How to Burn Belly Fat Into Muscle

The notion that you can transform fat into muscle is a bit misleading. When you burn fat and exercise certain areas, muscles will naturally appear more prominent, though you can't technically turn existing fat into muscle. It's also important to understand that you can't "spot train" to remove fat from certain areas like the belly. However, there are specific exercises you can do to burn overall fat and tone and build muscle where you want, including your belly. To burn belly fat, do a combination of interval training (alternating intense and light periods of cardiovascular activity), and circuit training (performing short bursts of resistance exercise using moderate weights and frequent repetitions, followed by short bursts of several other exercises targeting different muscle groups). What you eat also plays a huge role in your ability to burn fat.

Things You'll Need

• Comfortable athletic shoes

• Exercise ball

• Resistance band

Tips For You

1. Eat foods that will help you lose weight. To burn belly fat permanently, you need to permanently change your eating habits. "Diets" are a temporary solution. Change your eating habits so your diet consists mainly of vegetables, fruits, whole grains and lean proteins. Eat foods that are packed with healthy vitamins and nutrients, including eggs, kale, olive oil, oatmeal, salmon, nuts, apples, spinach, blueberries, yogurt and quinoa.
2. Do an interval workout three times per week to help you burn fat from your belly and other parts of your body. According to a 2007 study conducted by the University of Guelph and published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, interval training can help you burn more fat than steady state cardiovascular activities like jogging. An "interval" simply means a short period of intense activity followed by a period of light activity. To do an interval workout, first pick your favorite activity, such as swimming, running or biking. Start the interval by doing the activity at 30 percent of your maximum effort for 60 seconds. Then, perform the activity at 90 percent of your maximum capacity for 30 seconds. Repeat the interval for 30 to 45 minutes total.
3. Do circuit training twice per week. Circuit training means doing short bursts of resistance exercise followed by short bursts of several other exercises that target different muscle groups. Once you begin to burn fat from your belly area, weight training will help you build muscle in your abdominal region. According to the National Institutes of Health, weight training can help you lose weight and build muscle. This is beneficial because muscle burns more calories than fat. Here's a weight lifting circuit you can do twice per week to help you burn fat and build muscle in your belly area. Start by performing 10 push-ups. Then, stand up and do 10 squats. Next, do 10 rows with a resistance band. To do a row, sit on an exercise ball, loop the exercise band around a pole, grasp the handles of the resistance band and pull the band in toward your chest. Next, do a plank for 30 seconds. To do a plank, get into a push-up position but support your weight on your forearms while keeping your back straight. Finish up the circuit by doing as many crunches as you can. Rest for 60 seconds and repeat the circuit 2 to 3 times per workout.