6 Effective Exercises for Rapid Fat Loss

If you want to get lean, the first thing you need to realize is that cardio alone won't do the job. Cardio helps burn fat, but it doesn't build muscle.

You need both to achieve the lean look you want. Strength training builds muscle and helps you keep it. It also tones your body so that you don't just look like a skinny person who's starving. You want muscles, not skin and bones.

If you're ready for some serious results in your fitness program, read on.

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Exercises for Fat Loss

Here's a look at six such exercises:

#1 Deadlift

Deadlifts are a compound exercise that works the whole body. They're also a full body exercise and a great way to burn fat quickly.

Deadlifts can be performed at home or in the gym, although some equipment is necessary to perform this weightless exercise correctly. They're not only easy on the joints and muscles, but they also require very little coordination or balance so they're a great choice for beginners too.

To do the exercise:

• Grab a loaded barbell, and set it up in front of you.
• Hinge down, and push your hips behind.
• Arch your back, and bend your knees.
• With an overhand grip, drive your feet into the ground as you pull the weight up to your waist. Hold for a few seconds, and slowly rack it down.
• Repeat for as many reps as you can.

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#2 Dumbbell Lunge

The dumbbell lunge is a great exercise for the lower body and core. It improves mobility and strength while also targeting the glutes, quads, hamstrings, and adductors.

To do it:

• The movement is simple: stand with feet hip-width apart holding one dumbbell in each hand by your side.
• Take a big step forward with one foot while bending both knees till they're almost at 90 degrees.
• Push up through your heel to return to a standing position, and repeat on each side ten times for three sets per leg.

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#3 Crunch

Crunches are the best exercise for targeting the abs, and they're very effective at targeting the obliques as well.

If you have a fitness ball, this is where we would recommend doing them. You can also do them on an incline bench if you have one. Finally, if you don't have either of those things but still want to get in some good amount of crunches, the floor is just fine too.

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#4 Burpee

Burpees are a full body exercise that burns a lot of calories and builds muscle. They can be done anywhere; they’re easy to do, and they work the entire body.

The biggest benefit of burpees is their ability to burn tons of calories in just a few minutes. An average person can burn roughly 500 calories doing just ten minutes of burpees (assuming you’re doing them at a high intensity). If you add weight training into the equation, you could burn as much as 800 calories in 30 minutes.

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#5 Bench Press

The bench press is a compound exercise that works the pectorals, triceps, and anterior deltoid muscles.

To perform a bench press:

• Lie on your back on an exercise bench with your feet flat on the floor and knees bent at 90 degrees.
• Hold a barbell over your chest, and grasp it with both hands just beyond shoulder width apart.
• Keep your elbows locked so they don't move during the exercise, and lower the bar to just below your pecs without touching them; this position is called the bottom of the movement.
• Press the weight up till your arms are extended fully above you; this position is called the top of the movement.

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#6 Squat Jump

Here's how it's done:

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and a dumbbell in each hand.
• Bend both knees, lowering into a squat (as low as you can).
• Jump straight up as high as you can. When landing, bend your knees to absorb the impact.

Do this exercise every other day for 30 minutes at a time, resting 30 seconds between jumps. You may use from 3 kg to 5 kg weights.

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Takeaway

Cardio is great for burning fat, but it doesn't have the same effect on muscles. In fact, doing too much cardio can slow down metabolism and cause you to lose muscle. That's why you need to mix up your workout routine with strength training as well.