When you’re looking to melt away excess body fat, it’s important to know that a combination of safe, effective, and healthy habits will help you accomplish your goal in a timely fashion. Although you can’t “spot reduce,” you can burn body fat all over, which in turn will help you shrink stubborn fat in your belly. Plus, limiting the amount of unhealthy, extra body fat you’re carrying around—We’re looking at you, visceral fat!—will help you lead a much healthier existence. We have you covered with the fitness part of the equation and spoke with Tyler Read, the founder of PTPioneer.com and a personal trainer involved in the health and fitness world for the past 15 years, who shares the ultimate weekly workout for faster abdominal fat loss you need in your life.
If you have no idea where to begin when it comes to a belly fat-loss workout regimen, listen up. According to Read, “The overall workout program outlined here is a comprehensive approach to belly fat loss that targets all the different approaches you can use to tone up your belly. This includes leveraging the benefits of HIIT and aerobic exercise for caloric burn, strength training to increase metabolism through more muscle mass, and core training to improve the appearance of your core area as you burn fat.”
Slimming down and firming up your midsection doesn’t have to be a chore, so long as you establish the right habits and make any necessary adjustments to your current routine. Read is here to kickstart and speed up the fat-burning process with the below regimen that highlights high-intensity interval training, strength training, cardio, core exercises, circuit training, and of course, rest days. Keep reading to learn all about the #1 weekly workout for faster abdominal fat loss, and when you’re done, don’t miss The #1 Standing Ab Workout for a Visibly Toned Six-Pack.
Day 1: High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
To kick off this weekly fitness routine, Read suggests performing a HIIT workout with exercises like mountain climbers, high knees, burpees, and plank jacks. He says, “This method involves short bursts of intense exercise followed by brief recovery periods. HIIT is effective for belly fat loss because it increases calorie burn, boosts metabolism, and stimulates fat oxidation, leading to overall fat reduction, including in the abdominal area.”
Day 2: Strength Training
Next up, you’re going to focus on compound exercises—which simultaneously activate more than one muscle group—like lunges, squats, pushups, and deadlifts. Strength training reigns supreme if you’re looking to melt body fat, because it helps you sculpt lean muscle, which boosts your metabolism and torches a greater amount of calories even when your body’s at rest. “It also improves overall body composition, making your abdominal muscles more visible as you lose belly fat,” Read adds.
Day 3: Cardiovascular Exercise
On day #3, it’s time to kick up your cardio. Perform moderately intense cardiovascular exercises such as swimming, jogging, or cycling. According to Read, “These activities elevate your heart rate and promote calorie expenditure. While they don’t specifically target the abdominal region, consistent cardio helps create an overall caloric deficit, leading to fat loss throughout the body, including the belly.”
Day 4: Core Exercises
Get ready to seriously fire up your core muscles with ab-centric exercises such as Russian twists, planks, leg raises, and bicycle crunches. Read stresses that spot reduction is impossible, but building up strength in your core muscles can enhance their stability and definition, which will boost your overall physique as you start to melt belly fat.
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Day 5: Rest or Active Recovery
Your time recovering between fitness sessions is just as important as your time at the gym. Giving your body sufficient time to rest and prep for the next workout can also help you avoid any injuries and excess physical stress that come with overtraining, which can keep you away from the gym for a solid amount of time.
You can also participate in an active recovery day, which comprises of light activities such as walking, yoga, or stretching to support your recovery process without adding extra stress to your muscles.
Day 6: Circuit Training
Next up is a little bit of circuit training. “Combine resistance exercises with brief bursts of cardiovascular activity in a circuit format,” Read explains. “This workout maximizes calorie burn, enhances cardiovascular fitness, and helps tone the abdominal muscles. Include exercises like kettlebell swings, jumping jacks, push presses, and medicine ball slams.”
Day 7: Rest
Last but not least, take the final day to provide your body with the rest it deserves so it can completely recover from a full week’s worth of fitness. You totally crushed it and can use some time for a little bit of TLC. “Adequate rest is essential for muscle repair and growth, which supports overall fat loss,” Read says.
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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
