Will Strength Training Burn Belly Fat?

Belly fat is annoying. And, as you get older, getting rid of this type of fat becomes more difficult. The reason for this is that muscle mass decreases when you age while the fat increases. So, will strength training burn belly fat?

Continue reading to know more.

Will Strength Training Burn Belly Fat?

Strength training is just one of the exercises you can do to burn belly fat. Mixing weight and strength training exercises can be a vital component of burning off fats from the waistline.

When you’re at rest, your muscles burn off more calories than fat. Thus, it’s vital to have more muscle tone to help you burn off more fat.

Resistance training can increase lean weight while it helps in lowering your fat, especially in the abdominal area. It can also boost your metabolism.

When it comes to strength training, you can try bicep curls, squats, lunges, and kick-backs. You can try these resistance band exercises:

• Front squat
• Leg extension
• Prone leg curl
• Glute bridge
• Clamshell

If you wish to know how to do these resistant training exercises, please check out Greatist.

Training using resistance bands is the perfect way to replace bulky equipment. The force to stretch the bands can work your muscles. It’s like lifting weights or machines.

In this study, researchers found that these bands provide strength. Although they don’t look like they can do a lot to your muscles, they are an effective way to strengthen them.

Bands can put more tension on your muscles.

Furthermore, resistance bands are good for weight loss. And when you lose weight, you are melting fat away, including the fat in your waistline.

This study shows that resistance band training lowers body fat in overweight people better than lifting free weights.

Related: Are punching bags good exercise?

What Exercise Burns the Most Belly Fat? 

It’s important to remember that to lose belly fat, you need to lose weight. And to lose weight, means you have to limit your calorie intake.

To boost your body’s fat-burning ability, you should choose to exercise. As mentioned, various exercises can help in burning belly fat.

But no one exercise can melt it. Rather, you need to incorporate cardio and strength training to get the maximum benefits.

One of the exercises you can try is crunching.

It’s a top fat-burning exercise that’s easy to do. Crunches help build abs, as well. But you need to melt the belly fat first.

In addition to crunching, you should also brisk walk for 30 minutes. It’s a simple exercise that helps you reduce fat while you get your fresh air.

It offers a lot of benefits to your metabolism and heart rate because it’s an aerobic exercise. Then, if you get bored of walking, you can try running for 30 minutes.

Cycling, too, is a great exercise to burn belly fat. It helps your heart rate up. Thus, start commenting with your bike, if you are going to nearby places.

Related: What to bring to your next bike packing trip?

When you cycle regularly, it can be an effective way to cut down your belly fat.

What Weight Training Should I Do to Lose Belly Fat? 

The general rule is to do all physical activity to ensure that you burn more calories and achieve a calorie deficit. By following this rule, you can lose excess fat from your body, including your belly.

In that case, you should not focus on weight training alone. Instead, you need to incorporate other exercises to help you further in your quest to lose belly fat.

When it comes to weight lifting exercises for your belly fat, the key here is intensity. To lose more fat from the midsection, you need to mix high-intensity training with moderate cardio activity.

Again, the best strength-training exercises will include:

• Squats
• Leg presses
• Lunges
• Bench presses
• Power lifts

Any physical activity can help you lose belly fat. However, the intensity of those activities matters a lot. It’s also vital to pair aerobic exercise and resistance training. Then, make sure to follow an effective weight loss diet.

You should always get moving. Don’t allow yourself to sit for a few hours. Instead, get into the habit of sitting for 20 minutes and getting up for 5 minutes.

You can walk around or do some brisk walking. It’s also ideal to do some resistance training while on a break.

Related: Will boxing make you lose weight?

Is Cardio or Weights Better for Losing Belly Fat? 

Losing belly fat can be damn difficult if you are in your 50s. But there are various ways to help you lose it no matter what your age.

The trick here is to get up and move more. Now, if you need to choose between cardio and weight training for fat loss, it’s clear that weight lifting is superior to cardio.

The reason for this is that muscles are calorie factors. The more muscles you have the more calories you can burn at rest. Thus, when you sleep at your desk, for instance, the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn.

The burned calories can easily add up.

Furthermore, the body expends calories to recover after erecting. And weight training needs more calories than cardio. Thus, after working out, you burn more calories after strength training than when you do cardio.

Weight lifting can help you burn more calories. Heavier lifts need more calories. If you deadlift 500 pounds, it means expending more energy. The stronger you get, the more weight you need to throw, and the more calories you burn.

As you get stronger with weight training, your burn more calories.

However, it’s not ideal to focus on weight or strength training. You need to incorporate these two workouts together to get the best benefits.

You should alternate them. For instance, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, you do weight training. Then, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, you do cardio training. Don’t work out on Sunday though. It’s your rest day and you need rest.

Or you can do weight lifting three times a week and cardio two days a week. Then, make sure that you focus on your nutrition. It’s also vital when it comes to losing weight.

Summary 

Will strength training burn belly fat? Yes, it will. But you have to mix cardio and strength training. Also, you have to follow a weight-loss diet to achieve a calorie deficit.

If you wish to start your strength training, try these resistance bands.