The subject line of today's email might seem a bit strange, but it's really not when you think about it.

I'll get straight to the meat of the matter here - obesity has become a huge, huge problem the world over - and even folks that exercise regularly aren't immune from the "bulging belly" syndrome at times. You rarely, if ever see a naturally flat stomach any longer on folks (and no, the "roid" crazed monsters at the gym don't count), and that's not good for reasons you are already aware of.

Just last night, I read about Australia being one of the fattest countries in the world - and that had me floored big time - I was always under the impression that Australians with their outdoor oriented lifestyles were amongst the fittest in the world - and I guess I was right - emphasis on the word "WERE". No longer, it seems.

There are many reasons behind this, an improper diet being the main reason, followed closely by lack of exercise. Stress is a factor too, as is food pumped full of chemicals and hormones that get your body's natural fat burning tendency out of wack.

Not good - but what can one DO about it?

Well, exercise hard, you'd say, right? And you're right - but the thing is, not ALL exercise is equally effective at "roasting the pork" right off your body and this holds true for all exercises, be they weights-based or body-weight only.

You often see folks working out on stationery bikes for hours hoping to 'tone the midsection up'. You often see folks doing crunch after crunch (which by the way is an utterly useless exercise if there ever was one) in an attempt to get the "six pack" to show, but all they end up with is a sore neck and lower back from the exercise.

And while those aren't exercises I advocate anyway, the truth is that even GOOD exercises at times won't be 100% effective in burning fat the way you want to, especially around the midsection. Take pushups for an instance - super cardio workout for the overall body, and while they do good in terms of reducing overall fat, promoting strength and fitness and the such, they still aren't the best way to lose fat around the midsection.

So, what IS the best way, then?

Well, to put it simply - exercises that literally "shake" the fat up. Yes, I mean those annoying exercises that get your tummy bouncing up and down in a most uncomfortable fashion as opposed to sitting comfortably on that exercise bike. . .

Exercises which literally shake your core "inside out" if that makes any sense - and have you breathless within a minute or less. In fact, when you first start you'd  be lucky to get even 25 seconds without collapsing on a particular exercise - and thats the honest truth.

One example of this would be to simply "walk" (or march) in place while swinging the arms and bringing the knees as close to the chest as you can with each rep. Doesn't sound like much I know, but there's a good reason this exercise is practiced in the military, and those of you with bulging waistlines will start feeling the "heat" very soon indeed if you do this right.

You'll feel uncomfortable, the sweat will start to trickle, and then pour off you in a torrent. Your stomach will literally feel like it's been turned inside out - and those of you that are constipated might feel the "urge to go" as well, hehe (and no, I'm NOT kidding on that one!). And remember this is just one movement - there are many, many more that can be done here.

Anyway, I plan on putting these movements all together into a new "core routine" book - stay tuned on that one.

And just why do these exercises work so well, you ask?

Well, I'm not going to get into all the reasons in this email - but for one, because they force the body to use the "subcutaneous" fat as opposed to the fat you can "see" on your body. That means the fat inside of you which envelops your internal organs and is an open invitation to heart disease. Most folks have more of this type of fat than they should which is NOT good - but the good news is that this fat is usually also the first to disappear when you start a solid exercise routine.

Second, shaking the lard up and down is uncomfortable as heck, but it's the closest thing you can get to "spot reducing" fat on your body. Ever seen a hula dancer with a fat backside? Or a belly dancer with a protruding belly? I bet not - continuously working a particular area of the body vigorously not only strengthens and builds muscles, but also reduces that unsightly LARD.

The old timers said it best i.e. "fat can only accumulate on that part of the body where there is the least movement" - and I couldn't agree more.

So whether you are looking to shed that last bit of belly fat, or just starting out, remember to always choose exercises that really make the body MOVE vigorously - and this holds especially true if your trying to reduce fat around the core/abdominal region!

All for now - try this little tip, and let me know how it works out for you!

Best Regards,
Rahul

PS: While waiting on the book with the new core routines, you might want to get started on Fast and Furious Fitness to lay a solid foundation for the tougher exercises: - http://rahulmookerjee.com/index.php/articles/83-fast-and-furious-fitness-the-book