10 Best Exercises for Lower Belly Fat

We all know one of the most challenging areas of body fat to lose is your lower belly. But to make matters worse, the fat that sits in your lower abdomen—sometimes called your pooch, your pouch, or your gut—is not only frustrating to deal with, but it can also be a predictor of future health issues. In fact, research shows that the larger your waist size, the higher your risk of dying early. So, we’ve rounded up 10 of the best exercises for lower belly fat to keep you active and healthy.

To trim off that pouch, the tried-and-true method uses high-intensity exercises that work many muscle groups at once. That way, you create a larger caloric burn and hormonal response while training. In addition, a lesser-known tip is to pick exercises that use one leg or arm at a time so you can exercise for twice the duration.

In this article, we share 10 of the best exercises for lower belly fat so you can get a leaner, slimmer midsection and enjoy all the benefits, inside and out. For best results, select a few exercises to do during your workout—not all 10—and split them evenly between your upper body and lower body (ex. two of each) so you get a balanced session. Otherwise, you’ll overemphasize certain muscles while neglecting others.

Finally, as you do your workouts, keep track of how much weight you use for each movement and gradually increase the weight. That way, you’ll continue to make progress for results that increase over time!

Now, let’s explore the best exercises for lower belly fat.

Bulgarian Split Squats

How To Do It:

1. Grab two dumbbells, stand facing away from a bench, and rest one foot behind you on the bench.
2. Squat down with the forward leg, and keep that shin vertical.
3. Lean forward as you go down, and keep all the weight on the heel of your forward foot.
4. Complete 4 sets of 6 reps per leg.

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Kettlebell Swings

How To Do It:

1. Start in a deadlift position with the kettlebell a few feet before you.
2. Hike the kettlebell back between your legs like a center in football.
3. Explosively drive your hips forward. Imagine propelling the kettlebell to a target in front of you.
4. Keep your arms relaxed.
5. Complete 5 sets of 10 reps.

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Goblet Split Squat

How To Do It:

1. Grab the end of one dumbbell in both hands and hold it by your chest with your elbows underneath.
2. Stand with one foot about three feet in front of the other so that your knees make two 90-degree angles at the bottom.
3. Drop straight down and drive with your front heel. Don’t let your front knee drift past your toe.
4. Complete 4 sets of 6 reps per leg.

Dumbbell Neutral Grip Overhead Press

How To Do It:

1. Grab two dumbbells and hold them by your shoulders with your palms facing each other.
2. Keep your core tight and your glutes squeezed as you push the dumbbells directly overhead. At the top, your biceps should be next to your ears.
3. Don’t lean back or arch your lower back.
4. Complete 4 sets of 6 reps.

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T-Pushups

How To Do It:

1. Start in a pushup position.
2. Descend to the bottom, and as you’re pushing up, extend one hand to the sky. Watch that hand with your eyes.
3. Repeat and reach up with the other arm.
4. To make it more challenging, hold dumbbells.
5. Complete 4 sets of 4 reps each way.

Squat + Press

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1. Hold two dumbbells by your shoulders.
2. Stand shoulder-width apart with your toes slightly out.
3. Start the movement by sitting backward and spreading your knees apart.
4. Descend below parallel while keeping your lower back flat.
5. At the bottom, drive through your heels and keep your knees apart.
6. Drive up and push the weights overhead at the same time.
7. Complete 4 sets of 6 reps.

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TRX Jump Squats

How To Do It:

1. Grab the TRX handles and stand far enough so the straps are tense.
2. Squat down and jump as high as you can while pushing down on the straps to give you more lift.
3. Complete 3 sets of 8 reps.

Single-Arm Cable Row

How To Do It:

1. Set a cable handle to chest height.
2. Grab the handle, take a step back, and stand facing the cable.
3. Start the movement by pulling your shoulder blade toward your midline and row without twisting your torso.
4. Once you finish all your reps, switch sides.
5. Complete 4 sets of 8 reps per arm.

Atomic Pushups

How To Do It:

1. Start with your feet in a TRX suspension trainer or on a sliding surface.
2. Do a pushup, and then pull your knees to your chest and push them back.
3. Repeat.
4. Complete 4 sets of 8 reps.

Walk

If you’re serious about losing your belly pooch, walking is a must—it truly is the easiest and lowest-effort way to burn calories and fat. Walk every single day for at least 60 minutes total time, split throughout the day.

Anthony J. Yeung, CSCS