Secret Exercise Tricks To Shrink Abdominal Fat Fast, Trainer Says

Many people who embark on a fitness journey have a common goal in mind: to lose fat—especially around the abdominal area. It's the most frustrating part to lose, and it usually goes last, but it is possible if you have just the right tricks and tips on deck.

In order to shrink abdominal fat, you need to consistently focus on the basics: strength training, eating at a calorie deficit, drinking plenty of water, and getting in your daily steps. However, if you're already doing these things as part of your health and fitness routine, there are a few secret exercise tricks that you can do in order to shrink abdominal fat—and fast.

These tricks will help you increase the intensity of your workouts, forcing your body to burn more calories, recruit more muscle fibers, and increase your EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption) and blood flow throughout the body. Below are two tips that you can incorporate in your workout routine ASAP, and next, check out The 6 Best Exercises for Strong and Toned Arms in 2022, Trainer Says.

Trick #1: Add In ¼ Reps

With some of your exercises, you can make your muscles work harder using the same amount of weight by adding ¼ reps to your regular reps. Here's how it works: Once you're at the end of the eccentric portion (or lowering) of an exercise, come up a quarter way, then back down, then finish the movement. That counts as one rep.

Here are two examples of what you can do with ¼ reps:

Dumbbell Split Squats

Get into a split stance with one foot forward and one foot back. Lower yourself all the way down until your back knee touches the ground, then push yourself ¼ of the way up using your front foot. Come back down to the ground again, then come all the way up. That's one rep. Do 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps before switching to the other leg.

… And Dumbbell Bench Presses

Lie flat on a bench, and grab a pair of dumbbells. Hold them straight up above you with your arms fully extended. Pull your shoulder blades back and down into the bench as you lower the weights down toward your chest. Get a good chest stretch, then press the weights back up ¼ of the way. Come back down again for another stretch, then drive it up to the starting position, squeezing your pecs and triceps at the top. Do 3 sets of 6 to 8 reps.

Related: Lose Abdominal Fat Using These Proven Methods

Trick #2: Perform Targeted Fat Loss Training

Another trick you can do is to perform targeted fat loss training. In order to reduce fat in a certain area of the body, you need to drive as much blood flow to that area, and then perform muscle contractions.

So, what you can do is pair together a cardio conditioning exercise and an ab exercise back-to-back. You want to sprint hard for 45 to 60 seconds on the cardio, then immediately perform an ab exercise for the same amount of time.

Perform 4 to 5 sets of the following back-to-back:

Treadmill Sprints

Set the treadmill on at least a 1-degree incline. Keeping your core tight, start sprinting hard at a speed where you can maintain a good pace for the duration of the entire sprint. To sprint properly, keep your elbows tucked to the side when your arms are swinging. With your feet, you want to be on the balls (not the heels), with a slight forward lean. Do this exercise for 45 to 60 seconds.

Related: The #1 Cause of Abdominal Fat, Says Science

… And Then Bicycle Crunches

Lying flat on your back, rotate your body up by taking one elbow and bringing it towards the opposite knee. With the other leg, fully extend it by reaching your heel straight out. Flex your abs hard as you finish, then repeat with the opposite side. Do this exercise for 45 to 60 seconds.