There are many exercises that target the abdominal muscles. These exercises will tone and strengthen your core, but to see those tight abs you need to lose the excess fat that surrounds them. Since there is no such thing as spot reducing, core exercises will only tone and strengthen. They will not reduce the fat, notes ACE Fitness. Exercises to help reduce the fat around the belly should increase the heart rate to burn calories and fat. High-intensity cardiovascular training, circuit training and interval training all help achieve this.
High-Intensity Lap Swim
Swimming is an excellent cardiovascular exercise and requires the core to be constantly engaged. To burn a higher number of calories for fat burning, you should pump up your lap swim workout to high-intensity intervals. "Fitness Magazine" suggests that you can burn up to 300 calories in a 22-minute high-intensity interval swim workout.
This workout uses a 25-yard-long pool lane. Do as many laps as possible in the time allotted, with your rate of exertion at your maximum.
Begin your interval swim workout with a five-minute freestyle warm-up, done at a moderate pace. Move into the high-intensity laps alternating freestyle and backstroke for four minutes, then do a kickboard segment for four minutes. Next, do freestyle with a buoy device between your legs for two minutes. Repeat alternating freestyle and backstroke for four minutes, into your favorite stroke at a moderate pace for four minutes. Finish strong with a sprint of your favorite stroke for one minute, then cool down with two lengths of freestyle.
Core Circuit
Combining cardiovascular exercise with strength exercise that targets the entire core will help you sculpt your abs fast. Core circuit training is the perfect blend of cardio and core strengthening. Begin this class with a three- to five-minute warm-up that increases intensity gradually. The core circuit exercises should be done one right after another with no breaks in between. You should execute seven to eight stations in about 24 minutes. The "Idea Fitness" article "Sample Class: Abdominal-Core Circuit" suggests choosing exercises that create a well-balanced workout and flow effortlessly. Some samples of core stations are: abdominal crunches, negative roll-downs, oblique curls, ab-hold with leg extensions, plank hold, heavy hula and bicycle.
Cardio-Kickboxing
Kickboxing is a fun cardiovascular exercise that requires constant core engagement to support lower-body and upper-body movements. Cardio-kickboxing keeps your pace moving quickly for the entire hour, making it a very high-intensity fat burning class. Recent research published by the American Council on Exercise suggests that kickboxing can burn up to 450 calories an hour. It also provides benefits such as better flexibility, increased strength, quicker reflexes and improved coordination. A standard cardio-kickboxing class begins with a full range-of-motion warm-up and progresses into 30 to 35 minutes of kicking, punching, jabbing and quick foot work, followed by a five- to eight-minute cool-down.
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