by A. C. O'Brien

Created on: June 28, 2009   Last Updated: October 23, 2009

How can you banish belly fat and do it fast?

Ugh, belly fat, that last stubborn bit of muffin top that lingers around the waist after all the diet and exercise have done their work; it can be sent packing with this simple technique. Known as wind sprints to some, I call them, "push periods." This technique works to rev up your bodies response to your exercise routine and burn off that last stubborn ten pounds around your waist that just does not want to let go.

"What are push periods?" you ask. Simple, they are a way to get more out of your exercise routine with out putting in a major effort. You simply push yourself to work harder for just a few moments and then return to your regular exercise routine. Do this three to five times during your work out session and you will build more muscle which will burn off that belly fat. It will be a fading memory with in about a month.

If you normally walk for exercise and say you walk at a rate of a mile in fifteen minuets, after your warm up speed up, work at pushing yourself to a ten minute mile rate, do this for just thirty of forty seconds. After this short period of the rapid pace, return to your regular pace until you have recovered from your push period. Even if you can only get up to a twelve minute mile pace for just a few seconds to start, that's OK, do it. Before long you will be pushing harder and longer. You'll be burning more of that bulbous belly fat. You will see your base rate time improve too.

If you bike and normally sit through your most of your routine, stand up and really haul on those handle bars for those few moments. This will be your push period. Keep the push period pace up for fifteen seconds, that's all. Three to five push periods of standing and pushing hard for just those fifteen seconds will have your waist whittled in close to a month.

If you run, switch from a jog to a sprint. Warm up, jog for two or three minuets, then sprint all out for fifteen seconds. Return to your jog rate until you have recovered your wind and then do another sprint. Again just three to five of these pushes and that belly bounce will melt away.

The more power you can spend during your push periods, the more fat you will burn. That pumped up burn will stay with you all day long burning those extra pounds the whole time. You will have more energy, more strength and burn more calories all day. You will gain more speed, have better cardiovascular fitness, better looking skin and more of your muscles will be more toned with a slimmer waist. What more could you want?

That's it, really. Just three to five of these push periods during each workout session will nibble away that muffin top, you'll have that flat belly that you have been looking for. Your mirror will love you and you will love yourself.

Learn more about this author, A. C. O'Brien.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.