Exercises for Burning Belly Fat and Toning Abs

A lean, toned waist is a hallmark of fitness, dedication, and hard work. It is glamorized in print, video, and social media and can be achieved by virtually anyone willing to train hard and eat right.

Still, many individuals get caught up in the mental gymnastics of what’s the best diet for weight loss or what’s the best ab exercises for a six-pack?

The good news is there are many ways to build a diet and exercise program to burn belly fat and chisel your core.

What ultimately matters is finding the right diet and exercise program for you.

Keto can work for weight loss.

Carnivore can work for weight loss.

Higher carb diets like the Mediterranean diet or IIFYM can also work for weight loss. 

What all dieters share in common when it comes to weight loss is adherence. 

You find a particular style of eating and a particular way of training that motivates you to show up and do the work every day, and you'll get the results you want! 

That said, some exercises are better than others regarding specific training in a given area of the body. 

Today, we highlight the exercises that work the best for a small waist (i.e., those that target the core muscles).

Learn how to get a small waist with these effective exercises.

What Exercises Are Best for Reducing Your Waist?

Hip Bridge with Abduction

Hip bridges aren't just an excellent exercise for toning and tightening your midsection; they're also great for strengthening the glutes, hamstrings, and lower back!

To perform the exercise:

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet hip-width on the floor.
• Loop an exercise band around your legs, just above your knees.
• Keeping the tension on the band throughout the movement, squeeze your glutes and drive your hips up until your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.
• Hold for 3 seconds, then slowly lower to the starting position
• Repeat for the desired number of reps

Heel Touches

Heel touches are a fantastic bodyweight core exercise that trains your entire midsection, including the upper and lower abs, obliques, the rectus abdominis (the six-pack muscles), and the transverse abdominis. You’ll also improve stability in your lower back and the flexibility in your hip flexors.

To perform the exercise:

• Begin by lying face-up on an exercise mat.
• Keep your back flat and bend your knees to a 90-degree angle with your feet firmly planted on the floor.
• Engage your core as you bend to reach your right hand toward your right ankle.
• Return to the starting position
• Now, reach your left hand toward your left ankle.
• Continue alternating sides until the desired number of reps is complete.

Oblique V-Ups

The obliques are an important yet oft-forgotten set of core muscles. But, strengthening them is just as crucial for toning your midsection and maintaining overall health, fitness, and daily function.

The obliques extend from your hip bone to your sternum on the side of your core and help you twist and crunch.

To perform the exercise:

• Lie on your right side with your legs angled 30 degrees from your hips.
• Rest your right arm on the floor and put your right hand behind your head (a). Lift your straight legs off the floor, bringing your torso toward your legs (b). Slowly return to start. That's one rep. Do 15 to 25 reps on each side.

Hanging Leg Raises

Simply put, hanging leg raises are one of the best ab exercises you can do to strengthen and tone your abs & core…it's also one of the most challenging bodyweight ab exercises.

The exercise is also pretty easy to perform incorrectly as people often use the wrong muscles or rely on momentum/gravity to help with the movement.

However, when appropriately performed, hanging leg raises provide an incredible stretch on the abs and place great tension, which behooves fat loss and muscle gain!

To perform the exercise:

• Grab a pull-up bar with an overhand (pronated) grip
• Engage your core and tighten your glutes to prevent your body from swinging.
• Your body should be in a straight vertical line -- shoulders over hips, neutral spine, etc. (Note: Your knees can be bent or straight depending on your level of strength and the height of the pull-up bar)
• Contract your abs to bring your legs close to your ribcage while your knees move toward your chest.
• Pause for a second at the top of the movement.
• Slowly allow your pelvis to untuck, controlling the descent with your abs and not letting your legs fall.
• Lower to the starting position while keeping tension in the abs
• Repeat for the desired number of reps

Proper Nutrition is ESSENTIAL

One thing that cannot be stressed heavily enough is your diet.

You can do all the crunches, v-ups, hanging leg raises, etc., that you want, but if your diet isn't set up to help you lose belly fat, you won't get the results you want.

In other words, getting a lean, toned midsection is as much about diet (or more!) as it is about training.

So, if you're serious about losing body fat and toning up, ensure you eat accordingly.

Focus on high-quality foods that are minimally processed -- lean proteins, healthy fats, fruits, veggies, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds.

These foods keep you feeling full, are higher in micronutrients, and lower in calories than processed foods that you’ll find sold as “weight loss” foods.

All of this is to say that when it comes to burning belly fat, focus first on your diet and then on your training. Once those two pillars of weight loss are in check, you can consider…

Supplements to Help Slim Your Waist

Utilizing the right supplements, with the right pillars of weight loss already in place, can enhance your consistency, progress, and (ultimately) results.

SteelFit® offers a variety of premium-quality supplements to help your quest to lose weight and get the lean, toned midsection you want.

We offer both stimulant and non-stimulant fat-burning supplements and toning lotions so that you can support your diet and nutrition programs all day long, including:

• Abs of Steel: Our best-selling ab cream for the maximum definition to help make your midsection "pop."
• Shredded Steel: Our high-potency thermogenic weight loss supplement is scientifically formulated to help you shed unwanted body
• Waist Trimmer: Leading ab trainer that promotes increased heat and sweat to the midsection during your workouts for greater calorie burning

As an honorable mention, we'll suggest protein powder, such as Steel Whey or Steel Vegan.

This is because consuming enough protein helps keep you feeling full, so you're less likely to snack between meals and overeat throughout the day. Furthermore, protein is the most thermogenic macronutrient, meaning your body has to burn more calories digesting protein than carbohydrates or fat.

This is why higher protein diets are consistently found to help individuals lose weight and keep the weight off once they've achieved the desired results.

Takeaway

Losing belly fat and toning your midsection involves both diet and exercise. It’s not one or the other.

Use the tips and exercises outlined in the article to shed unwanted body fat, tighten your core, and achieve the body you’ve always wanted.

And, if you’re looking for that added boost to your workouts, recovery, and results, don’t forget to check out our line of expert-formulated supplements to help optimize and enhance your performance and progress!