Belly Fat Gym Exercises

The textbook "Exercise Physiology: Energy, Nutrition and Human Performance," describes the three major abdominal muscles as the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis and the obliques. The transverse abdominis runs laterally across the waistline, the rectus abdominis runs vertically from sternum to pubic bone, and the obliques run along the sides of the torso and are sometimes known as the "love handles." Belly fat gym exercises work as many muscles together as possible and they also offer moves that isolate muscles.

Bicycle Crunch

One of the most effective and simple abdominal exercises, bicycle crunches target the transverse abdominis and the obliques. Begin lying on the floor with your knees bent to 90 degrees and your calves parallel to the floor. Extend your right leg, bringing your left elbow to meet your right knee, crunching your chest and torso up and to the right. Bring your right leg back to bent, extend your left leg and bring your right elbow to right knee. "Bicycle crunches are so great in working the deeper muscles of the abs and they really work the lower waistline, where we tend to hold a lot of fat," said Shelby Young, a personal trainer certified by the American College of Sports Medicine. "They're easy to do, you can do them anywhere, anytime."

Leg Raises

You can use a Pirate's Chair or a pull-up bar to perform leg raises that target the transverse abdominis and the rectus abdominis. Begin standing in the Pirate's Chair, with your elbows bent to 90 degrees and your forearms along the armrest. Let your legs hang long as you grip the handles on the chair. Engaging your abs, lift your knees into your chest, or keep your legs straight and lift them directly up until your feet are in front of your chest. Slowly release them down, using your abdominals to control the movement. On a pull-up bar, simply grip the bar with your arms extended and perform the leg raise. "The Pirate's Chair offers a way to work the abs from an upright position," Young said. "Leg raises really target the deepest muscles of the lower belly and can really help strengthen them. As you get stronger, you'll be able to keep your legs more straight and lift them higher."

Weighted Oblique Twist

Using an oblique machine, you can target the lateral abdominals and track how strong they become through the use of weights. Begin sitting in the seat with your arms and torso facing right and your hips and legs facing left. Adjust the amount of weight you will use as resistance and twist your legs toward the right, keeping your upper body stable. "The weighted oblique machine allows you to target one group of muscles and really puts you in a position where you have to use those muscles because of the way you're sitting," Young said. "The fact that the only movable part on the machine is for the lower body, it's a given that you'll need to use your abs and obliques to twist your lower half."

References

• "Exercise Physiology: Energy, Nutrition and Human Performance"; William D. McArdle, Frank I. Katch, Victor L. Katch;
• Shelby Young, ACSM Certified Personal Trainer; Hampshire Hills Sports and Fitness Center; Milford, N.H.