If you want to lose belly fat, you need to focus on two main things. First, dial in your diet, eating whole foods and limiting the sugar and processed food. Second, when it comes to exercise, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts are a must — they're proven to target belly fat.
Here's a basic 20-minute HIIT workout designed by ACE-certified fitness instructor John Kersbergen to help you lose belly fat by burning calories to decrease your overall body fat, revealing a slimmer, leaner tummy. This workout alternates between jumping rope and bodyweight moves, so all you need is a jump rope. If you don't have one, just pretend (it works!) or run in place instead.
20-Minute HIIT Workout
Directions: After warming up with five minutes of walking in place, jumping jacks, and plank shoulder taps, perform each exercise below for 40 seconds, then take a 20-second rest. Push yourself hard during each 40-second interval. Perform the entire circuit twice for a 20-minute workout, or three times for a half-hour workout. Cool down with this 10-minute stretching routine.
Exercise | Time |
---|---|
Jump rope | 40 seconds, followed by 20-second rest |
Plank with bunny hop | 40 seconds, followed by 20-second rest |
Jump rope | 40 seconds, followed by 20-second rest |
Air squat | 40 seconds, followed by 20-second rest |
Jump rope | 40 seconds, followed by 20-second rest |
Burpee | 40 seconds, followed by 20-second rest |
Jump rope | 40 seconds, followed by 20-second rest |
Plank jack | 40 seconds, followed by 20-second rest |
Jump rope | 40 seconds, followed by 20-second rest |
V-Up | 40 seconds, followed by 20-second rest |
Directions for each exercise are ahead.