If you have a washboard stomach, it is a live proof that you have put in time at the gym, watched your food, and found time to dole out a one-two punch to belly fat. There are few fitness honors that men appear to cherish more than a washboard stomach.
A toned stomach is an outward evidence that you exercise consistently and eat healthily, provided that it is done in a safe and correct manner. In spite of the fact that you may have been given questionable fitness advice, you are not able to target or “spot reduce” areas of fat on your body. This is because there is no one-size-fits-all technique to getting rid of belly fat. In a manner analogous to emptying a swimming pool, you cannot simply grab a bucket and drain one corner of the pool; rather, you must empty the entire pool.
On top of that, working out on its own is not an effective strategy for rippling your abdominal region. For you to finally be able to say goodbye to belly fat, you will need to concentrate on shedding fat across your entire body. What is the most effective technique to accomplish this? A sophisticated blend of a diet that is low in calories and strength exercise that is done in a strategic manner.
However, this does not mean that your ultimate objective cannot be to reduce the amount of fat that is stored in your abdominal region. If that is your objective, then science is definitely on your side. That is a goal that is just as good as any other. The belly, also known as the gut, the paunch, or whatever you like to call it, may be associated with an increased risk of dying at an earlier age, according to a study that was published in the British Medical Journal. As the waist size increases, so does the number of causes of death, according to the findings of the study that involved 2.5 million people. Surprisingly, the findings of the study revealed that the likelihood of dying at an earlier age increases by 11% for every four inches (10 cm) of additional waist size.
The excess fat that is accumulated around the organs in the abdomen is referred to as “belly fat,” and that excess fat has been related to a number of health problems, including high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. The author of the study, Tauseef Ahmad Khan, who is affiliated with the department of nutritional sciences at the University of Toronto, stated that there is a correlation between having a greater amount of belly fat and an increased chance of dying from these diseases.
Instead of concentrating solely on their weight or body mass index (BMI), individuals ought to be more worried with their waist. The waist is a better sign of belly fat, and although it is impossible to pinpoint the actual source of fat loss, decreasing weight through diet and exercise will also reduce the waist, and consequently, the amount of fat that is stored in the abdominal region.
The only method to finally get rid of your belly is to lose weight and reduce the proportion of body fat you have. Khan is absolutely correct in this assertion. However, if you are interested in learning which workouts to perform to reduce belly fat in order to speed up your journey toward your goal, we are able to assist you with that.
Types of Belly Fat and the Dangers
There are different kinds of belly fat, so let’s talk about that before we get to the routines. Harvard Health says that the fat in your stomach is made up of two types:
Subcutaneous fat
The wibbly bits are the soft layer of chub that sits right under the skin. They are usually safe.
Visceral fat
It’s the stuff that forms around your organs and has been shown to be bad for your health by raising your risk of diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.
The bad news is that belly fat has a fast metabolism and is very good at releasing inflammatory chemicals that mess up hormones that control brain function, mood, and hunger. Besides that, it can change your cortisol level, which could make you feel very stressed.
There is good news: getting rid of it is easy if you know what you’re doing. A lot of it has to do with the workouts you do. But I doubt they are the exercises you think they are. First, the ones that everyone does (or has done) but that you shouldn’t.
Workouts That Do NOT Get Rid of Belly Fat
Exercises for the stomach. A study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning says that doing a lot of sit-ups won’t really help you lose belly fat. These workouts will help your abdominal muscles get stronger and even toned, but they won’t get rid of the fat that’s on top of them.
Some people believe that you can lose weight by focusing on one area of your body. This is called “spot reduction.” Sadly, most of the studies that were done put doubt on the effectiveness of this process.
How the owner of this pizza shop lost 7% of his body fat
To be clear, you’ll need to lower your body fat rate all over if you want to lose belly fat. To put it simply, you need to burn more calories than you eat in order to get your body to use its stored fat as fuel.
While we’re sorry to be the bearers of bad news, you can’t really choose where the fat will go away first. But that doesn’t mean that the exercises below, which are a mix of full-body moves that require a lot of work and burn a lot of calories, won’t start to reduce your body fat right away and, over time, remove fat from around your stomach, showing off your muscles. More than that, they’ll look strong and chiseled when they finally show up.
Choose from these 22 workouts that burn fat to work out the many muscles between your shoulders and hips and speed up your metabolism at the same time.
The 22 Best Exercises For Burning Belly Fat
1. Crunches
Crunches are a classic abdominal exercise that targets the rectus abdominis muscle, helping to tone and strengthen the core.
2. Planks
Planks engage multiple muscle groups, including the core, back, and shoulders, to improve stability and burn belly fat.
3. Mountain Climbers
Mountain climbers are a dynamic full-body exercise that elevates heart rate and engages the core, making them ideal for burning calories and targeting belly fat.
4. Russian Twists
Russian twists target the obliques, helping to sculpt the sides of the waist and reduce love handles.
5. Bicycle Crunches
Bicycle crunches combine twisting and crunching motions to engage the entire core, effectively burning belly fat and improving abdominal strength.
6. Leg Raises
Leg raises target the lower abdominal muscles, helping to tighten and tone the lower belly area.
7. Flutter Kicks
Flutter kicks engage the lower abs and hip flexors, providing a challenging yet effective workout for burning belly fat.
8. Side Planks
Side planks target the obliques and help improve core stability, contributing to a slimmer waistline.
9. Burpees
Burpees are a high-intensity, full-body exercise that boosts metabolism and burns calories, including those stored in the belly area.
10. Jumping Rope
Jumping rope is a cardiovascular exercise that not only burns calories but also engages the core muscles, helping to reduce belly fat.
11. Walking or Running
Walking or running are excellent cardiovascular exercises that can help you shed overall body fat, including belly fat, when performed regularly.
12. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
HIIT workouts involve alternating between short bursts of intense exercise and brief rest periods, making them highly effective for burning belly fat.
13. Swimming
Swimming is a low-impact, full-body exercise that can help you burn calories and tone your abdominal muscles, leading to a flatter stomach.
14. Cycling
Cycling is another effective cardiovascular exercise that can help you burn belly fat while strengthening your leg muscles.
15. Rowing
Rowing engages multiple muscle groups, including the core, back, and arms, making it an excellent exercise for burning calories and reducing belly fat.
16. Squats
Squats are a compound exercise that targets the lower body, including the glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps, helping to burn calories and tone the midsection.
17. Deadlifts
Deadlifts are a compound exercise that targets the back, glutes, and hamstrings, helping to increase overall muscle mass and metabolism, leading to a reduction in belly fat.
18. Kettlebell Swings
Kettlebell swings are a dynamic full-body exercise that engages the core and burns calories, making them an effective tool for reducing belly fat.
19. Jump Squats
Jump squats combine squatting motions with explosive jumps, helping to elevate heart rate and burn calories, including those stored in the belly area.
20. Battle Ropes
Battle ropes are a challenging full-body exercise that engages the core, shoulders, and arms, helping to burn calories and reduce belly fat.
21. Box Jumps
Box jumps are a plyometric exercise that targets the lower body and elevates heart rate, making them an effective tool for burning belly fat.
22. Step-Ups
Step-ups engage the lower body, including the glutes and quadriceps, helping to burn calories and reduce belly fat.
Conclusion
Incorporating these 22 exercises into your fitness routine can help you burn belly fat and achieve a slimmer, more toned midsection. Remember to combine regular exercise with a healthy diet and lifestyle for optimal results.