So far the shift toward being vegetarian and the 13 mi/day cyclocommuting habit are doing wonders to get me in shape, but I've got this one problem area: the spare tire.

at only 24 I haven't really got a beer gut per se (don't really drink much if any) but I've been fat since I was in about 4th grade and its always centered around the stomach. I also don't have a problem with weak core muscles. I could always do the number crunches required in gym. Also, while cycling, my core has never really gotten fatigued.

Knowing that I've got a working set of abs, does doing core exercise increase the odds that I'll burn fat from that region? if so what's a good place to start? I've tried yoga and what I've done so far seems to strain my back/shoulders more than my abs.

There's no such thing. You don't have a choice about what fat to burn where. It might tighten your abs and give you a trimmer look though.

That is correct - your last fat stores are concentrated in your middle and you aren't particularly alone in this. Just lose more weight. Excercising the middle is a good idea too.

It seems that the first body area that gained the fat is the last to lose it. There also seems to be a genetic tendency to store fat mainly in either the abdomen or the butt and thighs (apple vs. pear). Cardiologists say the abdominal or visceral fat indicates a hogher risk of diabetes and heart disease, so it's good to get rid of it.

There is no reason not to work on your core - it helps you with balance, form (for preventing injury), and also pulls in your waist making you slimmer and more streamlined. Last year i worked hard on my core and i noticed a huge difference while hiking over rocks/logs. I used to have 3 left feet - now i balance on wobbly rocks and leap over everything leaving friends in the dust. Thats the most beneficial improvement ive seen for myself.

core workouts are great. i mean, it's called "core" for a reason. this and a good diet should help. i have the abs book from the men's health guy and it centers around diet and exercise. no need to buy the book. just workout and eat well.

No. You cannot spot reduce without supplemental support. There is some evidence that a combo of CLA and fish oil will help target abdominal fat, but who can know for sure?

Oh, and while I'm not going to disparage your lifestyle, being a vegitarian will likely signal your body to hold onto that ab fat as well. I was a veggie for 6 years, so I've become very familiar with the lifestyle. Worst mistake for my body's health I ever made. Many people obviously have made it very workable, but I'd never say anyone thrived on it.

aikigreg: i've been reading a thing or two agreeing with your comment on vegetarianism and ab fat. something about the lack of balanced proteins causing a malnutrition related effect similar to the images of starving ethiopian kids with skinny limbs and distended abdomen.

At the same time I've seen vegan yogis who have completely flat stomachs, so I think its got a lot to do with the differences between american vegetarian diets and other cultures' variations.

So I think I'm going to just keep doing cycling and yoga with opportunistic swimming as it warms up.

I've been told that the only exercises that are gonna remove fat from the body are aerobic-based ones. Core exercises just build on the muscles behind the fat.

That's my understanding too. Though building muscles increases your body's bmr so you will burn more calories if you have more muscle. Theoretically. I don't know if there's a practical, detectable effect. (extra 12 oz ab muscle probably does not give you an extra donut a day)

Oh, I'm not saying it's by any means impossible, but it will much much harder to do. I have much respect for yoga practitioners, but they often eat nearly starvation diets. At that point, you can see their abs but I wouldn't exactly say that's a good thing. However, I do know some vegan bodybuilders who look like Men's Health cover models. It takes hours and hours of meal planning and prep each week, so it's possible for sure, but you've got to be real committed to it.

More "normal" folks like you and I are much more likely to look like Jared from Subway - skinny, but still flabby.

Either way best of luck - make sure you get enough healthy fats - avocados, nuts, olive oil, and the like. Looking back years later, I believe that not enough enough healthy fats, plus not structuring my meals as a vegetarian, was what caused problems I now have to deal with - low thyroid, low testosterone, and the resultant slow metabolism.

All exercises burn fat, however, increasing EPOC through HIIT and strength training is what will do it long term, along with a proper diet of course. Too much aerobic exercises can actually cause your body to store more fat. Increasing muscle mass is the real way. As muscle mass increases, fat mass decreases.

And some people can get very lean and still never see abs because they have the dangerous fat that lies behind them. Diet is their only solution for health as well as aesthetics.

Bottom line is that abs come online after the diet comes online and rarely before.

Naw, it wasn't the diet. I had an "event" last summer which sent my testosterone through the roof, raised my MRHR 10 beats, dropped my weight 8 pounds, and caused me to set PRs on all my training loops. I didn't change my diet or my training.

Hah. 300ml of test deca or cypionate?

No. 53 kg. of much more serious drugs. I say no more.

I've heard that one bandied about frequently by everyone who talks about gaining a visible six pack.

As others have said, you can't exercise them away.

And my experience is that you have lose a lot of weight to get any noticeable losses in that reason. I've dropped about 10 pounds in the last year by eating right and a lot of 2+ hour rides (leaving me at 6'2" and 165 pounds), but I still have a little fat around the middle.

By the way, krazygluon, I empathize with ya.

I've been hauling a beer gut ever since I can even remember being alive. I came out of mommy's womb weighing almost 10 lbs., and the pounds just stockpiled from there. I've never been skinny, or had any muscle show through the fat