When it comes to being overweight, the belly is often the first thing that comes to mind. Stomach fat that you can grasp and jiggle with your hands is called subcutaneous. Deeper fat that you cannot touch is called visceral. This type of fat is dangerous because it is close to the organs. To beat belly fat for good, you need to do the right type of exercises and have the right amount of discipline.
Spot Reduction Myth
Ab gadget companies try to sell the idea that you can spot reduce. This means you can use their device to lose fat only in the belly. But to beat belly fat, you have to burn calories. This promotes weight loss throughout your whole body, and your stomach in turn becomes slimmer. This does not mean certain ab exercises are not effective. You just have to do types that increase your heart rate and cause you to breathe heavily.
Cardiovascular Exercise
Any time you want to reduce your abdominal fat, you have to perform cardiovascular exercise. This is done in a repetitive fashion for an extended period of time and it burns a high amount of calories. Something simple like walking is just as beneficial as elliptical training or kickboxing. The most important factor is that you exercise at a moderate or higher intensity and work out long enough. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, 60 to 90 minutes of cardio is favorable for weight loss.
Burpees
Burpees are sometimes referred to as squat thrusts. Whatever you choose to call them, the end result is still the same -- you burn calories, work your abs and work a majority of other major muscles in your body. To start out, stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart and rest your arms at your sides. Lower yourself into a squat, place your hands on the floor and kick your legs behind your body. When you do this, keep your back straight and abs tight. Quickly kick your feet forward, come back to standing and repeat. For a more intense variation, perform a push-up when you kick your legs back and hop in the air when you kick your legs forward.
Double Knee Tuck Jumps
When you perform double knee tuck jumps, you are basically doing reverse crunches in the air. To begin, stand with your feet hip-width apart and let your arms hang at your sides. Slowly lower yourself into a deep squat and leap in the air with all your force. As you do this, pull your knees up and tuck them into your chest. Land lightly on the balls of your feet and repeat.
Mountain Climber
The mountain climber is a calisthenic exercise that doubles as an ab exercise. To do this, position your body in a starting block stance with your hands on the ground and legs staggered. Keep your hips as low as possible and quickly shuffle your feet back and forth under your body as if you were running in place. Keep your core tight throughout. For a variation, perform this exercise on a slippery floor surface with your feet on towels. Instead of lifting your feet, leave them on the towels and slide them back and forth.
Adherence
For you to lose your belly fat and keep it gone, you have to work out often enough and you have to keep working out every week. Aim for four or five days of cardio, and do your other exercises three days a week on alternating days. You also need to take a look at your diet. If you are frequently eating high-calorie foods, such as cheesecake and doughnuts, you will compromise your progress. Choose foods that are nutrient dense and keep your calories under control.
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