Regardless of whether you’re hitting the gym, attacking an aerobics class or doing yoga in your living-room, it’s fair to say that everyone wants to get the most out of their exercise and burn as many calories as possible.
It doesn’t matter if you’re looking to lose a few extra pounds for that holiday you have coming up, fit into your new skinny jeans or treat yourself to a piece of cake, all of us, men and women alike, feel better knowing we have got the most we possibly can out of our workout session.
Maybe you have been taking it easy recently and now your results have started to plateau, if so, swapping tomorrow’s living-room yoga session for a high intensity workout could be just what you need to accelerate your progress and blast some extra belly fat!
In this article we’ve put together a list of exercises that will help you lose weight fast. Specifically we’ll cover:
- How to use the principle of minimum effective dose
- A full body workout routine
- Simple exercises for blasting calories
- The best 500 calorie exercises
Minimum Effective Dose (MED)
“the smallest dose that will produce a desired outcome”
By doing high calorie burning exercises you can employ the theories of Minimum Effective Dose (MED) which states that you only need to do the minimum amount of exercise required to reach your goals.
Basically, in plain English, the theory of Minimum Effective Dose (MED) suggests that if it takes five minutes for your kettle to boil, keeping it on for longer isn’t going to make any difference. It isn’t going to make your water more boiled, or make your tea taste nicer, it’s just going to add some extra pennies on your electricity bill.
The same theory applies when it comes to exercise. Doing short blasts of high intensity workouts offers a more effective weight loss program than 2000 crunches.
Therefore, you only need to workout for relatively short periods of time in order to see great results.
The Best Form of Exercise to Lose Weight: Cardio vs Weights
Now, the standard misconception that most women have when they first start working out is that if they pick up a dumbbell they are going to leave the gym looking like Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. I’ve got news for you ladies; those Victoria’s Secret models don’t look like that solely from running on a treadmill!
Yes, cardio is important, but so is lifting weights. Cardio has a more immediate result, burning through calories quickly, however, lifting weight will increase your muscle mass which will help you burn more calories in the long run.
Think of it like nutrition, the same as you need a balanced diet to reach your goals; you also need a balanced workout.
Why not try a high intensity workout, based around the theories of Minimum Effective Dose (MED) that alternates between cardio and weights. For example:
Day 1: A Six Minute Cardio Workout
A balance of cardio and lifting weights offers the most rewarding results
On the treadmill:
- Warm up by walking for 2 minutes
- Sprint for 15 seconds
- Rest for 15 Seconds
- Repeat x5
- Cool down by walking for 2 minutes
Day 2: A 10 Minute Weights Workout
- 10 reps of bench press with dumbbells
- 10 reps of Russian twist crunches with medicine ball
- 20 reps of barbell squats
- 1 minute break
- Repeat all 5 times
Day 3: A Six Minute Cardio Workout
On the stationary bike:
- Warm up by peddling at a medium pace for 2 minutes
- Sprint for 15 seconds
- Rest for 15 Seconds
- Repeat x5
- Cool down by peddling at a medium pace for 2 minutes
Day 4: Rest Day – Because resting is also important if you want to achieve the best results possible.
Day 5: A 10 Minute Weights Workout
- 10 reps of close grip press-ups
- 10 reps of bicycle crunches
- 20 reps of Leg Press
- 1 minute break
- Repeat all 5 times
Day 6: A Six Minute Cardio Workout
On the treadmill
- Warm up by walking for 2 minutes
- Sprint for 15 seconds
- Rest for 15 Seconds
- Repeat x5
- Cool down by walking for 2 minutes
Day 7: A 10 Minute Weights Workout
- 10 reps of bench press with dumbbells
- 10 reps of Russian twist crunches with medicine ball
- 20 reps of barbell squats
- 1 minute break
- Repeat all 5 times
Remember that in order to get those strong, lean muscles you should aim for high (8-12) reps with low weights.
You can increase the difficulty and intensity of many simple exercises by attempting to perform them on a balance board. This has the added benefit of engaging your core muscles and improving your balance.
Also, you don’t have to restrict yourself to doing these exercises in the gym. If you invest in some affordable exercise equipment such as a compact treadmill or exercise bike, you can burn calories whenever you want, in the comfort of your own home.
The Top Three High Calorie Burning Exercises
While taking into account the principals of Minimum Effective Dose (MED), it is also a good idea to think about the techniques in High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) when it comes to effective exercising to burn large quantities of calories.
This is a really good starting point for a list of exercises to lose weight:
- Burpees – Now, if you just asked yourself “What are Burpees” and therefore you have never had a large, muscular gentleman shout at you whilst wearing a green T-shirt and combat trousers, while you continuously perspiration so profusely you don’t know if you’re sweating or crying – then you have never really lived in terms of working out!
Burpees are an amalgamation of exercises that includes jumping, squatting, kicking yourself out to a push-up position and doing it all over again. One or two aren’t so bad, but doing them repeatedly is rather hard core! However, if you feel you’re up to the challenge and can push yourself then its estimated that you could burn up to 300 calories in just 30 minutes. Plus, you can do them anywhere! Bonus!
For those of you who don’t know how to properly execute the burpees exercise, you can check out this Youtube video by Funk Roberts. He will show you exactly how to perform it without causing yourself any injuries:
- Sprint Intervals – Sprinting burns a whopping 400-500 calories per 30 minutes. That is why doing sprint intervals is a great way to work out at a high intensity.
- Skip/Jump Rope – Skipping or Jumping Rope is a great way to burn lots of calories. Just look at how ripped Rocky was! This little treat of an exercise can burn 750 calories per hour and the best part is, its great fun!
- Get out your skipping rope for more than just double-dutch
For an even greater burn, consider wearing ankle weights, or adding other types of resistance to these exercises.
Top Three Ways to Burn 500 Calories
Tabata Training
Tabata training is another high intensity interval training (HIIT) workout in which you perform a number of different exercises with 20 seconds of workout, 10 seconds of rest. Tabata is considered in general to burn approximately 15 calories per minute. Wow.
Spinning Classes
We all know that cycling is great for us, but you don’t have to enter the Tour De France to get your cycle on! Instead of your usual gym workout, why not next time join in your local gyms spinning class. The high intensity cycling mixed with a splash of house music is designed to het your heart racing. A standard 40 minute session could see you burn between 400-600 calories.
Swimming
Swimming is a great way to burn a high number of calories. What is also great is it is low impact for those who have joint issues. Furthermore, hitting your local pool can be a great change from your repetitive daily workout. You don’t have to be Adam Peaty, as anybody can burn 500 calories just swimming for one hour.
Calorie Counters
Using a calorie counter or fitness tracker and help you maintain your all round fitness goals
A great way to keep track of exactly how many calories you are burning is by using a calorie counter.
Tools such as the calculator at myfitnesspal.com will tell you roughly how many calories are burned from a variety of exercises.
If you want numbers that are more specific to you, you might want to invest in a fitness tracker such as a Fitbit
So, if you feel your regular fitness regime is getting you no where in a hurry, combining your current sessions with short bursts of high intensity 500 calorie workouts can ensure you achieve your fitness goals faster.
