If you’ve gained some extra pounds around your belly, our workouts are perfect for you! They will help you to get rid of your love handles in no time.
How to lose belly fat?
First, what is a muffin top? It’s that annoying flap that spills out over the waistband, also called love handles. For many people, especially for women, the body retains a large portion of excess fat around the stomach area.
Unfortunately doing hundreds of crunches won’t work, because the muffin top is mainly fat. Some people still believe they can eliminate fat in one area by working it with a particular exercise over and over again, also called “spot reducing“. Do not be fooled by this theory! Spot reducing is – unfortunately – not possible. To lose a muffin top, you need to focus on full-body weight loss and therefore lower the level of your overall body fat. Exercises focusing on your abdomen do help you to lose belly fat, however, you need to work on all areas and different muscles to have a toned stomach. If it’s hiding behind a layer of fat though, working out only our abs area, will not work!
The fastest way to lose excess belly fat is to combine an all-over strength workout with intense cardio routines and you will lose your muffin top in no time.
Cardio + HIIT Training to burn belly fat:
Cardio and HIIT training are crucial if you want to lose your muffin top! High-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts have shown to be the most effective at reducing belly fat. It gets your heart pumping, forcing your heart and lungs to work harder and thus burn more calories. The more calories your body burns, the easier you will lose belly fat. The important thing is to choose the exercises you like and which will keep you motivated. Running, spinning, Zumba, swimming, boxing, elliptical training and even hiking are all very effective workouts to lose belly fat. Work out as often as you like, but at least three times a week for 30-40 minutes. To get rid of your love handles even faster, try to incorporate more steps into your everyday life – walk or bike to work, take the stairs instead of the elevator, go shopping on foot, etc. Small changes will get you a long way already!
Strength training to define abs:
Ab exercises alone will not help you get rid of your belly fat, but they will give it a tighter, more toned appearance as you lose weight. Target your lower abs, upper abs, obliques and lower back to work the entire waistline. Also, perform exercises that target other muscle parts. By adding muscle to your body, you will increase your resting metabolic rate and burn more calories while at rest. This will cause you to shed weight around your middle and to get rid of your muffin top at a faster pace. Repeat the following fat burning workout routine three times a week.
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Your power workout plan to get rid of love handles and muffin top
- Monday: Strength Training
- Tuesday: High-Intensity Cardio Training
- Wednesday: Rest
- Thursday: Strength Training
- Friday: Cardio Training + Strength Training
- Saturday: Rest
- Sunday: High-Intensity Cardio Training
Hyperextensions:
Starting position: Use a hyperextension bench. Adapt the machine to your measures (bending your upper body should be possible without any interruption at your waist) and lie on it and cross your arms in front of your chest (touch your shoulders). Keep your back as straight as possible during the whole motion.
- Start bending your torso over the pad while inhaling.
- Lift yourself up by contracting the lower back to your starting position. Exhale during this motion.
- Repeat this process as often as it is mentioned in your fat-burning workout routine!
Single Leg Glute Bridge:
Starting position: Lie on your back on the floor or on an exercise mat with your feet flat on the ground and your knees bent. Place your feet hip-width apart with the toes facing away from you. Raise one leg off the ground and fully extend it.
- Now perform the movement by extending your hip upward and raising your glutes off the ground (try to hold this position for some seconds and be sure to extend as far as you can).
- Repeat this fat-burning exercise as often as mentioned in your home workout routine.
Standing Cable Wood Chop:
Starting position: Attach a standard handle on a high pulley. Stand with your side to the machine and step as far away as you need to extend your arms (grab the handle with both hands).
- Now pull the handle down to your front knee while rotating your upper body.
- Repeat this process as often as it is mentioned in your workout plan to lose belly fat!
Cross-Body Crunch:
Starting position: Lie on your back on the floor or on an exercise mat with your hands to the side of your head and your knees bent.
- Raise your upper body by contracting your abdominals and bring your elbow to the opposing sides’ knee.
- Return slowly to the starting position.
- Repeat the motion with the other elbow.
- Return slowly to the starting position.
- Repeat this exercise as often as mentioned in your belly workout routine.
Crunch on Exercise Ball:
Starting position: Lie down on your back while resting your feet on an exercise ball and bend your knees 90 degrees. Put your hands behind your head (loosely).
- Now roll your shoulder off the floor and try to push your lower back on the floor to isolate the abdominals. Keep contracting the abdominals until you have reached the highest point. Exhale during this motion.
- After that begin to bring your shoulders back to the starting position (stay under control, do not use any momentum).
- Repeat this process as often as mentioned in your muffin top workout routine!
Oblique Crunch on Exercise Ball:
Starting position: Get an exercise ball and lie with your back flat on the ball. Put your hands behind your head. TIP: You can also put your hands in front, this may help you to hold your balance.
- Now lift your left shoulder to the right and try to push your lower back on the ball to isolate the abdominals. Keep contracting the abdominals until you have reached the highest point. Exhale during this motion.
- Repeat this motion now for the opposite side and just turn your elbows slightly to your obliques.
- Keep your chin high, that way you are not straining your neck.
- Repeat until you feel your obliques working.
Crunch – Legs on Bench:
Starting position: Lie down on your back while resting your feet on a bench and bend your knees at a 90-degree angle. Put your hands behind your head (loosely) and place your feet on the floor.
- Now roll your shoulder off the floor and try to push your lower back on the floor to isolate the abdominals. Keep contracting the abdominals until you have reached the highest point you can get. Exhale during this motion.
Exercise Ball Pull-In:
Starting position: Put an exercise ball close to your feet and get in a pushup position. Place your lower shins on the top of the ball and keep your arms and legs extended.
- Keep your upper body and your arms stationary and pull your knees to your chest and exhale during this motion.
- After that start extending your legs back to the starting position.
- Repeat this fat-burning exercise as often as mentioned in your workout routine!
Side Bridge:
Starting position: Lie on your side and lift your hip up while you are supporting your body with your foot and your forearm.
- Hold this position so long as it’s planed in your belly fat workout routine!
