If you find yourself getting frustrated and confused at what work outs to do that will burn the most calories and fat, don’t feel down, you are not alone! Working out regularly with little to no results can be not only frustrating and draining, but time consuming!
Ultimately, the best way to burn fat is to ensure that your calorie consumption is less than the number of calories you are burning through exercise and diet. This means that you need to make sure you are eating less than you are burning. To prevent hours of boring cardio, you want to be aiming for exercise methods that burn the most calories in the minimum amount of time to help you achieve the body you are after!
Here are eight of the best:1. Squats:: Squats are a compound movement which means that it involves using more than one muscle at one time. Squats activate the quads, hamstrings, knees, ankles, glutes and hip joints whilst being performed. Research shows that as more muscle fibres are recruited in compound movements like squats, they will burn more calories than an isolated movement, for example a lunge, when being performed. Squats are also a beneficial exercise for preserving muscle mass – during weight loss sometimes muscle can be lost as well, so it is important to practise exercises like squats which will help you lose weight whilst maintaining a taut, toned body.
2. Deadlift:: The deadlift, much like the squat, is another one of my favorite exercises that burn major calories. This is due to the fact it is one of the best compound exercises around as it involves nearly every major muscle group in the body meaning that it will have a much higher energy expenditure – and a higher energy expenditure means a higher calorie burn. Start with dumbbells in each hand and work up to using a barbell. Make sure you keep your shoulders back with your knees slightly bent, keeping the weight close to your legs in the front.
3. Kettlebell swings Kettlebell swings definitely need to be added to your work outs if not already done so. These powerful movements activate your glutes and quads while quickly building up your heart rate. Kettlebell work outs will maximize your heart rate and will burn nearly 20.2 calories per minute –WOW! I add kettle bell swings to my client’s work outs weekly and for good reason!! 4. HIIT We all have heard of the benefits of HIIT (high intensity interval training) by now. But you may not yet know that the real benefits of HIIT can arise from interval training, such as those performed on cardio machines (or outside). For example, doing sprints on the treadmill or rowing machine can result in a higher energy expenditure than slow steady state cardio. This means that you can burn more calories in a shorter period of time. Try swapping between walking and sprinting on a slightly inclined treadmill for an intense workout that your body will thank you for! If you don't have a treadmill or cardio equipment to use, get some fresh air and take it outside and do sprints! 5. Burpees My clients cringe when I tell them to give me some burped, but when I tell you how many calories they burn, they will thank me later for forcing them to do them lol. A burpee combines a squat jump, push up, and plank all in one fluid movement. You can also do this right at home in your own living room if you can’t make it into the gym. Burpees are an awesome way to burn calories quick and fast! Plyometrics Plyometric exercises (a powerful movement which often involves a jump) such as the squat jump, lunge jump, box jumps, etc are excellent at stimulating the fast twitch muscle fibers of the body. We have both slow and fast twitch muscle fibers in our bodies, both which play an important role in exercising. However, fast-twitch muscle fibres are used for short, fast and explosive movements, which in turn burns more calories in a shorter time compared to slow twitch muscle fibers which are used for longer repetitive exercises such as a slow jog. Walking Lunges Walking lunges are another great calorie burner. Combining resistance work (when weights such as dumbbell are used) with cardio it revs up your metabolism. The heavier the dumbbells the more energy you expend. So don’t be afraid to pick up some heavier weights, you will end up burning more calories the heavier you go. However, make sure your form is correct before packing on the weight. Battle Ropes No fat burning workout would be complete without the battle ropes! I add these to nearly every single work out my clients come in for. Not only do they rev up your metabolism, but you can change the exercise every time whether its whipping the ropes down at the same time, alternating, jumping, rotating in outward/inner circles..the variety is endless and it will keep your work outs fun and different!!
Remember, its no the duration of the work out that counts, its how hard you go!!
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