“What exercises burn stomach fat?”
We get this question all the time. As a team that values health and wellness, many of our friends, family members, and even customers turn to us with questions about all things health. Nothing seems to matter more than getting rid of that stubborn stomach fat which seems to just want to stick to our bellies no matter what we try. In this post we’re going to address the question of what exercises burn stomach fat, and shed some light on how you can get the body you are truly happy with – whatever that means for YOUR unique life.
The hard truth is you cannot simply target a specific area and lose fat. There is no magic exercise for getting your stomach body fat to go down faster than your overall body fat. That doesn’t mean you can’t lose those last few pounds of fat and uncover your six pack in the process.
Body Fat is impacted by many factors
Who has been in this situation: you wake up, walk to the bathroom, look in the mirror, and feel like your hard work in the gym hasn’t been paying off. Your eyes go directly to your stomach and you see a lot less muscle than you’d like. We’ve been there. Still are there. It’s a long process learning to love your body for what it is, regardless of what Instagram says it should be. But that’s a mindset post for a different day.
There is good news, however. You CAN change this daily reality. It’s going to be hard, but you can do it. And you’re on our site so you already value and believe in enjoying the journey toward your best self just as much as the destination.
The amount of body fat your body will carry, and where you carry it, is largely impacted by three factors: genetics, nutrition, and exercise.
genetics’ impact on body fat
Your unique genetic make up is going to impact where you store body fat, and how much body fat you store. Some people are going to naturally carry more body fat around the mid-section. Others carry more in their butt, others in their back, and others in their arms or legs. There’s no rhyme or reason to it – it is just how you’re made. You probably often want to trade whatever your “problem area” is for your best friend’s – just don’t think that way. You’re perfect how you’re made, and you need to really believe that.
If you hold more body fat around your stomach, it may be the last place to get lean as you work on losing body fat. You may see it simply fall of your arms and legs, but your stomach persists. Be proud of those amazing arms and legs, and keep on working for the stomach, too! Celebrate your wins here.
Exercise’s impact on body fat
You absolutely need to be active in some capacity to lose body fat. While there is no “best way” studies have shown some form of resistance training is just as impactful, if not more effective, than cardio for body fat loss. This is largely due to the metabolic effects of having more muscle. In layman’s terms, muscle requires more calories to maintain – so you have a higher metabolism with more muscle.
The real secret sauce to fat loss is intensity. Whether that is a form of intense cardio training or intense weight training, or a combination of both doesn’t matter nearly as much as simply making your body work hard. Tell it to prioritize muscle and limit body fat levels, and you’ll lose fat. Simple as that!
nutrition’s Impact on body fat:
The old saying you can’t out-train a bad diet is the biggest cliche and the biggest truth in fitness. No matter how much you workout, if your diet is all donuts and pizza you won’t see the results you’re after. These foods don’t give your body the nutrients it needs to function at 100%.
Nutrition is often over-complicated. Eat this but NEVER that! Make all your protein come from plants! Be sure to eat only red meat! All these things are making an intuitive subject like nutrition way too difficult for the every day person to follow. Here’s our take. Eat real food, not too much, and mostly plants. Eat meats (or protein heavy plants like tofu if you’re vegan!) and vegetables, nuts and seeds, fruit, and a little starch (potatoes, rice, whole grains, etc). Stay away from foods made in a lab and limit added sugar in your diet.
Follow those food tips and body fat will come off of you.
Can I use specific exercises for fat loss though?
Nope – just like you can’t get rid of specific areas of fat with specific exercises, no one exercise is going to make you lose fat faster than another. Running does not trump squats, which do not trump push ups or hiking. So when you want to ask, “what exercises burn stomach fat?” just stop yourself there and remember your body works as one unit. What appears to work well is finding an exercise program you enjoy doing and will consistently do for your life. Health and wellness is a lifestyle, and you owe it to yourself to be operating at your highest level in both.
