Many gym-goers have a burning desire to burn belly fat.
(If you pardon the pun.)
Trying to find the most effective exercises for reducing body fat (particularly belly fat) can be a challenge though.
Pull-ups are known for being a very effective upper body exercise that puts some focus on your core muscles.
With that in mind, it makes sense that pull-ups might actually be a good belly fat-reducing exercise.
That’s what we discuss in this article, whether pull-ups can reduce belly fat, or if there are other exercises better suited for this task.
Do Pull-Ups Reduce Belly Fat?
The most important thing to keep in mind when it comes to trying to reduce belly fat is that you can’t target a specific area to burn body fat from.
You can do lots of fat-burning exercises and, eventually, you will reduce fat from all areas of your body.
(Including from your belly.)
The order in which body fat is reduced isn’t something you can control though.
Compound exercises tend to be a great choice for fat-burning programs as they get multiple muscle groups working simultaneously, which is ideal for working your body harder in the hope of burning more fat.
As pull-ups are a compound exercise, they can certainly help reduce belly fat.
You might not notice any reduction in belly fat in the short term, but if you use pull-ups as part of a general fat-burning program, you can certainly reduce belly fat as a result.
The Key To Losing Belly Fat
One of the most important parts of burning fat is to ensure you’re in a calorie deficit each day.
This means that you’re burning more calories than you’re consuming.
This needs to be done carefully to ensure you’re getting all the calories you need without eating too many that your body can then store as fat.
Although your fat-burning program won’t be able to specifically target any area of your body, being in a calorie deficit can result in weight and fat loss over longer periods of time.
As your body continues to burn fat, eventually your belly fat will reduce and you’ll be another step closer to your fitness goals.
How Many Pull-Ups Should You Do To Lose Belly Fat?
This will ultimately depend on your current strength and fitness levels as well as how many pull-ups you can comfortably do already.
However, as a general rule, 3 to 5 sets of 10 to 15 pull-ups could be beneficial for burning fat.
You may choose to move away from reps and sets for your fat-burning program though.
Instead, you could do as many pull-ups as you can in thirty seconds before resting for one minute and repeating.
How Often Should You Do Pull-Ups To Lose Belly Fat?
Again, this will depend on your current fitness levels as well as the goals you’re trying to achieve.
Doing pull-ups 2 to 3 times a week might be suitable for some intense fat-burning programs.
However, once a week might be better suited for others.
For most fat-burning programs, doing pull-ups at least twice a week will likely be suitable to keep you moving toward your belly fat-burning goals.
Conclusion
In summary:
- While pull-ups won’t directly reduce belly fat, they can help you lose weight as part of a general fat loss program.
- You can’t choose where fat will be burned from your body.
That’s all for this article, but do long arms make pull-ups harder? Or do pull-ups make your shoulders wider?
Hope this helped!
Sources
I’ve been in the fitness and strength training industry for nearly a decade. In that time, I’ve gained 30 pounds of muscle, written hundreds of articles, and reviewed dozens of fitness supplements. As for my educational background, I’m a currently studying for my Active IQ Level 3 Diploma in Personal Training.