Walking around with extra weight in your stomach is not only a detriment to your self image, but it also causes health problems. Visceral fat, which builds up around the organs, raises the risk for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol. Joining a gym to lose this stomach fat is a good idea, provided you know what to do when you get there. Being that spot reduction is not possible, you have to take more of a holistic approach.
Step 1
Step onto a treadmill to do sprint intervals. Treadmills give you the ability to walk slowly or run really fast. By doing sprints, you will burn a high amount of calories and boost your metabolism. As an even greater benefit to your stomach, you have to forcefully contract your abs to produce force. Start with a light warm-up jog for five minutes, then turn up the speed and sprint as fast as you can for 20 seconds. Place your hands on the handrails, lift your body and place your feet next to the belt. Wait 40 seconds, lift yourself back up and go back into another sprint as you remove your hands from the rails. Alternate back and forth for 20 minutes and finish with a light five-minute jog to cool down.
Step 2
Perform a weight training workout using dumbbells and a stability ball. In similar fashion to sprinting, adding muscle boosts your resting metabolic rate. This, in turn, further promotes stomach fat loss. Doing a workout on a stability ball with dumbbells causes you to contract your abs for stability -- and this gives you an ab workout by default. Do exercises that target all of your major muscle groups like bench presses, seated shoulder presses, back extensions, lying triceps extensions, seated biceps curls and wall ball squats. Aim for 10 to 12 reps and do 4 or 5 sets.
Step 3
Take active rest breaks between your sets with your weight training exercises. This will keep your heart rate elevated and further promote stomach fat loss. Gyms come equipped with exercise platforms, jump ropes and aerobic steps. Spend 60 seconds in between sets jumping rope or stepping up and down on a platform of your choosing. You also have the option of simply walking around the gym briskly in between sets.
Step 4
Target all areas of your abs with exercises to tone and tighten your midsection as you lose weight. Use a pullup bar, decline bench, stability ball and medicine ball to do exercises like hanging leg raises, reverse decline crunches, Russian twists and situps. Aim for 15 to 20 reps and do three or four sets. Make sure to move through a full range of motion and never use momentum. For Russian twists, sit on the floor with your legs extended out in front of you and hold a medicine ball in front of your stomach. Lean back, lift your legs and balance on your butt. Twist your torso to your right and touch the floor with the ball. Twist back to your left side and touch the floor with the ball. Continue to alternate back and forth in a steady, but controlled motion.
Step 5
Visit the gym often enough to achieve results. If you are not disciplined to work out on a regular basis, you will not shed your stomach fat. Perform three sprint workouts and three weight training workouts a week on alternating days. Work your abs after your sprint workouts.
Step 6
Inquire at the front desk about Pilates classes. Pilates is an exercise form that causes you to work your abs, while moving your limbs and torso through movement patterns. Add 1 or 2 classes a week to your workout schedule to further help tone your stomach.
Tips and Warnings
- Gyms come equipped with other cardio machines like elliptical trainers, stair climbers, exercise bikes and rowers. If you do not like the treadmill, choose a machine you do like and follow the same sprinting protocol. With your sprint workouts, you also have the option of lowering your speed instead of stopping altogether. Continue going back and forth between high and low intensity with this format and follow a 1-to-2 ratio of work to rest. For example, sprint for 20 seconds and jog lightly for 40.
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