Losing stubborn belly fat is the toughest goal to achieve. Since there’s no shortcut to losing body fat, selecting the right exercise for reducing your waistline becomes difficult!
But one such exercise that has gotten fitness enthusiasts in shape is strength training, specifically dumbbell exercises.
These exercises tone and strengthen muscles to boost endurance for a sculpted body.
But does lifting dumbbells burn belly fat as well?
Our comprehensive search for the best exercises for burning belly fat found dumbbells playing an interesting role in fat burning.
Key Insights:
- Lifting dumbbells is a resistance exercise that affects body composition, boosts metabolism, and helps burn more calories.
- There are some risks associated with dumbbells as an exercise which should be noted before attempting to lift dumbbells for belly fat burn.
- It’s important for beginners to start slow and follow certain precautions when lifting dumbbells.
This blog explores the relationship between lifting dumbbells and how it can affect belly fat percentage and fat loss.
Does Lifting Dumbbells Burn Belly Fat?
Yes! Dumbbells can help you burn belly fat. Lifting dumbbells is a part of strength training exercises.
Although these exercises don’t specifically target belly fat, their overall impact on stubborn fat can help.
So, does lifting dumbbells burn arm fat? Let us answer all such doubts with the following studies on strength training’s effect on stubborn fat.
Study I: Weight Training Controls Belly Fat
The study from Harvard says that healthy men who did twenty minutes of weight training or strength training didn’t suffer from age-related belly fat.
These observations were better than in men who did aerobic activities.
Since this study was conducted on a population of 10,500 healthy men, 40 years of age, the results prove positive.
While this was the answer to the question of whether lifting dumbbells burns belly fat, the following study focuses on the overall effect of strength training.
Study II – Effect of Resistance Training on Body Composition
The study compares the effects of aerobic exercises combined with resistance training vs aerobic exercises alone.
Since resistance training includes lifting dumbbells, the following study gives us a clue about its effects.
The study includes 12 trials among 555 youths in the age group of 6-18 years suffering from obesity.
According to the results, aerobic exercises and resistance training improve body composition better than aerobic exercises alone.
So, does lifting dumbbells burn fat?
Since body composition gives an input of fat mass and lean body mass, the results show that the exercises can burn fat.
But the question is: how will dumbbell exercises for belly fat work, as they fall under strength training, which is typically for muscle endurance?
Let us dig into the details of the target zones and changes that dumbbells bring into your body during a workout to better understand the results.
How Do Dumbbell Exercises for Belly Fat Work?
Dumbbell lifting can help burn belly fat in several ways. It mainly works by boosting the metabolism and helping you burn more calories than usual.
Dumbbells also boost the release of certain hormones that help speed up fat metabolism.
#1. Targeting the Core
It is crucial to stabilize your body when lifting dumbbells. The position engages the core muscles or the abdominal muscles.
Although this won’t help in direct spot reduction for belly fat, it tones the midsection and hence can burn belly fat. Hence, it will help in defining your waistline.
#2. Burn More Calories
Exercises like cardiovascular exercise burn calories during the movements. But lifting dumbbells like any other resistance training exercise burns calories throughout the exercise and after the exercise.
Since there is a longer calorie expenditure because your muscles are consuming the excess oxygen available, fat loss is faster.
#3. Boosts Metabolism
The key to burning stubborn fat is increasing your basal metabolic rate or your overall metabolism. Dumbbell exercises target multiple muscles, like the core muscles, arms, and legs.
Hence, it increases muscle growth. Since muscles are metabolic tissues, their growth increases the body’s energy requirement. Thus, the body burns more fat to meet the requirements, leading to overall fat cutting.
ALSO READ: Does weight lifting increase metabolism?
#4. Increases Hormonal Release
Dumbbell exercises initiate the secretion of testosterone and growth hormone. Both of these hormones increase muscle growth and stimulate the rapid conversion of fat into energy.
Hence, the exercises can help men burn stubborn fat. But does lifting dumbbells burn belly fat for females? Yes, because in females, they balance the progesterone and estrogen levels!
Hormonal balance influences fat storage and release, and thus, dumbbells can be part of a female weight loss plan.
#5. Movements and Patterns
Certain dumbbell exercises have movements similar to functional movements. Functional movements mainly involve your body’s natural joint movements, muscle coordination, and core muscles.
By mimicking these movements, dumbbell exercises help improve the overall body composition and burn fat throughout the day.
However, not performing the dumbbell exercises correctly or not following the correct form can lead to several forms of injury.
Risks Associated with Dumbbell Exercises
It is crucial to perform dumbbell exercises correctly and follow the right form because any negligence can lead to:
- Muscle strains: overexerting the muscles can cause extreme muscle pulls, leading to tears and strains. This can cause extreme pain and may require a long recovery period.
- Joint injuries: not following the correct form can exert too much pressure on the knee and elbow joints, causing sprains and injuries.
- Backache: if you are not lifting the dumbbells correctly, it might strain your lower back muscles, causing pain. This pain can soon terminate into vertebral fractures if you go on following the same technique.
- Muscle imbalance: the term defines the condition when one of the muscles is over-trained and the surrounding muscles are undertrained. This happens when you do not train the muscles correctly, it leads to problems in daily activities.
But if you are following the right form, pattern, and technique, you can enjoy quick results in no time! Hence, here is a complete guide on dumbbell exercises for the best and safest results.
How to Lose Belly Fat Using Dumbbells? 5 Tips
When starting with the dumbbell exercises to get rid of the belly fat, make sure you are well-prepped with the following tips:
#1. Educate Yourself with the Right Form and Technique
When selecting an exercise, make sure you are aware of the right form and technique. You can consult a fitness expert or join a gym for the right guidance.
#2. Start with a Warm-Up
For people preferring home workouts, make sure to warm up with stretching or dynamic movements to increase the blood flow to your muscles.
Warm-up is necessary before gym workouts as it loosens your muscles and prepares them for extensive movements.
#3. Start Slow
Don’t rush into lifting heavy dumbbells on the first day of the workout. Start slow and pace it up when your body starts adapting to the changes.
Select an exercise and start mastering the technique and form before increasing the intensity.
ALSO READ: Tips to start weightlifting for beginners
#4. Keep Your Pace Consistent
Most people, when starting with dumbbell exercises face difficulties in maintaining the pace of the exercise. But you have to try your best to keep control of your pace. Avoid jerking and swinging movements when lifting weights.
#5. Add Variations
Don’t follow the same exercise daily because your body will get comfortable with the exercises and the results will slow down.
Include different exercises to target different muscles to burn more calories and improve overall body composition.
Here are a few of the best dumbbell exercises that burn belly fat faster than any other exercise.
Best Dumbbell Exercises
The following dumbbell exercises are the advanced forms and burn a lot of calories by increasing the post-exercise oxygen consumption.
We suggest beginners to first master the form and then add dumbbells to their exercise routine:
#1. Dumbbell Thruster
The exercise targets the whole body and hence, will gradually burn your belly fat.
To perform the exercise:
- Stand with your feet placed slightly wider than your shoulder width. Hold the dumbbells at your shoulder level, with your palms facing your body. Move the elbow slightly forward.
- Now squat down with the knees bent and exactly above the toes. Hinge your hip backward and engage your core. Your hands remain in the same position.
- Stand up by exerting your full power as you extend your knees and hips. As you are about to reach the top, extend your arms up. Now, your arms are above the shoulder.
- Move back to the squat position. As you are about to reach the bottom, bring your arms back to the shoulder position.
- Repeat the reps quickly to intensify the movements.
#2. Dumbbell Lunge
It’s similar to the basic lunges and targets muscles of your entire body.
To perform the exercise:
- Start with a position where you hold the dumbbells sideways to your body.
- Now push your right leg forward such that the knee forms a 90-degree angle with the floor, and you are standing on the right leg. Your entire body weight is on the right leg. The left leg should be such that the knee should touch the floor and the toes touch the floor. Here again, the knee forms a right angle with the floor.
- Your next rep will be extending the left leg in front with the knee forming a 90-degree angle while the feet lie flat on the floor. The right leg extends in such a way that the knee touches the floor.
- Follow the reps by alternating the movements.
#3. Half Turkish Get-Up
The exercise specifically targets the core.
To perform the exercise:
- Lie down with the back flat on the floor with both legs extended and a dumbbell in your right hand.
- Bend your right knee while the left leg remains extended. Extend the dumbbell toward the ceiling with your right hand straight.
- Half-roll towards the left side, and support your body with the left hand, palm placed on the floor. Keep your eyes and face fixed towards the weight.
- Hold for some time, return to the original position, and repeat this 5-7 times before switching the dumbbell to the left hand.
#4. Dumbbell Trunk Rotation
The exercise targets your core and burns fat at a good pace.
To perform the exercise:
- Sit on the floor, extending both your legs in front. Grab a dumbbell with both hands, placing it near your chest.
- Bend your knees with your feet flat on the floor. Lean back such that you engage your core, and your body forms a V shape. With a straight back, twist your torso towards the right side, extending your arms and holding the dumbbell between the navel and your upper chest.
- Bring back the dumbbell to the center of the chest, then twist your torso towards the left side in the above position.
- Keep alternating to continue the reps.
If you want to intensify the exercise, instead of keeping your feet flat on the floor lift it, while supporting your body through end bones. You can even straighten the legs instead of bending your knee.
#5. Archer Row
The exercise targets the core exercise and is one of the best single dumbbell exercises for belly fat.
To perform the exercise:
- Start with a high plank position with your hands right under your shoulder and the dumbbell kept on the right side.
- Lift your right hand off the ground and rotate your body to a side plank. The position should be such that your body is supported on the sides of your legs and the left arm.
- Grab the dumbbell, and bring it towards your chest such that your elbow forms a V and is close to the body.
- Bring back the dumbbell to the ground and repeat the exercise 5-8 times before switching hands.
While these five exercises offer the best results, you can try other exercises like Romanian deadlifts, dumbbell shoulder presses, and dumbbell rows.
Conclusion
Does lifting dumbbells burn belly fat in males and females? Yes, dumbbell exercises can be a great way of burning calories.
According to studies, strength training helps burn the maximum amount of fat by activating the after-burn effect.
This effect helps with maximum oxygen consumption post workouts to burn fat throughout the day.
However, these exercises require the right form and technique to yield results. Not performing the exercises correctly can cause muscle tears and injuries.
Hence, if you are new to the exercises, make sure to master your form and pace before adding dumbbells to the exercises.