The best exercises to lose belly fat are the best exercises to burn calories. Burn more calories via exercise and take in fewer calories from eating and you’ll get in a calorie deficit that will shed fat from everywhere, including your midsection. With that in mind, we asked A.I. to rank the top best exercises to lose belly fat. We then analyzed the results.
FIRST, WHAT ABOUT SPOT REDUCTION?
You’ve probably heard, again and again, that you can’t spot reduce. So, for example, doing set after set of high-rep ab exercises is not going to streamline your midsection specifically. Studies show this. However, there is a study that indicates doing resistance exercise just before endurance exercise can lead to some spot reduction.
But that study involved doing leg presses for one set of around 1000 reps! We’re dubious that there’s a truly practical way to spot reduce. If you want to combine ab exercises with cardio exercises, or do the former before the latter, have at it. It may have some minimal positive effect. But we’re going to focus foremost on calorie burning from exercise, and you should to.
BEST EXERCISES FOR FAT LOSS
Apparently A.I. is a fan of spot reduction, because when we first asked the artificial intelligence platform ChatGPT for the 10 best exercises to lost belly fat, it gave us six ab exercises (planks, Russian twists, bicycle crunches, leg raises, flutter kicks, reverse crunches) as well as four calorie-burners: burpees, mountain climbers, HIIT, and “cardiovascular exercise” (the latter including running, swimming, cycling, and brisk walking).
Those are all perfectly good exercises, but we wanted to zero in on calorie-burners. We then asked for the best exercises for fat loss ranked, and it came up with the following very good list. All of the following text with a green background was written by A.I. Everything else in this article was written by The Barbell Team.
Here’s a ranking of exercises for fat loss, taking into account their effectiveness, calorie-burning potential, and overall impact on promoting fat loss:
1. HIGH-INTENSITY TRAINING (HIIT)
HIIT tops the list due to its ability to maximize calorie burn in a short amount of time by alternating between periods of high-intensity exercise and rest or low-intensity recovery.
We love this. As we’ve discussed, HIIT is both more effective and more time-efficient than continuous cardio. A review of 41 different HIIT studies concluded: “Interval training provided 28.5% greater reductions in total absolute fat mass than [continuous cardio].” Another review of studies found the metabolic rates of those who performed HIIT were elevated greater and that elevation lasted longer than those who did cardio at a steady pace. Research indicates a typical person can burn 500 calories in a 30-minute HIIT session.
2. RUNNING/JOGGING
Running or jogging at a moderate to high intensity can burn a significant number of calories and promote fat loss, especially when done consistently over time.
There are many factors involved, including the speed at which you’re moving and the terrain, but, as a general rule, you burn about 100 calories per mile whether jogging outside or on a treadmill.
3. CYCLING
Whether outdoor cycling or stationary biking, this activity provides an effective cardiovascular workout that can help burn calories and reduce body fat.
Again, there are many factors here, but as a general rule you burn about 300 calories per hour at a moderate pace (such as when commuting), 600 calories per hour at a faster, sweat-inducing pace, and over 1000 calories per hour if you go all out. This applies to a bicycle ride outside as well as a stationary bike session inside. So, 15 all-out minutes on a stationary bike burns about 250 calories.
4. SWIMMING
Swimming is a full-body workout that engages multiple muscle groups while providing low-impact cardiovascular exercise, making it an excellent option for fat loss.
More rough estimates with many factors affecting the actual total: You burn 225 calories per hour treading water, 525 calories per hour propelling yourself at a medium speed, and 900 calories per hour swimming via the butterfly (a very taxing stroke). So, for the average adult, 20 minutes of vigorous swimming burns about 300 calories.
5. CIRCUIT TRAINING
Circuit training involves performing a series of exercises targeting different muscle groups with minimal rest in between, providing both strength and cardiovascular benefits for fat loss.
We’re fans of circuit training as a way of combining compound, weight-training exercises with aerobic exercises like burpees, battle ropes, and box jumps into an effective, abbreviated strength/cardio workout. And this could be a time to test the spot reduction hypothesis mentioned above and mix ab exercises and cardio exercises into circuits. Generally, you burn about 300 calories every half-hour of circuit training.
6. ROWING
Rowing is a total-body workout that engages muscles in the upper body, core, and lower body, making it a highly effective exercise for burning calories and promoting fat loss.
Another rough estimate: Rowing burns about 420 calories every 30 minutes, whether done in a boat or on a rowing machine.
7. JUMPING ROPE
Jumping rope is a high-intensity cardiovascular exercise that can be done virtually anywhere, making it a convenient option for burning calories and shedding fat.
Jumping rope is an excellent way to burn calories. It depends on your bodyweight, but generally you torch 500-600 calories every 30 minutes.
8. STRENGTH TRAINING (Compound Exercises)
Compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, and bench presses engage multiple muscle groups simultaneously, increasing calorie burn and promoting muscle growth, which can aid in fat loss.
Of course, we love strength training at The Barbell, but we wouldn’t rank it in our fat loss exercise top 10. A typical weight-training workout with adequate rest between sets will burn about 200 calories per hour. (By comparison, you’ll burn about 50 calories per hour just lying on the couch.) Unless you’re doing something like circuits or high-rep, no-rest barrages—which isn’t actually focused on gaining strength—weight-training is not aerobic.
9. GROUP FITNESS CLASSES (e.g., Zumba, Kickboxing)
Group fitness classes provide structured workouts led by instructors, offering a fun and motivating environment to burn calories and lose fat.
Calorie burning will depend a lot on the type of class and the intensity. But, as an example, a typical person will burn about 400 calories in a 30-minute kickboxing class.
10. WALKING
While walking may not burn as many calories as some of the higher-intensity exercises listed above, it is still an accessible and effective form of low-impact cardiovascular exercise that can contribute to fat loss, especially when done consistently and for longer durations.
There’s a reason this one is #10 (though we’d still rank it higher than weight-training). Power-walking aside, walking lacks the intensity necessary to really torch calories. A 140-pound person walking three-miles-per hour burns about four calories per minute: 112 every 30 minutes. And a 200-pound person burns about five calories per minute: 159 every 30 minutes. Not great, but walking is an endurance exercise. Walk for over an hour and you’ll do okay. Walking is best used as a cardio-burner when it’s alternated with intervals of running, which brings us back to HIIT, #1 on this list.
Remember that the effectiveness of each exercise can vary depending on factors such as intensity, duration, individual fitness level, and adherence to a balanced diet and overall healthy lifestyle. Incorporating a variety of exercises into your routine and staying consistent with your workouts are key factors in achieving sustainable fat loss results.
BETTER RANKING OF FAT LOSS EXERCISES
If we ranked the preceding 10 exercises by a rough estimate of how many calories each burn in 30 minutes, the list would look like this. (Few of us will jump rope for 30 minutes straight, so we agree with A.I.’s ranking of HIIT as #1 overall.)
1. Jumping Rope (550)
2. HIIT (500)
3. Rowing (420)
4. Group Fitness (kickboxing) (400)
5. Circuit Training (300)
5. Cycling (300)
5. Jogging (300)
5. Swimming (300)
9. Walking (135)
10. Strength Training (100)
BEST EXERCISES TO LOSE BELLY FAT: CONCLUSION
The best exercises to lose belly fat are the best exercises to lose fat, period. Once A.I. got on this track, it provided a very good list (with the exception of strength training). To bring in your abs or just slim your waistline, focus first on diet (reduced calories, avoiding most simple carbs and saturated fat), and, secondly, on cardio exercises that burn calories. Slowly but surely, belly fat will melt away.
FURTHER READING
Circuit Training: Ultimate Guide
