Reduce your belly fat. Reduce your health risks. Get ready to sweat and melt off some fat right off your stomach.
Belly overhang isn’t just in the way of showing off your stomach this summer. Abdominal obesity is a particular type of body fat that can increase your health risks due to its proximity to essential organs.
According to the American College of Cardiology, those with excess belly fat tend to be at a higher risk of heart disease when compared to those who carry fat elsewhere.
Other European research has called abdominal obesity a crucial risk factor for heart attacks.
So if you’ve got overhanging belly over your favorite jeans, it’s time to take some serious action.
If you haven’t attempted to lose belly fat before, shrinking your stomach fat is much like losing weight. The key is to clean up your diet, exercise regularly, sleep better, and reduce stress.
While all these sound simple enough, what type of exercise to do to reduce belly fat isn’t familiar to many. If you are one of them, we have you covered!
In this post, we’ll introduce a bodyweight workout plan that works to shrink your belly fat fast. It combines strength training and intense cardio without needing any equipment. You can do this at home or even while you are away.
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In this section, we will review some of the best exercises that can help you lose belly fat. Remember, for best results, you’ll want to combine these exercises with a great, well-planned diet!
1. Squats
The glutes, quads, and calves are some of the biggest and most powerful muscles in the body. Therefore, an exercise that works all of these muscles, such as the squat, can burn tons of calories and can aid weight loss.
How to Perform:
- Start standing, with your feet spaced hip-width apart and your toes facing forward or slightly out to the sides.
- Next, bend your knees and push your hips backward as you sit down as low as you can (without your heels coming off of the floor).
- Once you’ve reached the bottom of your range, push yourself back into standing by straightening your knees and standing up tall.
- Repeat for 10-15 repetitions, for 2-3 sets per session, 2-3 times per week.
2. Push-Ups
It’s impossible to know for sure when push-ups were invented. They are one of the most basic exercises in existence, and many other exercises (such as the bench press) mimic the push-up. This exercise requires no equipment and can lead to significant caloric expenditure.
How to Perform:
- Start with your hands and toes on the ground with a flat back.
- Ensure that your hands are directly beneath your shoulders and that your feet are spaced out a few inches from one another.
- Slowly lower yourself toward the ground by bending your elbows and allowing your shoulders to extend backward.
- Once your chest contacts the ground, reverse the motion and push yourself back up.
- Complete 12-15 reps per set, 2-3 sets per day, and 2-3 sessions per week.
3. Jump Rope
Jumping rope is equal parts taxing and fun. There are endless variations of the classic jump rope motion. Furthermore, this form of cardio will get your heart pumping harder than just about any other exercise in existence!
How to Perform:
- First, you’ll want to select a jump rope of the appropriate length for your body (or cut your rope to size).
- To test your jump rope length, stand on it with one foot and pull the handles up. For beginners, the handles should roughly reach your armpits in this position.
- Now, you’re ready to start jumping!
- The most basic jump rope move is the single hop with both legs.
- To perform this move, turn the rope and jump over it every time it gets close to your feet. Start by jumping rope for 1 minute, with 30-second breaks, for 10 rounds. You can perform this routine 3 times per week.
- Once you master the basics, you can experiment and create truly awesome jump rope routines!
4. Burpees
Burpees are almost universally hated by exercisers. This movement is exhausting, no matter who you are. Best of all, burpees provide a way to get both muscular endurance and a cardiovascular workout in a very small amount of space.
How to Perform:
- Start in standing.
- As quickly as you can, drop into the “up” portion of a push-up position.
- Next, jump your legs forward and return to standing.
- Perform as many burpees as you can in the span of one minute. Then take a break for 30 seconds and repeat for 5 rounds.
- Perform this workout 2-3 times per week.
5. Mountain Climbers
Much like burpees, mountain climbers allow for a great muscular endurance workout as well as a cardiovascular workout. This exercise burns loads of calories and can leave even the most in-shape people gasping for air.
How to Perform:
- Place your hands and feet on the floor in the “up” phase of a push-up.
- Next, bring your right knee to your chest as quickly as you can.
- Then, return your right foot to the starting position as you simultaneously bring your left knee to your chest.
- Continue to alternate in this pattern as fast as you can for 1 minute. Then, take a 30-second break. Repeat this pattern for 10 rounds, 2-3 times per week.