Bodyweight Exercises For Fat Burning
If you don’t have the time to go to the gym, you can have an equally effective workout at home using bodyweight exercises.
With bodyweight training, you have to be more conscious of how you move and where you place each body part in order to execute proper form and technique.
You are literally commanding your body where to go. This is why bodyweight exercises are ideal for developing agility and athleticism.
When incorporating bodyweight exercises in a fat burning program, you have to focus on the intensity instead of the duration.
You should be working at 80% to 90% of your Maximum Heart Rate (MHR). Ideally, the program should not take longer than 20 minutes.
Following are the best bodyweight exercises for burning body fat. They were selected because they recruit the largest muscles in the body: legs, chest and back. These exercises can also be used for either a straight set workout or interval program.
1. Burpees
Burpees is a challenging bodyweight exercise that utilises the lower and upper body. It is a great exercise for improving agility, balance, mobility and overall conditioning. Burpees will get your heart rate pumping after the first few reps. It can be used as warm up before weight training or as part of a high intensity interval program.
Recommended Volume: 4 sets x 30secs
2. Bear Crawl
It may seem like child’s play but Bear Crawl is intense enough to get your body toned and tight. Bear Crawl works your shoulders, legs, hips, lower back and abs. If you have shoulder pain, do a few sets of Bear Crawl before doing any type of pressing exercise. It helps prime up the muscle fibres in your shoulders, chest and upper back before lifting weights. If you want to increase the intensity of the exercise, do each crawl very slowly.
Recommended Volume: 4 sets x 30m
3. Clock Push Up
Clock Push Up doesn’t just build the chest. It also works the shoulders, triceps, lower back and abs. Performing each rep according to the hand position on a clock will improve agility and shoulder stability. Make Clock Push Up more challenging by doing 12 reps clockwise then the next 12 reps counter-clockwise.
Recommended Volume: 4 sets x 12 reps
4. Mountain Climbers
Mountain Climbers is a dynamic exercise that targets the abdominal area, shoulders and lower back. But it is also a fantastic exercise for developing overall conditioning. Always remember to keep your upper back, lower back and hips aligned when doing Mountain Climbers. This places your abs in their strongest position to contract as hard as possible and support your lower back.
Recommended Volume: 4 sets x 30secs
5. Russian Twist
If you participate in any sport that requires hip and trunk rotation, Russian Twist should be part of your program. Russian Twist brings in all the muscles of your core section together: rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, serratus and oblique muscles. Russian Twist also enhances the level of hip flexibility and mobility.
Recommended Volume: 4 sets x 30secs
6. Hip Thrust
The lower back is highly susceptible to pain and injury. Hip Thrust is the exercise that will provide the best solution. Hip Thrust strengthens hip mobility, trunk stability and improves flexibility in the hamstrings and gluteus areas. Always go for a deep stretch at the bottom and a powerful contraction in the hips and lower back at the top position. Hold both the stretch and contraction for a count of five seconds.
Recommended Volume: 4 sets x 10 reps
7. Jump Lunges
Jump Lunges is an explosive exercise that primarily targets the thighs, hamstrings, calves, glutes and lower back. Jump Lunges a favourite exercise for toning the lower body because it activates the larger and powerful fast twitch fibres. Maintain a stable trunk position and keep your abs tight to protect the lower back from compression forces every time you land.
Recommended Volume: 4 sets x 10 reps
You can run all of these exercises according to sequence for a highly challenging, fat burning interval training program.
After every exercise, catch your breath for 15 to 30 seconds. You should always perform each rep using precise form and technique.
Once you have run through all 7 exercises, rest for 2 minutes before starting the next interval. Try to complete 4 intervals as fast as you can.
Always keep track of your numbers so that you will have a target to beat the next time.
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