These strength-based compound exercises are ideal for melting stubborn belly fat after 40.
After entering your 40s, you begin to lose muscle mass—anywhere from 3% to 8% per decade, in fact. Less muscle can lead to a slower metabolism, meaning you torch fewer calories during workouts and when resting, says Ian Groves, certified personal trainer and managing director of Training Station. This metabolic decline also makes it easier for stubborn fat to accumulate in your midsection—especially during and after menopause. While sarcopenia and hormonal changes are natural processes your body endures, you can combat their lasting effects with regular exercise and a healthy diet. So, we spoke with a trainer who breaks down six classic exercises that burn more belly fat than cardio after 40.
If your goal is to burn unwanted belly fat after 40, chances are, you’ve been cranking up your cardio routine in hopes of making progress. It’s a stubborn area of the body to work on and requires a solid game plan beyond cardio to succeed.
“While cardio can help burn calories, relying on it alone (without incorporating strength training) can backfire,” Groves stresses. “Too much cardio without resistance exercises can accelerate muscle loss, further slowing metabolism. That’s why combining cardio with strength training is essential for sustainable fat loss after 40.”
Strength-based compound exercises are packed with benefits. They help maintain and build muscle, boost fat-burning hormones like growth hormone and testosterone, and promote the “afterburn effect,” where your body keeps torching calories even after your workout is complete.
“That’s a benefit you typically don’t get from steady-state cardio,” Groves says.
6 Classic Exercises That Burn More Belly Fat Than Cardio After 40
“Incorporating these [exercises] into a well-structured strength training program can be significantly more effective than cardio alone—especially after 40,” Groves points out.
1. Squat
- Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart on the floor.
- Extend your arms ahead of you or place your hands on your hips.
- Bend at the knees and hips as you lower into a squat.
- Descend until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
- Press through your heels to rise back up to standing.
2. Deadlift
- Stand tall, feet hip-width apart, with a dumbbell in each hand.
- Bend your knees slightly and hold the weights in front of your thighs.
- Press your hips back as you lower the dumbbells down your leg. Maintain a straight back as you do so.
- Squeeze your glutes to stand up tall.
3. Pull-up
- Begin standing tall.
- Grab onto a pull-up bar using an overhand grip, just outside shoulder-width.
- Completely extend your arms to assume a dead hang position.
- Activate your glutes, core, and back as you pull yourself up until your chin clears the bar.
- Use control to lower back to the start position.
4. Pushup
- Begin in a high plank position with your hands under your shoulders and your body straight.
- Bend your elbows and lower your chest toward the floor.
- Maintain a long, straight body as you lower.
- Press back up, straightening your arms.
5. Overhead Press
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder level, palms facing inward.
- Press the weights overhead, extending your arms.
- Use control as you lower the weights to shoulder height.
6. Bench Press
- Lie flat on your back on a workout bench, feet flat on the ground.
- Grip the barbell just outside shoulder-width.
- Lower the barbell toward your chest, maintaining a 45-degree angle with your elbows.
- Press the barbell back up until your arms are straight.
