What’s going on, JRD Nation?! 

Today we’ll revisit a topic we haven’t touched on in a while, but we get asked for advice on all the time – how to get rid of stubborn belly fat! 

We know how frustrating – sometimes infuriating – it can be to try to get rid of it because it’s by far the most stubborn and difficult type of fat to banish, and we’re going to tell you why.

Most importantly, we’ll give you our secret sauce — a combination of nutrition and high-intensity workouts — that’ll turn your body into a lean, fat-incinerating machine. 

We’ll discuss the important nutrition component to losing weight around your middle and then introduce our belly fat-blasting HIIT jump rope workout. Let’s go! 

Types of Belly Fat 

Everybody has belly fat. Even shredded dudes with 6-pack abs need some belly fat. “Normal” belly fat is mostly subcutaneous fat that acts as a layer of protection between your skin and inner organs.  

There are two types of belly fat, and they impact your health in different ways: subcutaneous (as mentioned above) and visceral fat.  

Visceral fat is stored deep in the belly. This is the bad kind of belly fat linked to greater risks of developing serious health conditions like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol, insulin resistance, and high blood pressure.  

While visceral fat isn’t completely evil, it’s also necessary in small amounts. However, it’s the type of belly fat you’ll want to keep in check.  

Why is Belly Fat so Stubborn? 

Belly fat is the most stubborn type of fat for two reasons. First, your abdomen stores fat cells in higher volumes for survival. Second, the fat stored in the belly isn’t the same as other types of fat. 

Unfortunately, the areas of your body with more fat are also composed of the type of fat containing Alpha-2 receptors. These fats are more resistant to lipolysis, the process of breaking down fat for energy. This is why it’s so hard to lose stubborn belly fat!  

This is important to think of so you don’t become discouraged if you lose fat from other parts of your body first. This happens all the time. The fat cells in your abdomen may be slower to respond, but they’ll catch up. Just keep going and stay dedicated to your goals!

What Causes Belly Fat? 

Most of the time, at least in the fitness community, extra belly fat comes from unhealthy eating habits and lack of exercise. Greasy, processed foods with little to no nutritional value are notorious for packing on visceral fat.  

Sometimes extra belly fat can be caused by hormonal imbalances like low testosterone, insulin resistance, and high levels of cortisol (the stress hormone.) Also, women experiencing drops in estrogen often see a difference in how their body stores and distributes fat.  

If you think you’re suffering from a hormonal imbalance, get checked out by a doctor who can provide more resources. If you’re stressed out, there’s no better remedy than a therapeutic jump rope sweat session! That’s our preferred method of stress relief.

Aging is another factor in your ability to drop belly fat. As we age, muscles deteriorate, and fat stores increase, especially around the waist. There’s not much you can do about this other than stay active and committed to a healthy lifestyle.  

Note: You’ll find TONS of useful info on weight loss, nutrition, and more here – the ONLY 10 Things That Matter For Weight Loss.

Measuring Your Belly Fat 

The first step is to measure your belly and see where you stand. The only completely accurate measure of visceral fat is with an MRI. Still, you can estimate how much belly fat you have by measuring your waist circumference.  

Wrap a measuring tape around your bare stomach just above your hips while standing up straight. Make sure to measure accurately, don’t pull the tape tight, and take your measurement at the end of an exhale for best results.  

Experts say your waist should be under 35 inches for a female and less than 40 for a male.  

Why the Jump Rope is the Best Tool to Banish Belly Fat 

This workout is designed with intensity in mind. The only way to banish stubborn belly fat is with high-intensity interval training (HIIT), which combines nearly maxed-out intensity cardio with strength training.  

Jumping rope is the most ideal exercise for melting body fat as it produces an intense combination of aerobic and anaerobic exercise. Simply put, aerobic exercises build cardiovascular endurance, and anaerobic exercises increase muscle mass. 

Once you feel like you’ve mastered this workout or are ready to try something new, check out our free 7-Day Jump Rope Challenge. 

If planning comprehensive, intense, and efficient workouts is confusing, allow us to be your personal trainers, coaches, and motivators! 

The Importance of Nutrition 

Have you ever noticed that nobody fluctuates between flabby belly fat and six-pack abs? 

The point is that having tight, toned abs is a long-term commitment; it’s a lifestyle. You have to eat for the body you want every day.  

Nutrition plays an integral part in losing belly fat, and you’ll have to maintain a calorie deficit to lose fat. That means you’ll consume fewer calories than you’re expending throughout the day.  

The double-edged sword with staying in a calorie deficit is that you must ensure you’re fueling your body with the right types of foods (i.e., proper macronutrient ratios) to fuel your muscles and not feel like you’re starving.  

With the JRD Nutrition System 2.0, you’ll get access to our calorie and macronutrient calculator, which makes it easy to know you’re eating right. 

Our system shows you exactly how much to eat and what foods for your specific body type and fitness goals. We also give you easy-to-follow, delicious recipes and a guide to “approved foods” to help you make smart choices when you’re grabbing meals on the go. 

It’s a nutrition system designed for everyday eating, longevity, and a healthy lifestyle.  

Regardless of the diet or nutrition system you choose to follow, there are a few rules of thumb for burning off stubborn belly fat. To burn more fat, you need to eat a balanced diet consisting of healthy fats, lean proteins, and lots of fruits and veggies. 

Pay attention to your portion sizes and try intermittent fasting if you’re struggling to jump-start your fat loss.  

Intermittent Fasting and Belly Fat 

Your body’s primary fuel for energy is glucose, which comes from carbohydrates. Our caveman ancestors evolved to use glucose to preserve our fat stores in case of famine. 

Fasting allocates your eating to specific times, and a smaller window allows your body more time to burn fat instead of glucose.  

We like to use intermittent fasting to maintain a relatively low body fat percentage while still getting to eat feely during meals. It allows you to maximize your eating window while controlling your calorie intake. Thus, keeping your body trained to burn fat for fuel during the 16-hour fasting part of the day.  

Now let’s get to the workout!

Grab a Quality Jump Rope  

We’ve never tried to hide the fact that we both started our respective jump rope journeys with cheap $5 jump ropes, and they worked – for a while. We want to inspire everyone to grab a rope and start jumping, and we don’t care if that jump rope costs $5 or $150.  

With that said, we’ve also experienced plenty of lashings and poor-quality jump ropes that get tangled up or start to shed and fall apart after just a couple of months. This is why we recommend investing in a high-quality jump rope. 

Not only will you save yourself the trouble of replacing it often, but a quality jump rope actually shortens the learning curve allowing you to master form, technique, and tricks faster.  

You’ll get a better workout and experience an easier workout with better and more consistent results with a quality jump rope. Also, you’ll enjoy your workouts more with a smooth, comfortable, evenly weighted cable jump rope. 

This is how we found Crossrope and partnered with them to bring you an awesome discount on the best jump rope system in the world.  

 

Get Strong Set  

The Get Strong Set has two heavy weighted jump ropes, a 1 LB and 2 LB rope, paired with thick, sturdy, power-grip handles. These ropes are intended for seasoned athletes who want to increase their strength while building cardiovascular endurance. 

Weighted ropes are especially intense training for your calves, forearms, shoulders, and core, stabilizing muscles.  

Weighted ropes burn an insane amount of calories because of the sheer effort it takes to swing them around vs. a traditional jump rope. 

This makes them a fat-burning powerhouse if you’re ready for the challenge. We don’t recommend jumping (literally) into using weighted ropes if you’re a beginner.  

The Get Strong Set is an excellent tool for skill drills because heavier ropes speed up the muscle memory process. They’re also a fantastic way to prepare for speed training by switching from a heavy rope to a light one for a speed round that will have you crushing new personal records! 

If you get one of Crossrope’s awesome sets, make sure to use the code DOTHETHING at checkout to save an additional 15%! 

The JRD Belly Fat-Blasting Workout 

The key to this workout is to keep your muscles fired up! To achieve this, we’ve created a circuit you’ll repeat 5Xs, resting for 1 minute in between. Each circuit consists of 4 exercises you’ll do at all-out max intensity for 30-second intervals.  

Key things to remember: 

• Focus on proper form 
• Always keep your wrists in by your sides 
• Rest longer if you need to 
• Take modified moves if you need to 
• Have fun! 

Belly-Blasting Circuit

Do each exercise at all-out intensity for 30-second intervals, rest for 10-seconds, and move on to the next exercise until the circuit is complete. Repeat the circuit 5Xs total. 

30 Seconds: Jump Rope Sprint

This is a sprint – get that heart rate up and start strong! 

30 Seconds: Double Unders

This trick can be tough for beginners but try your best as it’s an intense move that fires up your muscles. Check out How to Do Double Unders in 3 Easy Steps if you need a step-by-step breakdown of this move. 

30 Seconds: Jump Rope High Knees

It doesn’t need much explanation, just get those knees high and to the chest. Give it as much intensity as you can! 

30 Seconds: JRD Shuffle

The shuffle is here to help calm down the intensity and give you a moment to catch your breath. Think of it as an easy, steady bounce, not a break. 

Repeat these 4 exercises to complete the circuit! 

• 30 Seconds: Jump Rope Sprint 
• 30 Seconds: Double Unders 
• 30 Seconds: Jump Rope High Knees 
• 30 Seconds: JRD Shuffle 

Finally Get Rid of Belly Fat with JRD TV 

We hope you feel inspired to attack your belly fat and go after your dream physique. If you want more workouts, personalized fitness coaching, and an awesome forum of cool people to share your jump rope journey with, check out JRD TV! 

JRD TV is an app you can access from any smart device, anywhere, anytime. We think it’s so incredible that we’re offering it to you for free for two weeks!  

For 14 days, you’ll have access to all our workout programs, including: 

• New workouts added every Monday-Friday
• JRD Nutrition System 2.0 
• Shredded Ninja (our top-selling program) 
• JRD90
• Swole Samurai  
• The JRD Push-Up Program  
• Hundreds of commercial-free workouts
• Live coaching streams 
• Community forum of awesome, supportive people

The value of this one-of-a-kind platform is immeasurable. We offer it to you at an affordable price to keep our community strong and thriving.

A far better deal than any gym membership with more personalized coaching, fun, and support! 

Just go to JumpRopeDudes.tv and start your free trial today!

Remember, you can follow JRD on social media (Instagram and Facebook). Contact us there for any and all jump rope-related questions – we love to hear from you!  

Until next time, JRD nation…  

#DOTHETHING