Most Effective Gym Machines To Lose Belly Fat

We have good news and bad. We’ll start with the bad. You have been lied to about weight loss for a long time. If your trainer told you that doing crunches on an ab bench will help you shed belly fat, you’ve been pushed down the wrong path. 

Just because an exercise works your abdomen doesn’t mean it’ll help shrink your waistline. Many people hold the contradictory belief that while performing biceps curls will help them build bigger biceps, doing crunches will get them a narrow waist. Each muscle in your body responds to resistance training the same way — it grows bigger and stronger. To put it briefly, while performing abdominal exercises on a piece of training equipment like an ab bench or Captain’s chair might burn some calories, they won’t help lose belly fat when done in isolation. 

However, the good news is that we are here to guide you through the jungle of misinformation that is constantly thrown at you. 

The Holy Grail To Lose Belly Fat

Your body stores excess calories throughout your body as fat. You need to enter a calorie deficit, meaning you need to expend more calories in a day than you eat to burn fat and shed the extra kilos and, ultimately, your belly fat.  

Depending on your current weight, sex, activity level, and lifestyle, you might have to burn more calories than your training partner to lose belly fat. Here is an oversimplified step-by-step guide to shedding the spare tire:

1. Determine your average daily calorie intake. You could use calorie-tracking apps like MyFitnessPal to log your meals. 
2. Enter a calorie deficit by cutting 500 calories from your diet or adding a suitable aerobic exercise to your daily routine. [1]
3. Meet your daily calorie requirement through whole foods using a macronutrient-focused diet. Learn about your maintenance calories and ideal macro breakdown using our convenient online TDEE calculator. 
4. Adjust the deficit based on your progress and ultimate goal. Getting your diet right might require trial and error, but it will work like magic once you hit the sweet spot. 

You could switch between high-intensity interval training (HIIT) or low-intensity steady state (LISS) cardio workouts to streamline your weight loss progress. 

9 Best Gym Machines To Lose Belly Fat

It is no secret that cardio machines are more effective at burning calories as they help spike your heart rate and boost your metabolism than strength training equipment like the stability ball, Captain’s chair, or sit-up bench. 

Here are the nine gym machines that should be a part of your training regimen if you want to lose belly fat:

1. Treadmill

You’re probably not surprised to see the treadmill on this list. A treadmill is an incredibly effective cardio equipment for running and walking. 

Running on a treadmill might be better than running on the pavement as most latest treadmills come with shock absorbers to reduce stress on your joints and tendons. 

Running at a high speed on the treadmill is recommended as it can help engage your abdomen and speed up your fat loss progress. You could also run on an incline to burn more calories and hence belly fat.

On average, a 170-pound individual burns around 252 calories during a moderate-intensity 30-minute run on a treadmill.

You could get a foldable treadmill for your home if you are short on space and cannot make time for the gym. Use different training modes on the treadmill to keep your workouts interesting and challenging. 

Furthermore, you could get a curved treadmill if you want a machine that is kinder on your knees and other joints than the conventional flatbed treadmill.

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Note: The exact calorie you burn will depend on factors like your training intensity, duration, and body weight.

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Pros

• Great for beginners and pros alike. 
• Better for your joints than running outdoors.
• One of the most accessible cardio equipment.

Cons

• Can be expensive depending on its size and sturdiness.

Check Out: Treadmill Calorie Calculator

2. Rowing Machine

The rowing machine is a full-body cardio equipment that helps you focus on your upper body. It is a great training tool for people who deal with belly and back fat. Plus, the rowing machine can help build explosive strength. 

Ensure you are using a full range of motion while doing this exercise to get the best bang for your buck. 

Besides using it as a conventional rower, you could also use the rowing machine as a modified propel ab crunch machine by placing your feet on the floor and your forearms on the rower’s seat. 

On average, a 170-pound individual burns around 250 calories during a moderate-intensity 30-minute rowing session. Since rowing is a full-body exercise, you burn almost the same calories as running. 

Pros

• A full-body cardio training equipment.
• Helps build explosive strength.

Cons

• Might be taxing on your lower back if performed with an incorrect form.
• Puts more focus on your back than your belly.

Check Out: Calories Burned Rowing Calculator

3. Stairmaster

The Stairmaster is one of the most brutal cardio equipment. It is a great low-impact cardio option that can help melt fat off your body. 

The stairclimber is also incredibly effective in recruiting your quads, hams, glutes, calves, and abdomen. Use the Stairmaster without grabbing onto the side rails, and keep an upright torso to make the most of this exercise. 

Performing this exercise for extended periods can strain your knees. Heavier individuals should stay away from this exercise as it can be taxing on their lower body joints.

An average 170-pound individual can burn around 235 calories during a moderate-intensity 30-minute session on a stair climber. 

Pros

• Can help build lower body muscle mass and definition. 

Cons

• Not recommended for heavier folks.
• Can be burdensome on your lower body joints.

Check Out: Calories Burned From Stairs Calculator

Related: Stairmaster vs. Treadmill: Which One Should You Be Using?

4. Elliptical

The elliptical is one of the best low-impact cardio equipment. It is especially great for people dealing with lower body injuries. The elliptical’s handles allow you to work your upper body as well.  

People trying to lose belly fat should focus on pushing and pulling the handles using their hands as much as using their legs while using this machine. 

Like all other machines on this list, an elliptical allows you to crank up the resistance, making you work harder and burn more calories. 

An average 170-pound trainer can burn around 250 calories during a moderate-intensity 30-minute elliptical training session. 

Pros

• Helps work your entire body.
• Low-impact and joint-friendly.

Cons

• Not as exhausting as running, which can be a deal-breaker for running enthusiasts. 

Check Out: Calories Burned on Elliptical Machine

5. Bike

Exercise bikes come in all shapes and sizes. Many high-end commercial gyms have a sprawling bike section with spin, recumbent, and air bikes gracing their equipment arsenal. 

While anyone can use any of these bikes, each bike has a different target audience. The spin bike is geared towards the regular fitness enthusiast; the recumbent bike is usually favored by the elderly, heavier, or individuals dealing with injuries, while the air bike is for hardcore trainers looking to exhaust themselves. 

Using a high-resistance setting can also help build stronger and more muscular legs. We recommend using an air bike if your primary goal is to shed belly fat as it actively engages your upper body.

An average 170-pound trainer can shed around 250 calories in a moderate-intensity 30-minute spinning session. 

Pros

• Low-impact cardio option.
• Low injury risk.
• Great for burning calories.

Cons

• Some bikes have uncomfortable seats.

Check Out: Calories Burned Spinning Calculator

6. Ski Machine

Although a piece of scarce training equipment, the ski machine is one of the most effective machines to lose belly fat. This machine mimics the arm motion of cross-country skiing and is most popular in CrossFit gyms.

If you want a machine that will smoke you in a short period, you cannot go wrong with the ski machine. The ski machine is the only equipment on the gym machines to lose belly fat list that is not lower body driven.

A 30-minute moderate-intensity session on the ski machine can help an average 170-pound male burn around 350 calories, but chances are, you’ll not last this long on this machine. 

Pros

• Helps build explosive strength. 
• An upper body-focused cardio exercise. 
• Great for people dealing with lower body injuries. 

Cons

• A hard-to-find machine.
• Has a steep learning curve. 

Check Out: Calories Burned Skiing Calculator

7. Arc Trainer

The Arc trainer is the new kid on the block. While most people consider it the same as the elliptical, it is not the case. An Arc trainer is a 3-in-1 machine that combines the elliptical trainer, treadmill, and stair climber.

If you thought the elliptical trainer was easy on the knees, you should try the Arc trainer. The Arc trainer has you push down and back in an arc, significantly reducing the stress on your knees. 

Besides helping burn belly fat, an Arc trainer helps tone your glutes, hamstrings, and quads. Total body arc trainers allow a full-body workout, making them potent gym machines to lose belly fat.

Furthermore, Cybex, the maker of the machine, claims that you burn 16 percent more calories on the Arc trainer than you would on an elliptical.

The Arc trainer is one of the most effective cardio equipment to eliminate the shock on the knees associated with running, making it a great machine for burning calories without stressing your joints. This characteristic of the Arc trainer makes it especially useful during recovery and rehabilitation. 

An average 170-pound trainer can burn about 290 calories during a moderate-intensity 30-minute Arc trainer session. 

Pros

• Reduces joint stress.
• Full-body workout.
• Great for rehabilitation and people dealing with lower body injuries. 
• Helps burn more calories than the elliptical.

Cons

• A hard-to-find machine.
• A little expensive if you’re considering it for your home gym. 

8. Mini Stepper

The mini stepper is a budget-friendly home gym cardio machine. It is a compact yet an effective cardio machine that can help burn calories and boost metabolism.

Most mini steppers come with detachable training bands that help work your chest, shoulders, back, and ab muscles. Plus, the machine is equipped with an LCD to monitor your time and calories. 

Unlike the bulky cardio equipment in this article, the mini stepper is inexpensive and makes minimal noise. It won’t even let the people in the other room know about your weight-loss ambitions.

The low-impact training tool can help an average 170-pound male burn about 200 calories during a moderate-intensity 30-minute workout. 

Pros

• Inexpensive.
• A low-impact exercise tool.
• Allows a full-body workout.

Cons

• A mini stepper is not a heavy-duty machine. 

9. Vibration Machine

A vibration machine is one of the most unconventional ways of losing belly fat. While people who swear by sweating it out on cardio machines dismiss the vibrations machines as tools for the lazy, a few studies have backed these vibration plates for their fat loss effectiveness.

A vibration plate causes your muscles to contract rapidly. Although not under your conscious control, it still requires energy and causes you to burn calories.

Perform the exercises mentioned below on the vibration machine to boost your belly fat loss results.

A 2019 study conducted on 280 participants found that whole-body vibration led to a significant amount of fat loss in the subjects. [2]

A different study found that dieting combined with vibration training was equally as effective as an aerobic program with a diet program over nine months. [3]

Per estimates, an average 170-pound male can burn 200 calories per hour on a vibration machine while simply standing on the plate. The calories burnt can jump up to 500 per hour if you perform dynamic or aerobic exercises while standing on the vibration plate.

Pros

• Budget-friendly.
• Joint-friendly.
• Compact.
• Requires minimal effort.

Cons

• Usually not found in gyms. You might have to invest in one for your home gym.
• Extended use can increase the risk of developing back, neck, hand, shoulder, and hip pain.

Factors To Consider When Buying Gym Machine To Lose Belly Fat

Are you looking to buy cardio equipment for your gym? Consider the following factors before pulling out your wallet:

1. Budget: Each gym equipment category offers numerous choices. However, you need to find one that does not burn a hole in your pocket. 
2. Available Space: Cardio equipment can be heavy and bulky. If you’re looking for a gym machine for your home, you should favor foldable equipment that can be tucked away after use.
3. Preference: Each individual has a personal preference. While some folks love running, others find it too taxing. Some are fans of rowing, and others love climbing stairs. Find what works best for you.
4. Use Case: You should get sturdier training equipment if multiple people will be using it. Commercial equipment usually costs more than home gym training machines. 

Best Exercises To Lose Belly Fat

If you do not have access to a gym or came to this article to learn about bodyweight exercises you can do on the move or in your room, we have got you covered. Given below are a few high-intensity bodyweight exercises that can help you lose belly fat:

• Running
• Burpee
• Jumping Jack
• Plank Jack
• High Knees
• Squat jump
• Squat
• Lunge
• Kettlebell swing
• Mountain climber
• Tuck jump
• Jump rope
• Bicycle crunch

As explained above, the focus of belly fat loss exercises isn’t to train your abdominal muscles but to maximize calorie burning. Adding these exercises to your training regimen will help you shed excess body fat. 

Best Workout To Lose Belly Fat

Performing one or two of the exercises mentioned above isn’t going to cut it. You need a well-programmed workout to achieve optimal fat-loss results. Here is a HIIT bodyweight workout to help you lose belly fat:

• Forward Lunge: 40-50 sec (10-20 sec rest)
• Bodyweight Squat: 40-50 sec (10-20 sec rest)
• Mountain Climber: 40-50 sec (10-20 sec rest)
• High Knee: 40-50 sec (10-20 sec rest)
• Burpee: 40-50 sec (10-20 sec rest)
• High Kick: 40-50 sec (10-20 sec rest)
• Push-Up: 40-50 sec (10-20 sec rest)
• Sit-Up: 40-50 sec (10-20 sec rest)
• Bicycle: 40-50 sec (1-minute rest)

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Note: Perform three rounds of this circuit. 

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which gym machines burn the most calories? 

Almost all gym machines mentioned in this article burn the same amount of calories if performed for the same period with the same intensity. However, running is known to burn the most calories per hour. So the treadmill would take the cake in this one. 

What exercise burns the most belly fat?

Compound HIIT exercises are most effective at burning calories. While there is no scientific evidence to prove it, burpees are one of the most effective bodyweight exercises for burning belly fat. Furthermore, you should perform multiple compound exercises in a HIIT circuit to streamline your fat loss progress.

What machines to use at the gym to lose belly fat?

Using any or all of the nine gym machines mentioned in this article can help burn belly fat. You could also use the ab bench, Captain’s chair, stability ball, or vibration plates to tone and strengthen your abdominal muscles.

Are bodyweight exercises good for losing belly fat?

Bodyweight exercises that are done as part of a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workout can be effective in losing belly fat. HIIT workouts boost the rate at which you burn calories and spike your metabolism. 

What is the fastest way to lose belly fat?

Entering a calorie deficit by adjusting your diet and adding cardiovascular exercises to your regimen is the fastest way to lose belly fat. You should also pair these with an effective recovery program for optimal progress. 

Wrapping Up

Your transformation starts in your kitchen if your goal is to shed belly fat. After you have a balanced diet in place, use the nine machines mentioned in this article to enter a calorie deficit. 

The next time you’re in the gym and want to use machines that are the most effective at burning belly fat, you should walk through the ab training section towards the cardio machines. Alternatively, you could get the machines listed in this article for your home gym and use them at your convenience. 

References

1. Guth E. Healthy Weight Loss. JAMA. 2014;312(9):974. doi:10.1001/jama.2014.10929
2. Omidvar M, Alavinia SM, Craven BC. The effects of whole body vibration therapy on reducing fat mass in the adult general population: A systematic review and meta-analyses. J Musculoskelet Neuronal Interact. 2019 Dec 1;19(4):455-464. PMID: 31789296; PMCID: PMC6944803.
3. Nam SS, Sunoo S, Park HY, Moon HW. The effects of long-term whole-body vibration and aerobic exercise on body composition and bone mineral density in obese middle-aged women. J Exerc Nutrition Biochem. 2016 Jun;20(2):19-27. doi: 10.20463/jenb.2016.06.20.2.3. Epub 2016 Jun 30. PMID: 27508150; PMCID: PMC4977903.