One of the questions I always get is “What’s the best exercise for fat burning?” So…
Rather than me just giving you my fave fat loss exercise, I wanted to ask that very same question to a bunch of fitness and fat loss experts to see what they came back with and why they though their fave was great for fat loss.
Plus, at the end of this article, I’ll take these answers and put them together into some sort of ultimate fat burning workout.
Sound good?
Okay, let’s get stuck in…
1) Dennis Heenan: Sprints
Sprints are by far my favorite exercise for fat loss. Nothing works better or faster. Now, some people may think that sprints aren’t for them. Yet, no matter what your age or fitness level, you can fit sprints into your workout.
Most people think “sprinting” is just going out to a track or field and running as fast as you can for 50-100 yards. And although I do consider this to be the best form of sprinting, there are certainly other ways you can reap the benefits without actually sprinting outdoors.
A few examples would be sprints on the rowing machine, stationary bike (perfect for beginners), or even some bodyweight exercises like sprints in place, burpees, or mountain climbers.
I like to define sprints as certain exercises you do as hard as you can for a short period of time, followed by a good rest and repeat.
So when it comes to fat loss, sprints are definitely something to add in!
Check out Dennis putting this sprint method into action below…
You can find out more about Dennis and his awesome fat loss programs over at www.hiitburn.com.
2) Mike Whitfield: Kettlebell Swings
My favorite fat burning exercise…
Without a doubt, it’s the KB or DB Swing.
– Low impact so you don’t destroy your joints
– It works your lower body, abs and yes, even if your back when you do them right! That means you burn even more calories :)
– They can be done just about anywhere
(Here’s how to do the KB swing below…)
If you don’t access to a KB or DB, you can do the Total Body Extension. It’s an awesome alternative and doesn’t use any equipment.
Seeing is believing and it’s really hard to describe, so here’s a video of Mike teaching the Total Body Extension below:
It’s a great alternative to so many different exercises because it’s:
– Low impact
– Improves shoulder mobility
– Can be done anywhere with no equipment
To find out more about Mike and how he hates to eat veggies, visit www.theachievablebody.com.
3) Shawna Kaminski: Burpees
What’s one of my favorite fat loss exercises? Hands down – the burpee!
The reason for this is because it can be scales to fit ANY fitness level. A beginner can start with a full body extension or burpee walk out, an advanced person can do a full on floppy burpee with jump and increase tempo to get the heart pounding.
As well, upper body, lower body and core are used so it’s really a full body workout with NO equipment.
An old Japanese proverb is ‘Fall down 7 times, get up 8’ – I know that guru was really talking about burpees! Life changing ;)
Here is Shawna in the video below, showing us a few different burpee variations…
To find out more about Shawna and how she stays in such great shape into her 50’s, check out www.mybikinibelly.com.
4) Tristan Lewis: Dumbbell Thrusters
My favorite fat loss exercise has to be the Dumbbell Thruster!
This has been one of the most effective fat burners for my clients and bootcamps for several years.
There are various ways to do this, with dumbbells or a bar etc.
It’s a cool mix of a dumbbell press and a body weight squat. So, even more calorie burning power!
To find out more about Tristan and his blog, Family Man Fitness, head on over here: www.familymanfitness.com.
5) Erin Nielsen: Prisoner Squats
My top fat burning exercise has to be the Prisoner Squat.
It works just about every muscle in your body and I love the effects it has on postural muscles all while burning fat.
It’s definitely my favorite!
Here’s how to do it…
By the way, Erin is actually in her 40’s, although you’d never have guessed it from her picture above.
To find out more about Erin and how she defies age, you can visit her website here: www.tonedintenfitness.com.
6) Kate Vidulich: Sprinter Walkouts
Alrighty, my fave fat loss exercise is the Walkout.
It’s forces you to use nearly every muscle in your body, so you burn a ton of calories and sculpt muscle at the same time.
Plus it’s low impact, so anyone can do it and won’t destroy your joints.
See Kate perform the sprinter walk-out in the video below…
Kate is one of the most enthusiastic people I know, she’s a real fire-cracker!
To find out more about Kate and her programs head on over to her blog: www.fatlossaccelerators.com.
Your Crazy Fat Burning Workout
Righto, we’ve got our 6 fat burning exercises and now it’s time to put them all together…
What a crazy idea! :)
So, this is the plan…
1A) Jumping Jacks x 30 seconds
1B) Mountain Climbers x 30 seconds
1C) Low Plank x 30 seconds
Repeat for 3 rounds followed by a quick stretch.
Then you’re straight into the ” metabolic meltdown” for 3-5 rounds…
2A) KB Swings x 15
2B) Sprinter Walkouts x 5/side
2C) DB Thrusters x 10
2D) Burpees x 5
2E) Prisoner Squats x 15
2F) Sprint x 50 yards
Rest for 1-2 minutes after each round and then go again!
The idea is to do this lot with high intensity, but at the same time, making sure your technique is good.
It’ll be one hell of a workout and that’s a good thing, because you’re wobbly bits will running for the hills after this :)
If you’ve enjoyed this post or have your very own favorite fat loss exercise feel free to leave a comment below and give us a like.
Thanks,
