7 Best Belly Fat Exercises for Quick Results
Burning belly fat is among the most effective ways to improve your physical appearance and health risk factors. You can take a number of approaches when it comes to getting rid of stubborn fat around your abdomen. You will generally need a combination of a healthy diet and lifestyle modification in conjunction with the best belly fat exercises for quick results. Your workout regimen should be effective in burning fat and building muscle, which contributes to getting rid of excess fat in your midsection.
In my experience, the most effective belly fat exercises include a combination of movements that target your midsection specifically as well as your lower body, hips, and upper back. The reason is that your lower body musculature burns a lot of calories and offsets the appearance of fat around your midsection. Upper-back exercises contribute to the V-taper look and improve your overall musculature. Collectively, these exercises work to tone your abs, improve your overall physique, and make melting stubborn belly fat that much easier.
The following are my top seven best belly fat exercises for quick results. On all exercises, perform three sets of 12 to 15 repetitions with a weight that feels challenging but manageable for that repetition range. For the plank exercise, hold the position for 30 seconds to one minute, and complete three sets.
Be sure to drink plenty of water and follow a healthy, high-protein diet to ensure you get the best belly fat-burning results. Keep reading to learn more, and then, be sure to check out these 8 Standing Exercises That Strip Away Belly Flab Fast.
Planks
This list of belly fat exercises kicks off with the plank. Planking engages various muscles like the rectus abdominis, obliques, and lower back, making it an effective exercise for developing core stability and toning the abdominal area.
To perform a plank, start in a pushup position, but rest your weight on your forearms instead of your hands. Keep your body in a straight line from your head to your heels, engaging your core and visualizing drawing your lower rib toward your pelvis to maintain alignment. Hold this position, making sure not to shrug or let your hips sag. Keep your abs engaged, and breathe normally. Repeat for the target time.
Bicycle Crunches
This exercise works the rectus abdominis and obliques and offers a great way to stimulate various muscles for overall core strengthening.
To perform a bicycle crunch, lie on your back with your hands behind your head and your elbows out to the sides. Lift your legs at a 90-degree angle, and start rotating your torso, bringing your right elbow to your left knee. Extend your right leg straight out without letting it touch the floor. Alternate sides, mimicking a cycling motion, ensuring a squeeze at the end range for about one second. Repeat for the target repetitions.
Russian Twists
Next up on this roundup of belly fat exercises is the Russian twist. Russian twists target the obliques, promoting increased rotational strength and stability in the core.
To perform a Russian twist, sit on the floor with your knees bent, holding a weight or medicine ball with both hands. Lean back slightly, keeping your spine straight and engaging your abs. Rotate your torso to the right, bringing the weight to the floor beside you. Return to the center and then rotate to the left, avoiding shrugging throughout the range of motion. Repeat for the target repetitions.
Hanging Leg Raises
The hanging leg raise works the lower abdominals, an area that is often hard to target with other ab exercises.
To perform a hanging leg raise, hang onto a pull-up bar, keeping your arms straight. Engage your core, and raise your legs together, keeping them straight. Lift your legs until they are parallel with the ground, visualizing crushing a piece of fruit in your armpit as you engage your muscles. Lower your legs slowly with control. Repeat for the target repetitions.
Barbell Back Squats
Barbell back squats work not only the core but also the glutes, quads, and hamstrings.
To perform a barbell back squat, position a barbell at shoulder level on a squat rack, and if available, set the safety pins just above waist level. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, then push through the full foot as you squat down, maintaining a neutral spine. Rotate your foot inward slightly as you lower your knee for optimal biomechanics. Push through the full foot to return to the standing position. Repeat for the target repetitions.
Glute Bridges
The glute bridge specifically targets the glutes and hamstrings while also engaging the core.
To perform a glute bridge, lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Visualize drawing your lower rib toward your pelvis, and engage your abs as you lift your hips off the floor. Squeeze your glutes at the top of the movement, holding for about one second. Lower your hips back down to the starting position. Repeat for the target repetitions.
Lateral Pulldowns
This list of the best belly fat exercises for quick results wraps up with the lat pulldown. Lateral pulldowns are excellent for targeting the latissimus dorsi, the broadest muscles in the back. This exercise helps in toning the upper body and provides support to the core muscles.
To perform a lateral pulldown, sit at a pulldown machine, and grasp the bar with your hands wider than shoulder-width apart. With your arms fully extended, engage your core, and visualize crushing a piece of fruit in your armpit as you pull the bar down toward your chest. Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the end range, holding the squeeze for about one second, and avoid shrugging throughout the range of motion. Slowly return the bar to the starting position, maintaining control. Repeat for the target repetitions.
Sign up for our newsletter!
