10 Gym Machines To Lose Belly Fat (Equipment To Slim Waist)

We’ve all got that stubborn bit of belly fat that we just can’t shift. Sometimes it's not a question of effort; it's just difficult to know the best approach. There's a lot of gym equipment out there, but what are the best gym machines to lose belly fat?

In this guide, we'll answer that question and give you some useful tips to help you reduce your belly fat quickly.  

There's a lot of home gym equipment out there, but not all of it is great for targeting belly fat. We've found and ranked the best home gym machines to target your abs and reduce belly fat quickly so you can pick up the best equipment to help you reach your goals:

1. Treadmills 

Treadmills are one of the best pieces of gym equipment for weight loss, and they can help you lose fat from your whole body, not just your belly. Treadmills essentially let you run on the spot and have controls so you can adjust the resistance and incline to make it more of a challenge.

Using a treadmill will raise your heart rate, which will increase your calorie burn. This will help to strip body fat away and leave your body tighter, more toned, and noticeably leaner 

Treadmills engage almost every major muscle group while running but particularly work your abdominals. They help to keep you stable as you move, and over time, they will become more toned.

The combination of abdominal strengthening and calorie burning makes treadmills one of the most effective gym machines to help you lose belly fat. 

The best way to blast through body fat is to perform high-intensity moves for short periods. High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) on a treadmill involves alternating between fast sprints at high resistance and then recovering at a jog before sprinting again.

HIIT exercises have been proven to reduce overall body fat within a short period, and performing 3-4 sets of 20 minute HIIT workouts a week on a treadmill will help you develop a flat, toned stomach.

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2. Stationary Bike 

Cycling has long been known as one of the most effective ways to burn calories, and stationary bikes offer a great alternative if you aren’t able to cycle outside. There’s a wide variety of stationary exercise bikes (including recumbent and spinning bikes), but they all work the same way.

You use your legs to push the pedals, which burns calories. You can usually adjust the resistance and speed so that you’re pushing your body and maximizing the benefits 

Stationary bikes are great for reducing body fat because they burn a lot of calories quickly. This will, in turn, help you to reduce your belly fat and get rid of your love handles.

Stationary exercise bikes are also an effective way to tone your stomach because the movement engages your core muscles. By burning fat and strengthening the muscles, stationary bikes will help to reduce your belly fat and leave your mid-section looking much more attractive 

You can burn up to 750 calories an hour on a stationary bike if you have an intense workout. If your goal is to lose belly fat, we would recommend incorporating a HIIT workout where you cycle hard and then have short recovery periods where you go slower.

Many exercise bikes have a pre-programmed HIIT or rolling hills workout, and if you perform this for 20-30 minutes 3-5 times a week, you should see results in just a few months.

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3. Stair Climber 

Stair climbers are one of the toughest machines in the gym, and they’re often used by athletes as part of their core training. This larger machine is less common in home gyms, but it’s definitely worth the investment if you want to lose belly fat and improve your posture.  

Stair climbers are essentially a moving staircase that allows you to climb flight after flight of stairs and burn calories. They force you to use a lot of energy quickly, and you can burn up to 500 calories in an hour.

The upwards motion engages your legs, glutes, and core, and you’ll definitely feel it in your abdominals. By burning fat and strengthening your abs, the stair master will help you to tighten your stomach and remove belly fat quickly.  

You don’t need any specific workouts for stair climbers, but we recommend a progressive overload. Find a challenging pace on the stair climber and try to increase it by 1 level every week. This will continually test your body and help you shed body fat. 

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4. Ellipticals 

Ellipticals are often used in recovery or rehabilitation because they offer a lot of the benefits of running without any impact on your joints.

They're an excellent gym machine to help you lose belly fat because you can burn a lot of calories quickly, and this is largely because they engage your upper and lower body simultaneously with a push-pull movement.

This means you work harder, which will help you reduce your overall body fat. Using an elliptical regularly will also help to strengthen your core, so your stomach becomes more toned.  

Ellipticals are one of the best machines to lose belly fat for those who are overweight and want a low impact workout. Try to perform 3-5 20-minute HIIT workouts a week with 1-minute sprints and 1-minute recovery, and you should see a reduction in your belly fat in less than a month.  

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5. Ski Machine 

Skiing is regarded as one of the toughest sports because of the coordination and core strength needed to do it well. Ski machines imitate the movement of cross-country skiing and will help you burn a lot of calories very quickly.

They'll also engage almost every muscle in your body, including your abdominals, to build lean muscle while you reduce your body fat percentage.  

Ski machines will help you lose belly fat quickly, but they'll also improve your overall endurance. This will make it easier to perform other exercises for longer, which will allow you to improve your overall physique.  

Ski machines can be challenging at first because of the standing position you're in throughout the movement. You should aim to do short, intense bursts to maximize the calorie burn without wearing yourself out too quickly.

For example, sprint for 30 seconds, rest for 90 seconds, and then repeat, aiming for a 20-minute workout in total. Try to repeat this 2-5 times a week, and you should notice a reduction in belly fat after a month or two. 

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6. Rowing Machines 

Rowing is often associated with building a strong back, but rowing machines are effective for cardio and strength building.

The pulling movement engages your core and will help you build strong abdominals, and the fast-paced rowing motion will allow you to burn over 500 calories an hour. This will help you reduce your body fat while shaping and toning your stomach.   

Rowing machines are popular in home gyms because they combine strength and cardiovascular training in one, removing the need for multiple pieces of equipment. There are many different workouts you can try, but if you want to reduce belly fat, then sprints can be really effective 

Warm up with a 1-minute row, and then sprint for 250 meters, slow down for 150 meters, sprint for 250 meters, slow down for 150 meters and repeat. Keep going for 15-20 minutes, and you should burn a lot of calories.

Performing this high-intensity workout 2-4 times a week will be really effective, and you should see a reduction in belly fat in 1-2 months.  

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7. Free Weights (Barbells & Dumbbells) 

Free weights are a great asset in any home gym because you can use them for a variety of strength and cardio workouts. It's this versatility that makes them useful for burning body fat because you can elevate your heart rate and burn calories while strengthening your core muscles.

This allows you to develop your physique and build lean muscle while stripping fat from your body.  

The real advantage of using dumbbells or barbells is that you can switch between several different routines, which will help you to lose belly fat. By changing it up regularly, you can continually test your body, and it should prevent you from plateauing.  

One of the best free weights exercises to target belly fat is the Russian twist. Start by sitting with your legs bent in front of you and heels on the ground. Next, hold a dumbbell in your hands in front of your chest, engage your core, and lean your body back at an angle. Slowly twist the dumbbell to the right and the left, repeating for 10-20 reps.

This exercise will strengthen and tone your core, and by performing Russian twists 4-6 times a week, you to reduce belly fat and leave you with a flatter stomach.  

Dumbbells are affordable and easy to store, so they're useful for small home gym owners looking to lose belly fat.

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8. Sit Up Bench 

A sit-up bench is a specific piece of equipment to help target your core, lower back, and abdominals, so it's easy to see why it would effectively reduce your belly fat.

It supports a range of movements that will build your abdominal muscles and help to flatten out your stomach. It's also an affordable and compact piece of equipment that is great for home or garage gyms.  

You can perform a wide variety of core exercises on a sit-up bench, but for a killer workout to target your belly fat, you should do 12 leg raises, 12 Russian twists, and 12 reverse crushes in quick succession.

By minimizing the rest period, you'll make your workout a lot more intense, burn more calories, and maximize your muscle growth 

While abdominal exercises won't specifically burn belly fat, they will help tone and noticeably shape your stomach. We'd recommend incorporating some cardio exercises alongside your sit up bench routine for the best results.

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9. Stability Ball  

A stability ball forces your core to work harder to keep your core stable. This helps strengthen your abdominal muscles and tighten your stomach, helping to reduce visible belly fat. Stability balls are cheap and effective and can be used in various ways in your home gym.  

The best feature of stability balls is that you can work them into your day-to-day life. You can use them in workouts and use them as an office chair. By sitting on it throughout the day, you'll engage your core and help keep your abs tight.

Stability balls are useful for beginners because the movements aren't challenging, and suitable for those recovering from an injury because there's no impact.  

Stability ball crunches are great for reducing belly fat. Rest your lower back on the stability ball with your legs bent and heels on the floor. Place your hands behind your head and engage your core as you slowly move your torso upwards.

Keep your glutes tight throughout the movement, and aim for 15-20 reps at a time. Try to perform these crunches daily to strengthen your abdominals and reduce your belly fat.

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10. Ab Rollout Wheel 

Ab rollout wheels are one of the cheapest and simplest ways to reduce your belly fat. They support bodyweight movements and put a strain on your core, letting you maximize the benefits to your abdominals and tone your stomach.

Using them seems simple but can be quite challenging to perform, and you may struggle to use the wheel properly at first.  

Ab rollout wheels are very compact and can fit in any home gym. You can perform a few different varieties of ab rollout, but for reducing belly fat, we recommend performing an ab wheel plank where you start in a standing position and lower yourself down to the floor and roll the wheel out away from you.

Try to perform 10-12 repetitions of this 3-5 times a week to strengthen your abs and tone your stomach.

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How To Lose Belly Fat (Effective Workout Routines) 

One important thing to note is that spot reduction of body fat is generally considered a myth, and it's very difficult to lose body fat in just one area of your body. The best approach is to look to reduce your overall body fat percentage, and in doing so, your belly fat will reduce too.  

However, that doesn’t mean that certain workouts aren’t more effective at giving you a toned stomach. The key is to select workouts that will elevate your heart rate and burn calories while also strengthening your core muscles.

This mixture of strength and cardio training is key to losing belly fat, and while you don't have to use an exercise machine, it’s generally a much more effective to use one.  

The types of exercises you perform should engage your core muscles. This can be directly through sit-ups or Russian twists or indirectly through activities like running, where your core helps to keep you upright and stable.

You should try to elevate your heart rate as much as possible, and high-intensity workouts will reduce belly fat more quickly. Consistency is key, and performing 20-30 minute intense workouts 3-5 times a week is enough to reduce your belly fat noticeably in just a few months.  

The best gym machines for reducing your belly fat are definitely treadmills and stationary bikes. They require you to engage your core for stability but also burn a lot of calories very quickly.

You can exercise efficiently on them, and if you're using them regularly, you can reduce your body fat percentage noticeably over just a few weeks 

Performing high-intensity interval training on the treadmill or exercise bike is definitely the way to go. This involves mixing up sprints and recovery periods, and you generally want a 1 to 2 ratio, so if you're sprinting for 30 seconds, you should recover for 60 seconds.  

Find a speed or resistance that is reasonably challenging and sprint for 30 seconds (9-10mph on a treadmill or 20-25mph on an exercise bike). After 30 seconds, reduce your speed for 1 minute to recover (3-4mph on a treadmill or 10-15mph on an exercise bike) and then sprint again for 30 seconds.

Repeat this cycle for 20-30 minutes, and you should burn a lot of calories and reduce your belly fat.

10 Gym Machines To Lose Belly Fat (Equipment To Slim Waist)

Choosing The Best Equipment To Reduce Belly Fat 

We’ve introduced some of the best gym equipment for reducing belly fat, but it can be tough deciding which is best. Here are some of the key factors to consider to help ensure you get the best gym machines for you:   

Your Goals 

Your gym equipment should help you achieve your fitness goals, so you need to know what they are. If you have a very focused goal, like reducing belly fat, you may only need a treadmill.

However, if you want to improve your overall strength while reducing your body fat, you may be better off with a set of free weights. Some gym equipment is more versatile than others and can therefore be used in a variety of different ways.

Just make sure you select equipment to help you reach your goals, don’t adapt your goals because of your equipment.

Space Available

Space can be at a premium in a home gym, and you might not have much room to play with. Some machines, like stair steppers and treadmills, are a lot larger than others, and you may not be able to fit them in.

Make sure you measure the space and consider the size of the equipment before you buy, or it may end up taking up your whole home gym.  

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Cost Vs Budget Available

Everyone has a slightly different budget, and you might not be able to afford premium gym machines, but that doesn’t mean you can’t reduce your belly fat. We’ve tried to include some options for everyone, and if you're on a tight budget, you should look into a set of free weights, an ab roller, or a stability ball.

Remember, it doesn't matter how effective a piece of equipment is at reducing belly fat if you can't afford it, so have a clear idea of your budget before you start looking.  

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Health Concerns 

Most of the gym equipment listed above is suitable for anyone, but if you’re carrying an injury or have limited mobility, you'll be a bit more limited. Some overweight users may have weaker joints too, and knee pain can be common as we grow older.  

If you do have joint pain or an injury, then it’s best to avoid high-impact gym machines like treadmills and instead consider something like an elliptical, which is no impact.

You might also prefer a set of weights that allow you to customize your workout and avoid any pain points. You must be honest with yourself before you buy because it's not worth risking an injury trying to use something which isn't suitable. 

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Common Losing Belly Fat Questions

How can I lose my belly fat in a week? 

If you want to lose belly fat in a week, you should be performing cardio daily, ideally with one of the machines listed above. You should also reduce your calorie intake so that you're in a deficit, drink more water, and eat more fiber. You might not see a lot of progress in a week, but it should have some impact.  

Can walking help lose belly fat? 

Yes. Walking might not seem strenuous, but walking is a great way to tone and shape your body. It will help you reduce your overall body fat and decrease the amount of belly fat around your stomach.  

Can you flatten your tummy naturally without exercise? 

A strict, calorie-controlled diet will help to reduce your belly fat. However, incorporating exercise will help to strengthen your core and abs to give you a much flatter and toned stomach.  

What diet should I use to lose belly fat? 

There’s no specific diet for losing belly fat, but you should aim to have a 200-500 calorie deficit every day, reduce your sugar intake, eat more protein, avoid alcohol, and drink plenty of water.  


Conclusion

Belly fat can be a pain to shift, but having the right home gym equipment makes the task a lot easier. The key is finding workouts that burn calories and strengthen your core at the same time, and hopefully, this guide has introduced a few gym machines that will let you do this and will help you reduce your body fat as quickly as possible.   

Last Updated on June 20, 2023

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Andrew White

Andrew White is the co-founder of Garage Gym Pro. As an expert fitness professional (gym building nerd) with over 10 years of industry experience, he enjoys writing about everything there is to do with modern fitness & the newest market innovations for garage gyms. When he isn’t testing out products for his readers, he’s usually out surfing or playing basketball.