There are many types of aerobic activity that condition the body while burning fat at the same time. All of these activities have one thing in common: they utilize intense periods of exercise conducted at max capacity, followed by slower bouts of less intense cardio or rest.
Generally, the more intense your aerobic exercise is, the higher its fat-burning potential. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do low-intensity aerobic exercise–it still has a place in a fitness regime; however, if your goal is to burn more fat, high-intensity aerobic exercise is most effective.
Here are some of the most popular and effective fat burning cardio workouts to kick your cardio routine up a notch.
Sprint training
Sprint intervals are a simple yet effective way to help you build muscle and cardiovascular endurance. Try sprint intervals inside or hill sprints outside to keep your cardio routine interesting.
A simple sprint routine includes a 20- to 30-second sprint followed by a 40- to 60-second rest or walk. You can repeat this for as many times as you’d like; however, it’s important to be mindful of possible technical failure that can occur while sprinting. Remember to stretch thoroughly before beginning any type of rigorous exercise, and since this is a high-intensity activity, make sure you have sufficient energy to complete the sprint without your muscles fatiguing and giving out mid-sprint.
Boxing
The benefits of boxing include better cardiovascular endurance, improved total-body strength, better hand-eye coordination, and increased explosiveness.
A great fat burning boxing workout involves 6 rounds of 2-minute high-intensity exercise separated by 1 minute of rest.
Rowing
Rowing is a great low impact cardiovascular activity that increases core strength while working both the upper and lower body simultaneously. There are many different kinds of rowing routines, all great for cardiovascular conditioning; however, sprint rowing circuits are a highly effective way to burn fat fast.
If you’re looking for an effective rowing workout to help torch fat, check out “Torch fat with this 20-minute rowing workout.”
Circuits or Metcon (Metabolic Conditioning)
Circuits and metcon workouts offer the benefits of strength training paired with cardiovascular conditioning to produce a stronger and fitter physique with greater overall endurance. When it comes to these types of training, the sky is the limit. As long as you pair high-intensity exercises with periods of active recovery, you can build your own circuit to suit your unique needs and interests. Make sure to be mindful of your form, as it can tend to be compromised as your muscles fatigue.
If you’re looking for a pre-made circuit workout, check out this strength training circuit, this calorie-burner workout or this bodyweight circuit routine.
Strongman
Strongman training routines utilize strength training exercises to create lifting endurance, cardiovascular capacity and core strength. These exercises demand exceptional energy output making it the ideal workout for fat loss and muscle toning.
Incorporate heavy weighted carries (farmer’s walk), sled pulls and pushes or heavy overhead presses to your strength training routine for some extra cardiovascular work. For additional strongman inspired exercises, try the lumberjack workout.