Crunches Won’t Do Jack Sh*t for Your Belly-Fat

NEWSLETTER

Crunches Won’t Do Jack Sh*t for Your Belly-Fat

Back in my early gym days, my love handles plagued me — and my “trainer” made me spam side bends with dumbbells.

Long story short, my love handles stayed—so the “trainer” didn’t.

Thanks to the online sea of fitness bullsh*t, I then fell prey to “Eat big to get big”.

And got thicker love handles.

I eventually shed my love handles and got ripped — but that wasn’t because of crunches or side bends.

I did it by staying in a calorie deficit — which multiple studies have proven to be the only way to lose body fat.

This is because you can’t “target” fat loss — you can only lower overall body fat.

Your genetics determine the order in which you lose your body fat from different body parts.

Crunches or side bends build and strengthen the underlying muscle — they can’t affect the fat surrounding the muscle.

While my checklist covers the entire fat-loss process, here are the 7 most crucial points:

1. Stick to a moderate calorie deficit of 400–800 calories per day — subtract from your TDEE and track your calorie intake with MyFitnessPal.
2. Sleep for at least 8 hours every night.
3. Consume at least 0.8g of protein per pound of your body weight daily.
4. Do heavy low-rep sets of compound lifts to build, or at least maintain your muscle mass.
5. Eat mostly clean — get 80% of your calories from healthy whole foods. You can enjoy the other 20%.
6. Don’t overdo cardio — this alone can be the difference between anorexic and ripped.
7. Be patient — you didn’t gain all your fat in a single day, so neither will you lose it.

So stop taxing your spine with worthless side bends and lower your body fat — through a calorie deficit and patience.

P.S.: For a deeper dive into the nitty-gritty of effective fat loss, check out this article.

Godspeed with your fat-loss journey!

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