Did you set a goal to lose weight in the new year? Are you making progress toward your goals, or are you stuck in a bit of a rut?
It’s never too late to get started on a New Year’s resolution. Even if you didn’t get going on January first, you still have plenty of time to lose fat and get healthy before summer rolls around.
One of the best things you can do if you want to lose weight is to exercise regularly. Not sure what kind of workouts you should be doing?
Read on to learn about seven of the best fat burning workouts that will help you shed extra weight and reach your fitness goals.
Fat Burning Workouts for Everyone
There’s not just one type of workout that is right for everyone.
Everybody has different needs and is at a different fitness level. Some people are just getting started while others are just trying to lose those last ten pounds. No matter where you’re at right now, though, there’s a workout for you.
Here are seven options to help you get active and lose that extra weight:
1. Squats
Many people are surprised to learn that strength training is one of the best ways to burn fat. This is because strength training increases your muscle mass. This, in turn, leads to a faster metabolism and greater calorie burn.
Of all the strength training exercises you can do, squats are one of the best options. They’re a compound exercise (meaning they target several muscle groups at once), so they burn more calories than isolation exercises like biceps curls.
2. Deadlifts
Another great compound exercise to add to your routine is the deadlift.
Deadlifts target all the major muscle groups in the posterior chain (back of the body), including the hamstrings, back muscles, and glutes. They burn lots of calories and are highly functional, meaning they translate very well to everyday life.
3. HIIT Cardio
Spending hours on a cardio machine isn’t a great option if you want to burn body fat.
This is because your body adapts to prolonged cardio, which can cause your metabolism to slow down. As a result, you’ll burn fewer calories when exercising — something nobody with weight loss goals wants!
Instead of doing prolonged cardio, try HIIT (high-intensity interval training) cardio instead.
HIIT workouts are short (around 10 minutes) and do a much better job of burning body fat while maintaining muscle mass and increasing your metabolic rate.
4. Kettlebell Swings
If you want an exercise that gets your heart rate up while also strengthening your muscles, you need to try kettlebell swings.
Kettlebell swings are great for the posterior chain — they target many of the same muscles as deadlifts — but they also increase your heart rate and can help you burn more calories during your workouts.
5. Walking Lunges
If you want to do more compound exercises but are tired of squats and deadlifts, consider giving walking lunges a try.
This simple exercise can be done anywhere and does a great job of strengthening the lower body while also increasing the heart rate.
You can add weight — in the form of dumbbells, a barbell, or kettlebells — to make them even more challenging and burn more calories.
6. Battle Rope Workouts
Battle ropes are another good cardio option for folks who don’t like using traditional equipment. They help to strengthen the arms and core while also elevating your heart rate so you can burn more calories. Many people like to do HIIT-style workouts with the battle ropes.
7. Farmer’s Walks
If you want to burn calories but need to do so in a low-impact way, farmer’s walks are the exercise for you.
Farmer’s walks involve walking while holding kettlebells or dumbbells at your sides. You can also do unilateral farmer’s walks (holding just one weight at a time).
These are another functional exercise (they mimic carrying items like suitcases or grocery bags) that help you burn calories while strengthening the upper body and core.
You can always make them more challenging, too, by increasing the weight you carry.
Bonus Fat Burning Tips
These fat burning workouts will be very helpful as you work toward achieving your weight loss goals. There’s more you can do to shed excess body fat, though.
Listed below are some bonus tips that will help you reach your goal weight faster:
Eat More Protein
High-protein diets help you to stay satiated, which means you’ll be less likely to overeat. They also help to preserve muscle mass, which, in turn, helps you maintain a fast metabolism.
Eat More Fiber
Fiber also helps you stay satiated. This, in turn, can help you lose weight by reducing your chances of overeating. Fiber also aids in the digestive process and minimizes issues like bloating.
Get More Sleep
When you don’t get enough sleep, you’re more likely to give in to cravings and overeat. You’re also going to have a hard time recovering from your workouts, which can slow down your progress.
Eat Healthy Fats
Contrary to popular belief, fat is not bad for you. In fact, your body needs fat to function properly. Focus on eating healthy fat sources like olive oil, avocados, and nuts and seeds.
Adequate fat consumption will also help you to feel full since the body takes longer to digest fat.
Eat Fewer Refined Carbohydrates
Instead of limiting your fat intake, you ought to limit your consumption of refined carbohydrates (chips, crackers, cookies, etc.).
These have little-to-no nutritional value and are very easy to overeat, so they won’t do your waistline any favors.
Looking for More Fat Burning Advice?
By changing up your workout routine and sticking to these other fat burning tips, you’ll have a much easier time reaching your weight loss goals.
But, do you want to learn other strategies for weight loss and healthy living? Do you want to learn about other fat burning workouts or diets that will help you look and feel your best?
We have tons of other articles that will teach you what you need to know about losing weight and keeping it off.
Check out the Weight Loss Tips and Tricks section of our site today to start learning!
