This post has been updated since its initial publish date to include more expert insight.
As you may already know, when it comes to losing weight, physical activity is essential. Having a well-balanced diet is great, but it’s definitely not enough. You should get your body moving (and sweating) too.
If you’re looking for exercises that will help you burn fat and build muscle, we reached out to fitness trainers Claire La Breche, Erica Ziel, and Sara Haley. Keep reading for their advice on healthy weight loss and workout recommendations.
What You Need To Know About Burning Fat And Building Muscle
Before anything else, La Breche points out that “the most important factor in making lasting changes when it comes to weight loss is consistency.” She adds, “You can start running and probably see some pretty rapid change, but finding a workout regimen that’s sustainable–meaning you can continue to fit it into your lifestyle AND you enjoy it enough to keep it up—will mean that results like losing weight and seeing more muscle definition will last!”
La Breche shares, “I love the energy and supportive atmosphere of group fitness classes, and my perfect combo is a class with some cardio (in the form of dance) paired with resistance training to help me build muscle. Dance cardio burns calories (on top of a ton of important factors like heart health), and it’s fun! Pair that with resistance training to build lean muscle mass so the calorie burn that happens in class won’t end when you stop moving.”
She explains, “More muscle means your metabolism will burn more calories throughout the day, making it easier to lose or maintain your weight. If you can’t make time to get to a class, try something you can do at home like Jazzercise On Demand.” Haley agrees with this claim and mentions, “The more muscle groups you use, the more calories you burn and the more weight loss you will see.”
Additionally, Ziel advises, “Don’t be afraid of bulking up when lifting weights and strength training. Women, [especially those] in their perimenopause and menopause years and beyond, really need to be doing more strength training so they avoid losing muscle mass as hormones transition.” She clarifies, “When it comes to burning fat, it’s important to know that muscle can improve your metabolism and help you burn more fat. Get off the cardio wheel if you want to get stronger and burn more fat. Some cardio can be beneficial, but if it’s your primary exercise start thinking about incorporating more strength exercises to balance out your cardio workouts.”
READ MORE: Muscle-Building Exercises You Can Do Daily—You Don’t Even Need Weights!
Best Fat-Burning And Muscle-Toning Exercises
Burpee
According to Haley, “Something like a burpee uses so many muscle groups. In a beginner burpee, you squat down (using your legs and butt) and put your hands in front of your feet. [You] walk your feet out to a plank position (using your core muscles and shoulders), walk your feet back into the squat, and stand up. You can advance the burpee and use even more muscle groups—squat down, walk or jump your feet out to plank, do a push-up (now working chest and triceps too), or walk or jump the feet back to the squat and stand up or do a jump squat.
“This exercise truly works the entire body,” she confirms. Burpees can help burn stomach and back fat.
Haley continues, “To build more muscle, you’ll want to pick up more weight. You could turn your body-weight-only burpee into what is often called a Man-Maker (which I like to call a Woman-Maker). Begin with medium-sized weights in your hands and squat down like the beginning of a burpee. You can put your hands on the floor or keep them on your weights as you go out to plank (I recommend keeping them in your hands if you can). From your plank, row one arm back at a time (now working your back too). If you need to modify, widen the stance of your plank or put your knees on the floor. Perform your push-up. Then, walk your feet back into the squat with your hands on the floor. As you stand up, perform a bicep curl (now working your biceps too) with a standing squat. Finish with a shoulder press above your head. Repeat.”
Push-Up
This is actually La Breche’s “all-time favorite, super-efficient exercise.” She says, “Push-ups use your own body weight for resistance, and work your whole body including the core muscles (abs, glutes, back), and your arms and chest. You’ll get your heart rate up, and build muscle! You can even incorporate pushups in a HIIT workout to maximize the post-workout calorie burn.”
La Breche notes, “Building lean muscle is the best way to keep your metabolism working throughout the day, so not just while you work out, but even while sitting at your desk, in the car, or while you sleep. I love pushups because you can gain strength in such a tangible way by doing them daily—feeling successful means you’ll keep doing them!”
To do a push-up, “start with a plank position—you want your hands on the floor stacked below your elbows, right below your shoulders with your weight forward so you feel your abs tighten up.” She continues, “Slowly bend your arms to lower yourself down, and then extend your arms to push back up to your starting position. You want your elbows to make an A shape as they bend, rather than pointing straight out to make a T.”
Due to the many variations of a push-up, La Breche encourages you to try a position that works for you (like beginning with your knees on the ground rather than in a full plank, or simply lowering down from a plank all the way to the floor, and then resetting to build strength until you can push yourself back up).
She shares, “I think people are overwhelmed by thinking they need to make ALL the changes at once or commit a ton of time to exercise to make any progress, but even adding this one practice to your day (like 10 push-ups when you wake up, and 10 more before showering at night) will increase your strength—then add another small change and build from there.”
Squats
“Squats are a favorite because they work all your leg muscles, plus your deep core (including your pelvic floor),” Ziel says. “Not only is it great to have stronger legs, but squats are also such an important functional move that women need to do more of and do them daily. I love teaching my clients how to do squat pulses to get their muscles active and engaged, then follow-up those squat pulses with a full range of motion squats.”
She notes, “Be sure to avoid tucking your butt. Instead, you want to feel the spreading of your sit-bones (think butt bones) as you lower into a deep squat. Squats, especially when practiced with correct form, can improve how your body feels and moves. Plus, [it is] beneficial for improving your posture! Once you have these down without using any weight, then you can add a kettlebell or dumbbell to increase your strength even faster.”
How To Do A Squat
1. In a wide squat position, begin by inhaling as you hold.
2. Exhale as you stand up about halfway.
3. Inhale as you lower back down.
4. Exhale and continue with slow, controlled, smaller range of motion squats for 10-15 reps.
5. Continue into a full range of motion squats.
6. Inhale as you lower down into your squat, only going as low as you can without tucking your bum.
7. Exhale as you stand, thinking about growing tall all the way through the top of your head. (This helps improve posture + core strength)
8. Repeat full range of motion squats for 10-15 reps.
And, if you’re sick of squats, there are other exercises for growing your glutes (like deadlifts and curtsy lunges) that are just as effective!
