A jerky abdominal exercise is supposed to magic away the unwanted fat deposits located there in just a month – and that with just 5 minutes of training a day. At least that’s what it says on a video snippet that has been attracting attention on TikTok for weeks. FITBOOK is skeptical – and showed it to a sports doctor.
The bizarre belly dance by TikTokerin «janny14906» has already been clicked millions of times. What the slim, well-trained Asian woman presents in her numerous clips on the online network is basically always the same: a special exercise that is intended to help you lose weight on your stomach. She promises that «five minutes a day» is enough to enjoy defined abs, a slim waist and firm hips just «a month later». Prospects that sound very tempting – and in fact the timeline of «janny14906» is literally overflowing with supposed proof videos of women who have had success with the jerky abdominal exercise. High time to ask an expert for an assessment: FITBOOK spoke to sports scientist Dr. Michael Despeghel on TikTok’s abdominal exercise, which is supposed to help you lose weight.
It’s about this abdominal exercise
The exercise is a bit reminiscent of belly dancing. It consists of rhythmically lifting the chest up and down while moving the hips back and forth at a rapid pace (jerking). This creates a brisk dance move of sorts that targets the abs, which is intended to melt away the fat that’s sitting there. When watching the whole thing, you actually get the impression that you’re completely out of breath after a few minutes.
Can you lose weight with the TikTok abs exercise? We asked an expert
FITBOOK asked sports physician Dr. Michael Despeghel, took a critical look at the «drill videos» – and his verdict was very clear: «You don’t lose weight on your stomach with this exercise. It’s impossible to lose fat selectively anyway.” Belly fat in particular, which lies particularly deep, is metabolically inactive and therefore difficult to get rid of. So if something stubbornly «claws» at us, it’s the unloved layers of fat in the middle of the body. «Five-minute exercise won’t help, it takes at least six months of hard work plus a change in diet.»
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«A workout of this type burns 80 to 100 calories»
But the brisk belly dancing does not have to be a waste of time. Especially if you’re having fun with it. «Breathing goes up, heart rate increases, the body is put to work and of course burns calories accordingly,» explains Despeghel. That alone is welcome. “A workout like this uses about 80 to 100 calories. It’s not the world, but it’s better than nothing.» His advice: «You should always remain skeptical about promises that you’ll lose your stomach quickly. There is as yet no miracle exercise or miracle remedy. That’s just a fact.»
The right strategy against unwanted belly fat
Conclusion: If you want to lose weight on your stomach, you are ill-advised to do this supposed miracle exercise. Despeghel also sees the “Only being thin makes you happy slogans” as particularly critical, with which the TikToker woman decorates her clips in his opinion. That puts people under pressure, who will all fail for better or for worse. In order to lose belly fat, you need a sophisticated training and nutrition plan. And that’s exactly what FITBOOK discussed elsewhere with Dr. Spoken Despeghel. Spoiler: Strength training three to four times a week including endurance sports such as cycling or running and lots and lots of discipline. Anyone who accepts the challenge can hope for success after six months. Starving, according to the expert, does not help against belly fat.