The commonest query that I get from readers asks for tips to reduce their bellies. "I've tried every trick in the book," goes the typical one, "but I can't seem to shake off the fat around my waistline; what should I do?" That question resonates in every gym. "How do I get rid of those ugly love-handles?", "How do I shrink my beer belly?" and so on. And the commonest answer to this seems to be: "Do crunches/sit-ups/leg raises. And do hundreds of them." That's what most people do. Walk into any gym's floor exercise area and you're definitely going to see an army of crunchers doing the classic sit-ups, leg-raises or even using often funny-looking implements to crunch their mid-sections-but all hoping for the same thing: a thinner waist.

Well, sorry to disappoint you folks, but crunches alone will not help you buy smaller-sized trousers. The trainer at my gym loves to relate a story-he claims it is true; I think it is apocryphal-about a newbie member who insisted on doing nothing but crunches, thousands of them, at the gym. After a month, he gained an inch around his waist instead of losing anything! What happened, according to the trainer, is that while the crunches helped strengthen and grow the man's abdominal muscles, he lost no fat around his belly. Net outcome: a bigger waistline. What a waste of all those crunches!

The trainer's tale may be exaggerated but its message is true: Crunches alone cannot help reduce or sculpt your mid-section. Dozens of ads on TV may promise you that doing crunches with curiously-shaped equipment (including one that you strap on and plug into a power socket!) will get you that elusive washboard tummy, but it's all one big hoax. In exercise-speak, this is known as 'spot-reduction' and it doesn't work. It is not possible to exercise one part of the body and reduce fat in that area. Fat loss through exercise happens across the body and depends on factors such as genetics (what you inherited from your parents), gender, age and diet. If you want to get rid of your belly fat, you have to reduce overall fat from your body. There is no other way.

And how do you reduce overall body fat? Try intensive cardio-vascular exercises like jogging, brisk-walking, cycling, etc. Add crunches and other exercises that target the abs and you'll be on your way to getting a leaner waist complete with sculpted abs. And just to nudge you on your way, here's my favourite abs exercise. My trainer (yes, the storyteller I mentioned earlier) calls it "the lying-down, touching-toes exercise". Here's how it goes. Lie flat on an exercise mat with your arms outstretched beyond your head. Raise your legs from the hips to form 90 degrees with your body. Now touch your toes. That's one rep. Do sets of 25. And oh, I never said it was going to be easy!

-Muscles Mani
write to musclesmani@intoday.com

FAQS ON TENNIS ELBOW

For most Indians, the cricket-crazy lot at least, Tennis Elbow is what put the iconic Sachin Tendulkar out of action for some nine weeks. For others, it's an injury that happens to tennis players, right? Well, actually, tennis players account for less than 5 per cent of those affected by this condition. Here's a primer on tennis elbow:

What it is: Dr. Yash Gulati, Senior Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, explains: "A tennis elbow is an overuse injury caused by repetitive strain. Almost everyone can get affected: sportsmen, housewives and computer users, among others."

Symptoms: Recurring pain on the outside of the upper forearm just below the bend of the elbow, with tenderness on or below the joint's bony prominence; difficulty in extending the forearm fully. Movements such as gripping, lifting and carrying even light objects such as coffee cups tend to be painful.

Cure: First, stop doing anything that strains your elbow. If pain occurs while doing something, rest your arm until the pain disappears, and massage to relieve stress and tension in the muscles. If you must go back to whatever activity caused the pain in the first place, be sure to warm up your arm for at least five to 15 minutes with gentle stretching. Treatments range from drug injections to surgery, but the pain will never go away completely unless you stop stressing the joint. That's easier said than done, true, but re-injury is inevitable otherwise.

-Alia Ramaswamy