5 Best Exercise Lose Belly Fat
When many people visualize weight loss, one of the first things to come to mind is getting a totally toned and taut tummy. After all, who doesn’t want to be able to slip into a pair of jeans without having to deal with a muffin to or have the option of flashing their flat abs in a two-piece swimsuit? What's more, losing fat around your middle is a surefire way to improve your health: Research links larger waist size to heart disease, diabetes, and even some cancers.
That said, targeting your belly fat with crunches will not work. “Spot reduction isn’t a viable approach to losing belly fat," explains fitness trainer and nutrition expert Corey Phelps, creator of the Cultivate by Corey app. "But there are some great core-focused exercises that will torch fat all over the body resulting in a strong more chiseled core.”
Celebrity trainer and nutrition expert Jillian Michaels agrees. “I'm a big fan of exercises that are core-focused, but work for multiple muscle groups simultaneously with a HIIT component for added calorie burn.”
So just what exercises and types of workouts will help you achieve your flat-ab fantasies? Here are 5 expert-recommended moves that will help you banish that belly fat in no time at all.
(Get a strong, sexy yoga belly in just minutes a day—without a single crunch!—with the Flat Belly Yoga No-Crunch Workout.)
Burpees:
This exercise works your core, as well as your chest, shoulders, lats, triceps, and quads, explains Michaels.
Start in a plank position. Drop to a push-up, with chest touching the floor. Push up to return to plank position. Jump the feet in toward the hands. Explosively jump into the air, reaching your arms straight overhead.
Medicine ball burpees:
Phelps suggests adding a medicine ball to your burpee to up the burn factor and boost your metabolism — all while building a strong, sleek set of six-pack abs.
Standing up, hold a medicine ball in both hands. Reaching the ball up overhead, extend your body as you reach your arms overhead. Then, slam the ball down as hard as you can, hinging over and sitting your butt back as you slam, following through with your arms. As you hinge over, bend your knees. Place your hands on the ground and jump back into a high plank position, keep your body in a straight line. Jump feet back in towards the hands so that you are squatting. Pick up the ball and reach overhead, extending your body and standing tall. Repeat.
Mountain climbers:
Like burpees, Michaels is a fan of this moving, plank-like exercise, because it works your core in addition to a slew of other body muscles.
Assume plank position. Keeping your hands under shoulders, arms locked out straight, and core tight, draw your belly button drawn in toward the spine. Tucking your tail bone tucked, bring your right knee toward your chest and touch toes on the right foot to the ground with the left leg in the start position. Then jump switches your feet continuing this back and forth pattern throughout the entire duration of the exercise.
Turkish Get-up:
The Turkish-getup is a 200-year-old exercise that uses a kettlebell, and it is a favorite of celebrity trainer Ramona Braganza, whose client list has included Halle Berry, Jessica Alba, and Dakota Johnson. While it is slightly complicated, she maintains that the total-body conditioning move is seriously effective for blasting tummy fat.
Sprawl:
The sprawl is basically a burpee on steroids — a full body exercise that works as many muscles as possible and burns calories while shaping and toning upper and lower bodies — especially your abs! “It takes the traditional burpee to the next level by having you touch your chest to the ground, then push up to plank as you continue the move,” explains Braganza.
From a standing position with your legs apart, squat down and touch hands to the ground. Jump feet back to a plank and lower body to touch the ground, push up to plank then jump feet into a squat keeping hands touching the ground. Return to standing. That’s one rep. “If you want to burn even more calories, add a jump between each sprawl,” she adds.
Phelps suggests adding a medicine ball to your burpee to up the burn factor and boost your metabolism — all while building a strong, sleek set of six-pack abs.
Standing up, hold a medicine ball in both hands. Reaching the ball up overhead, extend your body as you reach your arms overhead. Then, slam the ball down as hard as you can, hinging over and sitting your butt back as you slam, following through with your arms. As you hinge over, bend your knees. Place your hands on the ground and jump back into a high plank position, keep your body in a straight line. Jump feet back in towards the hands so that you are squatting. Pick up the ball and reach overhead, extending your body and standing tall. Repeat.
Mountain climbers:
Like burpees, Michaels is a fan of this moving, plank-like exercise, because it works your core in addition to a slew of other body muscles.
Assume plank position. Keeping your hands under shoulders, arms locked out straight, and core tight, draw your belly button drawn in toward the spine. Tucking your tail bone tucked, bring your right knee toward your chest and touch toes on the right foot to the ground with the left leg in the start position. Then jump switches your feet continuing this back and forth pattern throughout the entire duration of the exercise.
Turkish Get-up:
The Turkish-getup is a 200-year-old exercise that uses a kettlebell, and it is a favorite of celebrity trainer Ramona Braganza, whose client list has included Halle Berry, Jessica Alba, and Dakota Johnson. While it is slightly complicated, she maintains that the total-body conditioning move is seriously effective for blasting tummy fat.
Sprawl:
The sprawl is basically a burpee on steroids — a full body exercise that works as many muscles as possible and burns calories while shaping and toning upper and lower bodies — especially your abs! “It takes the traditional burpee to the next level by having you touch your chest to the ground, then push up to plank as you continue the move,” explains Braganza.
From a standing position with your legs apart, squat down and touch hands to the ground. Jump feet back to a plank and lower body to touch the ground, push up to plank then jump feet into a squat keeping hands touching the ground. Return to standing. That’s one rep. “If you want to burn even more calories, add a jump between each sprawl,” she adds.
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