Trimming down in the midsection—aka the “pot belly” area—is a common fitness goal many people share, and for good reason. Having extra belly fat can be hazardous to your health, making you more likely to develop heart disease, liver issues, and diabetes. In order to lose a pot belly, living a healthy lifestyle is key, including eating a healthy diet and getting in regular exercise.
When it comes to choosing the right exercises, you should focus on a blend of strength training and cardio workouts, with a major emphasis on the strength portion. Strength training builds muscle, elevates your metabolism, and burns more calories than cardio. I recommend most people strength train at least three times per week and perform aerobic activity in between.
If you’re already lifting weights and doing cardio, yet still struggle to shrink belly fat, then there may be a couple of exercise habits you’re missing. Here are three foolproof habits you need to incorporate in order to help lose a pot belly fast. Check them out below, and next, don’t miss The 6 Best Exercises for Strong and Toned Arms in 2022, Trainer Says.
There’s no better time than the present to start tracking your training progress. Record how much weight you’re lifting and how many reps you’re performing in your exercises. The next time you do the same workout, try to go heavier or perform more reps. This will force you to burn more calories, build more muscle, and lose fat in a speedy fashion.
Related: Get Rid of a Pot Belly in Your 50s With This 10-Minute Workout, Trainer Says
READ RELATED: 8 Fast-Food Chains With Most Food Quality Complaints
In order to maximize your muscle gain and fat loss, you want to force your body to work harder in all rep ranges. Many of us get stuck in a certain rep range zone for a good chunk of exercises, so it’s a smart idea to cycle in a couple of moves where you’re going heavier but performing lower reps (5 to 6), or doing higher rep work to increase the amount of time under tension (12+).
Walking is such an underrated habit for those looking to melt belly fat. Even though you may be getting in your workout for the day, if you’re sitting for multiple hours afterward, you’re unfortunately still considered sedentary. That’s why aiming to get 10,000 steps per day is promoted so heavily across favorite fitness apps and platforms. Walking will increase your daily activity and your non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT), which accounts for a huge portion of your calorie burn.
For more inspiration on shrinking belly fat, check out The #1 Bodyweight Workout To Shrink Your Waistline After 40 and Shrink Belly Fat Faster With This 10-Minute Ab Routine, Trainer Says.
Tim Liu, C.S.C.S.
Tim Liu, CSCS, is an online fitness and nutrition coach based in Los Angeles Read more
Source:
