8 Exercise Tricks to Get Rid of Belly Fat and the Dad Bod, Expert Says

Ready to get rid of belly fat and the “dad bod”?

We get it. Life happens — Between work, chores, and kids, many men end up with a “dad bod” over time. (Clubdeportestolima)

We don’t bring this up to body shame you. We just want you to be healthy and fit. 

There is nothing wrong with a little cushion in your stomach and not being in your best shape. Life happens to us all. 

But too much belly fat can be harmful and increase your health risks. 

So when your body starts to pack on some weight and develop a dad bod, it’s important to know when you hit the danger zone. A man’s waist size should be less than half his height. 

This is the dad bod threshold. So if you are 6ft tall (72 inches), your waist should be less than 36 inches to be considered healthy. 

Not sure what your waist size is? 

Pull out a tape measure. Wrap around your stomach at the belly button height. 

If your waist is more than half your height in inches, then you got a dad bod with a little extra belly fat hanging. Here’s how to get rid of belly fat it for good. 

Limit Beer Drinking

Beer is a major contributor to expanding waistline. 

It’s called a beer belly for reasons. 

If your daily routine involves drinking beer after work every night, consider cutting back. Instead of drinking 2 cans a day, limit to 1 can. 

You can also reduce the frequency by limiting beer to only weekends. Reducing your beer consumption helps you lower the amount of liquid calories you take in. 

According to Men’s Health, one beer contains anywhere from 100-338 calories. Cutting back will not only free you from the whooping calories but also help decrease your risk of fatty liver. 

The same goes for many other alcoholic beverages including wines, cocktails, and ciders. 

Tweak Your Diet – Don’t Starve Yourself

Cutting back beer is great, but it’s only one dietary change you can make. 

In order to lose the extra pounds, you have to cut back on your overall calorie intake. 

But don’t jump into any extreme dieting. It’s actually important you don’t take it to the extreme. 

You don’t need juicing, detoxing, or even intermittent fasting. 

Oftentimes, these extreme measures to reduce calories backfire. 

It can wreck your metabolism and cause your weight loss to plateau. 

When our bodies are in starvation mode, they attempt to survive by holding on to energy. This hoarding mechanism is counter-productive to a healthy metabolism. 

Instead, you want to nourish and fuel your body the right way. Eating wholesome foods like whole grains, lean meat, and veggies brings satiety and nourishment. They help your metabolism run efficiently and not desperately seek out the next calorie. 

It also helps not to binge eat. After a starvation period, it’s in our tendency to binge and gorge. 

Not starving yourself in the first place is a surefire way to avoid gorging and falling into a trap of yo-yo dieting. 

Working Out 

One key to keeping a healthy body is maximizing your workout. 

Sure, any workout beats no workout any day, but getting more out of each gym time can speed up your progress. 

In this 5-move dad bod workout, you get to tackle all major muscle groups, burn fat, and get in shape. 

Now here are 5 workout moves that’ll help you get rid of the “dad bod” for good.

1. Kettlebell Swing

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width distance apart, gripping the kettlebell with both hands between your legs.
• Hinge forward allowing the kettlebell to dip between your legs.
• Push your hips forward and squeeze your glutes as you stand. This will create a force to raise the kettlebell higher and higher.
• Gain momentum as you continue the motion until the kettlebell is reaching chest height for every rep. Perform for 30 to 60 seconds.

2. Lat Pull Down 

1. Attach a wide bar handle to your cable pully and sit on the machine bench facing the machine. Adjust the knee pad, so it’ll comfortably sit on your knees and resist any leg movements. 
2. Grab the pully bar and adjust your hands so they’ll be slightly wider than shoulder-width. Pull the bar down toward your chest and lean back slightly. 
3. With control, return the bar to the starting position. That’s one rep.

3. Dumbbell Renegade Row

1. Grab dumbbells with your hands and get into a high plank position. Adjust your hands so they’ll be directly below your shoulders. Your body should be forming a straight line from your head to tow. Keep your feet about hip-width apart. 
2. Tighten your abdominals glutes. Tuck in your core, so your back isn’t curving. Keep your torso still. Pull one dumbbell up toward your rib cage from your shoulder blade while keeping it close to your body. 
3. 3. Return the weight to the starting position and repeat on the other side. That’s one rep. 

4. Push up

1. Get into a high-plank position with your hands directly below your shoulders. Keep them slightly wider than shoulder-width. Extend your legs and keep your body in a straight line from your head to your heels. 
2. Engage your abs and glutes. Lower your body until your chest almost touches the floor. 
3. Press yourself up to the starting position. That’s one rep.

5. Dumbbell Squat to Press

1. Grab a dumbbell in each hand and hold them at your shoulders with palms facing each other. Get into a standing position with your feet shoulder-width apart. 
2. Engage your abs and things your hips and lower yourself to a squat position. Don’t let your knees past the toes. 
3. Driving from your legs, come out to a standing position and press up dumbbells over your head. 
4. Lower dumbbells to your shoulder height and hinge your hips to prepare yourself to squat. That’s one rep. 

6. Side Planks

1. Lie on one side with your legs fully extended. Stack your feet and keep your elbow tucked right under your shoulder. 
2. Adjust your feet and head, so your whole body is in one straight line. Engage your abs and core and hold for 30 – 60 seconds. 
3. Return to the starting position and repeat on the other side. 

7. Bicycle Crunch

1. Lie flat on your back on the floor with your lower back pressed to the ground and contract and engage your abs muscles by pulling your navel in. 
2. Place your fingers behind your heads, gently holding your neck and head.
3. Bring your knees in towards your chest and lift your shoulder blades off the ground. Be sure not to pull on your neck.
4. Straighten your right leg out to about a 45-degree angle to the ground while turning your upper body to the left, bringing your right elbow towards the left knee. Make sure your rib cage is moving, not just your elbows. Go through a bicycle pedal motion, slowly at first. 
5. Alternately touching your elbows to the opposite knees as you twist back and forth. Continue until you complete 10 to 12 reps per side. 
6. Breath evenly throughout the exercise.

8. Body Saw

1. Get down into a forearm plank position. Brace your abs as you were about to get a punch in the stomach. 
2. Pushing from your forearms, push back toward your heels. Then pull forward. It mimics a sawing motion… or a seal.
3. Complete 1 set of 15 reps.