As the obesity epidemic continues to grow, more people are looking for more effective ways to burn off the bulge. A lifestyle of moderate activity and healthy eating will help ward off excess fat. Build muscle to burn fat. The American College of Sports Medicine recognizes weight training, high-intensity interval training and circuit training as workouts that provide the fat-burning boost your body needs.
Resistance Training
Resistance training increases muscle strength and endurance, elevates bone density, creates a more toned and sculpted physique, helps offset bone loss and improves cardiovascular fitness. If fat burning is your goal, follow a super set routine with light weights and high repetitions. To try a super set perform a leg exercise between sets of an upper body exercise. After you perform a set of the standing military press with moderate dumbbells, carry those weights while doing walking lunges for 1 minute. Or work your core between sets: Challenge yourself by holding the plank position for 30 seconds to a minute between any upper or lower body exercises. Plan to hit the weights at least two to three days a week with at least one day off between sessions.
HIIT
High-Intensity Interval Training, or HIIT, according to the American Council of Exercise, consists of repeated bouts of short-duration, high-intensity exercise intervals with short, active recovery. On an activity scale of one to 10, HIIT aims for no lower than a seven. Types of HIIT include running, cycling, jumping or resistance training. Aim to keep your heart rate above 80 percent of your maximum for most of the workout. An example of HIIT using weights: Perform a set of back squats for 10 to 15 repetitions then immediately drop and do mountain climbers for one minute. Remember to stay active during the recovery period. For cardiovascular HIIT try sprinting for 200 m then walk or jog for 400 m.
Circuit Training
According to the American Council of Exercise, circuit training burns the most calories in the shortest amount of time. Many gyms offer this fun and quick fat-burning workout. Boot camp, a popular circuit training class, challenges the "conditioned" participant. When searching for a fat-burning circuit training workout, look for a combination of body-weight exercises interspersed with cardiovascular drills and core exercises. Lunges, intervals, sprints, push-ups, squats, pull-ups and planks are exercises you can do for overall body sculpting.
Getting Started
Different exercise routines produce different results. A bodybuilder's training regimen, for example, will not offer you a fat-burning workout. Match your workout to your needs and goals. Try different workouts until you find the one that works for you.
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