Best Exercises for Weight Loss 

 What's the best workout?

 


What’s the best workout to lose weight? If you ask around, you’ll probably hear answers like weight training, interval training, and cardio. These are all part of the answer, but they’re not the full story. All three of these exercises can help you reach your weight loss goals if you do them right, but some people choose one or two that work for them and avoid the others altogether.

 

1) Squats

Squats are a great weight loss exercise because they force you to use your entire body. You have to use your legs, back, shoulders and arms (depending on how you hold yourself) all at once. Squats target many different muscles including quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes and calves. The muscles work together to give you an intense workout and also help to increase bone density because you’re putting pressure on your bones when performing squats. They’re also a very efficient exercise as it is not only one of the most effective exercises but also burns a high number of calories in just 30 minutes of doing it!

 

2) Push-ups

They might not seem like much, but regular push-ups are a great weight loss exercise. They build upper body strength, which helps you burn calories when you're lifting weights or doing everyday activities. Women should aim to do two sets of 10 reps on their very first day; to get stronger, aim for three sets with five reps each by your fifth day. Men should aim for three sets of 20 reps on their first day; to get stronger, shoot for four sets with 10 reps each by your fifth day. Always keep your back straight and core engaged throughout—no slouching allowed! (Find more push-up variations.)

 

3) Lunge

Lunges might be one of the most versatile exercises you can do—they target your quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves and core all at once. That’s why you should definitely consider adding lunges to your weight loss workout plan. This exercise is also a particularly good choice if you have bad knees or other joint issues that make squatting difficult or uncomfortable. Lunges are often paired with walking lunges; each lunge should take three steps forward and one step back (as opposed to taking just one step back). The walking variation involves picking up your foot and stepping over a straight line in front of you.

 
4) Lunges with high knees

High knees up, weight on your back foot as you lunge forward. The high knees help because they work your quads and glutes in addition to your hamstrings, which helps with overall toning and firmness. Make sure you keep your head up as you lunge forward to fully engage all of these muscles. Also remember that lunges are a powerful way to firm up those legs, so always try to do them with some intensity—without wearing yourself out! To add more cardio into it if needed, consider adding side-to-side hops when lunging forward instead of just standing still. Do 10-20 reps per leg as part of a total body weight loss workout; or increase both number of reps and length of time if you're including cardio training in addition.

 

5) Mountain climbers

Mountain climbers are a full-body, fast-paced exercise that engages your heart and lungs while also strengthening your abdominal muscles. Start by getting into a pushup position (on your hands and toes), then quickly switch to lifting one leg off of the ground and bringing it toward your chest. Next, switch legs and repeat. Work up to holding a second or third position to really challenge yourself. If you feel like you're lacking balance or endurance, try lowering down onto one knee at a time instead of lowering both at once. The mountain climber is an amazing fat burner that improves overall fitness as well as strength in just minutes per day! Don't forget to check out all of our weight loss workouts. We've got them all covered!

 

6) Curtsy lunges

Curtsy lunges are essentially a walking lunge with a slight rotation at your hips. Starting in a standing position, take a large step out to one side while reaching across your body to touch that knee and foot with your opposite hand. Then, at that point, return to begin and rehash on inverse side. You'll hit every major muscle in your legs as well as help keep them toned by adding these curtsy lunges into your weight loss workout routine regularly. This exercise is an excellent way to tone, shape and tighten those hard-to-reach inner thighs! To get started, try doing 10 reps of each leg for two sets per leg throughout one session of 20 minutes of walking or jogging.

 

7) Plank jacks

Plank jacks are an easy way to add cardiovascular exercise to your routine. These simple movements help your body burn calories and are a terrific warmup or cool-down addition to any aerobic exercise, weight training or yoga session. To perform plank jacks, simply lie on your stomach and prop yourself up on your forearms, just as you would during a push-up. Then, kick one leg straight out behind you and bring it back in; repeat with your other leg. Continue alternating legs until you’ve performed as many reps as possible without breaking form. Just be sure to keep your abs braced throughout so that you don’t end up arching into lower back pain.


8) Medicine ball slams

Medicine ball slams offer a full-body workout that will help you lose weight and gain strength. To do them, stand over a basketball or soccer ball and crouch down so that your hands can support its weight. Take it out of its casing, place it on the floor, then pick it up and slam it back into place. Do as many reps as you can before your muscles give out; aim for three sets with six to eight repetitions per set. If your arms tire too quickly during any of these exercises, enlist a partner to hold one end of your resistance band while you work out. This will allow you to continue exercising without having to stop because of muscle fatigue—no excuses!


9) Cycling

Exercise is essential if you’re looking to lose weight. But where do you start? What kind of exercise burns fat and, more importantly, how much exercise do you need? The answer to those questions largely depends on your goal. A solid rule of thumb is about 10 calories per pound lost per week.


10) Weight training

The key to weight loss is exercise. That said, it’s important to make sure that you are hitting all of your muscle groups—especially if you want to maximize weight loss. And although weight training does not burn as many calories per minute as some other activities, it can lead to a significant boost in calories burned overall because of something called excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC). EPOC occurs when your body is using extra oxygen after a tough bout of exercise—and may be up to 25% higher than normal in people who lift weights regularly. Weight training is one of very few activities that triggers EPOC; others include running and swimming.


11) Walking

Going on a daily walk is one of your best weight loss exercises. Researchers at Duke University found that people who walked just six minutes every day lost more weight than those who worked out four times a week. Plus, you can use it as an opportunity to de-stress. Bonus: Walking helps build healthy bones and muscles. Need motivation to hit the pavement? This calorie-torching treadmill exercise routine will help you burn more calories in less time!