Say Farewell to Upper Belly Fat With These 5 Workouts

Struggling with stubborn belly fat despite your best efforts? You're not alone.

While diet and exercise are important parts of the fat-burning and weight-loss processes, there are some essential caveats and guidelines to know about.

Let's examine what really works to reduce upper abdominal fat, how to do it sustainably and effectively, and alternative options beyond lifestyle adjustments.

Understanding Fat Loss: The Science Behind the Strategy

First, let's dispel a common misconception: you can't spot-reduce fat through targeted exercises.

In other words, you cannot reduce upper belly fat directly by performing any stomach-specific workouts. Doing so will help develop your abdominal muscles but won't do much to help you lose fat.

When you create the right conditions, fat loss occurs throughout your entire body. These include following a consistent workout routine incoportating cardio and strength training, eating a well-balanced and calorie-conscious diet, and following other best health practices.

It's also essential to distinguish visceral fat from subcutaneous fat. Visceral fat surrounds the abdominal organs and is located deeper in the body. Subcutaneous fat can be found anywhere throughout the body and is more superficial than visceral.

Because subcutaneous fat is less deep, it tends to be more noticeable and can affect your appearance. However, studies show that visceral fat actually poses a risk of serious health problems. For those exploring how to get rid of upper belly fat, a solid plan will help address both kinds of fat.

Keep reading to learn about the different strategies to successfully reduce belly fat.

The Foundation: A Caloric Deficit

Forget the endless parade of trendy diets.

Whether you choose to adopt a vegan, carnivore, keto, pescatarian, or low-carb diet, one principle reigns supreme: calories in and calories out.

To lose belly fat, you need to consume fewer calories than your body burns. A slight deficit of 300 to 500 calories per day typically results in about one pound of fat loss per week. Too fast of a weight-loss pace can cause health risks, compromise muscle mass, and prevent long-term success.

It is also important to note that while the total amount of calories is most important, the quality of food consumed is also key. Avoid processed foods, trans fats, simple cars, refined sugars, and calorie-dense foods.

Instead, aim to eat one ounce of lean protein per kilogram of body mass while focusing on complex carbs like rice, potatoes, and fruit, along with healthy fats and copious vegetables.

Exercise Strategy: A Two-Phase Approach

Phase 1: Fat-Burning Foundation 

As we mentioned earlier, there is no one optimal upper belly fat exercise.

Because fat cannot be lost in one specific area with targeted exercise, you've got to go at it in an overall manner. An ab workout is to tone muscles, not burn fat, so the best option you have when starting is cardiovascular exercise, including:

• Regular walking or jogging
• Cycling
• Swimming
• High-intensity interval Training (HIIT) for those ready for more intensity

Whatever option you choose, make sure you're going at it consistently. If you feel that you can do much more strenuous exercise than that, take your go at high-intensity or sprint interval training.

If you are just getting into shape or concerned about injury, opt for your HIIT activities to be on the bike, assault bike, rowing machine, or another non-contact method. Hills are another great option for sprinting and reducing injury risk.

The key to exercise for losing weight and stubborn fat is to do it in consistent, sustainable doses. If you over-exert yourself early on, you may burn out and drop the routine. This underscores the importance of performing mostly easy to moderate cardio, with small doses of hard work.

Plus, if you overexert yourself, you may end up with cravings that lead you to overconsume post-workout. The most important part of the plan is a calorie deficit. Cardio is an efficient way to enter one, but a large meal can derail the deficit far more quickly.

Phase 2: Muscle-Toning Exercises 

Once you've reduced overall body fat, you should begin to notice a difference in the appearance of your upper belly.

That's when you should start doing exercises to tone the upper abdominal muscles. You don't want to neglect strength training entirely before this part of the plan. Instead, change the time you spend on each type of exercise by incremental amounts, like 15 to 20 percent.

We should also note that the exercises listed below combine functional and targeted core-strengthening examples. These are by no means the only way to tone the upper abs but they are great for developing full-body strength that tones your overall figure and tummy at the same time.

Here are the five strength exercises and tips to keep in mind for developing a strong core while performing them:

1. Mountain Climbers: Focus on maintaining a tight core while alternating legs in a controlled motion.

2. Dead Bugs: Perfect for engaging deep core muscles while protecting your lower back. Ensure you keep a strong mind-muscle connection and move your arms and legs slowly.

3. Burpees: This full-body movement combines cardio with core strengthening. These are great for weaving into your daily routine in the form of "exercise snacks."

4. Side Lunges: A lunge variation that helps work the obliques while improving overall core stability. These can be done with a kettlebell, dumbells in each hand, or with body weight alone.

5. Alternating Cross-Toe Touch: Targets upper abdominals while improving flexibility along with hamstring strength, a common limiting factor that worsens with age.

AirSculpt: A Fast and Permanent Upper Belly Fat Removal Method

For those seeking enhanced results, modern body contouring options like Upper Stomach AirSculpt® offer a minimally invasive approach. This innovative wide-awake liposuction procedure:

• Requires no scalpel, stitches, or general anesthesia

• Features minimal downtime (48 hours)

• Provides precise fat removal using patented technology

Our approach to abdominal liposuction usually sculpts both the upper and lower stomach. That said, our surgeons always carefully consider each patient's unique shape. If you only have a pocket of upper stomach fat you want to be removed for good, AirSculpt can do so with unmatched finesse. Results appear within the first week and become significantly better with each passing day.

Ready to transform your upper abs? Visit our Beverly Hills body contouring office or the AirSculpt office nearest you for a complimentary consultation and to learn more.