YOUR FITNESS JOURNEY looks nothing like that of the guy on the bench next to you, but your motivations might overlap. Lots of guys work out to gain muscle, lean down, build confidence, improve athletic performance—more than one reason likely motivates you. One box might get checked more often than others: losing belly fat.
Even with the rise of the infamous "dad bod," not everyone is content with their physiques. And the appearance of your "spare tire" isn't even the most pressing concern. Belly fat, otherwise known as visceral fat, affects more than how we feel when we look in the mirror. It protects and insulates our internal organs—but too much has been linked to an increased risk of diabetes, stroke, and heart disease.
Of course, losing fat means creating a calorie deficit. There are two ways to work smarter to burn more calories in the gym, says Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S., MH fitness director.
The first way involves incorporating compound movements into our training. Compound exercises involve motion at multiple joints. Think about how a squat involves movement in the hips, knees, and ankles—this requires recruitment from several muscle groups. Incorporate power and force to these movements by adding load or plyometrics, and we theoretically will produce more calorie burn.
The second way is to include exercises that you are “relatively inefficient at,” Samuel says. Movements we don’t perform often burn more calories than the ones we repeat often. “Think about it: Kipchoge’s body is optimized to run miles, so he's gonna burn fewer calories during his one-mile run than, say, you or me.”
Shedding fat will take more than just putting in work in the gym, though. Belly fat can be stubborn and hard to lose, especially as you get older. Our bodies are programmed to store fat, whether we like it or not, since fat is the most abundant source of energy we can tap into for day-to-day functioning.
That means it doesn’t typically want to go away, and we have to work both smartly and intensely to limit our fat stores. To be clear, this doesn’t mean you should stop eating and do six-hour workouts. It’s more about building up muscle mass while limiting extra fat storage.
How You Can Optimize Fat Loss
Successful fat loss occurs when we maintain as much muscle mass as possible while cutting away the extra storage of body fat we have. And that starts with controlling and understanding your metabolism.
That means a few things, some of which you’ll notice in the exercises we’ve chosen for you, and some of which have nothing to do with exercise at all:
Nutrition Is Critical for Fat Loss
Men's Health 28-Day Belly Fat Burner Workout
That doesn’t mean you should starve yourself. You just need to eat the right amount. Key to that is knowing the lowest number of calories your body needs to function properly while simply lying down and breathing. And this can be worked out with a simple math formula for basal metabolic rate. This is your starting point in your journey to drop belly fat, and fat in general.
You shouldn’t be eating this amount of calories; you need more than that. If you eat too few calories, your body will limit the amount of fat it burns to insure that you, you know, don’t die. That means fat loss winds up coming from eating smartly (but not too little) and generating a more high-octane metabolism. And that’s where smart, targeted fat-burning exercises come in.
Spot Reduction Isn’t a Thing
So if I do only crunches and planks I’ll erase belly fat and have a sick set of abs? Sadly, no. The body doesn’t burn fat from specific areas because you work on just that area. There’s very limited research in favor of spot reduction, so don’t bank on it. Instead, aim to do general full-body exercises that burn fat all-around. You may not drop fat from your belly first, but your goal should be to burn fat period. Eventually, that approach will have you erasing the belly fat you want to eliminate.
Expect to notice fat loss on your face and neck first, but trust the process nevertheless.
Stress Can Hurt You
For most of us, we have always been told, we have to work harder and push harder if we want something. In most scenarios that is true. Stress in the body is a really important variable that often gets overlooked. Stress causes the body to release specific hormones such as cortisol which don’t help us when in comes to burning that stubborn fat. We all have our variables in our everyday life that will add to the stress we deal with. Work stress, workout stress, family stress, financial stress, stress of failure. The body reads it all the same.
That means that yes, going too hard in the gym nonstop can actually keep you from dropping belly fat.
The Best Exercises to Burn Belly Fat
Because belly fat can’t just be burned by endless workouts, you want to choose smart, efficient exercises that burn heavy calories, rev up your metabolism, and help build muscle, too. It’s that blend of traits that will eventually help you erase excess belly fat. Here are the top moves you want to have in your workouts to blast belly fat.
Bear Crawl
Why: The bear crawl combines the two criteria into one exercise. This is a compound movement that activates several major muscle groups, but it’s a movement that most people don’t do very often.
How to Do It:
- Start by getting on your hands and knees on the ground in an all-fours/tabletop position. Your hands should be stacked directly beneath your shoulders.
- Turn the pits of your elbows forward, creating mid-back tension.
- Move your knees so that they're under your hips, and slightly wider than hip width. They should be in line with your wrists.
- Lift your knees off the ground, tighten your abs and squeeze your glutes. Your back should be completely level. Keep your gaze on the ground, keeping your neck in a neutral position.
- Raise your left foot and right hand simultaneously. Move them forward, putting them down on the ground at the same time.
- Repeat the movement with the right foot and left hand.
- When you move, make sure to keep your torso still and your head down. The focus should be on keeping your back level and your core engaged. This isn't for aerobic conditioning; speed is not the goal. Stay focused and keep your butt from rising too high.
Sets and Reps: 3 rounds of 20 to 30 seconds
Pushup
Why: Yes, pushups are a chest day staple. That doesn’t mean that they can’t also help you lose weight around your midsection, though. Pushups are a compound movement that require work from your chest, triceps, and core.
How to Do It:
- Set up in a strong high plank position: wrist underneath your shoulders, toes underneath your heels. Tighten up the abs and glutes to create a straight line through the body.
- Think about screwing your hands into the ground to lock in the shoulders.
- Squeeze the shoulder blades together as you lower your chest to the floor. Press up through the chest to return to the starting position.
Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps
Dumbbell Thruster
Why: If you're not ready to take on complex Olympic lifting movements with a barbell—and even if you are—dumbbell thrusters are a great place to start off with multi-joint exercises. You'll move through multiple phases, pumping up your heart rate and kicking off that fat burn.
How to Do It:
- Start in a standing front rack position with your dumbbells. Fight to keep the elbows about parallel with the floor.
- Keep the chest up as you drop the hips down and back into your squat—don’t let the weight pull you forward. Sink down to a little deeper than parallel with your thighs.
- Push through your feet, utilizing the power from the legs to push the dumbbells up towards the sky.
Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 6 to 8 reps
Deadlift
Why: This is another leg day favorite, and another move that’s going to push your whole body. That means you’ll be building muscle mass and simultaneously be ramping up your metabolism, two of the things you need to do to help burn that stubborn belly fat. Learn the basics of the deadlift right here.
How to Do It:
- Step up to your barbell, starting with your feet about shoulder-width apart (this might vary by your anatomy and personal preference with experience), with your feet under the bar. Your shins should be close to or actually touching the bar.
- Push your butt back and hinge at the waist to bend down to grab the bar on either side of your legs. Grasp it in both hands using an overhand grip.
- Make sure your hips are lower than your shoulders. Squeeze your shoulder blades together to set your lats, then engage your core. Keep your neck in a neutral position; don't look up.
- Push your feet through the floor and pull the weight up, keeping the bar close to your body. Squeeze your glutes at the top of the list, but don't lean back.
Sets and Reps: 3 to 4 sets of 6 to 8 reps
Burpee
Why: Yes, you've been told that the burpee is a killer calorie torcher, and whoever told you wasn't wrong. But when you take on the notoriously tough exercise, make sure that you don't go overboard. Always move under control, without putting your arms and wrists at risk when you hit the deck.
How to Do It:
- Sink down into a squat, bringing your hands in between your feet. Hop your feet back to where you are in a high plank position, with the abs and glutes tight.
- Drop your chest to the floor. Push through the chest to return to the high plank position.
- Hop the feet back forward, planting the whole foot to the ground—don’t stay up on the toes.
- Bring your hands up towards the ceiling, jumping high. Land back into a squat position upon impact to protect the joints.
Sets and Reps: 3 sets 40 seconds on, 20 seconds off
Cardio Row
Why: The cardio row is one of the best go-to full-body moves in the gym, utilizing power, endurance and a pace that truly tests your cardiovascular potential. It’s an exercise that is all at once easier and harder than you think it is. It’s also going to clean up your posture. If you need some rowing workouts, we have some for you right here.
How to Do It:
- Situate yourself on the rowing machine, securing your feet into the straps. Grab onto the handle.
- Push through the heels to extend the knees first, gradually leaning your torso back as you row the handle bar towards your lower chest, pulling with your back muscles.
- Reverse the above steps to bring the handle back to the front to pull again.
Squat
Why: Yes, this leg day staple is a great way to work your entire body, hammering leg strength and building a solid midsection. It’ll also burn more calories than you think, and ramp up your metabolism way more than, say, curls. Not sure how to squat? Start with the goblet squat variation.
How to Do It:
- Set your stance by placing your feet shoulder-width apart and pointing your toes out a bit (this might be a bit different depending on your anatomy).
- Tighten up the abs and roll the shoulders back, and keep your chest upright as you sink the hips down and back as if you’re sitting into a chair. Try to lower the butt just below the knees.
- Keep your glutes engaged as you push back up to standing, not allowing the knees to cave inward.
Sets and Reps: 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps
Walking Lunge
Why: You'll turn on your legs here and break free of the monotony of typical stationary lower body movements. Ramp up the challenge—and fat-burning capabilities—by adding a load. You'll increase core engagement that way, especially with a racked or goblet grip.
How to Do It:
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Squeeze your glutes, abs, and shoulder blades, keeping your gaze neutral at a point straight ahead of you.
- Step forward and slightly out with one leg, landing with your heel first. Work to avoid slamming your knee into the ground. Keep your chest in an upright position, bending your knees to form right angles with both of your legs. Turn on your forward glute muscle to help protect your knees.
- Drive off the ground with your front heel to step back into the starting position. Keep your torso in a solid upright position by squeezing your core to stay balanced.
Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 20 to 30 seconds
Assault Bike
Why: That devilish bike you see in the gym, the one with the arm-pumping handles in addition to the wheels, is one of the best ways to ramp up your heart rate. It’s a staple way to train power, intensity, and multiple energy systems, all of which make it terrifically effective for changing your body composition. Just be cautious on this device, because effort is a big part of this bike that’s driven by variable resistance. Ramp yourself up to max power capacity; start by going hard in intervals, attacking for 30 seconds, then resting for 90. Five rounds of that is a good starting point; you can push harder after that.
How to Do It:
- Adjust the seat height to where it almost hits your hip. Sit on the bike and place your feet on the pedals and hands on the handle bars.
- Lean slightly forward through the hip as you power the bike with your feet—don’t try to power the bike too much with the arms. Keep the head neutral while you pedal by looking ahead.
Sets and Reps: 5 rounds of 30 seconds on, 90 seconds off
Kettlebell Swings
Why: Power in motion! The kettlebell swing is a basic in ballistics. This powerful kettlebell move has been used in every scenario from group fitness classes, to CrossFit workouts, to professional strength rooms, and it’s driving plenty of metabolic power, more than you may realize. You have to be explosive to drive the kettlebell up, but you need your whole body to handle the momentum, staying tense for swing after swing.
How to Do It:
- Hold the kettlebell between your legs, with your feet a little wider than shoulder width apart.
- Tighten up the core and lats before hinging through the hips. Snap them back forward to power the kettlebell to swing to about eye-height. Ensure your hips stay stacked underneath your shoulders, though—a common mistake is to extend them too far forwards.
- Think of the arms like a rope—they should only be acting as a lever for the bell, not powering any portion of the movement.
Sets and Reps: 5 rounds of 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off
Dumbbell Snatch
Why: Build explosive power and burn fat with another multi-joint dumbbell movement. This exercise challenges you to nail triple extension (extension and straightening at the hip, knee, and ankle) in one fluid motion. Start with light weight first to master the three steps of the exercise and always focus on keeping your core engaged.
How to Do It:
- Start with the dumbbell on the floor. Sit back into a squat to grab it with one hand, keeping your weight in your heels.
- Push through the legs to power the dumbbell up. Keep it close into the body—think about it like zipping up a coat.
- Once it hits the chest, think about punching it up towards the sky. Keep the core tight the whole time.
Sets and Reps: 3 rounds of 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off
Sprint
Why: One of the first power exercises you learned to do in your life. Arguably the best bodyweight move on the planet, sprinting is an activity we are all capable of doing but progressively lose capacity in as we get older. This one rings true with the old saying, “if you don’t use it, you lose it”.
Remember that a sprint isn’t simply a distance run. Core stability is crucial. Head to the track and try doing 10 100-meter dashes, or 10 100-yard dashes across a football field; take plenty of time between each.
Sled Pushes
Why: Moving heavy weights is one of the best ways to elicit the response you want from your body, and to kick things into fat-blasting overdrive. Sled pushes have such a large demand on the body: There’s simply no other way to push a sled than to use your entire body, especially if you use enough weight. Sled pushes are also joint-friendly.
How to Do It:
- Leaning forward at a 45 degree angle you will grip the sled with your hands close to your chest (similar to a push up position).
- From a staggered stance, drive through the balls of your feet with all toes in contact with the ground.
- Maximize your stride length by pulling the leg forward as far as possible to get the most of each step.
Sets and Reps: 3 to 5 rounds of 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off
Loaded Carry
Why: One of the most underutilized exercises for fat loss is the simple act of carrying a heavy weight to a destination. Loaded carries come in all manner of varieties, and they build critical strength you can use every day, too. They’ll also let you move heavy weights, which will help you build muscle, too. Not sure how to start with loaded carries? Check out this breakdown.
How to Do It:
- Grab the load, gripping the handles as firmly as possible. Pack the shoulders down and back as tight as you can. Keep the low back aligned with your hips the whole movement, maintaining a flat back.
- Take short steps, trying to minimize any sway of the weights.
- Keep the ribs in, don’t allow them to flare outward.
Sets and Reps: 4 rounds of 40 seconds on, 20 seconds off
Medicine Ball Slam
Why: Looking to burn fat and blow off some steam? Try the medicine ball slam. This full-body power move is driven by the upper body but has a large demand on the lower body as well. Not sure where to start? These medicine ball exercises are a good place to get going.
How to Do It:
- Stand with your feet a little wider than shoulder-width apart, knees bent, a med ball held in both hands.
- Explosively raise up onto your tiptoes, lifting the med ball high and throwing your arms over your shoulders.
- Now explosively bend your knees and hips and throw the ball straight at the ground.
- Catch it on the bounce, reset, and begin another rep.
Sets and Reps: 4 rounds of 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off
Pullup
Why: The gold standard for back exercises demands plenty from your upper limbs, and pushes your core and lower body more than you realize. You’ll be building muscle, pushing your metabolism into fat-burning territory, and if you’re trying to drop belly fat for aesthetics, you’ll also be building other key bits of a great physique, crafting your lats and shoulders.
How to Do It:
- Grasp your bar with an overhand grip, hands wider than shoulder width-apart. Hang from the bar.
- Pull your shoulders blades back and down, squeezing them together. Think about pulling the elbows down towards the floor to pull your chest up towards the bar. Clear your chin up and over.
- Take your time here. Think about slowly allowing yourself to lower down rather than collapsing back to that hanging position.
Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 6 to 10 reps
