7 Exercises to burn visceral fat

Weight loss goals are usually targeted at one thing – getting rid of accumulated or excess fat. The extra pounds you have gained over time are simply reflected in the volume of your belly fat. But the attention for today’s article is on a particular type of fat known as visceral fat. Visceral fat is the fat that is found around the internal organs domicile within the abdominal area, and it is sometimes referred to as “hidden fat” because it is not easily sighted. Subcutaneous fat is the other type (of fat) that exist around the abdominal region. Subcutaneous fat is available right underneath the skin, and it is from it that essential fat – required for the insulation of the body – emanates. The increase in the volume of subcutaneous fat may however lead to a rise in visceral fat.

Most of the time, every weight-loss objective is primarily aimed at losing subcutaneous fat but visceral fat – which is quite easier to burn than the former – should equally be given much attention. This is because, apart from the fact that it could somewhat contribute to weight gain, it can also bring about some adverse health complications. For instance, the risks of developing heart disease and type 2 diabetes are significantly higher with a raised volume of visceral fat. It is with this in mind that I find it needful to shed light on some exercises you can do to burn visceral fat. But you should bear in mind that there are other ways – like consuming low-carb diets, more soluble fiber, and so on – through which you can get rid of visceral apart from exercises. Now to the focus of the day!

Sled Push/Sprint

Sled push is generally great for working the muscles around different parts of the hamstrings, glutes, arms, etc. – and it will help you to burn a significant chunk of visceral fat. All you need to do is load each of the two posts on the sled with a weight of 45 pounds, and with arms on the posts, slide the sled through a 20 – 25-meters distance. You can rest for 2 – 3 minutes before pushing the sled back to the starting position. You should go for 3 – 5 repetitions thereafter even as you vary the position of your arms. For the best result; you should ensure that the inclination of your body to the sled posts is 45 degrees and see to it that your arms are straight.

Mountain Climber

You are literally not climbing a mountain per se; it’s just about assuming the position. This exercise will get a sizeable mass of visceral fat burned with various muscles worked. To do this exercise; you will have to first take a plank position – as though you’re about to do a push-up – while your hands are below your shoulders and the whole body is in a straight line from the head to the heels. In other words, your lower body and upper body should form a straight line. Once this is achieved, get your right foot lifted off the floor with your right knee moving towards the chest, and then place your right foot on the floor again. Thereafter, you should do the same routine for the left foot. You can repeat the exercise 10 – 15 times (for each leg).

Rower Intervals

Get on the rower, and warm up for 10 minutes. Thereafter, you should go on a high-intensity sprint of 20 seconds, mixing it up with 10 seconds of moderate sprint. You should let this row for 4 minutes on the stretch, and then take a break of 2 – 3 minutes. After this first round, you can do the routine two more times. Though rower intervals can shed a good mass of fat, you may need to do it along with other exercises like push-ups, sit-ups, and so on to attain a much more satisfying outcome.

Treadmill Sprints

A treadmill sprint is another perfect exercise to increase visceral fat burn rate. If you’re just getting on it; you can consider setting the incline at 0% with speed at 5 mph – this is after you must have warmed up for 5 minutes at a brisk walking pace. But in case you’re trying to step up the game; you can have the incline at 10% and hit the ground – treadmill, I mean – running at 7 mph for 60 seconds and then mix it up with a moderately paced run – 4.5 mph will do – for another 60 seconds. Thereafter, you can take a break for 3 – 5 minutes and go for 4 repetitions. You can always attempt to vary the speed and incline from time to time.

Walking Lunges

To do a walking lunge, you should take a long stride, with your right leg forward – ensuring that the leg is firmly positioned to allow your weight to drop down to your heels. Now, bend the right knee over in such a way that you take a lunge position. Then you should move your left leg forward with your right leg maintaining its initial position. After you’re done with this, you can alternate the legs – taking a long stride with your left leg this time around. The routine should be done for 12 – 15 repetitions for each leg. Walking lunges are especially good for promoting flexibility, and body posture – which should tell you why they are usually recommended for getting rid of belly fat.

Bodyweight Dips

Bodyweight dip is also quite straightforward, and there’s no need to visit the gym to have this done. You should just look for a space with a slightly raised surface where you can place your palm while assuming a sitting position on the lower level (surface). You should ensure that your chest is straightened while you keep the entire abdominal area tight. Once you’re in this position, you should move up with your arms and go down again. You can do 2 - 3 sets of this exercise – completing 10 – 15 repetitions per set.

References

Despres, J-P. (2007). Cardiovascular disease under the influence of excess visceral fat. Crit Pathw Cardiol. 6(2): 51 – 59.

Goss et al. (2013). Effects of diet macronutrient composition and fat distribution during weight maintenance and weight loss. Obesity (Silver Spring Md.) 21(6): 1139 – 1142.

Hairston et al. (2012). Lifestyle factors and 5-year abdominal fat accumulation in a minority cohort: The IRAS family study. Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.) 20(2): 421 – 427.

Jung et al. (2016). Visceral fat mass has stronger association with diabetes and prediabetes than other anthropometric obesity indicators among Korean adults. Yonsei Med J 57(3): 674 – 680.

Sasakabe et al. (2015). Association of decrease in carbohydrate intake with reduction in abdominal fat during 3-month moderate low-carbohydrate diet among non-obese Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes. Metabolism: Clinical and Experimental 64(5): 618 – 625.