Cardio has been shown to specifically reduce visceral fat, meaning belly fat. While it's clear weight training burns fat better than cardio, cardio training may target the waistline more specifically than lifting weights. That's a huge benefit, as many people are actively seeking to cut inches around the midsection.
Whether you are trying to put on weight or lose fat, always perform cardio after workout. Your first priority should be strength training.
HIIT or high-intensity interval training is currently the most popular cardio exercise to reduce belly fat. They are well-rounded workouts including back workouts and have the potential to burn tones of calories and fat. It contains body-weight movements paired with weighted movement and cardio elements.
The key to losing belly fat is incorporating the right activity type, and strength training is one of the best ways to do it. When you lift weights, especially focusing on compound movements like Squats, Deadlifts, and Presses, you're engaging multiple muscle groups and boosting your metabolism.
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends that adults should accumulate at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity 5 days per week OR engage in 20-minutes of vigorous activity 3 days per week.
HIIT is among the best cardio for fat loss because it provides a well-rounded workout while burning a ton of fat and calories. “HIIT workouts can vary greatly, from 500 calories per hour to 1500-plus calories per hour for a 180-lb man.
What is the fastest way to lose belly fat in a week? Doing cardio and abdominal exercises every day, coupled with a healthy diet (that is low in calories, fats, and sugars) is an efficient strategy for losing belly fat quickly.
The combination of your pumped up muscles, dehydration and overworked muscles might make you feel well toned then, a few hours later, you appear flabbier despite the exercise you know should be making you lean. Your muscles have pumped up but your excess body fat has remained.
And while it's true that doing steady state cardio probably will help with weight loss, experts say it's totally unnecessary if your main goal is fat loss. In fact, you can lose weight just by lifting weights — no cardio necessary. (Yes, really. Just peep these weight lifting body transformations.)
Doing aerobic exercise while eating a healthy diet is the best way to lose belly fat and overall body fat. This will help to create a calorie deficit (where you use more calories than you consume), which promotes fat loss over time.
A research study states that regular walking helps reduce belly fat, which improves the body's response to insulin. Walking for at least 30 minutes every day allows you to prevent weight gain. It can also strengthen the muscles in your legs and tone your legs.
Doing a cardio workout after weight training is ideal if you want to lose fat and get stronger.
Is Just Walking Enough Cardio? The fitness experts we spoke to agree: Yes, walking can totally “count” as your cardio workout if you format your walking workout to be challenging enough for your body. To maintain a healthy fitness level, try to walk at least three days a week.
If you're trying to lose weight, you should aim for doing cardio at least five days per week for a total of at least 250 minutes (4 hours, 10 minutes) each week. Contrary to what many believe, you can do aerobic exercise seven days per week. If this goal seems daunting for you, start slow.
If you're asking yourself, “Why am I gaining weight when I barely eat,” several factors may be at play. Your body may be holding onto fat stores if your eating habits are inconsistent or restricted. Or, your weight gain may be the effect of a sedentary lifestyle, medical condition, or long-term stress.
Aerobic or cardio exercise
To burn off visceral fat, your first step is to include at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise or cardio into your daily routine. Studies show that aerobic exercises for belly fat help reduce belly fat and liver fat.
That plan is called the 30-30-30 rule. It's a simple but catchy idea that encourages you to eat 30 grams of protein within 30 minutes of waking up and then get 30 minutes of low-intensity exercise. The 30-30-30 rule now has millions of followers on TikTok.
If you are training for a 5K or a marathon, you will want to do cardiovascular training first for maximum performance. If you want to increase your muscle strength, do strength training first when your muscles are not fatigued from cardio.