Does High Intensity Training Burn Belly Fat?

Belly fat, also called visceral fat, is an especially dangerous type of fat. It surrounds the internal organs and secretes inflammatory chemicals that raise your risk of developing chronic conditions, including some cancers, heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. While adding in some moderate-intensity physical activity, such as the 150 minutes per week as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, can benefit your health somewhat, it doesn't noticeably reduce belly fat. High-intensity exercise, either performed as full sessions or as intervals, shows greater potential in helping your belly shrink to improve your appearance and health.

  1. High-Intensity Sessions

    • Slogging along on the treadmill or stationary bike at a low to moderate intensity five times per week is not the best approach if your goal is to shrink your tummy. A study published in the November 2008 issue of “Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise” found that when middle-aged, obese women participated in high-intensity exercise training three times per week at a level above their lactate threshold – a point at which fatigue begins to set in and the muscles tire – and twice per week at a steady, moderate level, they lost more overall and trunk fat than their inactive or five-time-per-week, low-intensity exercising counterparts. Each session, regardless of intensity, burned 400 calories – but burning these calories at a higher intensity stimulated greater fat loss.

    Intervals

    • If a singular session at a high level of intensity is too challenging, employ high-intensity intervals, which also yield belly-fat loss. Interval protocols vary widely, ranging from six seconds to four minutes of all-out work, followed by short bouts of low-intensity exercise or complete rest. The intensity of intervals is usually measured at about 90 percent of VO2 max, or your ability to use oxygen during exercise. You exercise at a level where you feel breathless and are barely able to complete the work segment. In the 2012 issue of the “Journal of Obesity” researchers found that young, overweight males who participated in 12 weeks of high-intensity training three times per week for 20 minutes per session experienced significant reductions in total and visceral fat, and improved their aerobic power by 15 percent. A 2007 issue of the "Journal of Applied Physiology" published a study showing that after just seven high-intensity interval training sessions consisting of 10 four-minute bouts of hard work with two minutes of rest over the course of two weeks, moderately active women experienced marked increases in the capacity for fat oxidation during exercise.

    Resistance Training

    • High intensity doesn't just refer to cardiovascular workouts such as running or pedaling fast on a bike, it can also involve resistance training. The May 25, 2013, issue of the “International Journal of Cardiology” studied the effects of high-intensity resistance exercise training on 100 participants. After a year, increased intensity in high-volume resistance training efficiently improved visceral fat loss. A study in the "Journal of Translational Medicine" published in 2012 used a protocol that involved just three exercises: the leg press, bench press and machine row. Participants performed six repetitions of each exercise using the heaviest weight they could and then rested for 20 seconds. They then repeated the lift one or two more times, doing as many reps as possible. They started with three sets on the leg press, rested two minutes and 30 seconds, and then did two sets each of the upper-body exercises. The results revealed that the participants' resting energy expenditure and fat oxidation improved greatly following this protocol as compared to a traditional lifting session.

    Additional Strategies

    • If you want to expedite the reduction of belly fat, pair your high-intensity cardio and resistance training with a healthy, portion-controlled diet. Skip refined flours, added sugars and large amounts of solid fats. Instead, focus on whole grains, leafy greens, fruits and lean proteins, including white fish, skinless white-meat chicken and lean beef. Keep your daily calorie intake below what you burn to encourage weight loss, which also means belly-fat loss. You should also try to get the requisite seven to nine hours of sleep nightly and reduce daily stress, both of which interfere with your body's ability to lose fat.