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Here’s a series of exercises to lose belly fat that, combined with a proper nutrition plan, will finally help us slim down our waistline
If you’re finally fed up with “just having one ab” or being the first pick to play Santa Claus… good for you, because you’re about to kick off a process that will change your life, not just your t-shirt size.
Although in some places the “belly” is considered endearing, it’s still a synonym for bad habits, meaning poor health…
Index
- 1 Exercises to Lose Belly Fat Fast
- 2 Reasons for Accumulating Belly Fat
- 3 Why It’s Hard to Lose Belly Fat
- 4 Why We Gain Fat in the Abdomen
- 5 Diet to Lose Belly Fat
- 6 Lose Belly Fat for Health
- 7 Abdominal Myth
- 8 Lose Localized Belly Fat
- 9 Exercises to Slim Down Belly
- 10 Exercises to Reduce Belly
- 11 Related Posts
Exercises to Lose Belly Fat Fast
Oh! the much-awaited answer is… No, fast has never meant optimal, and in this sense, you might be a bit disappointed… Anything that isn’t based on consistency, effort, or sacrifice is hardly going to happen quickly. So don’t let anyone sell you a dream, because in this, it’s just you, and well, with our support, to reach your goal.
Slow and steady has always been the way to go…
Reasons for Accumulating Belly Fat
You don’t have to be very sharp to spot the main factors that have led to “suffering” this situation
From my point of view, the main reason is the dangerous obesogenic environment combined with a lack of nutritional education.
Both go hand in hand, since one lets itself be influenced by the other. And you know, the blame goes to the food campaigns from big companies, set up early on to hook the most vulnerable audience.
The choice to “re-educate” yourself and opt for a healthy life is in your hands
Why It’s Hard to Lose Belly Fat
A vicious circle could be a good explanation, where even the psychological factor plays a big part
If you see that your image isn’t what you want, but at the same time think you’re not capable of doing anything to change it, you’ve got a problem, which gets worse when you give up and think no effort will be worth it.
The other reality is that it’s worth it.
Don’t beat yourself up, there’s always time to take the step and start turning things around, it’s all about mindset and decision (damn it, I’m doing it…)
Why We Gain Fat in the Abdomen
Basically, it comes down to a hereditary factor
Although fat storage patterns vary from person to person, genetics and hormone levels are the main factors. The testosterone to estrogen ratio, high cortisol levels, or insulin sensitivity (the ability of muscle fibers to absorb glucose instead of fat cells) play an important role.
The fat accumulation area around the waist is known as android obesity (apple-shaped body), more common in men, while the genoide obesity type (pear-shaped body) is more localized around the glutes and hips.
Whatever the type, both are unflattering (no one can deny that) and should push us to act immediately
Diet to Lose Belly Fat
Main point, make your diet your lifelong eating system…
That’s the real key to never having to go through a “rough patch” nutritionally again. When something is strict, it automatically causes stress and makes us look for ways to break the rules…
If you started a diet (ugh, another bad word…) and it didn’t work, maybe you missed the key point: adherence.
This means the professional helping you must be able to adapt to your tastes so you feel like you’re no longer on a diet, avoiding quitting.
Sustainable habits, no trendy or temporary diets…
Lose Belly Fat for Health
If you’re motivated to start your fat loss plan and finally reduce that bulky belly, here’s another factor that might keep you from quitting: your health is at stake!
As shown, there’s a high risk of disease for people with a prominent belly, plus accumulating chances of developing a fabulous metabolic syndrome: a clinical condition with high cardiovascular disease risk.
- Abdominal obesity: waist circumference > 102 cm in men and > 88 cm in women
- Hypertension: >130/85 mm Hg
- Fasting glucose: >110 mg/dl
- Hypertriglyceridemia: >150 mg/dl
- Low HDL cholesterol levels: <40 mg/dl in men and <50 mg/dl in women
Source: NSCA Manual 2016.
Abdominal Myth
Just like traditions, sports myths have always existed, and despite more information, they seem never to disappear
Doing lots of crunches won’t make your belly disappear
It’s your nutrition that will help you uncover that thick layer of fat covering your abs.
Off-topic: sometimes we can “define” and reduce body fat %, but be surprised that the “abs” don’t show up as we expected. Why? -> Had you trained them before…?
Lose Localized Belly Fat
Another locker room topic that stays more on intuition than evidence
We can’t pick the areas where we want to lose fat, since the body doesn’t discriminate access to this energy resource (fat reserve), constantly mobilizing and storing fat from all body cells, so fat loss happens overall.
However, as suggested in this current study, we might induce fat loss if we first stimulate with explosive activities followed by resistance exercises… just putting it out there.
Let’s not celebrate too soon, and these changes might only happen in subjects with very low body fat %.
Exercises to Slim Down Belly
Strength training is key in any sport, plus it’s crucial for improving body composition, as it produces adaptations and metabolic changes that boost calorie burn, and among other benefits, drastically improve glucose absorption (insulin sensitivity) so even if we’re not 100% perfect calorie-wise, at least we’re making a noticeable change. The rest is up to you.
The best sports “combo” to slim down belly is definitely: Strength Training + Cardiovascular Training
Exercises to Reduce Belly
Before starting any activity program from complete sedentarism, it’s highly recommended to get a medical check-up to see if there’s any condition limiting certain sports aspects.
Then, it’s important to specify that everyone will progress at their own pace, but usually, you’ll have to start from the lowest level. As you advance and your weight drops, you’ll be able to add new elements.
- Cardiovascular Activity: supports calorie burn and improves cardiovascular health, reducing risk of certain diseases like hypertension, among others.
- Strength Training: the program’s pillar. Requires supervision by a certified Personal Trainer, prioritizing the most effective exercises, mainly multi-joint ones that engage large muscle mass and trigger strong stimuli at all levels.
- Diet: individualization and adherence are key. Supervision by a qualified professional is necessary.
The following 12 Exercise Proposals to Lose Belly are especially aimed at working the cardiovascular and resistance components, suitable for most people looking to lose belly fat without apparent health risks, with strength training combined with one or more of these exercises being recommended:
- Running
Running burns a lot of calories, but it’s also known to cause injuries and overloads, mainly due to poor running technique, unsuitable terrain, or improper shoes. However, it’s an activity we’d start after significant weight loss, not from the beginning, to avoid knee or hip injury risks…
Walking
One of the best activities. We can do it daily, even twice a day. US health authorities recommend at least 30 min of daily physical activity, and walking is the top recommendation. If you choose a morning walk just before sunrise, and if you’re lucky to be near coast or mountains, you can enjoy the scenery while burning calories. If you have a dog, even more reason to walk. To increase intensity, use a stopwatch: at the start of each minute, do 2 strides per leg – as long as you’re able.
Climbing Stairs
Though there’s a gym machine for this, I personally hate it. But, even if people call us crazy, if you find the tallest building in your city and can access it, doing a few rounds of climbing up and down wouldn’t be bad at all.
Swimming
A zero-impact activity, and with the “advantage” that a person with higher fat proportion floats better than a lean, muscular physique. Swimming in a pool is most recommended, and you can mix in tools like kickboards or polystyrene sticks to vary exercises or emphasize the lower body, or make swimming easier.
Cycling
Whether on routes or indoor, it’s an easy way to burn lots of calories. Some get motivated by indoor cycling classes with an instructor and music rhythm… If that’s not you, you might prefer outdoor rides, just remember to stay hydrated.
To increase NEAT (calorie burn from non-sport activities), you could bike to work if possible.
Assault Bike
This is the “indoor” version of cycling, but different from what you might think, resembling a stationary bike. This tool is really effective for working cardiovascular condition, especially when aiming for high-intensity exercise.
If running isn’t recommended for heavy individuals, and sprints even less, here you can do powerful workouts alternating max effort intervals with recovery phases, without the risk of serious joint impact.
I guarantee you’ll see your belly volume drop in a few weeks… One last warning: in circles where the “Assault Bike” is common, it’s nicknamed the “Bike from Hell”…
Rowing
Indoors, though if there’s a rowing club in your city, that’s great… Rowing machines provide resistance you have to overcome. Among the benefits of rowing machine are: low injury risk (with proper technique), high calorie burn, and ease of use.
Suspension Training Exercises
suspension training is similar to strength training; some bodyweight exercises assisted by this system can increase calorie burn and thus belly fat loss (though fat loss is overall).
These exercises, if your flexibility allows, include air squats, rows, push-ups… You can have one at home and practice anytime.
Kettlebell Training
kettlebells are a type of dumbbell with a special handle that forces your rectus abdominis to stay actively engaged. You can do metabolic circuits with them, with “swings” being one of the most interesting and doable.
Sandbag or Sandbag Training
No, I’m not telling you to go to the beach… This training is pretty easy to set up, just with a “sandbag” and a stopwatch. That’s it, set a 20-minute countdown and “enjoy”.
Medicine Ball or Slam Ball Exercises
This “ball” can give us a lot of play. It’s made of reinforced material for impact and tends to deform, plus it weighs “a bit” more than a soccer ball. You can do circuits with multiple movements, creating a HIIT or high-intensity workout.
Here’s a video with the best exercises:
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