The 8 Best Exercises To Melt Belly Fat
Losing stubborn belly fat after 40 takes more than long cardio sessions. Your body responds better to strength-based movements that build lean muscle and ramp up metabolism all day. When you stack those exercises together, you burn more calories in less time while sculpting your midsection from every angle.
Instead of chasing endless crunches or treadmill miles, focus on functional exercises that fire up multiple muscle groups at once. These movements challenge your abs, obliques, and lower back while also driving fat loss through total-body effort. The more muscle you recruit, the more energy you demand, which keeps fat burning long after your workout ends.
The following eight exercises strike the perfect balance between core strength and calorie burn. Each one builds stability, power, and definition around your midsection without wasting time on isolation drills that don’t deliver results. Add them to your weekly routine, and you’ll carve a stronger, leaner waistline while accelerating fat loss across your entire body.
8 Best Exercises To Melt Belly Fat Fast
Squat to Overhead Press
This powerhouse combination trains your legs, shoulders, and core all at once, making it one of the most efficient fat-burning moves you can do. Dropping into a squat forces your abs to stabilize while your lower body generates strength, then driving the weights overhead creates an explosive finish that keeps your heart rate high. The blend of strength and cardio makes it a perfect move for torching belly fat while building total-body power.
How to Do It:
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding dumbbells at shoulder height.
- Drop into a deep squat, keeping chest tall and core engaged.
- Drive through heels to stand, pressing weights overhead in one motion.
- Lower weights back to shoulders and repeat for 10–12 reps.
Mountain Climbers
Mountain climbers fire up your abs, shoulders, and hips while doubling as an intense cardio burst. The rapid knee drive forces your core to stay braced against rotation, building stability and endurance in your midsection. When performed at speed, they deliver the calorie-burning punch of a sprint while keeping constant pressure on your core muscles.
How to Do It:
- Start in a high plank with hands under shoulders and body in a straight line.
- Drive one knee toward your chest, then switch legs quickly.
- Keep hips low and abs engaged the entire time.
- Perform for 30–45 seconds.
Reverse Lunge with Rotation
This exercise challenges balance, coordination, and core control while targeting the legs and obliques together. Stepping back into a lunge demands stability through your hips, and the added torso twist activates your abs in a rotational pattern that mimics real-life movement. It’s an efficient way to strengthen your lower body while tightening your waistline with every rep.
How to Do It:
- Hold a dumbbell or medicine ball at chest height.
- Step back into a reverse lunge while rotating your torso over the front leg.
- Return to standing and repeat on the other side.
- Perform 8–10 reps per leg.
High Knees
High knees combine the intensity of sprinting with direct core activation, making them one of the fastest ways to elevate your heart rate. Each explosive drive of the knees pulls your abs in tight while training coordination and agility. Performed at a fast pace, this move melts fat quickly while sharpening endurance and lower-body speed.
How to Do It:
- Stand tall with feet hip-width apart.
- Run in place, driving knees toward chest as high as possible.
- Pump arms aggressively to match the pace.
- Perform for 30–45 seconds.
Side Plank
The side plank already challenges your obliques and stabilizers, but adding hip dips takes it to the next level. Each controlled drop and lift strengthens your waistline and builds endurance in your core. The movement also improves balance and shoulder stability, making it a well-rounded addition to any fat-burning routine.
How to Do It:
- Start in a side plank on your forearm, feet stacked.
- Lower hips toward the floor slowly, then lift back up.
- Keep shoulders and hips aligned throughout.
- Perform 10–12 dips per side.
Burpees
Burpees remain a gold-standard fat burner because they hit every major muscle group while pushing your cardiovascular system to its limit. Each rep combines strength, power, and speed, forcing your body to work harder with minimal rest. Not only do they torch calories, but they also train explosive movement patterns that carry over to everyday strength.
How to Do It:
- Start standing, then squat down and place hands on the floor.
- Jump feet back into a plank and lower into a push-up.
- Jump feet forward, then explode upward into a jump.
- Perform 8–12 reps.
Standing Oblique Crunch
This standing variation keeps your abs working while engaging your legs and balance. Driving the knee up into the elbow targets the obliques through a strong contraction, helping define the sides of your core. The constant movement keeps your heart rate up, turning a simple crunch into a fat-burning, waist-shaping drill.
How to Do It:
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, hands behind your head.
- Drive one knee up while lowering your elbow to meet it on the same side.
- Return to standing and repeat on the other side.
- Perform 12–15 reps per side.
Jump Squats
Jump squats combine lower-body power with high-intensity cardio, making them an ideal move for fat loss. Every rep trains your legs and glutes to explode upward while your core stabilizes through the landing. The nonstop effort keeps your metabolism revved up and burns more calories in less time.
How to Do It:
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart.
- Drop into a squat, then explode upward into a jump.
- Land softly and go right into the next squat.
- Perform 10–12 reps.
Looking for more easy ways to lose fat? Here’s How Long Your Walking Workout Should Be To Shrink Belly Fat.
