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Are you looking for a few simple tips to shed some stubborn belly fat and sculpt a toned midsection? Look no further! In this blog, you’ll gain access to a range of tried and tested tips that can help you achieve your goals.
While each tip can make a difference singularly, they deliver the most potent results when added together. For example, tightening up your diet, dropping ultra-processed food and regularly participating in cardio training are three of the most effective ways to burn body fat.
But to sculpt a lean physique and enhance general fitness, you need to participate in resistance exercises. Pumping iron can also help trim the tub. As I discuss in more detail in this blog about the benefits of weight training, increasing muscle mass boosts our metabolic rate. This means that our body consumes more calories at rest.
And that’s not the end of the story of how to lose belly fat. As anyone who’s ever tried to improve fitness and reduce weight knows, the body quickly adapts and progress grinds to a frustrating halt.
To keep our physiological systems on their toes, you also need to keep mixing up your workouts. This means interchanging between bodyweight circuits, high-intensity hill sprints, CrossFit-style AMRAPs and compound exercise complexes.
But enough of that. You’ve come here for an easy way to lose belly fat. Well, here are X tips to get you going.
Easy way to lose belly fat tip #1: Do cardio
Cardio exercises are your best friend when it comes to toasting calories and burning belly fat.
Engaging in aerobic activities like running, cycling, or swimming not only elevates your heart rate but also encourages the body to metabolise fat for fuel.
In a head-to-head to see which training method is the most effective at lowering body fat, two groups of obese participants were put on either a cardio-only regime or a weightlifting-only regime.
At the end of the study, Professor Daniel Liberman reports in his book Exercised, ‘individuals prescribed just weight barely lost any body fat but those prescribed twelve miles a week of running lost substantial amounts of fat, especially harmful organ fat.'
Related: Start toasting calories with these Gym-Based Cardio Workouts >
Easy way to lose belly fat tip #2: Build muscle
Incorporating strength training into your workout routine is crucial for building muscle mass and boosting metabolism.
Studies have shown that compound lifts such as squats, deadlifts and bench presses are best for building muscle mass. Also, engaging in targeted core exercises is essential for toning your abdominal muscles. Moves like crunches, Russian twists, and leg raises help tighten your midsection, leading to a flatter stomach.
Plus, the more muscle we’re carrying, so weightlifting expert Anita Bean observes, the more our metabolic engine must work to fuel the extra load. And don’t think that you’ve got to beef up like a bodybuilder to tap into the fat-burning effects of resistance training.
For example, a study found that beginner trainers lost on average 4 kg of body fat after just eight weeks of weight training. In addition, they gained over a kilo of muscle while enjoying long-term improvements in their body composition.
Related: Get ready to start this Strength Training Programme
Easy way to lose belly fat tip #3: Start HIIT!
HIIT workouts are a game-changer when it comes to burning fat efficiently. These super-charged, high-octane sessions involve short bursts of maximal-intensity exercises followed by brief rest periods.
However, one of the great things about HIIT workouts is that, as well as torching calories during the session, they also keep your body in fat-burning mode for up to 30 minutes after you’ve finished training.
What’s more, studies have demonstrated that HIIT is more effective at burning body fat than standard steady-state training.
Over a two-week period, participants completing a daily bout of HIIT (lasting just three minutes in total) lost more weight than ‘those who did more conventional long-term aerobic training,’ (Exercised: The Science of Physical Activity, Rest & Health).
Because it’s so time-sensitive, HIIT offers you an accessible and easy way to lose belly fat. HIIT workouts, such as this hill sprint scorcher, can be polished off as part of your morning routine or during a lunch break.
Essential reading: How to Harness The Power of HIIT >
Easy way to lose belly fat tip #4: Diet
Diet is the most potent weapon we have in the fight to lose belly fat. You can faithfully follow all the other tips in this article – do cardio, lift weights and HIIT every other day – but if you neglect your diet, they will yield scant results.
Dr Kenneth Cooper makes this point clear in his brilliant book The Aerobics Program For Total Well-Being. If you really want to trim up, Dr Cooper observes, ‘exercise should be only an aid to weight reduction, not the exclusive technique.’
Why? The simple reason is that exercise is not as effective as diet in lowering body fat. Consider this example.
To burn about 70 calories, you’d have to walk at a fair clip for 20 minutes – around a mile. And if you upped the tempo and covered that mile at a competitive pace, say six minutes, you’d still only burn 100 calories.
But here’s the kicker. That hard work will be undone in less than 10 seconds if you treat yourself to a single chocolate biscuit after the run. And whoever ate a single chocolate biscuit? It’s literally impossible!
Diet is the best way to lose belly fat
That brings us to the question of what to eat to lose weight. While there is some contention surrounding the subject, several leading publications present a compelling case for a diet low in ultra-process food and fructose. Though the details in the authors’ discussions differ, they arrive at a consensus concerning the number one enemy of weight gain. Here are three examples:
‘Fructose metabolism in the liver leads directly to fat production – chiefly, the formation of triglycerides, the most common type of fat in the body,’ (Perlmutter (2022), Drop Acid – p.84).
‘The bottom line is that excess fructose is changed into fat in the liver. High levels of fructose will cause fatty liver. Fatty liver is absolutely crucial to the development of insulin resistance,’ (Fung (2016), The Obesity Code – p.164).
Consuming fructose puts you on the fast track to insulin resistance. This means ‘the pancreas has to release extra insulin, which can force extra energy into fat cells, leading to obesity. And the fat cells that fill up most are in the visceral fat, the bad kind associated with metabolic disease,’ (Lustig (2013), Fat Chance – p.124).
Easy way to lose belly fat tip #5: Consistency
Keeping body fat at bay requires constant commitment and dedication. In a world awash with ultra-processed food, it’s never been easier to gain weight. Thus, to maximize the effectiveness of any of the tips to lose belly fat, consistency is key.
Make sure to exercise regularly and don’t forget to mix up your training methods. If your workouts just consist of resistance training, you’re missing out on the fat-burning effectiveness of cardio and HIIT.
But reflecting back on the advice of Dr Cooper, ‘exercise should be only an aid to weight reduction, not the exclusive technique.’ The primary method should be diet. Though there is a lot of contradiction concerning the best diet for weight loss and health, you can’t go far wrong if you cut out ultra-processed food. When making cuts ensure to replace with fresh vegetables, fruits, legumes and whole grains.
Remember, a healthy lifestyle is the foundation for achieving your weight-loss goals.
By incorporating these tips into your general routine, you’ll be well on your way to losing belly fat and getting closer to the toned midsection you desire.
Stay motivated, stay committed, and watch as your efforts yield remarkable results.
Start your fitness journey today and say goodbye to stubborn belly fat once and for all!
Remember, always consult with a fitness professional before starting a new workout regimen to ensure it aligns with your personal fitness goals and health condition. Your journey to a fitter, healthier you begins now!
About Adam Priest –
A former Royal Marines Commando, Adam Priest is a content writer, college lecturer, and health and fitness coach. He is also a fitness author and contributor to other websites. Connect with Adam at info@hungry4fitness.co.uk.
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