The 3 Best Workout Moves To Burn Fat

Everyone has a different reason for working out. Some want to accomplish performance goals, others want to build enough muscle to make their shirtsleeves bulge. But on some level, just about everyone trains to be healthier—and that means they’re working up a sweat and burning through fat.

You should have more than just aesthetics in mind when you set out to shed body fat. Healthy people come in all shapes and sizes, but not all fat is the same. If you carry more fat in your belly, you might be more at risk of dangerous health conditions than others. That’s because belly fat, a.k.a. visceral fat, is a metabolically active tissue that can cause your body harm. Getting rid of that is more than just a vanity project, so you’re going to need to put in the work with the right moves.

Likewise, not every fat burning workout is created equal. When many trainers think of exercises to torch through fat, they tend to focus on intensive metabolic moves—think high energy moves like burpees, slams, battle ropes, and the like. That’s not necessarily wrong. But there are other exercises that can work, too. Heavy loaded multi-joint movements like squats and deadlifts challenge multiple muscle groups, which both helps you to build more muscle and expend more energy, burning fat.

Add these fat burning exercises to your training plan to get on the right path. Just remember, you can’t outwork a bad diet, and you’ll struggle to burn fat if you’re not in a caloric deficit—so focus on improving your habits in the kitchen, too.

The classic go-to fat burner for trainers, burpees are almost a rite of passage for just about anyone looking to break a sweat. You'll drop to the floor, push back up, and jump for one rep, then keep working.

Just make sure you don't overdo burpees. Stick with sets of 10 at a time at most to start, and if you have any upper body issues, try these scaled variations.