If Your Goal Is to Lose Belly Fat, You Need to Do This Workout From Jillian Michaels

While diet plays a huge role in reducing belly fat, Jillian Michaels also recommends exercising to reduce overall body fat, which will help lean out your torso. "You'll want to condition the muscles under the fat so when you lose that top layer, your tummy is toned," Jillian explained. She said to focus on functional exercises that work multiple muscle groups like push-ups, mountain climbers, planks, and lunges to burn calories and condition your core.

"The techniques that have been shown to burn more calories leading to burning more stored fat would be HIIT training (high intensity interval training), resistance training, functional fitness (exercises that incorporate multiple muscle groups), and circuit training," Jillian said. "I like people to do a minimum of 20 minutes, preferably 30 (not including a three- to five-minute warm up and three- to five-minute cool down). If done properly, it will be enough to see good results - but only if the diet is also on point."

Related: This 20-Minute HIIT Workout Is What You Need to Lose Belly Fat

Here's a circuit workout designed by Jillian that comes from her new app, My Fitness by Jillian Michaels to help you reduce belly fat. "I combine HIIT intervals into my strength and conditioning circuits. There is no rest in between exercises, so heart rate stays up and time isn't wasted. The exercises incorporate multiple muscle groups and utilize bodyweight and free-weight resistance training to maximize efficiency and condition core muscles," Jillian explained. The actual workout should take about 21 minutes, so with your warm up and cool down, you'll be done in about half an hour.

Jillian Michaels Belly-Fat Workout

Equipment needed: 2 lightweight dumbbells

Directions: After warming up for five minutes, repeat each circuit twice before moving on to the next circuit. For the side plank pops and the elevator plank, do the left side the first time through, then do the right side on the second round. Ideally there's no rest between exercises, but take a couple minutes to rest between circuits if you need to. At the end, cool down with this five-minute stretching routine.

Circuit 1
Exercises	Time
Forward Lunge with Dumbbell Chop	25 seconds
Plank-up	25 seconds
Side Plank Pop	25 seconds
Lateral Burpee	25 seconds
Hollowman Hold	25 seconds)

Circuit 2
Exercises	Time
Elevator Plank	25 seconds
Bicycle Crunch	25 seconds
Inch Worm	25 seconds
Squirm Crunch	25 seconds
Mountain Climber	25 seconds)

Circuit 3
Exercises	Time
High Knees	25 seconds
Standing Alternating Toe Tap Crunch	25 seconds
Standing Oblique Crunch (Left Leg)	25 seconds
Standing Oblique Crunch (Right Leg)	25 seconds
Alternating Cyclone Squat	25 seconds)

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