When it comes to reducing belly fat and getting a toned midsection, the gym can be an excellent place to focus your efforts. However, with so many exercises and training options available, identifying the most effective ones for targeting belly fat is crucial. That’s why we consulted Jarrod Nobbe, CPTa certified personal trainer with Garage Gym Reviews, who shares seven of the most effective belly fat exercises worth doing at the gym.
Excess belly fat is not only cosmetically undesirable, it’s also linked to several health risks, including diabetes, heart disease and liver problems, reports UT Southwestern. Fortunately, by incorporating these targeted exercises into your gym routine, you can say goodbye to stubborn belly fat and work towards a flatter, more sculpted abs.
The following exercises offer a comprehensive approach to combating belly fat. Combining cardiovascular workouts and strength training exercises can maximize fat burning potential and build lean muscle mass. Additionally, these exercises can help improve overall fitness, improve posture, and improve core strength, contributing to a stronger, more resilient body.
“When you’re trying to burn fat, you want to push yourself to improve overall fitness levels,” says Nobbe Eat this, not that! “The more efficient your body becomes at performing physically demanding movements, the better you’ll be at burning calories. Pair these movements into a consistent, structured exercise plan and a balanced diet, and the results will speak for themselves.”
Read on for the moves, and get ready to melt away stubborn belly fat for good as we reveal the only seven belly fat exercises worth doing at the gym.
Kettlebell swings are a powerful exercise that targets multiple muscle groups while providing a high-intensity cardio workout. If you want to burn belly fat and increase overall strength, consider kettlebell swings your go-to.
“Kettlebell swings are great for working the whole body, especially the posterior chain and core, and getting your heart rate up quickly,” says Nobbe.
To set up, hinge at the hips to place the kettlebell below hip height. Keep your arms straight and the kettlebell above knee height as you explosively extend your hips forward while allowing the kettlebell to swing up to chest height. Maintain control with your arms to take advantage of the kettlebell’s return momentum as you go through your consecutive reps. Aim for 30 seconds of work with 30 seconds of rest for five rounds.
A rowing machine is a fantastic tool for both cardio and strength training. By incorporating rowing into your routine, you can burn calories, improve your cardiovascular fitness, and tone your abdominal muscles.
“Rowing is a versatile and demanding full-body movement guaranteed to burn calories and challenge your efforts,” says Nobbe. “The rowing machine is one of the best low-impact cardio machines to challenge your entire body.”
To begin, push off with your legs first, then lean back slightly. Finish the movement by pulling the handle towards your body in a strong rowing motion. Then, straighten your arms, lean forward, and bend your knees to return to the starting position. Again, aim to keep the hit rate low and power output high for best results.
Sprinting (especially on an incline) effectively targets belly fat and boosts metabolism. Additionally, incline running challenges your cardiovascular system by engaging your core and lower body muscles. Start with shorter sprints and gradually increase the duration and intensity as your fitness level improves. Also, warm up properly and maintain proper form during exercise to avoid injury.
“Sprinting is more effective for burning calories per minute. Adding the incline increases the challenge by reducing the impact on your joints,” Nobbe explains.
Increase the incline on a treadmill to where it’s challenging and safely increase the speed to a sprint speed. Challenge yourself by using shorter work intervals due to the high intensity nature of the sprint. For example, do 10 seconds with a 50-second rest as your starting point. Try to increase the number of rounds you perform before increasing your sprint time.
The Assault Bike delivers a stellar full-body workout that burns calories and targets stubborn belly fat. This is because the combination of arm and leg movements creates a powerful cardiovascular challenge by engaging your core muscles.
“An assault bike differs from a typical spin bike in the effort involved and the incorporation of the arms used to help coordinate movement,” says Nobbe. “It creates an even more challenging workout, making it even better for burning fat.”
While burpees aren’t necessarily a crowd favorite, this dynamic full-body exercise can help you reduce belly fat and improve overall conditioning. According to research, burpees can increase speed, strength and power by improving body composition and building stronger bones.
“This movement combines a squat, plank, pushup and jump to challenge your strength and endurance as you work multiple muscle groups. The key here is to make this movement as controlled as possible by linking strength and power movements,” says Nobbe .
To prepare, lower yourself into a balanced squat position, then quickly jump to the floor into a plank position. Next, perform a pushup, hop your feet onto your hands, then jump straight up, driving across the floor.
The box jump is an explosive plyometric movement that engages lower-body muscles, such as the calves, quads, hamstrings, and glutes, MasterClass explains. This exercise helps build strength, power, and agility while burning calories and targeting belly fat. Start with a lower box height and gradually increase it as your strength and confidence improve.
“Explosive movements like the box jump significantly raise your heart rate to increase calorie and fat burn,” says Nobbe.
To do the exercise, get a box or step on which you can confidently jump even when you are tired. Load into your hips, then aggressively extend them by pushing off both feet. Try to land soft and high, then land safely. Aim for five rounds of 20 seconds on and 10 seconds of rest.
Wall balls are a great full-body exercise that combines strength, cardio, and coordination, explains PowerliftingTechnique.com. Using a medicine ball and performing squats while throwing the ball against a wall will engage your legs, core and upper body.
“Wall balls require explosiveness from the upper and lower body and are great for building endurance,” says Nobbe.
Stand a step or two back from a wall. Squat while holding a medicine ball in a cup-grip position with your elbows tucked in. As you come out of the squat, push the ball toward the target on the wall (aim eight to 10 feet above you). Use the return momentum to catch the ball and move on to the next rep. Do 10 wall balls every minute for 10 minutes.
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