If you have an apple-shaped body, you hold more fat in your midsection and chest. As an apple, your shape is more rounded so your waist is bigger in comparison to your hips and shoulders. Your actual shape isn’t as important as the health effects of extra fat. Abdominal fat surrounds your internal organs and it may put you at a greater risk of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and certain kinds of cancer. If you have an apple shape, focus on upper body workouts that include aerobic exercise to burn fat and strength training to build a strong core and streamline your upper body.
Waist to Hip Ratio
One way to determine if you have a true apple shape is to measure your waist and hips and compare the results. This comparison is called a waist to hip ratio. Use a stretch-resistant measuring tape and measure the circumference of your midsection at your natural waist — about an inch above your belly button — and the circumference of your hips at their widest point. Your waist to hip ratio is simply your waist circumference divided by your hip circumference. For women, a waist to hip ratio above 0.85 is considered abdominal obesity, pushing you into the apple-shaped category. For males, abdominal obesity is anything above 0.90.
Have Fun with Aerobic Exercise
A Duke University study found that aerobic exercise is the best way to lose belly fat. Aerobic exercise challenges your cardiovascular system, creating an increased demand for oxygen. It raises your heart rate to between 60 and 80 percent of your maximum heart rate and lasts at least 20 to 30 minutes. Work your upper body as you exercise aerobically by adding arm movements such as pumping your arms overhead, doing bicep curls and triceps extensions, adding a rowing motion and doing lateral raises. An easy way to monitor your intensity is to use the scale of perceived exertion. Assign a number between six and 20 to rate how hard you feel you’re working. Six equals no exertion at all and 20 is maximal exertion. Nine is “very light activity,” such as walking slowly, whereas seventeen is “very hard.” To work out in the aerobic zone, your rating should stay between 12 and 14. At this level, you can talk to a friend but can’t sing a song.
Energize with Circuits
According to the Duke University study, the combination of aerobic exercise and resistance training was similar to aerobic training alone in burning belly fat. If you have an apple shape, you shouldn’t skip strength training as it provides other health benefits besides just fat loss. Circuit training combines aerobic exercise with strength training. This helps burn fat and develop muscles to shape your body and increase your metabolism throughout the day. Do three to five minutes of aerobic exercise such as stepping, then one set of a strength-training exercise. Alternate each strength-training set with another three to five minutes of aerobic activity. Include strength-training exercises such as planks and medicine ball torso rotations to develop a strong core. For your upper body, do rows, chest presses, overhead presses, lat pull-downs, lateral raises, bicep curls and triceps extensions. For an apple shape, one set of strength training for each upper body exercise should include 15 to 20 repetitions at a lighter weight. Work up to three sets.
HIIT it Hard
High-intensity interval training, HIIT, is a burst-and-recover exercise cycle. It combines short periods of intense work that fatigues your muscles with periods of active rest doing the same or similar exercise. HIIT exercises for the upper body include punching bag boxing, pushups, kettlebell swings and medicine ball chest presses. The periods of intense work should last between 10 and 30 seconds while the active rest periods last about two minutes. This type of exercise burns fat and improves your body’s cardiovascular function. As an added benefit, it continues to burn fat for a longer period of time after the workout than aerobic exercise alone. High-intensity interval training is an advanced workout so if you’re just getting started, begin with functional aerobic exercise and circuit training. Start slowly with three to four sets and increase your intensity as your fitness improves.
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