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10 of the Best Workouts for Weight Loss

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Fitness
January 2, 2018

10 of the Best Workouts for

Weight Loss
If your goal is to lose weight, these workouts can help.
By Samantha Lefave

Westend61 / Getty Images / Graphic by Zackary Angeline

If you're reading this right now, you're probably in the market for a heart-
thumping, blood-pumping, balls-to-the-wall workout. And, friend, we've got you
covered. We're all about helping you get sweaty in pursuit of your goals,
whether that means getting stronger, hitting a new PR, or losing weight. But
let's be real for a second here: The tricky thing about weight-loss workouts is
that they're kinda, sorta... a myth. Don't get me wrong—if you're trying to lose
weight, a solid exercise regimen should be part of your plan. It just can't be
the only part.

Here's the thing: Working out isn't enough on its own to make weight loss
happen. There's so much else that goes into weight loss and body fat loss; in
fact, exercise isn't even technically necessary in many cases. If you want to
lose weight—and it's totally cool if you do and totally cool if you don't—
adopting healthy eating habits has got to be step numero uno. To get
technical, you need to create a calorie deficit, which means using more
calories in a day than you consume—and the consumption part plays a much
bigger role in that than burning calories in the gym, or while carrying your
groceries home, or any of the other myriad ways you put your muscles to work
each day. Other lifestyle habits, like sleep and stress management, and health
conditions (think thyroid issues, to name just one of many) also affect your
weight. Point is, weight loss is a complicated and extremely personal journey
that doesn't look or work the exact same way from one person to the next.

And before we get into it any further, I'd be remiss not to point out another
really important detail here: Weight loss isn't for everyone. For some people,
it's actually much healthier to ignore your weight altogether, or never think
about calories, or focus on literally anything else. That's especially true if you
have a history of disordered eating; if that's you, you should talk to your doctor
before going on any weight-loss plan at all. In fact, even if you don't have a
history of disordered eating you should talk to a doctor about losing weight in
a healthy way.

And once you've done all that, there are some additional things you should
know about workouts and weight loss.

First, here are some very basic things you should know before
you get started on a new exercise regimen for weight loss.
1. Your food choices—how you fuel your body—are even more
important than your workout choices. I covered this above, but it's worth
reiterating: Healthy eating habits are even more important than your exercise
routine if your goal is to see lasting changes in your body composition. Here
are 27 tips from registered dietitians on how to eat healthier this year.
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2. Exercise should become part of your routine in a meaningful way. In

order to see results, hitting the elliptical for 30 minutes while you catch up with
the Kardashians once a week just isn't going to cut it. Instead, aim for three
workouts if you're just getting into a routine again, or five to six sessions if
you've been at it for a while, says Holly Rilinger, a Nike master trainer, master
Flywheel instructor, and star of Bravo's Work Out New York. "And keep in
mind that rest is key to reset mentally, physically, and emotionally, so make
sure to build in at least one full rest day."

3. You'll need to really push yourself in every workout you do. It's kind of
a big deal that you bring your A-game to each and every workout. "I'd rather
see you do balls-to-the-wall workouts three times a week than see you give 50
percent for five days," says Rilinger. "Decide when you walk through that door
you are going to give it 100 percent the entire time, and check in throughout
your workout with one simple question: Can I give more?"

4. You'll need to find a workout you genuinely enjoy if you have any
hope of sticking with it. "Finding a trainer or workout that makes you happy
is actually really important to weight loss," says Rilinger. When you enjoy
doing it you'll be more likely to stick with it. Below are 10 workouts that will
help you reach your weight loss goal. If you've tried one of the classes here
and there and didn't really love it, don't give up on the sport or practice
altogether. You may not have found an instructor you love yet, and that can
make or break your goals.

Now that we've set the expectations a bit (sorry

if it sounds a little womp womp—this stuff is
complex!), let's get to the workouts.
Keeping in mind the eating well and the sleeping enough, there are certain
exercises and workouts that can be particularly useful in helping you lose
weight or burn fat or change your body composition. These workouts tend to
have a couple elements in common: They're generally high-intensity and they
burn a lot of calories in a short amount of time. Here are the types of exercise
trainers recommend to get the most out of your gym (or park, or living room)
time.

1. Interval Training
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The number one training method the experts turn to again and again for
weight loss: interval training. What's that? "Any form of exercise where your
heart rate spikes and then comes down repeatedly," says Rilinger. This
generally means going hard for a set interval of time (hence the name),
followed by active rest, then going hard again. That active recovery portion is
key. You need to take it down a notch—OK, several notches—before ramping
back up to a higher intensity interval.

High-intensity interval training, or HIIT, is one of the many styles you can do.
Another popular one is indoor cycling, though this workout leans heavily
toward cardio over strength training, Rilinger explains. She also notes that
cycling requires you to use various muscles in your body—quads, hamstrings,
glutes, and core, for starters—which once again translates to weight loss.
"The more muscles you have to incorporate, the more calories you're going to
burn because those muscles all require energy in order to work," she says.
"And the more energy you use, the higher those calorie-burning numbers
climb. It's all a cycle."

Try it: Here are 4 fat-burning stationary bike workouts that you might like. If
you're more of a treadmill person, this 20-minute treadmill interval workout will
kick your butt in the best way. And if you want to skip the equipment
altogether, this 10-minute lower body bodyweight interval workout is a good
place to start.
2. Weight Training
Consider weight training "the mother of all weight-loss techniques, the highest
in the workout food chain, the top of the totem pole," says Rilinger. Resistance
training, whether it's with your bodyweight alone or with added weights, is an
effective method to help build muscle and burn fat. Lifting weights has
been shown to increase your resting metabolic rate, which means your body
burns more calories even when you're not working out. The effect isn't
enormous, but building muscle means more muscle mass to churn through
calories as you go about your day. Plus, more muscle means you can go
harder next time, increasing your weight, and getting even more out of each
workout. Plus, if you're lifting at a high intensity, you get the added bonus of
the "afterburn effect," which is when you've put down the weights but your
body is still using up extra energy.

Rilinger suggests adding weight training to your routine at least three times a
week. And since your body adjusts to workouts after being exposed to the
same moves at the same intensity, becoming less effective over time, she
says to mix it up about every three weeks to keep your body guessing.

Try it: First, if you've never done it before, be sure to read these strength

training tips for beginners before you get started. And check out this primer
on how to choose the right weights for your workout.

Now here's a quick 10-minute total-body dumbbell workout and another 10-

minute living room dumbbell workout to get you started. Here's a 20-minute
strength workout for when you have a bit more time. Here's some info
about how to superset at the gym. And if you're going to use kettlebells and
barbells in your strength workout routine, be sure to work with a personal
trainer to make sure you're using proper form. You've got this!

3. Boot Camp
For a workout that's going to keep your metabolism elevated, turn to boot
camp, as these classes (think Barry's Bootcamp) combine two of the most
effective styles of training: interval and resistance. "You'll perform exercises,
some more cardio-focused and others strength-focused, full-out for short
bursts of time, coupled with short periods of rest," says Adam Rosante,
certified personal trainer and author of The 30-Second Body. But if it's
your first time going to a boot camp class, speak up. He says a good
instructor will help you determine when you need to crank up the weight or
intensity (tip: if you can cruise through 10 reps without any trouble, it's too
easy), keep your form on par, and can always provide a modification for any
move that might be too tough or irritates an injury. If you can't make it to a
studio, though, you can virtually sweat it out with Rosante in his 20-minute C9
Challenge, or try this bodyweight-only 16-minute routine.

4. Boxing
"At its essence, boxing is really another form of interval training," explains
Rosante. But it also makes you feel freaking badass. Here's the trick to
remember: It's a common mistake for beginners to punch using only their arm
strength, but the majority of your power is going to come from your core and
you'll use muscles that are typically ignored in other workouts (hey there,
obliques).
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It's best to log this type of workout in a class, as Rosante says it's crucial for
beginners to learn proper form from an instructor who can help keep your
intensity level high. Here are 18 boxing gyms worth visiting. But if you want to
brush up on your skills at home, try this beginner-friendly video from Milan
Costich, founder of Prevail boxing gym in Los Angeles.

5. Running
COREY TOWERS

All you need is a pair of sneakers before you head out the door. But if weight
loss is the name of your game, the lackadaisical head-out-for-a-light-jog style
of running isn't the way to go. Instead, find a hill you can sprint up, or crank
the incline on that treadmill. "Running up hills forces you to work your glutes
and legs—two of your body's biggest muscle groups—even more, which
requires smaller muscle recruitment and more energy expenditure," explains
Rosante. As noted earlier, the more energy you're using, the brighter that
calorie-burning fire burns. But proper form here is key. "Lean into the hill, and
drive your knees as high as you can, striking the ball of each foot down
directly under your body," he says. "Keep your hands open and arms bent at
90 degrees, and drive your arms straight forward up to face level, then
backward to the top of your back pocket." And try not to let your arms cross
over your body—that'll just waste the precious energy your muscles need. If
you're training indoors, here are a few fat-burning treadmill routines to get you
started.

Try it: You can do these 4 fat-burning workouts on a treadmill. Or you can

take them outside if you'd like—for incline work, just fine a good hill.

6. CrossFit
There's a reason CrossFit has become such a booming part of the workout
industry—it works, so long as you don't overdo it. Workouts are varied—you
may be doing anything from kettlebell swings to rope climbs and box jumps to
front squats—and the routines are designed to be short and intense. The most
important thing to find when looking for the box (CrossFit slang for "gym") that
fits you best: a well-informed coach who can explain and modify the moves,
and make sure that you don't push yourself to the point of injury. Here are a
few things to keep in mind before every WOD, and here are 11 of the best
CrossFit gyms in America.

7. Tabata
If your biggest excuse for skipping a workout is being crunched for time,
Tabata is your dream come true. It's designed to be four minutes of high-
intensity interval training that consists of 20 seconds of all-out effort, followed
by 10 seconds of rest, repeated eight times, explains Shanon Squires, an
exercise physiologist and human performance lab coordinator at Colorado
University Anschutz Health and Wellness Center. And you can use this
protocol with any number of different exercises. You'll spike your metabolism
and heart rate in four minutes, but Squires warns against making this time
frame a habit if you're trying to lose weight. "Your body will quickly adapt to
that interval, and you'll need to increase the volume or intensity to continue
getting a benefit from it," he says. To do that, Rosante suggests extending
your session to 20 minutes and following the same format. Simply pick four
exercises—think jump rope, squats, mountain climbers, and squat jumps—
then do each for 20 seconds as hard and fast as you can (while maintaining
proper form, of course), then recovering for 10 seconds and 10 seconds only.
Repeat for eight rounds on that one move (so, four minutes of work) before
resting for one minute and moving on to the next exercise.
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Try it: Here's a 4-minute Tabata you might want to try.

8. Yoga
OK, so yoga alone isn't a great workout for weight loss. But Rilinger says it
can be a secret weapon in your weight loss arsenal because it keeps you
flexible and healthy for your other, more intense workouts (like that boot camp
class). But that's not all. "Yoga requires balance and stability, which promotes
functional strength, and it helps our mental health," she says. Aim to squeeze
it in at least once a week. And if you can't make it to the studio, there are
plenty of flows you can do at home.

Try it: Here's a yoga flow sequence for stronger abs. Here's one to help you
wake up in the morning. And here's a yoga workout for arms.

9. Swimming
If you can't stand the thought of running, or just want to work out without a ton
of pounding on your joints, do a few laps in the pool. It's a low-impact exercise
that will work all of your major muscle groups. As with most workouts, it helps
to go in with a plan. Try this one, from Rosante: Tread water for as long as
possible by standing upright in the deep end and using your arms and legs to
stay afloat. Then rest for two minutes. Now swim 10 sets of 100 meters (that's
back-and-forth lap in an Olympic-sized pool), resting for one minute in
between sets. By the time you climb out of the pool, your muscles will be
pleasantly worn out.

10. Jumping Rope

It's time to kick it back to the good ole' days of P.E. class, when you first
learned how to swing a jump rope. This tool is cheap, portable (it'll fit in the
tiny parts of your suitcase!), and can be used just about anywhere. After just a
few minutes you will feel your heart rate racing!

Try it: Here's a speedy routine to try from Rosante:

1. Warm up with a light 3-minute skip with the rope

2. Do 100 traditional jumps (both feet leave the floor at the same time, and
no extra hops in between)
3. Once you finish, immediately do 100 jump rope sprints (think regular
jumping rope but at an even quicker pace)
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3, but follow this format: 50/50, 21/21, 15/15, 9/9
5. If you want more, work your way back up the ladder until you reach
100/100 again

Oh, and whatever you do, don't do it barefoot. "Few things compare to the
pain of missing a skip and smacking the tip of your toe with a jump rope," says
Rosante. Noted. You can do this entire sequence mock-style, though, if you
don't have a rope handy.

You Might Also Like: 20-Minute Upper Body Workout

SELF does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Any information published on this website or
by this brand is not intended as a substitute for medical advice, and you should not take any action before
consulting with a healthcare professional.
Topicsboot campweight lossWorkoutstabatastrength training
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