Often when people look to lose weight, the dream is to have a toned stomach. Then, they start to add crunches to their workout routine. However, doing crunches every day (even hundreds of them) won’t reduce your belly fat. They will help you build muscle, but you still need to work at reducing your body fat. Below are 5 ways you can reduce belly fat with workouts.
While you may see many articles online that promote spot fat reduction, they are not a viable option to get toned. Instead, you should use core-focused cardio exercises. These help to burn fat all over the body, which will lead to a stronger, more toned stomach. A variety of exercises that combine cardio, strength training, and core work are best.
All of these workouts combine cardio, with core work to help you burn body fat while building your core muscles. Keep reading for step-by-step instructions.
Often a dreaded workout, burpees are a great fat-burning exercise. Not only will burpees get your heart rate up, but they also work your chest, shoulders, lats, triceps, quads, and core. The explosive polymetric movement is a great HIIT option for fat burning.
This is a great workout for those with weaker knees or those in an apartment. Mountain climbers work your core, shoulders, triceps, quads, and hamstrings.
Note – this should be a continuous movement like climbing up a steep hill.
This exercise uses gravity to help strengthen your core, and build arm muscle. Choose a weighted ball that is not too heavy as you will be raising it above your head.
Choosing to run on an incline such as on a treadmill can increase your total calorie burn by 50% per workout. The incline also helps to engage your core as you run, and stand up tall.
By using the rowing machine, you can get a full body workout, while focusing on your core. This is a great cardio option to burn fat and build muscles in your legs, core, shoulders, arms, and back.
Getting a flat stomach isn’t as easy as just doing crunches. Ensure that you add significant fat-burning cardio to your exercise routine. Otherwise, all the muscle you build will still be hidden. Remember to take your diet into consideration as well as you aim to reduce belly fat with workouts. After all, if you are eating a nutritious, balanced diet excess fat is easier to burn.