If you want to burn fat, strength training can help you succeed. Strength training exercises increase your lean muscle mass, which burns more calories than fat mass, as well as boost your metabolism so you can burn more calories even when you're not working out. To get fit and lose fat, you can do many strength training exercises for free using your own body weight or dumbbells for resistance.
Strength Training Basics
The American College of Sports Medicine advises doing eight to 10 strength-training exercises, with eight to 12 repetitions of each exercise, twice a week for good health. Do exercises that target your major muscle groups, including your upper body, core and lower body muscles. Strength training breaks down your muscles in order for them to rebuild and become stronger. Give your body at least a day of rest between strength training sessions to allow your muscles to repair. You can do other activities between strength training sessions but do not lift weight with the same muscle groups on consecutive days.
Lower Body Exercises
All of these lower body exercises require no equipment, but if you have dumbbells on hand and want to add intensity, you can hold dumbbells by your sides during the exercises. Do two sets of 10 squats by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and slowly bending your knees, resting your weight in your heels as your thighs come down to parallel the floor. Return to a standing position and repeat. To perform lunges, stand with your feet together and bend one knee to come forward and lunge toward that leg. Push off with your front leg to return to a stand. Do 15 lunges on each side.
Upper Body Exercises
You can do pushups to strengthen your shoulders, arms and chest with no equipment. Do two to three sets of 10 to 15 pushups. Add variety and intensity to your pushups by doing triceps pushups, in which you place your hands in a triangle shape on the floor in front of your chest, or by doing pushups on an incline, with your feet resting on a bench or step. If you have dumbbells on hand, add biceps curls, triceps extensions and dumbbell rows to your upper body workout. You can also do pull-ups and chin-ups using an exercise bar at a local park or gym.
Core Exercises
To strengthen your core, you can perform a variety of exercises on a flat, comfortable surface such as a yoga mat. Do two sets of 25 crunches by lying on your back with your knees bent and lifting your torso off the floor a few inches, then lowering yourself back to the ground. Planks are also a great core exercise that you can do almost anywhere. To perform a plank, lie on your stomach and lift your body off the ground, balancing on your forearms and toes. Hold for 30 seconds or as long as you can, then rest and repeat. Do side planks by lying on your side and stacking your feet. With your chest facing forward, push your hip and body off the ground, balancing on your feet and bent forearm.
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