Let’s be honest: Dealing with belly fat can be a buzzkill in more ways than one. Adding inches to your waistline is something you may associate with aging, the Mayo Clinic explains. Women especially deal with this post-menopause when unwanted body fat can accumulate in the midsection. Not only can this make squeezing into form-fitting attire quite challenging, but abdominal fat also increases your risk of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. In order to lose belly fat and get abs, a fitness pro shares a productive five-minute strength workout that’ll help tighten and tone that area of your body.
Combined with a healthy diet emphasizing plant-based meals and lean protein, strength training is a stellar way to get back into shape and achieve the six-pack abs you desire. Performing strength exercises will help you sculpt lean muscle, which in turn helps you shed weight. According to Beaumont Health, the more muscle you have, the greater amount of fat you’ll torch. This is a key player in your weight loss efforts—plus, it will help you preserve strength.
Tyler Read, the founder of PTPioneer.com and a personal trainer who’s been involved in health and fitness for the past 15 years, offers the below fat-blasting routine to help you lose belly fat and get abs. According to Read, “You want to focus on compound movements that use the most muscle groups for maximal calorie burn and muscle growth.” So set your timer for five minutes, and complete three sets of 10 reps for each exercise.
1. Squats
Bodyweight squats are a solid starting point before increasing the challenge to weighted squats, PureGym explains. To set up for bodyweight squats, plant your feet either hip-width or shoulder-width distance apart, and extend your arms ahead of you or keep them at your sides. Your toes should point out a bit. Then, bend your knees and press your hips back to initiate the squat. You should lower until your thighs form a parallel position to the ground. Press through both feet in order to rise back up.
2. Lunges
For lunges, you’ll start by planting your feet shoulder-width distance apart, holding a dumbbell in both hands, PureGym instructs. Bring one leg forward, and plant that foot on the ground as you bend your knees and descend into a lunge. Keep your back straight as you do so, and make sure your knee doesn’t go ahead of your toes. Press through your front heel in order to come back up.
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3. Deadlifts
The dumbbell deadlift will have you holding weights in both hands and facing your palms toward your body, PureGym instructs. Plant your feet shoulder-width distance apart. Keep your core activated, inhale, and hinge your hips back as you lower the weights down your shins and toward the ground. Press through both feet in order to rise back up.
4. Pull-ups
This compound exercise begins with you standing underneath the bar. With your palms facing forward, grab onto the bar and place your hands just outside of shoulder-width, Sweat App explains. Bring both feet off the ground so that your arms are fully extended and hanging onto the bar. Bend both elbows as you lift your upper body to the pull-up bar until your chin clears it. Once you reach the top, use control to head back down to the starting position.
5. Dumbbell Bench Presses
According to PureGym, for this final exercise, you’ll hold two dumbbells and situate yourself flat on your back on a workout bench. Straighten out both arms so the weights are over your body. Your palms should face ahead of you. Bring your shoulder blades back toward the bench, and push through both feet. Next, tuck your elbows to lower the weights toward your chest. Then, use your feet, chest, and arms in order to press the weights back up.
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Alexa Mellardo
Alexa is the Mind + Body Deputy Editor of Eat This, Not That!, overseeing the M+B channel and delivering compelling fitness, wellness, and self-care topics to readers. Read more about Alexa
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