While crunches are often highlighted in the quest to reduce belly fat, they are less effective than you might think (I know, surprising). Although they can make your abdominal muscles feel the burn, they don’t significantly reduce the fat covering those muscles. If you’re aiming for a slimmer waistline after 40, crunches aren’t the solution.

As you age, changes in your body come into play: your metabolism slows, hormonal shifts occur, and recovery times lengthen. To counter these effects, you need workouts that engage your entire body, boost your metabolism, and keep you actively engaged. The key is in smart, strength-oriented cardio that simultaneously builds muscle and burns calories.

This list eschews crunches, offering five powerful exercises more effective for fat loss after 40. Each exercise targets your entire body, elevates your heart rate, and keeps your metabolism active long after your workout. Here’s how to begin.

5 Moves That Shrink Belly Fat Fast After 40

Move #1: Kettlebell Swings

Kettlebell swings combine explosive power with high-calorie burn. They target your posterior chain, improve hip strength, and send your heart rate soaring. After 40, this move helps restore lost athleticism, boost metabolism, and strengthen your core without lying on the floor.

How to Do It:

1. Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Place a kettlebell about a foot in front of you on the floor.
3. Hinge at your hips, bend your knees slightly, and reach for the kettlebell with both hands.
4. Grip the handle firmly and hike it back between your legs. Start with a slight swing by pulling the kettlebell back through your legs like you’re hiking a football.
5. Squeeze your glutes and thrust your hips forward to drive the kettlebell to shoulder height. Keep your arms relaxed and straight.
6. Pull the kettlebell back between your legs, keeping your chest up, core braced, and back flat.
7. Repeat in a continuous rhythm. Maintain a strong posture and consistent timing throughout the set. Use your hips to power each rep.

Recommended Sets and Reps: Perform 4 sets of 20 swings. Rest for 30 to 45 seconds between sets.

Coach Tip: Keep your back flat and focus on snapping your hips forward, not lifting with your arms.

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Move #2: Mountain Climbers

Mountain climbers spike your heart rate and train your entire core while also working your shoulders and legs. This move helps burn fat fast and improves mobility through your hips and trunk.

How to Do It:

1. Start in a high plank with your hands under your shoulders.
2. Drive one knee toward your chest while keeping the other leg extended.
3. Switch legs quickly, like you are running in place.
4. Keep your core tight and your back flat as you move fast and in control.

Recommended Sets and Reps: Perform 3 rounds of 30 seconds of work. Rest for 30 seconds between rounds.

Coach Tip: Keep your shoulders over your wrists and drive your knees straight under your chest to maximize core engagement.

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Move #3: Squat to Press

This full-body move combines lower-body strength with an upper-body push, providing you with double the return for your time. It improves coordination, builds lean muscle, and keeps your metabolism fired up. Perfect for keeping fat off your waistline after the age of 40.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

How to Do It:

1. Stand tall with dumbbells at your shoulders and your feet just outside shoulder-width apart.
2. Lower into a squat by bending your knees and pushing your hips back.
3. Keep your chest tall.
4. Stand up powerfully and press the dumbbells overhead.
5. Lower the weights back to your shoulders and repeat.

Recommended Sets and Reps: Perform 3 to 4 sets of 10 reps. Rest for 45 seconds between sets.

Coach Tip: Brace your core at the bottom of the squat to create more power during the press.

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Move #4: High Pulls (Barbell or Kettlebell)

High pulls train your entire upper posterior chain and elevate your heart rate fast. This move demands coordination, builds shoulder and back strength, and trains explosive power—an underrated tool for fat loss after 40.

How to Do It:

1. Stand with feet hip-width apart
2. Place a barbell or kettlebell on the ground, aligned with your mid-foot.
3. Hinge at your hips slightly and bend your knees.
4. Grasp the weight.
5. Explode upward by driving through your legs and pulling the weight to chest height.
6. Keep your elbows high and outside at the top.
7. Lower under control and repeat.

Recommended Sets and Reps: Perform 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps. Rest for 60 seconds between sets.

Coach Tip: Pull the weight with your elbows, not your arms. Let your hips drive the lift.

Move #5: Assault Bike Sprint Intervals

The assault bike is unmatched for full-body conditioning. It torches calories, preserves your joints, and trains your body in short bursts of intensity. After 40, it helps you stay athletic and lean without the pounding of running.

How to Do It:

1. Sit on the assault bike with your feet flat on the pedals and hands gripping the handles.
2. Your legs should be slightly bent at the bottom of the pedal stroke.
3. Warm up for 30 to 60 seconds, pedaling at a moderate pace to get your blood flowing before starting your first sprint.
4. Sprint as hard as you can, pushing and pulling with your arms and legs at full effort for the designated time.
5. Recover at a slow pace. After the sprint, ease into a steady, slow pedal while continuing to breathe deeply.
6. Repeat for the number of rounds.

Recommended Sets and Reps: Perform 6 rounds of 20 seconds sprint, 40 seconds easy. Rest for 1 to 2 minutes after every 3 rounds.

Coach Tip: Lean forward slightly and drive hard with both arms and legs to create max output.

Jarrod Nobbe, MA, CSCS