When Summer comes around the corner, and I’m still not beach body ready, I go F#$%@!@#ck!!

I put on so much weight in the colder months. More than 10 kg. The most I’ve put on was probably 30 kg.

And being a foodie doesn’t help either. Imagine, eating, as your hobby. Dining out all the time, cooking delicious food, loving warm cheesecake: it is hard to lose the dreaded belly fat.

If you are like me who leaves things to the last minute and asking, “how to lose belly fat in 1 week?” You need to exercise and eat clean right now. So…

Here are 22 exercises to lose belly fat in 1 week.

7 simple exercises to lose belly fat in 1 week (backed by Science)

These exercises are straightforward; my 19-month-old girl can do it. 

Okay, maybe not. 

Although, she tries, in a baby way.

But, if you are reading a boring article like this; I take it, you are a grown adult.

So, let’s cut the chit chat and get sweating.

You can either do 1 type of exercise daily for the week or change them up day by day.

Day 1) Walking

Walking is excellent for losing belly fat. Not only is it easy to do, but more importantly, it is effective.

In a study to find if walking is effective against abdominal fat, overweight women experienced a positive outcome. The efficacy of walking in belly fat was significant. 

The exercise group of obese women lost a good amount of fat compared to the controlled group.

[source: Effect of walking exercise on abdominal fat, insulin resistance and serum cytokines in obese women]

Walking is sustainable, kind on your joints, and practical, what more can I say?

I know you’re excited to hit the pavement but hold your horses. I want to tell you how you can lose more belly fat as quickly as possible. 

Do you want to know more about walking? The tried and tested method: Lose belly fat by walking.

How do you know you are burning fat?

Okay, let’s get technical a little bit. First of all, to make sure that your significant effort does not go to waste, you need to learn to calculate your maximal heart rate and fat burning zone.

There are two formulas that most trainers, nutritionists, and medical bodies use to find the maximal heart rate: Fox and Tanaka.

The Fox method is the oldest, and the following is the formula:

220 – Age = M.H.R. (Maximal Heart Rate)

MHR x 0.7 = M.F.O. (Maximal Fat Oxidation)

The research found as we age, our maximum heart rate decreases. Thus the latest Tanaka formula was created.

[source: Age-predicted maximal heart rate revisited]

The Tanaka method is as follows:

MHR = 208 – (0.7 x AGE)

MFO = MHR x 60.8% to 80%

Note: 60.8% to 80% is the range of fat burning. Choose your number; in any case, you are burning fat.

[source: Quantifying differences in the “fat burning” zone and the aerobic zone: implications for training.]

Now, you won’t have the time to be dilly-dallying about your pulse; taking out the calculator, counting your heartbeat per minute, and finding the formula. You will get sick of it.

The best way you can tell you are burning fat is when speaking gets hard. So, the harder it is to speak, the more fat you are burning. Simple right? 

Day 2) Running

Running is also a great exercise to lose belly fat in 1 week. You will certainly burn off more than a few calories in a shorter amount of time compared to walking.

There’s a caveat to running. It takes a toll on your joints. The impact when your foot hits the asphalt is enough to deteriorate your joint’s shock absorbers slowly.

There have been studies where they surveyed 329 active runners about the effect of running on knee joints. And you know what they found? Nothing. 

There was no clear conclusion whether there is a direct correlation of risk to knee osteoarthritis in runners. 

[source: What are the perceptions about running and knee joint health among the public and healthcare practitioners in Canada?]

So, go with your gut feeling. Mine says it wears out. Just think of your body as a car, we are the same. The engine is the heart, the car’s brain is the engine control unit or E.C.U., and the tires are the legs.

Eventually, your tires wear out due to use. The harder you use it, the quicker it wears out. An example of this is when you enter corners like a wannabe rally driver — or merely doing burnouts to impress that redhead.

Although there are people who play sports all their life without suffering any joint-related injuries, I guess more research is needed.

If you want to know more about running, how to get started the right way, click on my running article: Lose belly fat by running

Day 3) Swimming

Do you want an exercise that will guarantee to lose those calories without sweating? Well, technically you are sweating because you are triggering your sweat glands from using energy. 

The reason you think you are not sweating is due to the water washing off the sweat. Swimming is a fun activity and feels fresh in summer while working your heart out. 

In a study of 24 middle-aged women to measure the efficacy of swimming against belly fat found a conclusive outcome. A significant amount of fat loss was achieved through swimming.

There was no change in muscle mass, though. So, for those who believe swimming helps with your pecs, stop and do push-ups instead. 

It is excellent to keep your chest toned, but if gaining pectoral muscles is your goal, swimming is not the answer. It’s a great cardio workout, that doesn’t make you feel icky after.

Not feeling the sweat or not seeing it makes all the difference. I surely feel fresh every swim.

[source: Effect of regular swimming exercise on the physical composition, strength, and blood lipid of middle-aged women]

If you want to read more about swimming and tips on how to get started, click on this article: Exercises to lose belly fat. 

Day 4) Cycling

I know some people who drive to McDonalds 1 block away from where they live and deny they are lazy.

In contrast, some people ride a bicycle to work from home, which is more than ten blocks away. These people, I found, are fit and have remarkably toned quads.

How can you lose a ton of belly fat in 1 week without a bike? The obvious answer is either buy one or do the other exercises I mentioned. 

There are literally dozens of exercises you can do to lose belly fat: cycling is only one of them.

If you do want to pursue cycling to lose your gut, it might help if you read more about it here: Exercises to lose belly fat. In there, I go to a little more detail on what you need when starting.

Day 5) Boxing

Have you tried hitting a punching bag for two minutes straight? I can honestly say that I will am huffing and puffing in the one minute mark. 

Now, I’m not saying to go out and buy a punching bag; they can be quite expensive. An alternative can be shadowboxing. 

You’d be surprised as to how many calories you can burn by just hitting air. How do you shadowbox? 

Do you know how to punch? Well, do that as fast as you can, as many times as you can. 

You’ll soon be huffing and puffing the same as if you were hitting a punching bag.

Over time you will lose fat and lose those inches around your waist.

[source: A Boxing-Oriented Exercise Intervention for Obese Adolescent Males: Findings from a Pilot Study]

Day 6) Jumping

As part of the boxing routine, you can also add jumping. Skipping rope is one of the best methods for boxers to increase their cardio. 

You don’t have to be an expert on jumping ropes because just like anything else, practice makes perfect.

The more you do this exercise, the likely you are to become a pro. Soon you’ll be doing double jumps, crosses, single-foot hops and many more. 

I started always tripping on the third jump, but I persevered and can last almost 30 seconds without tripping. The trick is to keep going and not to get frustrated, trust me, you will.

If you are a boxer, lasting one minute is pathetic. Trained boxers do the rope work for long minutes nonstop. 

You don’t need a skipping rope or any equipment to start jumping though. There are leg workouts that include jumping.

One exercise is the frog jump as I like to call it. How you do the frog jump is copying the frog’s pattern:

1. Squat low, your heinie almost touching the floor.
2. Jump as high as you can.
3. Drop back to your starting position.

That’s how you do the frog jumps. Do them many times on a hard, solid, stable floor. 

Day 7) Sports

Playing sports is an enjoyable way to pass the time while keeping fit. Playing sports is the most effective method way of losing your belly fat in just one week. 

Why is that you ask?

You won’t get bored, and you’ll have fun, and look good after one week guaranteed. 

A game with friends is better than running on the treadmill, listening to music. I love playing basketball with friends, and always I lose track of time.

How many times has this happened to you? You play sports with your friend, and before you know it, it’s been an hour. 

Timing

To ensure you are at your best looking self by the end of the week, you have to do these exercises for at least 40 minutes to 1 hour.

Why? Well, the more you expend your energy, the more calories you lose. The more calories you lose, the higher the amount of fat you’ll burn. The more fat you consume, the prominent your abs become.

The next 7 exercises to lose belly fat in 1 week

Since you have read this far, I know you are serious about losing your belly fat in the shortest amount of time possible. 

Losing belly fat in 1 week is not going to be easy. You need to incorporate your cardio with strength training so you can continually burn fat even after you finish your cardio routine. You can either target one or two muscle groups in one day.

The following are what you need to complete your workout:

Day 1) Chest

Push up

• Put your hands on the floor at shoulder length apart.
• Straighten your body, so the only part of your body touching the floor are your toes and hands.
• Keep your arms straight.
• Don’t let your body flop; keep a beautiful straight back.
• Slowly lower your chest an inch to the floor.
• Push up slowly.
• Do four sets to exhaustion.

Wide push up

Similar to push up but hands are full apart.

• Put your hands on the floor, past shoulder-width apart.
• Straighten your body, so the only part of your body touching the floor are your toes and hands.
• Keep your arms straight.
• Don’t let your body flop; keep a beautiful straight back.
• Slowly lower your chest an inch to the floor.
• Push up slowly.
• Do four sets to exhaustion.

Diamond push up

Same as previously mentioned but the exception of forming a diamond with both your hands.

• Lay your hands on the floor.
• Stretch out your hands and connect both your thumb and index finger to form a spade or a diamond shape.
• Straighten your body, so the only part of your body touching the floor are your toes and hands.
• Keep your arms straight.
• Don’t let your body flop; keep a beautiful straight back.
• Slowly lower your chest an inch to the floor.
• Push up slowly.
• Do four sets to exhaustion.

Day 2) Legs

Squats

• Stand with your legs shoulder-width apart.
• Lower your buttocks until your legs are at a 90° angle.
• Hold it for a second or two then go up.
• Do four sets to exhaustion.

Lunges

• Stand in a neutral position.
• Step your right leg forward as far as you are comfortable and lower body down until your left knee is 1 inch from the floor.
• Then push your body off to your neutral position.
• Alternate both legs.
• Do four sets to exhaustion.

Bulgarian split squats

• Find a chair that is knee height and rest your foot on it.
• Get into a forward lunge position keeping your upper body upright.
• Lower your body down until your thigh is parallel to the floor. 
• Don’t let your knee go past your toes.
• Drive yourself up, keeping everything tight and straight. Proper form is important.
• Again, do four sets to exhaustion.

Day 3) Shoulders

Lateral raises

• Take two dumbbells you can safely lift easily. You can increase the weight once you know your limit.
• Stand up and hold one dumbbell with your palms facing each other.
• Raise the dumbbells to your side slowly without going past your shoulder height.
• Slowly lower it back to the original position.
• Do four sets to exhaustion.

Front raises

• While standing up, hold one dumbbell in each hand. 
• Lay the dumbbells on your thighs with the back of your hand facing forward.
• Lift hands until they are parallel to the floor and pause at the top.
• Slowly lower it back down to the original position.
• Do four sets to exhaustion.

Upright row

• Stand up holding both dumbbells.
• Raise your elbows until they are shoulder height and pause.
• Slowly lower it back to the original position.
• Do four sets to exhaustion.

Day 4) Arms

Biceps curl

• While standing up, hold one dumbbell with each hand. Making sure your palms are facing one another.
• Curl one dumbbell to your shoulder and slowly lower it back down, simultaneously curling the other dumbbell with your other hand.
• Do four sets until you can’t do anymore.

Simultaneous biceps curl

• Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palm facing forward.
• Slowly raise both dumbbells to your shoulders.
• Gently lower both dumbbells to the original position.
• 4x set until you can’t do anymore.

The dip

• Put your palms on a chair.
• Stretch out your legs in front of you.
• Lower your buttocks as low as you can manage.
• Push yourself up with your palms until your arms are straight.
• 4x sets to exhaustion.

Day 5) Back

Dumbbell row

• Put one dumbbell on the floor next to a chair or a bench preferably.
• Place left hand and left knee on the bench.
• Keep your back straight.
• Use your right hand to grab the dumbbell, and this is your starting position.
• Lift the dumbbell to the side of your chest.
• Slowly lower it back down to your starting position.
• Four sets to exhaustion.

Chin-ups

• Find a bar or something where you can grab and hold onto as you raise your entire body.
• Try to raise your body with your chin going past the bar.
• 4x sets to exhaustion.

Dumbbell swing

• Grab a dumbbell with both hands.
• Lower the dumbbells in front of you, between your knees, slightly behind you. 
• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. 
• Swing the dumbbells up, straightening your legs and your back.
• Don’t allow the dumbbell past your shoulders.
• Swing the dumbbell back down between your knees.
• Keep back straight and maintain your form.
• Do this until you are exhausted.

Motivation

Another important in determining your success is your motivation. How many times have you gone off the wagon with your diet? Too many times, you can’t count.

Well, motivation plays a significant factor. You need that “thing” to keep you running for 1 hour, day in, day out.

Here are some tips you can use to keep you motivated:

• Keep a picture of your fat self in your mind when hitting the bags or shadowboxing.
• Tear a sexy A.F. person’s head in a magazine and replace it with a photo of yours. Stick this on your treadmill or somewhere you’ll get a good view while working out.
• Make a bet with someone that you won’t ever reach obese status.
• Make a bet with someone that you’ll lose this X amount by the end of the week.
• Learn the dangers of belly fat and why you should lose it. Click on the following article to find out more: Lose belly fat today.

Things to keep in mind

You’ll never lose the belly fat in 1 week just by doing these exercises. To ensure success, you have to watch your diet. 

Diet and exercise go hand in hand in sculpting that perfect, sexy, and desirable body. You can’t achieve visual sex appeal just by dieting alone, nor with just exercises. 

Okay, certain people are exempt with my statement. Some touches dumbbells and grow a muscle the next day; and never seem to gain fat, no matter what they eat.

They are the mesomorph type. Their bodies are there for muscle building and fat burning. 

If you are not one of these types, it doesn’t mean you can’t reach sexiness. You need to work harder.

By contrast, like night and day, I have a combination of two body types, which are an ectomorph and endomorph. 

It’s hard for me to gain muscle mass, and I store fat easily. It’s a cruel world!

But, with these 22 exercises and know-how at your disposal, you are closer to your goal.

If you can attempt these exercises to the best of your abilities, no fluffing around, you will lose a lot of belly fat within a week.

With enough determination, motivation, and grit, you will succeed.

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