The age old question. How do I lose my belly fat? Nutrition is going to play the most important role in fat loss, but which exercises should you pair it with to maximise your belly fat burning potential? Listed below are the five best methods to burn stubborn belly fat.
1. WEIGHT TRAINING
The best way to lose your belly fat. Increasing your lean muscle mass slowly over the course of many months/years will yield amazing results. Although progress may (or may not) be slow at the start improving your strength and increasing your lean mass will help burn that belly fat gradually but more importantly keep it off. At roughly 35 years of age the human body will naturally, slowly lose lean muscle mass, which is why belly fat seems to magically appear over a period of years between the ages of 35-45. Unfortunately, only eating 500 calories extra each week (2 chocolate bars) over the course of a year with a decline in lean muscle will result in approximately 4-5kg gain over a year. So you can imagine it doesn’t take much for your belly to balloon over a course of a 10 year period. And it only get harder to lose the older you get as your metabolism slows. Train consistently, improve your lean mass, slow the decline, get strong, and watch your belly fat disappear.
2. HIGH INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING (H.I.I.T)
H.I.I.T requires a short burst of intense effort followed by rest. Your heart rate will exceed 80% of your maximum. Here are some examples:
1. 5 x 500m rows with 1 min rest at 90% effort. Last row 100% effort.
2. Sled push sprint with decreasing weight for 6 laps. Resting 3mins and repeating.
3. Bike sprint 20 cals. Rest 1min. Ski 100m. Rest 1m. Repeat 5 times.
This type of exercise will challenge your anaerobic energy systems (energy production without oxygen) and produce a lot of lactate acid as a by-product. The closer an individual trains to their anaerobic threshold (redzone or max effort) the greater the amount of fat that will be burnt post workout. The heart rate will stay elevated for a much longer duration (excess post exercise oxygen consumption or EPOC) post workout compared to steady state or weight training due to being in a state of oxygen debt. This process helps burn extra fats (which is what you want) as lactate acid is converted back into muscle glycogen via the liver (much more complex than this but you get the idea). Important to note that muscle glycogen (carbs) will be used predominately during the workout as the rate of energy production is high and fats require more oxygen to be broken down. But post workout your fat metabolism will be elevated and good things will happen to your belly fat! The downside of these types of workouts are they are HARD! Feel the burn ;).
3. STEADY STATE CARDIO
Fat metabolism requires more oxygen and time to break down and be used for energy. Aerobic activity is great for burning fats as long as the heart rate is kept below 60-65% of max. That is why walking, swimming, and cycling are great forms of exercise that even a beginner can try. Unfortunately the time taken to burn the fats is much higher and the intensity is much lower. Another problem also occurs as the body quickly adapts to aerobic activity, for instance, a person may burn 150 cals on a treadmill at 5km/hr in their first month dropping 3kgs but after month two they may only be burning 115 cals in the same time period and no fat has been lost as the body has become more efficient and skilled at the task. This problem can be overcome by applying progressive overload, such as increasing the intensity, ie, incline on the treadmill, increasing the volume, time walking, or changing the exercise, treadmill to bike or elliptical. A great form of exercise anyone can undertake that will not require as much mental or physical effort.
4. CIRCUIT TRAINING
Combining full body strength training and interval training can be a great way to burn calories, improve cardiovascular function, and muscular strength endurance. It can be harder to track progress in such a workout, but can be a great supplement to do once a week with weight training. Training acclimatisation will occur so unless the exercises are changed frequently the client will be become too efficient at performing the workout each week and less calories will be burnt. Keep the program challenging and progressing the exercises and your body will achieve great results with this form of training.
5. INCIDENTAL EXERCISE
As technology continues to advance, life becomes much more sedentary. Staying active in natural daily activities will give you the edge in burning extra belly fat. Over the course of years, incidental exercise will help regulate your appetite and maintain your waist circumference. Setting up good habits in your weekly routine are key to achieving your goals. Rather than order uber eats or groceries online, walk down to the local shops, park far away from the shopping centre, do your own vacuuming and cleaning, get into the garden, take the stairs, or go for a walk outside each day. Although these form of activity may seem inconsequential, but over a period of 10 years, it can be difference between maintaining your weight or significantly gaining more belly fat. Build strong routines and don’t negotiate with yourself or others.
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