Getting rid of belly fat is hard work if you’re a guy. That’s because men tend to store their excess calories around the stomach, whereas women end up wearing it on the hips and thighs. What that means is that the belly is the first place that fat goes to and the last place that it comes off. In this article, I’ll show you exactly what you should be doing to finally get rid of that excess belly fat.
How Not to Lose Belly Fat
Let’s get it straight from the outset – you will not lose belly fat by doing hundreds of sit-ups, crunches, leg raises, or other exercises for your abdominal muscles. The reason is simple; you cannot spot reduce belly fat. In other words, doing a thousand crunches will not burn fat off your body.
Fat comes off the body evenly. So, when you do a calorie-burning exercise, you cannot dictate what part of the body it will come from. The bad news for us guys is that it will come off the belly and the sides of the waist (the dreaded love handles) last. That’s just the way we are made. When you build muscle, you will also increase your metabolism to burn more calories.
The Best Belly Fat Exercises For Men
The best exercises to reduce belly fat for men are those that burn the most calories. Combine this with efforts to modify your diet and eat healthily and you will see your belly girth go down. Here are the 5 best belly fat exercises that guys should do to reduce fat from the middle region of your body.
Treadmill Running
Exercising on a treadmill is the most popular form of cardio exercise done in gyms around the world. However, most people do not do it with enough intensity. Walking at 2 miles an hour while reading a book will not cut it. A far better way to go is HIIT or high-intensity interval training. This involves interpreting short sprints with even shorter rest periods for return bouts.
An effective form of HIIT Training for fat loss is the Tabata workout. It involves doing a slow 2-minute warmup, followed by a 20 seconds max speed sprint. You then throw your legs out to the side of the running belt for 10 seconds. That is one round. The workout involves performing 8 rounds. It is extremely hard work but it burns a ton of calories while you are doing it. Then, thanks to what is known as the enhanced post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) effect, you will have an elevated metabolism for the next 24-36 hours!
Rowing Machine
The rowing machine is another excellent calorie-burning exercise that will help you reduce fat around your belly. This exercise involves your whole body and gets your heart and lungs in good shape at the same that it churns through the calories. When you row, be sure to stay upright and move through a full range of motion, pushing through the legs.
Here’s in an awesome fat-burning rowing machine workout that combines the rowing machine with bodyweight and free weight exercises. :
- Row at a steady pace for ten minutes.
- Jump off the machine and do 10 dumbbell overhead presses.
- Now do 10 standing torso twists or cross-body punches.
- Row at a steady pace for ten minutes.
- Jump off the machine and do 10 lateral shuffles.
- Now do 15 kettlebell swings.
- Row at a steady pace for ten minutes.
- Jump off the machine and do a 30-second plank.
- Now do 10 step-ups.
Jumping Jacks
Jumping Jacks are a classic old-school cardio exercise that you can do anywhere anytime to burn off those excess calories. To perform them start with your legs together and your arms by your sides. Take a small jump straight up and, as you do, move your legs apart. At the same time swing your arms up above your head into a clap. Take another small jump and return your arms and legs to their starting position.
You can use jumping jacks to burn off calories as a stand-alone exercise or add them to other parts of your workout routine. For example, if you are doing a weight training program (you should be), do 20 jumping jacks between each set.
Burpees
The burpee is another old-school bodyweight exercise that deserves to be resurrected. This is, in fact, one of the highest calorie-burning exercises that you can do without any equipment. Here is how to perform this burpee:
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and your arms by your sides.
- Drop down into a push-up position, kicking your feet back behind you.
- Perform a single push-up.
- Kick your feet back toward your hands.
- Spring up into the air to return to the start position.
Burpees can be performed in HIIT fashion to make them an even more effective fat burner. Here is an example of how you can do this . . .
- Do burpees for 20 seconds.
- Rest for 10 seconds.
- Do another 20 second round of burpees.
- Rest for 10 seconds.
- Repeat until you have completed 8 total rounds, aiming to maintain the same number of burpees in each round.
Step-Ups
Step-ups are another effective calorie burner that you can do without any equipment. As well as burning through calories to reduce belly fat, this exercise will also work on your quads, glutes, hamstrings, and calves. Here is how to perform step-ups:
- Stand out 12 inches away from a step or bench. Step one foot up before bringing your other leg up, always keeping your foot and knee at a right angle. When stepping onto the bench with your first leg carefully put your heel down. This will keep your body secure on the bench and activate the correct muscles. Always keep your body straight and tall. Avoid the temptation to lean forward from your hips. To burn even more calories, hold a pair of dumbbells in your hands.
Suicides
This is a challenging cardio calorie burner that will also improve your agility.
- Set up two markers on the floor 3 yards apart. Begin with your hand on one of the markers in a sprint stance. Begin sprinting to the other marker and touch it with your hand. Immediately sprint back to the other marker
Home Beginner’s Workout
This beginner home workout involves performing 3 exercises in circuit fashion. You then rest for 30 seconds and repeat for 5 rounds. Build up to performing 8 rounds.
- Burpees – 15 rep
- Step Ups – 25 reps
- Jumping Jacks – 25 reps
Home Intermediate Workout
This intermediate home workout is based round the HIIT (high intensity interval training) concept. You do just one exercise for a series of rounds of short bursts with an even shorter rest between them.
- Suicides – 20 seconds sprint / 10 second rest x 8 rounds
Gym Beginner Workout
- Treadmill Running – 15 minutes (2 minute warmup / 12 minutes moderate pace running / 1 minute warmdown)
- Rowing Machine – 15 minutes (2 minute warmup / 12 minutes moderate pace rowing / 1 minute warmdown)
Gym Intermediate Workout
This intermediate level belly fat burning workout is based on the HIIT training concept. Choose either the treadmill or the rowing machine and perform 8 rounds of 20 second sprint, interspersed with 10second rest periods.
Summary
The key to losing belly fat is to build muscle with resistance training while you also lose weight through cardio and modify your diet to reduce caloric intake. Use the 5 exercises provided here to get rid of that belly fat once and for all.
