When it comes to losing belly fat, I always tell people that the best workout to get rid of belly fat doesn’t really exist. I know this is slightly annoying, but hear me out. We’re all unique people with different bodies, which respond to various styles of training differently. There may not be one perfect workout to reduce belly fat, but read on to see what can help.
Everyone has specific goals and areas they’d like to “tone up,” but I suggest taking a global approach to fat loss and focusing on the bigger picture. There are two styles of training I recommend people do if their goal is to lose body fat: strength training and cardio. No matter a person’s skill level, in my opinion, strength training is a must.
I recommend strength training because it can increase your bone mass and lean mass, while also improving your body composition, cardiovascular fitness, and strength, according to a 2006 article in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. For the general population, I recommend doing full-body workouts that incorporate compound exercises in order to get the most bang for your buck.
Compound exercises are multijoint movements like deadlifts and push-ups that work multiple groups of muscle at once. They’re great because they require more energy to perform – a push-up is a lot harder than one rep of a triceps extension – which means your body will burn more calories and fat.
Cardio is also another proven method to lower your body-fat percentage. Cardio can be catabolic and burn both fat and muscle, so you’ll want to keep your cardio sessions at or under 30 minutes. If long runs aren’t your thing, you can get your cardio in with sprint intervals, HIIT, or short runs.
If you want to know the style of training that will help you burn the most fat, I recommend finding a specialized clinic that offers the FatMax Protocol test. This test measures fat oxidation at various exercise intensities and reports the intensity level where your body burns the most fat.
I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t remind you that your nutrition also plays a key role in your overall health and ability to lower your body fat percentage. I’m not a fan of extreme and restrictive diets, but I do recommend implementing nutritional changes such as drinking more water and fewer sugary drinks, cutting out processed foods, and eating more whole foods.
A general recommendation for fat loss is that 50 percent of your daily caloric intake should come from carbohydrates, 25 percent should come from protein, and 25 percent should come from fats, Nikki Jupe, MS, RD, LD, CSSD, senior sports dietitian at the University of Oregon told POPSUGAR in a previous interview. Because this number can vary from person to person, consider speaking to a registered dietitian who can create an individualized plan based on your goals and needs.
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