Burning fat requires a negative calorie balance, with 1 lb. of fat equaling 3,500 calories, according to spineuniverse.com. Diet is a very important part of this equation, as fat burning cannot commence without this deficit. The calorie burn portion is comprised of two different types of exercise: cardio and resistance. Cardio is important because it burns a large amount of calories during the activity and keeps the heart and lungs healthy. Resistance training is critical because it helps to prevent muscle loss, and increase resting metabolism.
Interval Training
Interval training, where high-intensity activity is alternated with moderate-intensity exercise, has been shown to increase the amount of fat burn by 36 percent and improve cardiovascular fitness by 13 percent. Interval training can be done a number of different ways. Typically, the high-intensity phase is between 90 and 100 percent of a person's perceived maximum for 30 to 60 seconds. The moderate-intensity phase is anywhere from 60 to 75 percent of the perceived maximum intensity for two to four minutes. Intervals are most often performed for 20 to 30 minutes, as it is difficult to maintain the proper intensity levels much longer than that.
Deadlift
The best resistance exercises for burning fat are the ones that utilize multiple muscle groups. An example of this is the deadlift. The deadlift requires the use virtually every muscle in the body. The primary focus of the exercise is the legs, which is important because the bulk of human musculature is in the legs. The added benefit to this particular exercise is that it also requires a great deal of core and upper body strength to complete. The use of all these muscles at once triggers the body to burn an exceptionally high amount of calories, both during the exercise and while recovering for hours after the workout.
Push-up
Though the push-up does not challenge the legs, it does require a great deal of core and upper-body strength. Push-ups utilize nearly every muscle from the waist up, helping to burn large amounts of calories during and after the exercise is completed.
Pull-up
Like the push-up, the pull-up also requires a great deal of upper-body and core strength. The pull up is considered by many to be the most difficult exercise around. For many people, it is difficult to perform. The more energy burned, the greater the fat-burning capabilities of the exercise.
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