When it comes to fat loss, selecting the right exercises can make a significant difference. Today, we’ll explore the best and worst exercises for shedding body fat, based on both anecdotal experiences and scientific data.
Fat loss is a common goal for many people, and choosing the most effective exercises can accelerate this process. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll look at 50 different exercises, revealing the most effective fat loss exercise and which ones burn the most calories with the least effort.
But it wasn’t us at BOXROX who came up with this list and managed to test them properly. No, that would have been the work of Jeremy Ethier and a video he recently shared.
Jeremy Ethieris a kinesiologist and fitness trainer, co-founder ofBuilt With Science. HisYouTube channel has over 6.5 million subscribersand he delivers clear information with sound background research.
We’ll also highlight high-effort exercises that surprisingly don’t burn many calories.
Table of Contents
50 Fat Loss Exercises Ranked From Best to Worst
High-Intensity Training: A Powerful Tool for Fat Loss
High-intensity training (HIT) is often touted as one of the best methods for burning calories and fat. Exercises like sprints, burpees, and mountain climbers are staples in HIT routines. These exercises not only elevate your heart rate but also continue to burn calories long after the workout is done due to the afterburn effect (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption or EPOC).
1. Sprints
- Calories Burned: Approximately 15 calories per minute
- Intensity: High
- Effectiveness: Very high
Sprints are a powerhouse for calorie burning. A 60-second sprint can push your heart rate to its peak, making it one of the most effective exercises for fat loss. However, it’s also one of the most challenging.
2. Burpees
- Calories Burned: Around 12.5 calories per minute
- Intensity: High
- Effectiveness: High
Burpees are another high-intensity exercise that can significantly boost calorie burn. They engage multiple muscle groups, providing both strength and cardiovascular benefits.
3. Mountain Climbers
- Calories Burned: Comparable to burpees
- Intensity: High
- Effectiveness: High
Mountain climbers are great for enhancing core strength while burning a substantial number of calories. Like sprints and burpees, they require a lot of effort, making them highly effective for fat loss.
High-Intensity Exercises: Effort vs. Calorie Burn
While high-intensity exercises are effective, they are also exhausting. For instance, Kevin, a programmer working towards his fat loss journey, found these exercises particularly grueling. His perceived exertion for burpees was off the scale, demonstrating how taxing these workouts can be.
How to Combine HIIT and LISS to Lose Fat Faster
Low-Intensity Training: A Sustainable Approach
Not everyone can sustain high-intensity workouts. For those looking for a more manageable approach, low-intensity exercises can still provide significant benefits without the extreme effort.
1. Incline Walking
- Calories Burned: 6-8 calories per minute
- Intensity: Low to moderate
- Effectiveness: Moderate
Incline walking is a great low-intensity exercise that can be adjusted for effectiveness by increasing speed and incline. Unlike running, it is easier on the joints and can be sustained for longer periods.
2. Longboarding
- Calories Burned: 11 calories per minute
- Intensity: Moderate
- Effectiveness: High
Longboarding can be an enjoyable and effective way to burn calories. It engages the lower body and core, making it a fun and effective exercise for fat loss.
3. Basketball
- Calories Burned: Variable, but can be high during active play
- Intensity: Moderate to high
- Effectiveness: High
Playing basketball not only burns calories but also improves coordination, agility, and cardiovascular health. Kevin found it enjoyable and less taxing compared to high-intensity workouts.
Strength Training: Muscle Maintenance and Fat Loss
While strength training might not burn as many calories as high-intensity cardio, it is crucial for maintaining muscle mass during fat loss. Muscle tissue burns more calories at rest compared to fat tissue, which can help with long-term weight management.
1. Weightlifting
- Calories Burned: Less than high-intensity cardio, but beneficial for muscle mass
- Intensity: Variable
- Effectiveness: Moderate
Lifting weights is essential for maintaining muscle mass, which is important for sustaining a higher metabolic rate. Heavy lifting can also create a significant afterburn effect.
The Least Effective Exercises for Calorie Burn
Some exercises, despite being high-effort, do not burn many calories and might not be the best choice for fat loss if that is the primary goal.
1. Crunches
- Calories Burned: Very low
- Intensity: Low to moderate
- Effectiveness: Low for calorie burning
While crunches are excellent for strengthening the core, they are not effective for burning a significant number of calories. To burn the equivalent of one pound of fat, you would need to do crunches for over 17 hours.
Overall View of 50 Fat Loss Exercises Ranked from Best to Worst
To fully comprehend the best fat loss exercises and how to rank them, there should be different parameters. And each person is different from the other, hence why Ethier did the tests with another friend of his.
So, in the end, the exercise that burns the most calories for one person might not necessarily be the best one for another.
If you are curious to see how each test was compared, you can see all the results in this link.
Below we are listing the 50 top fat loss exercises based on the average calories burned per minute according to Jeremy Ethier’s results.
- Sprints – 15.14
- Devil’s Press – 14.47
- Boxing – 13.53
- Single-Leg Burpees – 13.49
- Med Ball Slam – 13.19
- Lateral Jumps – 13.0
- Burpees – 12.56
- Assault Bike – 12.18
- Squat Jumps – 12.12
- Jump-Ins – 11.77
- Longboarding – 11.07
- Kettlebell Swings – 10.97
- 225 Squat – 10.57
- Mountain Climbers – 9.63
- 135 Squat – 9.43
- Jogging – 9.23
- 225 Deadlift – 9.16
- Basketball – 9.1
- Jump Rope – 8.92
- Farmer’s Carry – 8.92
- Rowing – 8.6
- Powerwalking – 8.33
- Stairmaster – 7.91
- Bodyweight Lunges – 7.49
- Incline Walking, 6 Incline – 7.44
- Yard Work – 7.25
- Elliptical – 6.77
- Pull-Ups – 6.77
- 135 Deadlift – 6.55
- Jumping Jack – 6.46
- Cycling (low intensity) – 6.37
- Jump Lunges – 6.32
- Incline Walking, 3.5mph, holding rails – 5.97
- Bodyweight Squat – 5.7
- Incline walking, 3mph 2 incline – 5.7
- Jogging in Place – 5.35
- Walking Outside – 5.23
- Push-Up – 5.18
- 135 Bench Press – 4.07
- Plank – 3.98
- Dishwashing – 3.95
- Vacuum – 3.83
- Crunches – 3.44
- Laundry – 3.37
- Sitting / fidgeting – 2.7
- Cooking – 2.63
- Standing – 2.4
- Video games – 2.2
- Chess – 2.2
- Sitting – 2
In comparison, here are the top 10 fat loss exercises ranked from Keving:
- Boxing – 16.61
- Sprints – 16.28
- Devil’s Press – 15.35
- Lateral Jumps – 14.13
- Single-Leg Burpee – 13.84
- Med Ball Slam – 13.7
- Assault Biek – 13.66
- 225 Deadlift – 12.6
- Burpees – 12.59
- Jump-Ins – 12.4
The biggest difference between the two is, perhaps, that doing 225 deadlift for Kevin was among the top 10 exercises that burns the most calories per minute on average, while for Ethier it ranked 17th.
On the same note, squat jumps were among the top 10 exercises for Ethier, while for Kevin it ranked 27th – the remaining top 10 exercises are relatively similar.
Ethier’s Best Fat Loss Exercises According to Each Category
High Intensity:
- Sprints – 15.14 calories burned per minute
- Boxing – 13.53 calories burned per minute
Low Intensity:
- Longboarding – 11.07 calories burned per minute
- Jogging – 9.23 calories burned per minute
Strength:
- 225 squat – 10.57 calories burned per minute
- 135 squat – 9.43 calories burned per minute
Leisure:
- Yard work – 7.25 calories burned per minute
- Walking outside – 5.23 calories burned per minute
Special:
- Devil’s press – 14.97 calories burned per minute
- Single-leg burpee – 13.49 calories burned per minute
Ethier talked to Dr Eric Helms to get a better understanding of the results to discover what is ultimately the best exercise for fat loss according to his scientific discoveries.
Dr Eric Helmsis a respected figure in fitness and bodybuilding, holding a PhD and certification as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS). As a pro natural bodybuilder within the World Natural Bodybuilding Federation (WNBF), he combines practical experience with academic expertise. His work focuses on evidence-based nutrition and training strategies, enhancing performance and physique in athletes and enthusiasts alike.
“I think really what we will want to think about is energy expenditure over time that I will adhere to,” Helms said. “Think of all of these different fat loss exercises and intensities as tools, and you want to have a robust tool belt. The whole variety in your tool belt is going to make it far more likely that you could adhere to exercise long-term and get the fat loss that you’re after.”
Read More: Fastest Way To Burn Fat – 4 Steps to Follow
