Excess belly fat may increase your risk of certain chronic conditions; however, targeting fat loss around your midsection is not always easy. That said, with a strategic approach to exercise, you may be able to reduce weight in the abdominal area alongside overall weight loss. Here are three expert-backed exercises for burning belly fat.
Aerobic exercise and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) are effective for reducing both visceral (deep abdominal) and subcutaneous (under the skin) belly fat, Josh Schlottman, CPT, CSCS, a certified personal trainer and strength coach at Trainer Josh Fitness, told Health. However, spot reduction exercises are not effective, and your belly fat loss will be proportional to your total body fat loss, he added.
“Putting your body into a calorie deficit is essential for fat loss,” said Schlottman. “You need to burn more calories than you consume to really lose fat. So both exercise and calorie restriction are effective for burning off belly fat.”
The more calories you burn with exercise, the more visceral fat loss you will see. “Genetics [also] play a big role in how much belly fat you’ll burn through exercise and dieting. Your body decides where to pull fat from first based on your hormones and genes,” he added.
In fact, a team of researchers found that your genes can impact how easily you lose belly fat. “Some people are genetically wired to drop fat faster from diet and exercise than others,” said Schlottman.
Exercise helps reduce visceral and subcutaneous fat, Andreas Abelsson, a certified nutrition coach, personal trainer, and bodybuilding specialist from StrengthLog, told Health. However, no amount of exercise will burn significant fat without a calorie deficit.
Exercise can increase how many calories you burn, and helps you create that calorie deficit, but your diet matters more, according to Abelsson. “It’s easy to eat or drink 500 calories, but burning it off with exercise takes an hour or more of effort,” he said.
Here are the best types of exercises to help you get into a calorie deficit.
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
HIIT burns belly fat by creating a huge calorie burn in less time, said Schlottman. The short bursts of maximum effort combined with only a brief rest will spike your calorie burn.
“HIIT also triggers excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC), which keeps your metabolism elevated for hours after working out. This after-burn effect is what causes your body to continue burning calories after you’ve finished working out,” Schlottman said.
Schlottman recommends the following HIIT exercises:
- Kettlebell swings
- Push-ups
- Jump squats
- Mountain climbers
- Burpees
Perform each exercise for 30 seconds with 30 seconds rest. Repeat each set for three to four rounds.
Strength Training
While strength training does burn calories while you lift, it is not as much as HIIT. “Muscle is metabolically active tissue, meaning it burns calories even at rest. The more muscle you have, the higher your resting metabolic rate (RMR) will be.”
The effect is not dramatic—only about 6 calories per pound of muscle per day. “But over the course of months or a year, those extra calories can mean pounds of fat lost just from existing.”
One way to increase the calories burned when strength training is to focus on compound movements, which engage multiple muscle groups and joints simultaneously, like deadlifts, squats, or bench presses.
You also can try reducing rest periods or using supersets, Mike Poirier, CSCS, vice president of Fitness at The Edge Fitness Clubs, told Health. This will maintain an increased heart rate, allowing you to double dip by burning calories through resistance training while keeping your heart rate in a fat-burning zone.
Moderate-Intensity Cardio
Moderate-intensity cardio primarily uses fat as fuel, Nina Kopaeva, MD, told Health. This is especially true when done after resistance training or in a fasted state. Try pairing it with HIIT or strength sessions to increase total caloric burn and optimize hormonal response, she said.
Only moderate to high-intensity aerobic training reduces visceral fat without dieting, said Abelsson. “Do cardio at an intensity of at least 60% to 70% of your max heart rate,” he said.
Ab exercises alone will not directly target belly fat, but they do build muscle underneath, so once the fat is gone, you’ll have some definition. “Fat loss in that area is from overall body fat reduction from a calorie deficit and not spot training,” Schlottman said.
Ab exercises are best to improve your core function, posture, and strength. “Heavy ab training for some can cause extra, unwanted muscle growth and thicken the appearance of the waist,” said Schlottman. “If your core muscles grow faster than you’re able to lose fat, then your waist can end up looking thicker, not leaner.”
That said, you still need some ab work during the fat loss phase. It will help you build and preserve muscle mass. Once your body fat decreases, strengthening your abs with exercises like planks and crunches will make your body look more defined.
If you are looking to lose weight and maximize fat loss, our experts recommend the following tips to support your efforts:
- Eat plenty of protein: Abelsson suggests 0.7 to 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight per day. “It’s safe, keeps you full, reduces cravings, and helps you maintain muscle mass when you’re in a caloric deficit.”
- Get quality sleep: Aim for about seven to nine hours per night, said Abelsson. “Poor sleep increases the stress hormone cortisol, which is linked to increased belly fat storage. It also makes it harder to lose fat and build muscle, and can increase cravings for unhealthy food.”
- Drink plenty of water: Drinking water, without overdoing it, will help manage your appetite. “Sometimes our brains mistake thirst for hunger,” said Abelsson.
- Stay in a calorie deficit: Kopaeva suggests sticking to a 10%–25% caloric deficit without severe restriction to help with weight loss.
- Develop a plan that can be sustained: Schlottman recommends making lifestyle changes over drastic changes, so that they last long-term.
