Squats only serve to strengthen the legs and glutes: a popular belief, but that is not the only advantage! Know 5 more benefits of squats for belly fat.
Belly fat, a major concern for many people, can make it more difficult to fit into your favorite clothes. Additionally, it can also increase the risk of health problems such as heart disease and diabetes. So, being overweight or obese is not at all good for your health. One of the best ways to lose weight is through exercise, and doing squats to reduce belly fat can help. Squats are a powerful full-body exercise that works multiple muscle groups at once, making them ideal for weight loss. Adding squats to your workout routine can transform your body, promote fat loss and improve strength, all without expensive equipment.
What are squats?
Squats are a type of strength training exercise that targets the lower body, including the glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves. They also engage the core, helping to strengthen overall stability. Squats are great for improving mobility, building muscle and boosting metabolism, making them great for losing weight and reducing belly fat when combined with a healthy diet. Most people can perform squats, but those with knee or back problems should consult a professional first. They are best known for improving strength, posture and functional movements. Above all, trying squats to reduce belly fat is also the reason why this bodybuilding exercise is so popular.
Squats for belly fat: know the benefits
Incorporating squats to reduce belly fat into your fitness routine offers many benefits. Here are 5 key benefits you should know about:
1. Burns calories
Squats are a full-body exercise that works large muscle groups like the glutes, quads, hamstrings, and core. Since they target multiple muscles at once, squats burn a significant number of calories during and after your workout. According to Harvard Medical Schoola person weighing 155 pounds can burn about 223 calories in just 30 minutes of intense weight training or strength training exercises like squats. This caloric expenditure plays a vital role in fat loss, particularly by targeting stubborn abdominal fat.
2. Helps Build Muscle Mass
Squats not only burn fat, they also build lean muscle.
A study of Strength and Conditioning Journal found that squats can improve muscle strength while reducing muscle weakness. Since muscle tissue burns more calories at rest than fat tissue, incorporating squats into your fitness program allows you to target fat loss while simultaneously building strength and toning your lower body. body and your trunk.
3. Stimulates metabolism
Metabolism plays a key role in how quickly your body processes food and burns fat. Squats work multiple muscle groups, requiring more energy, which boosts your metabolism. When done regularly, squats keep your metabolic rate elevated for hours after your workout, helping you burn more fat and promote weight loss.
4. Increase body composition
Body composition is the relative amounts of fat, muscle, bone, water, and other tissues present in a person’s body. Squats not only help reduce belly fat but also improve body composition by increasing lean muscle mass while reducing fat. Improved body composition leads to better overall health, a toned physique and better physical performance, which is essential for weight loss.
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5. Strengthens core muscles
Although squats primarily target the lower body, they also work the core muscles, including the abdominals and obliques. A strong core is essential for reducing belly fat because it improves posture and promotes proper movement. Squats strengthen these muscles, making them more defined over time.
Adding squats to your routine provides both postural and functional benefits. They target fat loss, support metabolism, build strength and promote overall health, making them an effective, versatile and effective exercise for any fitness journey.
Squats for belly fat: How to lose weight?
Follow these 7 steps to perform basic or traditional squats to reduce belly fat and lose weight overall:
- Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms relaxed at your sides or extended in front of you.
- Engage your core to maintain balance and stability throughout the movement.
- Start by pushing your hips back and bending your knees as if you were sitting in a chair.
- Keep your chest up and your back straight as you lower your body.
- Make sure your knees stay in line with your toes and don’t collapse inward.
- Lower yourself until your thighs are at least parallel to the floor or as low as possible.
- Push through your heels to return to the starting position.
Repeat the movement for the desired number of repetitions while maintaining proper form.
Squats for Belly Fat: Variations You Can Try
Here are 7 top variations of squats to reduce belly fat and lose weight to try:
1. Sumo squat
This variation has a wider stance with the toes slightly emphasized. It focuses on the inner thighs, glutes and quads while improving hip flexibility.

2. Jump and squat
Adding an explosive jump to a traditional squat, this variation combines the benefits of strength and cardio exercises. It builds strength, increases heart rate and engages the entire lower body.
3. Overhead squat
This variation of squats to reduce belly fat requires balance, coordination and flexibility. You hold a barbell or weight overhead with your arms fully extended while performing a squat, which requires core strength to maintain proper form.
4. Goblet squat
Performed with a dumbbell or kettlebell held close to your chest, this variation targets the quads, glutes and core. This is a beginner-friendly squat variation that improves posture and promotes weight loss.
5. Box Squat
This variation of squats to reduce belly fat uses a bench or box behind you to teach proper squat depth and technique. You sit on the box, then press through your heels to return to standing.
6. Squatting on the wall or sitting on the wall
An isometric hold that develops strength and endurance in the quadriceps and glutes. Lean against a wall with your knees bent at a 90-degree angle and hold the position for 20 to 60 seconds.
7. Squat with heel raised
This variation places more emphasis on the quads by lifting the heels during the squat. It can also help improve ankle mobility and strengthen your lower body.
How many squats to reduce belly fat are recommended each day?
The recommended number of squats each day to lose belly fat depends on your fitness level and body composition. If you’re new to exercising, start with 2 to 3 sets of 25 to 30 repetitions three times a week. For those who have experience in bodybuilding and want to lose pounds, aim for 4 sets of 25 to 30 squats each day. This way you can promote fat burning, muscle development and a high metabolism. Additionally, incorporating squats into your routine can tone your lower body, improve your flexibility and balance.
However, squats alone won’t help you lose weight or belly fat. A healthy weight loss routine is an amalgamation of a healthy diet and a proper workout routine. Although squats to reduce belly fat can work, they must be part of a proper diet. So, what are you waiting for? Check with your doctor and get rid of excess fat.
Related FAQs
Do squats help target belly fat specifically?
Although squats don’t directly target belly fat, they strengthen the core muscles (abdominal and obliques) by stabilizing your body during the movement. They also burn calories, leading to fat loss throughout the body, including the belly, when combined with a calorie deficit and proper diet.
What other exercises to lose weight?
To improve abdominal fat reduction, combine squats with other effective fat-burning exercises, such as cardio exercises (walking, running, cycling, HIIT, or swimming), core workouts (planks, Russian twists, and leg lifts), strength exercises (deadlifts, lunges, push-ups) and kettlebell exercises.
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