These 12 Exercises Will Help You Blast Belly Fat

And why not? Everyone wants to look better for a wedding, or a trip to the beach, or even a wedding on the beach. And getting rid of a few excess pounds around the midsection is often a quick way to do that.

Thing is, belly fat can be stubborn and hard to lose, especially as you get older. Our bodies are programmed to store fat, whether we like it or not, since fat is the most abundant yield of energy we can tap into for day-to-day functioning. From cognitive activity, to hormonal responses, to processing what we intake, fat plays a very pivotal role in our lives.

That means it doesnt typically want to go away, and we have to work both smartly and intensely to limit our fat stores. To be clear, this doesnt mean you should stop eating and do 6-hour workouts. Its more about piling on muscle mass while limiting extra fat storage. There are several ways to do this, and Im going to explain them to you right now.

The Science of Fat Loss

Successful fat loss occurs when we maintain as much muscle mass as possible while cutting away the extra storage of body fat we have. And that starts with controlling and understanding your metabolism.

That means a few things, some of which youll notice in the exercises weve chosen for you, and some of which have nothing to do with exercise at all:

Diet is Critical

But that doesnt mean you should starve yourself. You just need to eat the right amount. Key to that is knowing the lowest number of calories your body needs to function properly while simply lying down and breathing. And this can be worked out with a simple math formula for . This is your starting point in your journey to drop belly fat, and fat in general.

You shouldnt be eating this amount of calories; you need more than that. If you eat too few calories, your body will limit the amount of fat it burns to insure that you, you know, dont die. That means fat loss winds up coming from eating smartly (but not too little) and generating a more high-octane metabolism. And thats where smart, targeted fat-burning exercises come in.

But Spot Reduction Isnt a Thing

So if I do only crunches and planks Ill erase belly fat and have a sick set of abs?! Sadly, no. The body doesnt burn fat from specific areas because you work on just that area. Theres very limited research in favor of spot reduction, so dont bank on it. Instead, aim to do general full-body exercises that burn fat all-around. You may not drop fat from your belly first, but your goal should be to burn fat period. Eventually, that approach will have you erasing the belly fat you want to eliminate.

Expect to notice fat loss on your face and neck first, but trust the process nevertheless.

Stress Can Hurt You

For most of us, we have always been told, we have to work harder and push harder if we want something. In most scenarios that is true. Stress in the body is a really important variable that often gets overlooked. Stress causes the body to release specific hormones such as cortisol which dont help us when in comes to burning that stubborn fat. We all have our variables in our everyday life that will add to the stress we deal with. Work stress, workout stress, family stress, financial stress, stress of failure. The body reads it all the same.

That means that yes, going too hard in the gym nonstop can actually keep you from dropping belly fat.

Your 12 Best Fat-Blasting Moves

Because belly fat cant just be burned by endless workouts, you want to choose smart, efficient exercises that burn heavy calories, rev up your metabolism, and help build muscle, too. Its that blend of traits that will eventually help you erase excess belly fat. Here are the 12 moves you want to have in your workouts to blast belly fat.

Deadlifts

This is another leg day favorite, and another move thats going to push your whole body. That means youll be building muscle mass and simultaneously be ramping up your metabolism, two of the things you need to do to help burn that stubborn belly fat. Learn the basics of the deadlift right here.