10 Best Belly-Fat Workouts You've Never Tried
Blasting away stubborn belly fat requires a combination of targeted exercises and a well-rounded fitness routine. For my clients who are tired of the same old ab workouts, I've curated 10 innovative routines to spice up your regimen and melt abdominal fat. Combined with a calorie deficit, protein-rich diet, proper hydration, and adequate sleep, these unique belly-fat workouts are highly effective at targeting extra fat around the midsection.
Incorporate these workouts into your fitness routine for a diverse and effective approach to achieving a toned and strong midsection. Remember to start at your own pace, gradually increasing intensity to avoid injury. Consult with a fitness professional or healthcare provider if you have any underlying health concerns. Read on to learn more, and when you're finished, be sure to check out 9 Lazy Ways to Lose Weight All Month Long.
Workout #1: Metabolic Meltdown
This list of the best belly-fat workouts kicks off with the "metabolic meltdown." This high-intensity routine increases your metabolic rate, promoting overall fat loss, with a focus on belly fat. It combines strength training and cardiovascular elements for maximum effectiveness.
1. Jumping Lunges
Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Jump forward into a lunge position, alternating legs. Repeat for three sets of 15 lunges per leg.
2. Mountain Climbers
Start in a plank position. Bring your knees toward your chest, alternating legs quickly. Perform four sets of 30 seconds.
3. Burpees
Begin in a standing position. Drop into a squat, kick your feet back, do a pushup, and jump back to a squat. Do three sets of 12 burpees.
Workout #2: Tabata Tummy Toner
Tabata is a highly efficient form of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) that torches calories and promotes fat burning—especially in the abdominal region.
1. High Knees
Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Quickly lift your knees toward your chest. Perform high knees for 20 seconds, then rest for 10 seconds. Repeat for four minutes.
2. Plank Jacks
Start in a plank position. Jump your feet out and in, keeping your core engaged. Complete four sets of 30 seconds.
3. Russian Twists with a Medicine Ball
Sit on the floor, holding a medicine ball. Rotate your torso, touching the ball to the floor on each side. Do three sets of 20 twists.
Workout #3: Pilates Core Carver
This Pilates-inspired routine targets deep core muscles, enhancing strength, and toning the midsection.
1. Rolling Like a Ball
Sit on the floor, balance on your tailbone, and lift your feet off the ground. Roll backward, then forward without letting your feet touch the ground. Perform three sets of 15 rolls.
2. Single-Leg Stretch
Lie on your back, lift your head and shoulders, and extend one leg. Switch legs while keeping your head and shoulders off the ground. Complete four sets of 20 switches.
3. Scissor Kicks
Lie on your back, lift your legs, and scissor them in an alternating fashion. Do three sets of 30 seconds.
Workout #4: Kettlebell Core Crusher
Kettlebell workouts engage multiple muscle groups, promoting fat loss and sculpting the abdominal area.
1. Kettlebell Swings
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a kettlebell with both hands. Hinge at the hips, and swing the kettlebell between your legs, then thrust your hips forward to shoulder height. Perform four sets of 20 swings.
2. Windmill
Hold a kettlebell in one hand overhead, and stand with your feet wide apart. Hinge at the hips, lowering the opposite hand toward the opposite foot. Do three sets of 12 reps on each side.
3. Turkish Get-Up
Lie on your back with a kettlebell in one hand. Follow a sequence of movements to stand up while keeping the kettlebell raised. Complete two sets of eight reps on each side.
Workout #5: Bodyweight Blast
Utilizing your body weight as resistance, this workout enhances overall strength and endurance while burning belly fat.
1. Spiderman Planks
Start in a plank position. Bring one knee toward the elbow on the same side, alternating sides. Perform four sets of 15 reps per side.
2. Reverse Crunches
Lie on your back with your hands by your sides. Lift your legs, bringing your knees toward your chest. Do three sets of 20 reverse crunches.
3. Plank to Pike
Begin in a plank position. Lift your hips into a pike position, then return to plank. Complete three sets of 12 reps.
Workout #6: HIIT Scorcher
HIIT routines focus on high-intensity exercises that elevate your heart rate, promoting fat-burning and overall calorie expenditure.
1. Jump Squats
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Lower into a squat, then explosively jump, reaching your arms overhead. Land softly and immediately go into the next squat. Aim for three sets of 15 reps.
2. Mountain Climbers
Start in a high plank. Alternate bringing one knee then the next up to your chest quickly. Perform four sets of 20 reps (10 per leg).
3. Burpees
Start standing, then lower into a squat. Press your feet back to a high plank, complete a pushup, and then jump your feet forward to squat. Explosively jump up. Do three sets of 12 burpees.
Workout #7: Oblique Shredder
The last of these belly-fat workouts hones in on the oblique muscles, helping to define and tone the sides of your waist.
1. Side Plank Hip Dips
Begin in a side plank position. Lower your hip to the ground, and lift it back up. Complete three sets of 12 dips on each side.
2. Twisting V-Ups
Lie on your back with your legs extended and your arms reaching back overhead. Lift your legs and upper body, bringing your hands toward the opposite toes. Perform four sets of 15 reps.
3. Russian Roulette Twists
Sit on the floor, leaning back slightly. Rotate your torso, touching the floor on either side. Aim for three sets of 20 twists.
Workout #8: Cardio Core Crusher
This workout combines cardiovascular exercises with core engagement to incinerate calories and target belly fat.
1. Jumping Jack Planks
Start in a plank position. Jump your legs wide, then back to plank. Do four sets of 20 reps.
2. High Knees
Place your feet hip-width apart. Bring one knee up to your chest, then the other, as you replicate a running-in-place motion. Lift them as high as you can. Perform three sets of one minute each.
3. Box Jumps
Find a sturdy box or bench. Jump onto the box, landing softly. Do three sets of 12 jumps.
Workout #9: Yoga Power
Infusing the principles of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) into yoga can provide a dynamic and effective way to target belly fat while promoting flexibility and mindfulness.
1. Sun Salutation Variations
Begin in mountain pose, inhaling as you raise your arms overhead. Exhale into a forward fold, hands to the mat. Inhale, lifting the chest in a half-lift. Exhale, stepping or jumping back into a plank. Lower into chaturanga, then move into upward-facing dog. Finish in downward-facing dog. Complete three sets of five to eight rounds.
2. Warrior Flow
Start in Warrior I, bending the front knee and reaching your arms overhead. Transition to Warrior II, extending the arms parallel to the ground. Move into Warrior III, hinging at the hips and extending one leg behind. Return through Warrior II to Warrior I. Complete both sides for three sets.
3. Plank to Downward Dog Transitions
Begin in a plank position. Shift back into downward-facing dog, lifting your hips toward the ceiling. Return to plank. Perform four sets of 15 transitions.
Workout #10: Dumbbell Dynamo
Adding resistance with dumbbells increases the intensity, promoting muscle growth and fat burning.
1. Woodchoppers
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell with both hands. Rotate and lower the dumbbell across your body. Perform three sets of 15 reps on each side.
2. Dumbbell Russian Twists
Sit on the floor, holding a dumbbell. Rotate your torso, touching the floor on either side. Aim for four sets of 20 twists.
3. Dumbbell Jackknife
Lie on your back, holding a dumbbell overhead. Lift your legs and upper body, reaching the dumbbell toward your toes. Do three sets of 12 reps.
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