While diet plays a huge role in reducing belly fat, Jillian Michaels also recommends exercising to reduce overall body fat, which will help lean out your torso. "You'll want to condition the muscles under the fat so when you lose that top layer, your tummy is toned," Jillian explained. She said to focus on functional exercises that work multiple muscle groups like push-ups, mountain climbers, planks, and lunges to burn calories and condition your core.
"The techniques that have been shown to burn more calories leading to burning more stored fat would be HIIT training (high intensity interval training), resistance training, functional fitness (exercises that incorporate multiple muscle groups), and circuit training," Jillian said. "I like people to do a minimum of 20 minutes, preferably 30 (not including a three- to five-minute warm up and three- to five-minute cool down). If done properly, it will be enough to see good results — but only if the diet is also on point."
Here's a circuit workout designed by Jillian that comes from her new app, My Fitness by Jillian Michaels to help you reduce belly fat. "I combine HIIT intervals into my strength and conditioning circuits. There is no rest in between exercises, so heart rate stays up and time isn't wasted. The exercises incorporate multiple muscle groups and utilize bodyweight and free-weight resistance training to maximize efficiency and condition core muscles," Jillian explained. The actual workout should take about 21 minutes, so with your warm up and cool down, you'll be done in about half an hour.
Jillian Michaels Belly-Fat Workout
Equipment needed: 2 lightweight dumbbells
Directions: After warming up for five minutes, repeat each circuit twice before moving on to the next circuit. For the side plank pops and the elevator plank, do the left side the first time through, then do the right side on the second round. Ideally there's no rest between exercises, but take a couple minutes to rest between circuits if you need to. At the end, cool down with this five-minute stretching routine.
| Circuit 1 | |
|---|---|
| Exercises | Time |
| Forward Lunge with Dumbbell Chop | 25 seconds |
| Plank-up | 25 seconds |
| Side Plank Pop | 25 seconds |
| Lateral Burpee | 25 seconds |
| Hollowman Hold | 25 seconds |
| Circuit 2 | |
|---|---|
| Exercises | Time |
| Elevator Plank | 25 seconds |
| Bicycle Crunch | 25 seconds |
| Inch Worm | 25 seconds |
| Squirm Crunch | 25 seconds |
| Mountain Climber | 25 seconds |
| Circuit 3 | |
|---|---|
| Exercises | Time |
| High Knees | 25 seconds |
| Standing Alternating Toe Tap Crunch | 25 seconds |
| Standing Oblique Crunch (Left Leg) | 25 seconds |
| Standing Oblique Crunch (Right Leg) | 25 seconds |
| Alternating Cyclone Squat | 25 seconds |