10 Home Exercises to Target Belly Fat

So, you want to finally get rid of that belly fat. The bad news? "You can't spot-reduce fat loss," explains Steve Stonehouse, Vice President of Programming and Education at Body Fit Training (BFT). However, you can target certain muscles or groups of muscles with your training. "You can reduce your belly fat's percentage, but your body will decide where the fat comes off first and where it comes off last," he continues. Also, make sure you are watching your diet because "you can't out-train a bad diet," he reminds you. Here are 10 exercises you can do at home to help target belly fat.

Planks

The first exercise Stonehouse recommends doing is a plank.

• Start a push up position, with your elbows under your shoulders and your feet hip-width apart.
• Bend your elbows and rest your weight on your forearms and on your toes, keeping your body in a straight line. (squeeze your glutes, quads & abs tight).
• Start with 10 second holds. (Do 10 sets of 10s holds).

Crunches

Next up, Stonehouse suggests crunches.

• Start out laying down (on your back). Plant your feet on the floor, hip-width apart with your knees bent. Place your hands flat on the floor (palms down) at your side.
• Lift your upper body in a curling motion bringing your shoulders towards your knees. Try and keep your head and neck relaxed. Feel free to place your hands behind your head if it helps you relax your head/neck but DO NOT pull up on your head.
• Return to the starting position.
• Do your best NOT to hold your breath here.
• Start with 3 sets of 20 reps.

Russian Twists

Russian twists are another great gut-busting move for flat abs.

• Lie down with your legs bent at the knees.
• Elevate your upper body so that it creates a V shape with your trunk and your thighs.
• Twist your torso to the right. Then reverse the motion by twisting back to the left. You can do this holding a medicine ball, a DB or nothing at all.
• Repeat this movement until the set is complete.
• Start with 3 sets of 20 reps (10 each side).

Mountain Climbers

Next up, mountain climbers, says Stonehouse.

• Start in a push-up position with your hands flat on the floor, directly under your shoulders to your starting position.
• Drive 1 knee quickly towards the center of your chest and then return your leg to its original position. Do this movement alternating legs at whatever pace you feel capable of. You can do this in a slower, "marching" style cadance or you can sprint through at a faster pace.
• Twist your torso to the right. Then reverse the motion by twisting back to the left. You can do this holding a medicine ball, a dumbbell or nothing at all.
• Do your best NOT to hold your breath here.
• Start with 3 sets of 20 reps total (10 each leg).

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Jump Rope

Jump roping is another great at-home exercise for blasting belly fat.

• Hold the rope while keeping your hands at hip level.
• Rotate your wrists to swing the rope and jump.
• Jump with both feet at the same time. No need to jump extremely high when starting out. Just enough for the rope to pass under your feet.
• Start with trying to jump rope for 60s without stopping. Work up from there varying your mechanics to include 2 leg hops, single leg hops, side-to-side, front-to-back, etc.

Dead Bugs

Nick Kumar, a Yale educated online fitness coach and Chief Exercise Officer of Desi Grit, recommends dead bugs

• Lie on your back with your arms extended towards the sky and knees bent at 90 degrees.
• Slowly lower your opposite arm and opposite leg towards the floor without actually touching the floor. Finish by returning to the starting position.
• Switch sides.

Hollow Body Holds

Kumar also suggests hollow body holds.

• Lie on your back and extend your arms behind your head.
• Lift your shoulders and legs off the floor.
• Hold this position for 60 seconds.

Air Bike

The last exercise Kumar recommends for belly fat blasting is the air bike. "You've definitely seen this one before," he says.

• Lie on your back with your hands behind your head and knees bent in the air.
• Bring your right elbow towards your left knee as you straighten your right leg.
• Switch sides, so it looks like you are cycling.

Rowing

Gary Simpson, founder of Myrow, recommends rowing to target belly fat. "The science behind rowing as an effective workout for burning belly fat has been studied and proven to work. Rowing provides a full-body, high-intensity cardiovascular workout for all levels, that engages all major muscle groups and burns more calories than exercises that only work one muscle group," he says. "The combination of cardio and strength training is essential for losing belly fat, and rowing helps you to burn calories and build muscle at the same time."

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Walk Up and Down the Stairs

If you want to burn calories and reduce the risk of heart disease, consider climbing your stairs. A study published in the journal Atherosclerosis found that climbing five flights of stairs every day may reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, including stroke, blood clots, and heart attacks, by up to 20 percent. An additional study found that stair walking decreases body fat. After three sessions of stair walking per week for 12 weeks, the women in the study lost significant amounts of body fat.

💪🔥Body Booster: Combine a healthy diet with regular exercise to decrease belly fat. Keep in mind that your body decides where fat is lost first, so be patient and consistent.