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Beat the Bulge: Exercise to Lose Belly Fat Fast

Blasting the Belly Fat Myths

First of all, there is no way to burn fat in only one spot of your body. This is a myth; you can only burn fat throughout your body. Spot-toning does not work for getting rid of belly fat. You can target your abdominal muscles in order to make them stronger and tighter, but you will only be able to see your new six-pack after losing the layer of fat.

Exercise for Success!

Cardio exercise will help melt away fat all over, including in the abdominal section. You can't lose belly fat without moving, or by doing repetitions that only focus on muscles and don't burn calories. Swimming, running, jogging, or even walking can be some of the best exercise you can get. Try working a jump rope session into your exercise routine; this will get your heart pumping and burn that fat faster than you can say, "battle of the bulge!"

Divide and Conquer

You may think of your abs as one cohesive unit, but you actually have three distinct sections of ab muscles. Each one benefits from a different exercise. You will want to target your upper abs, lower abs, and obliques (the ab muscles running along your sides).

The bicycle exercise tones all three areas at once. In this exercise, you lie on your back and clasp your hands behind your head. Lift your shoulders and pull your knees in so you are curled up on your back. Stretch out your right leg and turn your body to the left so that your right elbow almost touches your left knee (which will still be flexed). Draw your right leg back to the starting position. Now switch, extending your left leg.

Basic crunches and reverse crunches work well for the upper and lower abs. The basic crunch targets upper abs, which you use to pull yourself into a somewhat upright position. In the reverse crunch, you start with your feet six inches off the floor and pull your knees up to your chest by contracting your lower abs. The cross crunch works the obliques; you will lie on the floor, knees up, and prop your right foot on the left knee. Then, raise your body diagonally; try to get your left shoulder close to the right knee, keeping the left hand on your head and the right hand on the floor.

Use these techniques, and you'll be on the fast track to losing belly fat!

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