The Best Exercises To Burn Fat: 15 Ways For Women To Get Fit!

Written by: Holly Smith, M.D.,

B.S. - Dietetics, NASM-PES Certified Trainer

Writer, The Fit Mother Project

Written by: Holly Smith, M.D.,

B.S. - Dietetics, NASM-PES Certified Trainer

Writer, The Fit Mother Project

best exercises to burn fat

Are you having trouble losing some extra fat around your midsection or under your arms? Want to get rid of it? You need the top 15 best exercises to burn fat!

We get it; you eat right, you exercise, but it seems that no matter what you do, you just can’t shed that last bit of unsightly fat.

Don't get discouraged, and don't give up — we've got some great fat-burning exercises for women that will take you to the next level!

While you can’t pick which parts of your body you can lose fat from, you can put together an all-over fat-burning workout that will eventually help you lose those stubborn extra pounds.

You can turn your body into a fat-burning machine by targeting all your muscle groups, especially your core.

You can have the fit physique you have always wanted to achieve with hard work and dedication. Get started today with the top 15 best exercises to burn fat!

Learn how to lose weight and burn fat fast with the 10-10-BURN workout!

Burn Fat to Improve Your Fitness and Your Health

Getting rid of extra fat is important, especially as you hit middle age. Research has shown that even moderate weight loss can decrease your risk for chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, and hypertension.

Looking great isn’t the only perk — fat loss will improve your health, body image, and overall fitness.

The best way to burn fat is through a combination of strength training and cardio exercises.

How Does Cardio Help Us Shed Fat?

Cardiovascular exercises burn loads of calories during and after the workout. The intensity and the duration of the exercise play into how well your body continues to burn calories throughout the day.

Studies have found that high-intensity intervals can produce similar 24-hour calorie-burning benefits as traditional endurance activities but with a lower time commitment.

This doesn’t mean that one type of physical activity is necessarily better. It just means you can tailor your cardio to what you enjoy and what fits into your schedule!

So if you are looking to do something lower intensity, pick activities you like doing and will be able to sustain for at least a half-hour or longer.

On the flip side, if time is a limiting factor, you can up the intensity and do a shorter workout with high-intensity intervals. This is where HIIT and Tabata workouts are beneficial.

Strength Training is Fat Burning Too!

Strength training is also essential for fat burning. For one, while you may burn slightly fewer calories during the workout as compared to cardio training, you still are burning a substantial amount of energy during a resistance workout.

Plus, adding lean body mass to your frame increases your metabolic rate and allows you to burn more calories throughout the day.

In addition, increasing muscle mass will give you a lean, fit physique. Strength training will give your body a muscular definition in areas that you once could only find that stubborn, hard-to-lose fat.

The Top 15 Best Exercises To Burn Fat

Check out these top 15 fat-burning exercises for women. The first eight are cardio workouts; the rest are strength training exercises. These can be added to your weekly fitness routine to burn serious calories and lose excess fat you can’t seem to shed.

Cardio

These exercises require muscular endurance and core strength and are great fat-burning exercises for women. The plyometric nature of many of these movements will burn serious calories and help you lose that stubborn fat.

Burpees

  • Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
  • Bend your knees and lower your body into a squat as you place your hands between your feet.
  • Jump your feet back into the plank position.
  • Then jump your feet back to your hands.
  • Reach your arms overhead and jump up into the air.
  • Land and immediately lower back into a squat for your next rep.
  • Aim for 10-15 reps.
  • Rest for thirty seconds, then repeat for three sets.

Mountain Climbers

  • Start in a plank position while keeping your back flat and core contracted.
  • Pull your right knee into your chest.
  • Then switch your legs, bringing your right leg back and your left knee up to your chest.
  • Run your knees in and out for 30 seconds as fast as you can.
  • Aim for three sets with a 30-second rest between each set.

Tuck Jumps

  • Begin in a standing position with your knees slightly bent.
  • Hold your hands in front of you at chest height with your palms down.
  • Dip down into a quarter squat and immediately jump upward.
  • Drive the knees towards the chest, attempting to touch them to the palms of your hands.
  • Then land by re-extending your legs with knees slightly bent.
  • Repeat as rapidly as possible for thirty seconds.
  • Try to complete three sets after a 30-second rest between each set.
  • Start with small jumps and gradually increase height as you gain fitness.

Squat Jumps

  • Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
  • Come down into a squat and then jump up explosively.
  • When you land, lower your body back into the squat position.
  • Repeat as many reps as possible for 30 seconds.
  • Rest for 30 seconds, then repeat for three sets.

Lateral Skaters

  • Start in a standing position and hinge slightly forward.
  • Perform a small jump to the right onto your right leg.
  • Bring your left leg behind you and tap the ground as you do this.
  • At the same time, bring your left arm in front of you.
  • Now, jump to the left onto your left foot, bringing your right leg behind you and your right arm in front of you.
  • Repeat the movement, alternating back and forth.
  • Alternate back and forth as quickly as possible for 30 seconds.
  • Rest for 30 seconds, then repeat for three total sets.

Jumping Switch Lunges

  • Start in a standing position and lunge forward with your right thigh parallel to the floor and left arm forward.
  • Then jump up and switch legs, landing in a lunge with your left foot, right arm forward, and left arm back.
  • Continue alternating sides for as many reps as possible for 30 seconds.
  • Do three sets with 30 seconds of rest between sets.

Jump Rope

  • Try to jump rope as quickly as possible for 30 seconds.
  • Rest for 30 seconds, then repeat for three sets.

Battle Rope Waves

  • Stand and hold the ends of the battle ropes in front of you.
  • Contract your core and begin raising and lowering each arm explosively, alternating between the left and right.
  • Continue doing this for as long as you can.
  • Aim for 20 seconds at first, and gradually try to increase this time.
  • Complete three sets.
  • Rest 30 seconds between each set.

Strength

These strength exercises are all compound moves that will work multiple muscle groups and require core activation.

Any exercise that uses your core along with other muscle groups is going to increase your body’s metabolism and burn fat faster.

Walking Lunge to Bicep Curl

  • Start in a standing position with a dumbbell in each hand.
  • Step forward into a lunge with your right foot.
  • While maintaining the lunge position curl the dumbbells up and lower them back down.
  • Then bring your left leg forward to stand up straight.
  • Repeat on the left side now.
  • Alternate sides until you do eight reps on each leg.
  • Repeat for three sets.

Squat to Overhead Press

  • Stand with your legs about hip-distance apart with your arms bent at shoulder height, holding two dumbbells.
  • Bend your knees and come down into a squat.
  • Then straighten your knees to stand up while you press the dumbbells overhead.
  • Bring the weights back down to your shoulders and repeat.
  • Complete three sets of 10-12 reps.

Spiderman Push-Ups

  • Start in a plank position with your back flat and core engaged.
  • Lower your body to the floor by bending your elbows while bringing your right leg out to the side.
  • Try to touch your right knee to your right elbow.
  • Return the right leg back as you push back up.
  • Then repeat with your left leg.
  • Continue alternating sides.
  • Try to perform at least five to 10 reps on each side.
  • Complete three sets.

Bent-Over Row to Tricep Kickback

  • Start in a standing position while holding two dumbbells.
  • Lean forward with a slight bend in the knees and row the dumbbells up to chest level while squeezing your shoulder blades together.
  • Then extend your arms behind you by squeezing your triceps into a tricep kickback.
  • Bend your elbows and lower the weights to return to the starting position.
  • Repeat for three sets of 10-12 reps.

Kettlebell Swings

  • Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointed out, and knees slightly bent.
  • Hold a kettlebell between your legs with both hands in an overhand grip.
  • Bend your hips back until the kettlebell is between and behind your legs.
  • Then contract your glutes to extend your hips and swing the weight to about chest height.
  • Let the weight swing back between your legs as you bend your hips and slightly bend your knees.
  • Immediately begin the next rep by extending your hips and bringing the kettlebell up.
  • Complete three sets of 10-12 reps.

Plank Dumbbell Row

  • Start in a plank position with your legs slightly wider than a hip-width distance.
  • Instead of your hands being directly on the floor, they will be grasping two dumbbells on the floor.
  • Engage your core and bring your right arm up into a row.
  • Return the weight to the ground and repeat the movement on your left side.
  • Do 10 reps per arm, and repeat for three sets.

Push-Up to Side Plank

  • Start in a plank position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width.
  • Bend your elbows and lower your body to the ground into a push-up position.
  • Straighten your arms, and shift your weight onto the left side of your body as you come up.
  • Twist to the left side while bringing your right arm up towards the ceiling in a side plank.
  • Lower your right arm back to the floor.
  • Perform another pushup and twist to your right side, bringing your left arm into a side plank.
  • Repeat for three sets of eight to 10 reps on each side.

Holly Smith, M.D.
B.S. - Dietetics, NASM-PES Certified Trainer

Writer, The Fit Mother Project

Holly is an osteopathic physician, runner, triathlete, and fitness and nutrition enthusiast.

She is board certified in nephrology and internal medicine, has a bachelors degree in dietetics and is a certified personal trainer with NASM-PES certification.

Holly has completed four full ironmans, twelve marathons, countless half ironmans, olympic distance triathlons, half marathons and numerous other road races.

Holly joined the Fit Father Project in May 2019 as a regular writer, contributing articles on health, wellness, exercise, and nutrition.

She has also recently qualified for the 2020 World Championships for Ironman 70.3, in New Zealand!

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*Please know that weight loss results & health changes/improvements vary from individual to individual; you may not achieve similar results. Always consult with your doctor before making health decisions. This is not medical advice – simply very well-researched info on the best exercises to burn fat.

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