10 Home Exercises To Burn Belly Fat

So you’ve grown a belly. There’s no need to beat yourself up for it. After all, men are particularly susceptible to packing pounds around the gut. Luckily, if you have the desire to do so, getting your flat abs back is possible, and there are exercises to reduce belly fat that work. But utilizing exercises for stomach fat isn’t a one-time deal. Learning how to burn belly fat requires a dedication to exercise, as well as diet.

The diet part is on you (and yes, you know how to eat well). But the exercises are on us. The best exercises to burn belly fat are hard to find. That’s we came up with 10 workouts that each take only 10 minutes to complete and will tone those abs like nobody’s business.

And because you know by now that you can’t spot-train your body to get buff in one area and not another, we’ve split these workouts into building and burning segments, so you can strengthen the right muscle groups while also shedding fat from all over. Plus, they’re all low-to-no equipment, making them at-home workouts that can still give you a decent burn.

Belly Fat Exercise #1: Plank And Platform Jumps

Build: Rotating plank. Do 60-second planks facing front (traditional), side, other side, and back (belly-up), with 15 seconds rest in-between.

Burn: Platform jumps. Engage your core while developing explosive power by doing one minute of squat jumps onto a high bench, followed by 30 seconds of rest, 3 times.

Belly Fat Exercise #2: Bridge And Burpees

Build: Bridges develop lower abdominal muscles plus overall core stability. Do 5 bridges, holding each for 30 seconds, with 15 seconds rest in-between.

Burn: Burpees raises your heart rate while developing balance and core strength. Do two minutes of jumps, followed by one minute of rest, followed by another two minutes of jumps.

Belly Fat Exercise #3: V-Hold And Step-Ups

Build: V-Hold. From a seated position on the floor, lean your torso back and raise your feet and legs straight at an angle in front of you so that your body creates a “V” shape. Hold 60 seconds, relax 30 seconds. Repeat 3 times.

Burn: Step-ups (literally what it sounds like — step up and down on a high bench with one leg) work your abs, glutes, and quads in one movement while improving balance and raising your heart rate. Do 6 sets of 10 step-ups, alternating sides, with 20 seconds rest between sets.

Belly Fat Exercise #4: Pulses And Mountain Climbers

Build: Pulses are like reverse crunches. Start sitting on the floor with your back straight, then lean back so your torso is at a 45-degree angle, and pulse up and down a few inches, engaging your core. Do 3 sets of 20 pulses with 30 seconds rest in-between.

Burn: Mountain climbers (90 seconds on, 30 seconds rest x 3)

Belly Fat Exercise #5: Sit-Ups And Bicycle

Build: Sit-ups are boring, and the movement doesn’t hit all major muscle groups. But they still have a role within your larger repertoire of belly-firming exercises. Aim for one sit-up every two seconds for 60 seconds, then relax for 15 seconds. Repeat 3 times.

Burn: Bicycle. Cranking your feet through the air as you lie on your back will engage those deep transverse muscles that stabilize your core and keep you from injury.

Belly Fat Exercise #6: Hinges And Jump Rope

Build: Hinges (opposite knee to elbow sit-ups) work lower back muscles along with all major abdominal groups. Do 3 sets of 20 reps with 30 seconds rest between them.

Burn: Jump rope. Few things can crank the heart rate up so hard, so fast, as single-bounce jump rope. Go for 60 seconds, rest for 20 seconds. Repeat 3 times.

Belly Fat Exercise #7: Leg Lifts And High-Knees

Build: Leg lifts. Lie on a bench, butt at one end. Extended legs out in front of you. Keeping them straight, raise them up to the ceiling then lower. (You can hold onto the edges on the bench with your hands for support if needed.) 5 sets of 10 reps.

Burn: High-knee sprints. 30-seconds all-out, 30 seconds rest. Repeat 5 times.

Belly Fat Exercise #8: Russian Twists And One-Leg Jacks

Build: Russian twists. Start seated, lean your upper body back, hold your arms in front of you, and raise feet a few inches off the floor (knees bent). From here, swivel your torso from side to side, rotating your arms with your torso so hands touch the floor on each side with every twist. 60 seconds on, 20 seconds rest, 3 times.

Burn: One-leg jacks take standard jumping jacks up a notch, alternating opposite elbow to knee as you go. For max core work, lift your knee as high as you can. 60 seconds of jacks, then 20 seconds rest, 3 times.

Belly Fat Exercise #9: Ball Twists And Stairs

Build: Supine oblique ball twist. Lie on your back, arms out to sides, feet in the air with a large beach ball in-between your calves. Slowly drop your legs to the right, then the left, engaging your core to pull legs back to the center each time. 60 seconds on, 20 seconds rest, 3 times.

Burn: Stairs get the heart rate up fast, work your fine motor skills, and engage most major lower body muscles. Dash up a couple of flights (about 30 seconds), then jog back down. Repeat 5 times.

Belly Fat Exercise #10: Swing Hammers And Horizontal Jumping Jacks

Build: Swing hammers have you swinging a kettlebell, weighted ball, or dumbbell from one side of your torso, over your head, and to the floor on the other side (bend knees, straighten knees, bend again). It’s a great move for your obliques. Do 5 sets of 10 reps.

Burn: Horizontal jumping jacks. Get in an extended push-ups position and jump feet apart and together, keeping your back straight and body in a straight line. 45 seconds on, 15 seconds rest, 5 times.

How to Burn Belly Fat: A Lifestyle Cheat Sheet

Calories In Versus Calories Out

If you’re pounding a Whopper with cheese at lunch, it’s virtually impossible to burn off the calories by jogging around the neighborhood after work. To lose weight, calculate how many calories you need to eat to maintain weight (try this calculator from the Mayo Clinic) and then aim to cut 500 calories from this.

Don’t Skip Breakfast

Skipping breakfast should be an easy way to lose weight, but numerous studies suggest that eating breakfast actually helps prevent weight gain. So eat breakfast — but make it a lean one.

Turn Up the Burn

HIIT, or high-intensity interval training, should be your go-to workout. In this type of workout, you basically sprint, jump rope, do jumping jacks, or whatever type of cardio you can for 30 to 60 seconds, all-out, followed by an equivalent amount of rest to recover.

Strengthen Abdominal Muscles

You can’t spot-pick the geographic location of weight loss on your body any more than you can choose which parts of your head go bald first. But you can work on strengthening the muscles in the abdominal area, which will give your stomach a more toned appearance as the pounds start coming off.