Burn Fat for Tight Abs

If you want to lose your gut, don't think of lifting weights as an option; consider it a requirement. Why? When dieters don't pump iron, 22 percent of their weight loss comes from losing muscle, according to a Penn State study. So if you drop 20 pounds without lifting, almost 5 pounds will be from muscle.

That won't happen with this program. It's designed to work your muscles intensively 4 days a week so you can banish your belly but keep your biceps. In fact, scientists discovered that men using a similar approach lost 37 percent more fat than those who didn't hit the weights. The end result: the lean, muscular body you want.

Directions:
Perform these workouts 4 days a week. Do the upper-body and lower-body workouts on consecutive days, rest a day, and repeat. For your first upper-body day, use the low-rep workout. For your first lower-body day, follow the high-rep workout. Then switch for your second 2 days of training, so every week you end up performing both high and low reps for your upper and lower body.

For the upper-body workout, alternate between the exercises that have the same number (1A and 1B, for example). Do 1 set of the first exercise and rest, followed by 1 set of the second exercise, and rest again. Complete all your sets for each exercise pair and then move to the next pair (2A and 2B).

For the lower-body workout, do 1 set of exercise 1, rest, and repeat until you've finished all the sets.

Do the same with 2. Then perform 3A and 3B as pairs, alternating between them as you did with the upper-body workout. Do the same for exercises 4A and 4B.

Low-rep workout
Complete 5 to 8 repetitions of each exercise, resting 60 seconds between sets.
Upper body: Do 2 or 3 sets of each exercise
Lower body: Do 2 or 3 sets of each exercise*

High-rep workout
Perform 12 to 15 reps in each set. For exercises 1 and 2, rest 60 to 90 seconds between sets. For 3A, 3B, 4A, and 4B, rest 30 to 45 seconds between sets.
Upper body: Do 2 or 3 sets of each exercise
Lower body: Do 2 sets of each exercise*

*Do just 1 set of the Swiss-ball plank