There are many reasons why you want less visceral fat – otherwise known as “belly fat” – around your midsection. Sure, you would have a better figure, but you would also lose the insidious fat that bothers yours liver function and increases your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and also certain cancers. According to and Mayo Clinic study of 650,000 adults, larger waist measurements mean greater risk of death virtually every turn.
So how do you get rid of it? Well, the old adage “abs are done in the kitchen” still applies to a large extent. To maximize your results, you need to eat a diet rich in whole foods and drink plenty of water. (For more weight loss tips for fat loss, see here.) But the best way to target your belly fat in the gym – or work out at home – is to participate in interval training.
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“HIIT is an extremely effective and efficient form of exercise that raises your heart rate quickly and burns a significant amount of calories in a short time,” Tom Holland, MS, CSCS, CISSN, an exercise physiologist and author of Micro-Workout Plan: Get the body you want without the gym in 15 minutes or less a day, told us. “In addition to burning important calories in a short amount of time, there is an additional ‘afterburn effect’ where your body continues to burn calories after exercise as it tries to return to homeostasis.”
When it comes to digesting more belly fat, it is important, he says, that you stick to a consistent schedule. “Ultimately, weight loss in general and belly fat specifically both come down to the frequency and consistency of cardiovascular exercise,” says Holland. “Because lack of time is one of the main reasons why people do not follow an exercise program, short-term HIIT exercise with high calorie expenditure is an extremely effective solution. You can basically get the same results in half the time with HIIT exercise.”
What follows is a fantastic HIIT routine, with permission from Holland, that follows Tabata Protocol of 20 seconds of training followed by 10 seconds of rest, which should be performed five times in total. “To be really effective, the exercises must be performed at a very high speed and intensity while maintaining the right shape,” he says. “The plyometric elements in three of the four exercises help ensure a challenging overall workout.”
So read on, and good luck. And for more great exercise advice, do not miss The Crazy-Popular Walking Workout That Totally Works, Say Experts.
“It’s a good idea to do a 2-3 minute warm up and cool off as well, like running on the spot or jumping jacks.”
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“Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, jump down to a squatting position with both feet to the side, and then jump back to the starting position.”
“Stand shoulder-width apart, lower quickly to a plank position, do a push-up, jump back up to the starting position, then jump straight up and reach your arms over your head.” For more great fitness news, make sure you are aware of the huge side effect of going for more leisurely walks, according to a new study.
“Stand in lung position with your right leg forward and the left back behind you. Jump up in the air, take your left leg forward and right leg back in a lung position. Repeat quickly back and forth.”
“Assume a plank position, then run your right knee to your chest and then your left knee as fast as you can, running mainly in place in the launch position.” And for better exercise advice, make sure you are aware of the single most effective way to exercise every day, say psychologists.
