Abdominal fat can be a dangerous form of fat. Often, visceral fat forms in your abdomen, surrounding vital organs and threatening cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer. Strength training with free weights helps you develop muscle, which increases your metabolism to help you burn fat all over your body, even when you are at rest. Dumbbells are particularly beneficial for building muscle because they require the help of secondary, stabilizing muscles to complete movements. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends adults perform two or three full-body strength-training workouts along with a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity every week to burn fat from your entire body, including your abdomen.
Upper Body Dumbbell Exercises
Concentrate on your upper body at the beginning of your full-body dumbbell workout. Start with front raises to target your shoulders. While standing, hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides and raise your arms out in front of you until they are parallel with the floor. Perform biceps curls by holding a dumbbell in each hand while standing or sitting on the edge of a weight bench. With your palms facing in front of you, curl the weights toward your shoulders, keeping your upper arms close to your body. Move on to triceps extensions while sitting or standing. Hold a dumbbell in each hand above your head with your arms straight. Lower the weights behind your head by bending your elbows. Target your chest with flat flyes. Lie on your back on a weight bench with a dumbbell in each hand. Raise the weights above your chest, your palms facing each other, your arms slightly bent. Lower the weights out to your sides until your arms are parallel with the floor. Finish the upper body portion of your workout with bent-over rows. Bend forward at the waist until your torso is parallel with the ground. Holding a dumbbell in each hand and your arms straight below you and perpendicular to the floor, raise the weights toward your abdomen by bending your elbows.
Lower Body Dumbbell Exercises
Target your lower body with dumbbell front squats. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder-height or hip-height while standing with your feet hip-width apart. Bend forward at the waist, keeping a straight back, and push your buttocks out behind you. Bend your knees until your thighs are parallel with the floor. Concentrate on your calves by standing on the balls of your feet on the edge of an aerobic step. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides and carefully raise your heels as high as you can. Hold this position for one count before returning to the original position.
Abdominal Dumbbell Exercises
Hold a dumbbell to your chest while performing a variety of crunches to add more resistance to abdominal exercises. Lie on your back on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Holding the dumbbell to your chest, raise your torso off the ground until your chest touches your knees. You can also hold a dumbbell to your chest while performing decline crunches. Decline the back of a weight bench 45 to 60 degrees and lie on your back on the bench with your head at the lower end. Raise your torso off the bench until it is parallel with the floor.
Aerobic Activity
If you need to lose fat from any area of your body, aerobic exercise is also important. Many aerobic activities help you burn hundreds of calories per hour, especially more vigorous forms, such as running, in-line skating and jumping rope. However, you cannot pinpoint the area that will lose fat. Instead, you will lose fat evenly from your body, but ultimately, your abdomen will shed fat as well.
References
- MayoClinic.com; Belly Fat in Women: Taking --- and Keeping --- it Off; April 2011
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: At-A-Glance --- A Fact Sheet for Professionals
- MayoClinic.com; Strength Training: Get Stronger, Leaner, Healthier; June 2010
- MayoClinic.com; Exercise for Weight Loss: Calories Burned in 1 Hour; December 2009
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