Everyone wants a smaller waist, but figuring out exactly how to melt stubborn belly fat and strengthen and tone your core can be tricky — especially if you're a fitness newcomer. While you can't spot-reduce fat, getting your heart rate up with cardio-infused exercises can help slim your body from head to toe and inch you closer to your goals. "High-intensity, total-body moves are how you ensure you'll be able to get into a zone that will burn fat," said NASM-certified personal trainer Kendall Wood, MS, CSCS, coauthor of Core Fitness Solution. Start with the circuit workout below.
Directions: Perform each move for 60 seconds with only a 30-second rest in between. Kendall suggests doing as many circuits as you can in each workout session. Imagine how much stronger you'll get.
You may not like burpees, but "they're a great move to ensure results when trying to lose weight and target belly fat," Kendall told POPSUGAR.
Modification: Just take out the jumps. Squat, put your hands by your feet and walk your legs into plank, do a push-up (on your knees if necessary), walk your feet to your hands, come into a deep squat, stand up, and then repeat.
If you find it difficult to move from one lunge to another, you can jump to a standing position before alternating legs.
Modification: If the jumping bugs your knees, you can take out the jump entirely and do alternating backward lunges instead.
Planks are deceptively hard, but "watching your form will result in harnessing almost all the muscles you need to hit in order to achieve fat loss," Kendall said.
Modification: Walk your feet, rather than jump them, toward your elbow.
"You can't overlook the deadlift because it will work your lower body better than most and amplify fat loss by virtue of triggering all those muscles," Kendall said.
Modification: If using weights feels too intense on your spine, try this move without weights — the exercise is called a good morning.
Nothing could be simpler than doing step-ups, and yet there may be no move that's avoided more. Why? If you're doing them right, "step-ups allow you to put in all the intensity cardio can bring," Kendall explained. Use a stair, step, or even a stack of books to get started.
Modification: Use a lower step. If that still feels like a challenge, do high-knee marches.