

There's no right or wrong answer, that's just my opinion. Good luck.

generic2012

Typer Monkey wrote: »

Not necessarily. It just means he has terrible upper body strength.

I know not necessarily that's why I said probably.

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

Hmm, I know plenty of women weighing healthily who would be unable to do a proper form full pushup. I doubt Mo Farrah's max unbroken pushup number is particularly impressive either.

I didn't know OP was a woman if they are then it obviously wouldn't be as high a probability. Interesting thought about Mo Farrah's max unbroken pushup number, I doubt that Sonia O'Sullivan can deadlift 300kg.


OP, If you're 'not overweight' and your 'very fit', then **** what some sales assistant thinks about you, don't let it worry you.

Celly Smunt

Squats squats squats! The key to fat burning in terms of non-cardio based exercises.

GenieOz

Celly Smunt wrote: »

Squats squats squats! The key to fat burning in terms of non-cardio based exercises.

Why do you think that?

I'd imagine the initial advice was given in that push ups are a core exercise so will tighten up the stomach muscles and give the appearance of it being less fatty.

brownej

GenieOz wrote: »

Why do you think that?

I'd imagine the initial advice was given in that push ups are a core exercise so will tighten up the stomach muscles and give the appearance of it being less fatty.

If you read enough threads around here you will find that someone at some stage will provide "Squats" as the answer to the question.

GenieOz

brownej wrote: »

If you read enough threads around here you will find that someone at some stage will provide "Squats" as the answer to the question.

Ah right, insidey type joke, fair enough

Squats do bring on a serious burn though .

running the roads

She advised me not to purchase a certain sport shirt because it gave me the appearance of having a small belly....otherwise a good fit, she said that the forementioned exercise would reduce this appearance and she's a former Olympian.

I do have a curvature of the spine, there's quite a bad hollow in my back immediately behind my abdomen, I mean if I was to stand against the wall, I've ran a marathon in the past year, but have never been able to do push ups or press ups, maybe with the right technique, I could, but it's always been a struggle, I would like to improve upper body strength without being muscular though, because I'm as weak as they come.....

generic2012

running the roads wrote: »

I could, but it's always been a struggle, I would like to improve upper body strength without being muscular though, because I'm as weak as they come.....

Don't worry about getting muscular by improving upper body strength. There are lots of people who actually try to get muscular and can't do it!

Slydice

running the roads wrote: »

She advised me not to purchase a certain sport shirt because it gave me the appearance of having a small belly....otherwise a good fit, she said that the forementioned exercise would reduce this appearance and she's a former Olympian.

I do have a curvature of the spine, there's quite a bad hollow in my back immediately behind my abdomen, I mean if I was to stand against the wall, I've ran a marathon in the past year, but have never been able to do push ups or press ups, maybe with the right technique, I could, but it's always been a struggle, I would like to improve upper body strength without being muscular though, because I'm as weak as they come.....

I found it hard at the start too. The advice I read on the internet was to give as much of a try as I could. Doesn't matter how little a person can do. It worked for me.

If you can only do one quarter of a push up, then do that. Do it 3 more times in an hour. Get some good sleep (min 7 hours, max 9)

Do the same the next day and the same for 6 more days.

Then try doing one half of a push up again 4 times in an hour for 7 days.

Then keep going up like that, three quarters of a push up, one whole push up, one and a half push ups etc...

If you find yourself able for more then try.

The main thing is try and then to keep trying. If your muscles aren't used to the work, you'll have to slowly build them up. Each time you try, you send the message to the muscles that you need them and they listen. After you work them and then rest (healthy food and sleep), they repair and come back a little bit stronger.

Good luck!

Mellor

Dietsquirt wrote: »

Watch what you eat, it's easy to omit some stuff from your diet; Ie: Chose ryvita over bread, chicken over pork etc..

What wrong with a lean cut of pork?

generic2012 wrote: »

I didn't know OP was a woman if they are then it obviously wouldn't be as high a probability. Interesting thought about Mo Farrah's max unbroken pushup number, I doubt that Sonia O'Sullivan can deadlift 300kg.

What are you trying to say here?
The other posters were saying a lack of strength could be down to be skinny, and not being over weight. If anything the above backs up their point, not your own.

GenieOz wrote: »

I'd imagine the initial advice was given in that push ups are a core exercise so will tighten up the stomach muscles and give the appearance of it being less fatty.

Push ups focus on the chest not the stomach.

generic2012

Mellor wrote: »

What wrong with a lean cut of pork?

generic2012 wrote: »

I didn't know OP was a woman if they are then it obviously wouldn't be as high a probability. Interesting thought about Mo Farrah's max unbroken pushup number, I doubt that Sonia O'Sullivan can deadlift 300kg.

What are you trying to say here?
The other posters were saying a lack of strength could be down to be skinny, and not being over weight. If anything the above backs up their point, not your own.

My point is that how many push ups Mo Farrah can do continuously is totally irrelevant the point at hand.

GenieOz

Mellor wrote: »

Push ups focus on the chest not the stomach.

They're also a very good core workout. Plank would be a better one to do but two for one with a proper push up.

Alf Veedersane

GenieOz wrote: »

They're also a very good core workout. Plank would be a better one to do but two for one with a proper push up.

Done properly, yes.

But most people don't engage their core properly doing a push up and a few reps in look like they're somewhere between a push-up and dry humping the ground.

LuckyLloyd

generic2012 wrote: »

My point is that how many push ups Mo Farrah can do continuously is totally irrelevant the point at hand.

It is relevant to your contention that 'cannot do pushup = overweight'. Your statement was simply incorrect, that's all.

generic2012

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

It is relevant to your contention that 'cannot do pushup = overweight'. Your statement was simply incorrect, that's all.

I said if you can't do one push up you're probably overweight, I never said it was equal to it, I'd appreciate if you didn't put words in my mouth to suit your argument. How many push-ups you can do continuously is a totally different thing from whether you can do a single push-up or not. If you're saying that being overweight is not the most common reason for not being able to do one push up, then what is the most common cause/most probable reason?

LuckyLloyd

generic2012 wrote: »

I said if you can't do one push up you're probably overweight, I never said it was equal to it, I'd appreciate if you didn't put words in my mouth to suit your argument. How many push-ups you can do continuously is a totally different thing from whether you can do a single push-up or not. If you're saying that being overweight is not the most common reason for not being able to do one push up, then what is the most common cause/most probable reason?

Insufficient upper body muscle mass.

generic2012

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

Insufficient upper body muscle mass.

Relative to their weight.

If two people have the exact same upper body muscle mass, one might be able to a push up while the other mightn't as they are too heavy (overweight).

Mellor

generic2012 wrote: »

Relative to their weight.

If two people have the exact same upper body muscle mass, one might be able to a push up while the other mightn't as they are too heavy (overweight).

Some people can't do then because they are significantly overweight, nobody is saying that's never happened.
But your assertion that people who can't do push ups are "probably" overweight, that it's the most common reason, is pulled out of thin air.

Most people that I've seen struggle to do push ups were skinny people with low muse mass (underweight)

jane82

Mellor wrote: »

Some people can't do then because they are significantly overweight, nobody is saying that's never happened.
But your assertion that people who can't do push ups are "probably" overweight, that it's the most common reason, is pulled out of thin air.

Most people that I've seen struggle to do push ups were skinny people with low muse mass (underweight)

But did these underweight people have fat bellies thats the question here.

generic2012

Mellor wrote: »

Some people can't do then because they are significantly overweight, nobody is saying that's never happened.
But your assertion that people who can't do push ups are "probably" overweight, that it's the most common reason, is pulled out of thin air.

Most people that I've seen struggle to do push ups were skinny people with low muse mass (underweight)

Well I wouldn't say it's out of thin air, 25% of the Irish population aged 20 or older are obese, (World health organisation 2013), that doesn't include overweight, this survey http://www.irishhealth.com/article.html?id=19452 said that only 4% of the irish population are underweight. I'd say mathematically it's more probable if some one isn't able to do a push up it's due to being overweight than underweight purely because there are far more more people overweight than underweight.

LuckyLloyd

generic2012 wrote: »

Well I wouldn't say it's out of thin air, 25% of the Irish population aged 20 or older are obese, (World health organisation 2013), that doesn't include overweight, this survey http://www.irishhealth.com/article.html?id=19452 said that only 4% of the irish population are underweight. I'd say mathematically it's more probable if some one isn't able to do a push up it's due to being overweight than underweight purely because there are far more more people overweight than underweight.

The population's weight averages is a separate issue to the population's practice and ability to do pushups.

In this case the OP can run a marathon but can't do a full pushup comfortably. I'd imagine such a case is not all that uncommon.

Blacktie.

generic2012 wrote: »

Well I wouldn't say it's out of thin air, 25% of the Irish population aged 20 or older are obese, (World health organisation 2013), that doesn't include overweight, this survey http://www.irishhealth.com/article.html?id=19452 said that only 4% of the irish population are underweight. I'd say mathematically it's more probable if some one isn't able to do a push up it's due to being overweight than underweight purely because there are far more more people overweight than underweight.

Lol this argument is so flawed and you just pointed the flaw out yourself.

generic2012

Blacktie. wrote: »

Lol this argument is so flawed and you just pointed the flaw out yourself.

I agree with LuckyLoyd, I was wrong because I didn't include the specific context of the OP. I don't agree with you though. How is my argument flawed? I hope it isn't because I said 25% obesity rate doesn't include the overweight population?

Blacktie.

generic2012 wrote: »

I agree with LuckyLoyd, I was wrong because I didn't include the specific context of the OP. I don't agree with you though. How is my argument flawed? I hope it isn't because I said 25% obesity rate doesn't include the overweight population?

Lol part came off a bit dickish, my bad. But it really seems like you're saying well most people are fat therefore most people can't do a push up because they're fat.

generic2012

Blacktie. wrote: »

Lol part came off a bit dickish, my bad. But it really seems like you're saying well most people are fat therefore most people can't do a push up because they're fat.

My thinking was - If you get a sample of a hundred people, see how many can do a pushup, if 20 can't do it, chances are the vast majority can't do it as they're overweight, there could be some who can't because they're under weight but very few of that 20, if any. So it's more probable than being overweight is the cause.


But as LuckyLoyd kind of said, if you took a sample of 100 people with a belly who could run a marathon and see how many could do a push up, it is very very unlikely that the majority of those who can't, can't do it because they're overweight.

LuckyLloyd

This conversation probably stopped being useful a while ago. :P

But imagine a male in his early thirties. Has a healthy weight as defined by the BMI scale; works a desk job; rarely if ever volunteers for manual work outside of work (i.e. helping a friend move or whatever); exercise is running or cycling. Should we assume this guy can do a proper full form pushup without difficulty? I don't know the answer, I don't train people or own a gym. I would have assumed not though?

Blacktie.

generic2012 wrote: »

My thinking was - If you get a sample of a hundred people, see how many can do a pushup, if 20 can't do it, chances are the vast majority can't do it as they're overweight, there could be some who can't because they're under weight but very few of that 20, if any. So it's more probable than being overweight is the cause.

This might be true of a random sample of people but for people who actually want to do one? Or more specific again anyone who would ask the question about doing them? I think this greatly reduces the numbers.

generic2012

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

This conversation probably stopped being useful a while ago. :P

But imagine a male in his early thirties. Has a healthy weight as defined by the BMI scale; works a desk job; rarely if ever volunteers for manual work outside of work (i.e. helping a friend move or whatever); exercise is running or cycling. Should we assume this guy can do a proper full form pushup without difficulty? I don't know the answer, I don't train people or own a gym. I would have assumed not though?

The main reason for disagreement is people working of different premises so for example we could disagree all day about GMO being 'good' or 'bad' but until we break down are arguments and see what 'facts' were working off we'll never sort it out, for instance you might think GMOs might have been proven to be unhealthy/dangerous where as I know they haven't and once we agree there we can properly debate.

I think you found that 'fact'! I presumed that most of the people you've described could do a push up (not including the without difficulty part), but you have me doubting myself now. I wonder out of 10 people in the same situation, how many could do a single push up?

Dietsquirt

Mellor wrote: »

What wrong with a lean cut of pork?


At no point did i say there was anything wrong with pork, i just said that IN MY OPINION if you're looking to lower your body-fat percentage, chicken/fish would be better than pork.

runawaybishop

Dietsquirt wrote: »

At no point did i say there was anything wrong with pork, i just said that IN MY OPINION if you're looking to lower your body-fat percentage, chicken/fish would be better than pork.

Why do you say this? Eating fat doesn't make you fat so eating lean wont make you lean.

Blacktie.

runawaybishop wrote: »

Dietsquirt wrote: »

Why do you say this? Eating fat doesn't make you fat so eating lean wont make you lean.

Maybe he finds chicken or fish provides more satiety so he eats less. He's clearly stated it's his personal opinion and he's not trying to push it on people.

runawaybishop

Blacktie. wrote: »

runawaybishop wrote: »

Maybe he finds chicken or fish provides more satiety so he eats less. He's clearly stated it's his personal opinion and he's not trying to push it on people.

Maybe he does, thats why i asked

Blacktie.

What's up with the quoting system? It;s gone all screwy.

So if I am eating too much protein now and the extra protein is being converted to fat can I just wait until the muscles grow and this extra protein intake is right for maintenace instead of lowering protein and highering it again in a few months?
Im comfortable with this diet the belly isnt huge just about a thumb with of fat if i grab below belly button, its not an emergency like.

No it doesn't really work this way. Protein can't be stored up like that (for the sake of this argument anyway). There's no real reason to go low protein. Why do you want to?

jane82

Blacktie. wrote: »

What's up with the quoting system? It;s gone all screwy.



No it doesn't really work this way. Protein can't be stored up like that (for the sake of this argument anyway). There's no real reason to go low protein. Why do you want to?

Sorry I posted that on wrong thread.

gordongekko

my head hurts is it from
A being overweight
B being underweight
C reading this thread

nice_guy80

Cut out the bread
Do some weighted exercises to fill out the rest of your body.