Losing fat - Pilates, zumba, or personal trainer

[denisio]

Hi,
I am currently 5'2" and weigh 135. My problem area is my stomach and I know I cannot spot reduce but I need to supplement my weekly workouts and want to know your opinions on which will give me the best cardio benefits.

Currently, I workout 4-5 days a week. I do 15 minutes of jogging on the treadmill, 30 minutes on the elliptical and I do 3 sets each of crunches, dumbbell curls, and shoulder presses (all on a stability ball).

So, I would like to supplement this on Saturdays with pilates, zumba (a new dance aerobics) or by getting 8 sessions with a personal trainer to amp up my routine.

What do you all think would be the best option to aid in fat loss?

 

[Steve]

Hi,
I am currently 5'2" and weigh 135. My problem area is my stomach and I know I cannot spot reduce but I need to supplement my weekly workouts and want to know your opinions on which will give me the best cardio benefits.

Currently, I workout 4-5 days a week. I do 15 minutes of jogging on the treadmill, 30 minutes on the elliptical and I do 3 sets each of crunches, dumbbell curls, and shoulder presses (all on a stability ball).

So, I would like to supplement this on Saturdays with pilates, zumba (a new dance aerobics) or by getting 8 sessions with a personal trainer to amp up my routine.

What do you all think would be the best option to aid in fat loss?

I see all kinds of red flags here:

1. You ask what would give the best cardio benefits and what will give the best option for fat loss, as if these 2 questions are interchangeable. They're not.

What will give you the best cardio benefits is cardiovascular exercise.

What will give you the best fat loss is the cumulative effect of proper diet combined with proper/adequate exercise, diet being most important.

2. Keeping #1 in mind, you make no mention of diet although it would appear that you are most interested in becoming lean and losing fat. Diet is going to be the number one determinant in your success in shedding fat.

3. In regards to your resistance training program, you are lacking terribly in balance, which is more important than you'd expect. You are working on your abs, biceps, and shoulders. This is about as inefficient as you get. What happened to the major muscle groups; think quads, hamstrings/glutes, chest, and back? Also, how many reps are you doing per set during each of these exercises?

4. By having a PT 'amp' up your routine.... what exactly do you mean?