When it comes to losing fat, the two most common issues include not making progress fast enough or not making progress at all. Well, let’s set the record straight: If you want to lose weight at a healthy rate, a solid goal is to drop one pound (0.45kg) per week. Anything more is probably too fast to maintain strength and allow your body to recover; anything less means you probably have room for improvement in your routine. That’s where this eight-week workout for belly fat comes into play.
The below program is a fantastic way to speed up fat loss and help you transform your body safely, smartly, and effectively. Read on to see how it can deliver great results.
How this eight-week workout for belly fat works:
Take each week’s workout and add it to your existing exercise routine. (Note: This shouldn’t replace your training program. After all, the idea is to speed up your fat loss.) Whatever you’re doing, keep doing it—exercising a few times a week, eating a clean and healthy diet, etc. Then, once a week, add the workout for the week to get some extra progress.
Why it’s effective:
To speed up belly fat loss, you need to increase the amount of calories you burn every week. So if your fat loss has plateaued (or stopped), an extra workout is a proven way to help you blast away the belly.
In addition, these workouts focus on full-body movements to target lots of muscles and boost your calorie burn and metabolism. They also give you a variety of tools, movements, and protocols so you can challenge your body in different ways and, more importantly, have fun. After all, sometimes you need to shake things up, use different equipment (the ones you’ve only seen but never touched), master new skills, and challenge your body and mind.
The program:
Use a weight or resistance that’s quite heavy but, more importantly, allows you to use the correct technique from the first rep to the last. If your form deteriorates during the workout, the weight you chose is too heavy. Drop by 20% and try again. (I’d rather you start light and do this program twice than start too heavy and get hurt after week one.)
After eight weeks, you will see an incredible difference. Now, let’s get into the ultimate eight-week workout for belly fat.
Week 1
A1) Jump Squats, Sets: 4, Reps: 8
Stand shoulder-width apart with your feet slightly turned out. Place your hands behind your head. Squat down by sitting back and spreading your knees apart. Keep your weight on your heels. Once you descend below parallel, explode up and jump as high as you can.
A2) Waiters Walks, Sets: 4, Reps: 15 yards
Grab a heavy dumbbell in one hand and hold it overhead. Keep your shoulders down and back, and walk while keeping your hips and shoulders level. Keep your wrists as straight as you can.
B1) Plyo Pushups, Sets: 4, Reps: 8
Get in a pushup position with your hands about shoulder-width apart. Keep your lower back flat, and don’t let your hips sag. Lower yourself and keep your elbows close to your body as you descend. From the bottom, explosively push yourself so your arms get off the ground.
B2) Single-Arm Farmers Carry, Sets: 4, Reps: 20 yards
Grab a heavy dumbbell in one hand, keep your chest up and shoulder blades squeezed, and walk. Repeat on the other side.
Week 2
A1) Alternating Split Squat Jumps, Sets: 4, Reps: 8 each
Start in a split stance. Squat down and explode into the air, switching legs, and landing in the opposite stance. Alternate quickly and jump as high as you can each time.
A2) Waiters Walks, Sets: 4, Reps: 30 yards
Grab a heavy dumbbell in one hand and hold it overhead. Keep your shoulders down and back, and walk while keeping your hips and shoulders level. Keep your wrists as straight as you can.
B1) Plyo Pushups, Sets: 4, Reps: 10
Get in a pushup position with your hands about shoulder-width apart. Keep your lower back flat, and don’t let your hips sag. Lower yourself and keep your elbows close to your body as you descend. From the bottom, explosively push yourself so your arms get off the ground.
B2) Single-Arm Farmers Carry, Sets: 4, Reps: 30 yards
Grab a heavy dumbbell in one hand, keep your chest up and shoulder blades squeezed, and walk. Repeat on the other side.
Week 3
A1) Kettlebell Swings, Sets: 4, Reps: 10
Start in a deadlift position with the kettlebell a few feet in front of you. Then, hike the kettlebell back between your legs like a center in football and explosively drive your hips forward. Imagine propelling the kettlebell to a target in front of you. Keep your arms relaxed.
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B1) Kettlebell Goblet Squats, Sets: 4, Reps: 8
Grab the handle in both hands and hold it by your chest with your elbows underneath. Stand shoulder-width apart with your toes slightly out. Start the movement by sitting backward and spreading your knees apart. Descend below parallel while keeping your lower back flat. At the bottom, drive through your heels and keep your knees apart.
B2) Bear Crawl, Sets: 4, Reps: 20 yards
Get on all fours with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips; keep your knees an inch above the ground. Crawl forward by taking a small step with your right arm and left leg at the same time and alternate. Keep your hips low and your head up.
Week 4
Alternate between these two exercises and do 10 reps, then nine, then eight, then seven… down to one rep each while taking as little rest as you can between exercises. Repeat three times.
A1) Kettlebell Swings
Start in a deadlift position with the kettlebell a few feet in front of you. Then, hike the kettlebell back between your legs like a center in football and explosively drive your hips forward. Imagine propelling the kettlebell to a target in front of you. Keep your arms relaxed.
B1) Kettlebell Goblet Squats
Grab the handle in both hands and hold it by your chest with your elbows underneath. Stand shoulder-width apart with your toes slightly out. Start the movement by sitting backward and spreading your knees apart. Descend below parallel while keeping your lower back flat. At the bottom, drive through your heels and keep your knees apart.
Week 5
This is a metabolic circuit with timed sets. Do as many reps as possible for 20 seconds and take a 40-second break before going to the next exercise. Then, once you finish the circuit, rest for two minutes before repeating the circuit. Do three to four rounds.
A1) Goblet Squats
Grab the end of one dumbbell in both hands and hold it by your chest with your elbows underneath. Stand shoulder-width apart with your toes slightly out. Start the movement by sitting backward and spreading your knees apart. Descend below parallel while keeping your lower back flat. At the bottom, drive through your heels and keep your knees apart.
A2) Pushups
Get in a pushup position with your hands about shoulder-width apart. Keep your lower back flat, and don’t let your hips sag. Lower yourself and keep your elbows close to your body as you descend.
A3) Inverted Rows
Set a barbell on a power rack or Smith Machine and, from underneath, pull yourself up and touch your chest to the bar. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and keep your body straight like a plank.
A4) Alternating Split Squat Jumps
Start in a split stance. Squat down and explode into the air, switching legs, and landing in the opposite stance. Alternate quickly and jump as high as you can each time.
A5) Planks
Get into a plank position, resting on your forearms and keeping your body straight. Push your forearms into the ground to round your upper back and curl your hips in to keep your lower back flat.
Week 6
This is a metabolic circuit with timed sets: Do as many reps as possible for 30 seconds and take a 30-second break before jumping into your next exercise. Once you finish the circuit, rest for two minutes before repeating it. Do three to four rounds.
A1) Goblet Squats
Grab the end of one dumbbell in both hands and hold it by your chest with your elbows underneath. Stand shoulder-width apart with your toes slightly out. Start the movement by sitting backward and spreading your knees apart. Descend below parallel while keeping your lower back flat. At the bottom, drive through your heels and keep your knees apart.
A2) Pushups
Get in a pushup position with your hands about shoulder-width apart. Keep your lower back flat, and don’t let your hips sag. Lower yourself and keep your elbows close to your body as you descend.
A3) Inverted Rows
Set a barbell on a power rack or Smith Machine and, from underneath, pull yourself up and touch your chest to the bar. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and keep your body straight like a plank.
A4) Alternating Split Squat Jumps
Start in a split stance. Squat down and explode into the air, switching legs and landing in the opposite stance. Alternate quickly and jump as high as you can each time.
A5) Planks
Get into a plank position, resting on your forearms and keeping your body straight. Push your forearms into the ground to round your upper back and curl your hips in to keep your lower back flat.
Week 7
This is a dumbbell complex: Perform the exercises without resting or lowering the weight. For best results, use a weight that you can handle for your weakest exercise (usually the overhead press). Then, for the final set of pushups, set the dumbbells aside and do them on the floor. Rest for two minutes and repeat the complex three to four times.
Romanian Deadlifts, Reps: 6
Start with your feet hip-width apart while holding a barbell in your hands at the front of your hips. Push your hips backward, keep your back neutral, and descend until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings. Drive through your heels and return to the start position.
Bent-over Rows, Reps: 6
With a dumbbell in each hand, bend your knees slightly and bend at your hips until your torso is almost parallel to the ground. Keep your lower back flat, squeeze your shoulder blades together, and row.
Reverse Lunges, Reps: 6 on each side
Take a long step back—long enough so that your knees make two 90-degree angles at the bottom—and pull yourself back up with your forward leg. Start with dumbbells and advance to a barbell in either the back squat or front squat position.
Overhead Press, Reps: 6
Grab two dumbbells and hold them by your shoulders. Keep your core tight and glutes squeezed, and push the dumbbells directly overhead. At the top, your biceps should be next to your ears. Don’t lean back or arch your lower back.
Plyo Pushups, Reps: 6
Get in a pushup position with your hands about shoulder-width apart. Keep your lower back flat, and don’t let your hips sag. Lower yourself and keep your elbows close to your body as you descend. From the bottom, explosively push yourself so your arms get off the ground.
Week 8
Perform the exercises without resting or lowering the weight. For best results, use a weight that you can handle for your weakest exercise (usually the overhead press). Then, for the final set of pushups, set the dumbbells aside and do them on the floor. Rest for 2 minutes and repeat the complex three to four times.
Romanian Deadlifts, Reps: 8
Start with your feet hip-width apart while holding a barbell in your hands at the front of your hips. Push your hips backward, keep your back neutral, and descend until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings. Drive through your heels and return to the start position.
Bent-over Rows, Reps: 8
With a dumbbell in each hand, bend your knees slightly and bend at your hips until your torso is almost parallel to the ground. Keep your lower back flat, squeeze your shoulder blades together, and row.
Reverse Lunges, Reps: 8 on each side
Take a long step back—long enough so that your knees make two 90-degree angles at the bottom—and pull yourself back up with your forward leg. Start with dumbbells and advance to a barbell in either the back squat or front squat position.
Overhead Presses, Reps: 8
Grab two dumbbells and hold them by your shoulders. Keep your core tight and glutes squeezed, and push the dumbbells directly overhead. At the top, your biceps should be next to your ears. Don’t lean back or arch your lower back.
Plyo Pushups, Reps: 8
Get in a pushup position with your hands about shoulder-width apart. Keep your lower back flat, and don’t let your hips sag. Lower yourself and keep your elbows close to your body as you descend. From the bottom, explosively push yourself so your arms get off the ground.
