Certified personal trainer and fitness director Clarence Hairston believes you're losing cardio's fat-burning benefits if you lift but don't sweat. Running, brisk walking, swimming, cycling, and other high-heart-rate exercises burn more calories than strength training. "Try changing speeds and adding inclines to burn fat even faster," he suggests. Stay active year-round with the best exercise bikes.
Lunges and push-ups may seem simple, but Hairston thinks they're one of the best methods to lose weight. He proposes alternating 12 lunges and 12 push-ups for three sets every other day. These two basic workouts will shape muscle for a leaner, toned body. "You can use this to start or finish your workout," he says. Check out these 38 fat-burning foods for more weight loss advice.
Personal fitness coach Adam Gray-Hayward recommends HIIT workouts for fat loss. This aerobic method involves pushing yourself hard for 20 seconds and then actively resting to catch your breath for up to twice as long. The cycle lasts 20–30 minutes. If you walk, fast walk or jog for 20–30 seconds, then slow down for 30–60 seconds, then repeat.
Gray-Hayward advocates watching the clock instead than counting steps. He says this will assist your body reduce fat. It's more beneficial to stroll before work and breakfast. "This walk wakes up your metabolism first thing in the morning, putting you in a fat-burning state all day," he says. Discover how many calories your favorite workout class burns.
Total body movements train your muscles to function together and give you a greater workout in less time. "You're building strength, not just through a single muscle group, but through your core as well," he says. Work with a personal trainer to create a fat-burning plan that targets all your regions. Avoid these fitness trainer-recommended moves.
Exercise is more likely to be maintained if you love it. If you don't like jogging, forcing yourself to exercise every day will become a chore and you'll quit. Biking, swimming, and kayaking, according to Spraul, are more fun than exercise. "The key to burning fat—even with easy workouts—is to take it one day at a time and build healthy habits that you can stick to consistently,
Add some simple stair routines: You might jump, sidestep, or take two steps at a time up the stairs. For ten steps, do each action for 45–60 seconds. Reread after a gap. "This is an incredible fat-burning workout because it gets your heart rate going like you wouldn't believe," she explains. "Drive your arms forward and backward as you tire and find it harder to climb the stairs."
Narrow Road Fitness founder Jill McKay recommends this move to tone your posterior. Squat leaps, if possible: After lowering down, jump up and repeat, keeping your back straight, eyes ahead, and knees from crossing your toes. "Jumping squats just add a bit of explosion from the deep-knee-bend position to really get your heart rate up
Remember that everyone feels this way before building strength. Physical therapist Lauren Lobert, DPT, OMPT, CSCS, says this tough technique is one of the most powerful ways to lose body fat because it utilizes your whole body and needs a lot of concentration. If you perform enough repetitions to fatigue or fail, this will strengthen your shoulders and arms.
She recommends four body-weight exercises—mountain climbers, skaters, and burpees—for 30 to 60 seconds, followed by a 20- to 30-second recovery. Most importantly, time will fly. She suggests "enjoying your workout" to push yourself harder and not watch the clock. This enables for prolonged workout adherence and weight loss.