This Is How Often You Should Strength-Train and Do Cardio a Week If You Want to Lose Belly Fat

"First, I hate to break it to you, but you can't spot reduce," Tiffany said. "The idea is awesome, but it doesn't work that way." If you think not being able to target a specific area sucks, it doesn't. According to Tiffany, "All exercise has a global effect." This means that you can build lean muscle and reduce fat all over. That sounds way better than hyper-focusing on one specific area of your body to us!

We've spoken to a lot of experts about weightlifting to lose fat, and they all recommend doing compound exercises like squats and deadlifts. Compound exercises are great because they work multiple groups of muscle and require more energy to perform, which means you'll be burning more calories and fat every time you do them.

Cardio is also important to the fat-burning equation, and it will even help boost your metabolism. Some forms of cardio we recommend are doing steady-state runs, Spinning, swimming, and sprinting.

Now that we've cleared up the spot-reduction misconception, it's time to help you get started in the gym, at home, or wherever you love to train. There's a lot of different ways to set up your weekly training program, and we definitely recommend following whatever works best with your lifestyle. Tiffany seconds that statement and said, "The best schedule is one that works in your daily routine."

If you're someone who does better with structure, Tiffany said to aim for two to three days of strength training, two to three days of cardio, and one rest day per week. If you're limited on time, "try sprinkling cardio throughout your strength session," she said.

An example of this would be doing single-leg deadlifts followed by 60 seconds of jumping rope or rowing for 300 meters. If training five to six days a week is too much, initially, Tiffany said to set a goal that works for you. This could be two days, three days — something you know you can stick to.

You've probably heard this countless times before but you can't outwork a bad diet. If you're under the impression that you have to cut out entire macronutrients like carbohydrates, you don't. According to Tiffany, you don't have to make any drastic changes at all.

"Don't avoid anything," Tiffany said. "Just eat a little less of the foods you think you shouldn't." This includes things like candy and cake, she explained. Conversely, eat more foods like vegetables, lean proteins, and fruit. "Tiny changes make a huge difference and they're usually sustainable."

Some experts recommend eating in a calorie deficit to lose fat, but Tiffany said you can either increase your activity or decrease your caloric intake to promote fat loss. If you aren't into calculating your daily caloric intake, simply increasing your activity level is enough. "If you do both, in moderation, you get a better bang for your buck," she said.

You're 95 percent complete with the fat-loss game plan, and we're sure you're wondering exactly how long it'll take to lower your body fat percentage. According to Tiffany, "It takes about six to eight weeks to see results when starting any full-body program." Definitely shorter than we expected!

Aside from body composition changes, you'll also see that your cardiovascular system has adapted in about two weeks, Tiffany said. If you're curious about how to track this, Tiffany said to check your resting heart rate first thing in the morning, wait two weeks, and then check it again. "The number should be a little lower, which means your heart (a muscle) has gotten stronger."

If you're ready to start lowering your body fat percentage but need some workout inspiration, we recommend following this four-week workout plan. Don't forget that nutrition is also a key component to losing body fat! If you aren't sure what to eat, try this two-week clean-eating plan.