Top 25 Best Exercises To Lose Weight

Having trouble putting together a workout to burn more calories? Include these workouts in your upcoming session.

Men's Health is frequently asked, "What is the best exercise to lose weight?" The bad news is that most fat loss efforts fail due to an energy shortage, meaning your diet will need to be modified.

The good news is that, although there isn't a universally applicable solution to this problem (as everyone's definition of health and fitness varies), there are some workouts and movement patterns that can enhance the previously described energy deficit by burning more calories than others. If your goal is to lose weight, incorporating these effective workouts can contribute to your weight loss journey. The finest aspect? They're not at all difficult.

Here, we'll look at 25 of the greatest weight-loss workouts that you should incorporate into your routine right away. Some of these are more fun than others.

Each exercise should be challenging enough to raise your heart rate and, of course, be completed with a load or to a distance that will test you.

Most of the exercises we've provided may be scaled and changed based on your ability and current fitness level. Hopefully, you'll also notice that all of these workouts target at least two muscle groups at once rather than being "isolated." The objective is efficiency.

Fortunately, this is not grueling long-distance labor. If your goal is to lose weight, instead of your biweekly stroll through the neighborhood park, try these hard-hitting and time-tested workouts to shed pounds more quickly.

Anticipate a combination of conditioning staples, traditional strength training, and heart-pumping aerobics. Since you didn't come here for spinning, let's be honest.

1. Farmer's Carry

Why:

Who says physical activity has to be difficult? The concept behind the farmer's walk is to pick up something heavy and transport it to a different location.

To challenge your grip strength, core, and upper back, try using weights that add up to a total of half your current bodyweight (40 kg is a decent starting point for most guys).

Farmer's walks might sometimes be quite simple. They therefore provide a great exercise for the money.

Including a barbell, dumbbells, kettlebells, rings, plates, and a trap bar.

How:

• Raise a trap bar by deadlifting it or keep dumbbells by your sides.
• To stop the weight from swinging, maintain a rigid core and tense arms.
• Move quickly and at a fast speed.
• Walk back after turning around.

2. Weighted Sled (Prowler)

Why:

The power and endurance to move a big thing quickly is a specific skill that many people overlook, much like the farmer's stroll. If you're looking to lose weight, incorporating low-skill moves that demand effort, such as pushing a weighted sled, can be effective in enhancing your overall fitness and contributing to your weight loss goals.

Half of your body weight should be loaded onto the sled. Run for 20 to 30 meters each round and then return, resting at a 1:2 ratio. Both anaerobic and aerobic increases will be advantageous.

How:

• Orient yourself such that you are holding the sled bars with your arms straight or bent over your shoulders. You'll nearly have your chest parallel to the floor.
• March as quickly as you can, bringing one knee to your chest as your other leg stretches behind you, and drive the sled.
• Instead of taking long, slow steps, take short, rapid ones for more efficient work.

3. Kettlebell Swings

Why:

Kettlebell swings are a must-have exercise since they are simple to learn and among the best.

Your abs will anchor your core while your glutes, hips, and quads help raise the kettlebell. Kettlebell rises are one type of workout that can help you lose weight because it works many muscles.

Your heart rate will rise as a result of all of this, burning calories.

How:

• Place the kettlebell a foot in front of you and begin with your feet slightly wider than your hips.
• Return your hips to the back of your heels. Maintain a straight head while reaching for the kettlebell handle. You should have your torso slightly elevated over your hips.
• Pulling the kettlebell firmly between your legs, just above the knees, requires you to shrug your shoulders away from your ears to start the exercise.
• Explosively snap your hips forward to raise the kettlebell to your eye line. Maintain a slack hold and allow motion to carry the load.
• Trace the arc back between the legs in the opposite direction.
• Continue until the set is complete, snapping the hips.
• After you're done, flip the kettlebell over and place it one foot in front of you.

4. Burpee

Why:

Without burpees, our list of the best workouts for weight loss wouldn't be complete. This workout increases heart rate and burns calories. Remember to regress the workout if necessary.

You can perform the burpee without the leaps and, if necessary, with a knees-down press-up.

As much as a 30-second, all-out bike sprint can be burned off in just 10 fast-paced repetitions of chest-to-floor burpees, according to research from the American College of Sports Medicine. And burning calories is what that implies.

How:

• With both hands on the ground in between your feet, bend over.
• Lower your chest to the floor and spring your feet back into the top of a press-up.
• Return to the high plank position by exerting yourself.
• Launch your lower limbs backwards between your hands.
• With your hands clasped behind your head, leap into the air.

5. Airbike

Why:

The assault bike is one of the most dangerous pieces of workout equipment; it's a truly evil piece of gear. It's truly that easy: just sit on the bike and ride until you are exhausted, then repeat a few times.

The gimmick is that the resistance setting adjusts to your pace, so the harder you push and peddle the bike, the harder the labor gets. Just keep trying. Aim for fast sprints; a benchmark of 15 seconds or 12 calories is optimal. Rest for a ratio of 1:2 for five rounds or more.

Additionally, Quantum Power & Strength Training: According to Gaining the Winning Edge, an assault bike is the perfect workout equipment for building aerobic capacity.

How:

• Take a seat after adjusting the saddle to your hip height.
• Push with your left foot in the pedals and your right hand on the grips, and vice versa.
• In order to maximize movement economy, try not to thrash your limbs about the bike. Instead, keep them compact.

6. Barbell Deadlifts

Why:

Deadlifts are the ultimate compound exercise, capable of doing nearly any task. The best part is that because it's a complex exercise, the barbell deadlift works your quads, hamstrings, arms, abs, and grip strength all at once.

You can improve your body by increasing your lean muscle mass by pushing yourself with increasingly larger weights.

How:

• Place your feet beneath your hips and walk your shins to the bar.
• The deadlift is a hinge exercise in which you extend your hands toward the bar and place your hips behind your heels.
• With your middle foot underneath the bar, your shoulders should be over it.
• Imagine putting your shoulder blades in your back pockets while keeping your torso stiff to produce tension between you and the bar, keeping your head and back in alignment. The plates should clink for you to hear.
• Maintain the bar's proximity while pushing the floor away from you.
• Reverse the movement and lock out the hips without shifting the weight back.

7. Barbell Back Squat

Why:

The back squat is an essential complex exercise for improving your physical condition, much as the barbell deadlift. Maintaining proper form requires strong lower body force to raise the barbell back up from the bottom position, as well as strong back and core muscles.

This study shows that barbell squats are much more effective as a compound move, or an exercise that works many muscle groups, than as an individual exercise.

How:

• Hold a barbell across your upper back with an overhand grip while standing with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart. Make sure the barbell is not resting on your neck.
• To activate the muscles in your upper back, "hugg" the bar into your traps. With your head up, back straight, and backside out, slowly lower yourself back into a squat.
• Lower yourself until your legs are at a 90-degree angle and your hips are in line with your knees. A deeper squat will be more advantageous, but start with building your strength and flexibility.
• To propel yourself back up explosively, press your heels into the ground.
• Maintain your form until you can stand up straight.

8. Barbell Lunges

Why:

By adding weight to your lunges, you may kick up the intensity of your leg day. All three types of weights—barbells, dumbbells, and kettlebells—are good for gaining muscular mass and have the ability to strengthen hamstrings and quadriceps.

You'll work your core as well by keeping your chest raised and trying not to smash your knee on the floor. According to Health Status, lunging can burn 275 calories in 30 minutes for a man weighing 70 kg.

How:

• Take a step forward with one leg, bending it at the knee till the back knee contacts the ground while maintaining a tall posture and an upward chest at all times.
• Quickly stand up, pause, and then do it again.

9. Bench Press

Why:

The barbell bench press, a classic exercise, elevates testosterone levels by involving the arms, chest, and shoulders simultaneously. This compound movement not only engages multiple muscle groups but also aids in burning more calories.

Research published in the Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research supports the barbell bench press as one of the most effective exercises for weight loss, emphasizing its significance in achieving optimal results.

How:

• With a barbell on the rack above you and an overhand, shoulder-width grip, recline on a level bench.
• With your arms fully extended, raise the bar off the rack and place it above your chest.
• Breathe deeply as you lower the bar gradually from the starting position until it touches your chest in the middle.
• Exhale and forcefully push the bar back to the starting position. That amounts to one rep.

10. Front Squats

Why:

Not your typical squat, though most guys avoid doing this leg-bulking variety. Instead, front squats are a fantastic technique to increase strength. In general, front squats are more beginner-friendly and safer than barbell back squats.

Your front squat will go more quickly and burn more fat if you scale the load to a weight that is smaller than your typical squatting power. Your core should be working hard to keep your chest upright.

How:

• Maintain a shoulder-width distance between your feet while supporting a barbell across your upper chest.
• You have two options for supporting the weight: cross your arms or support it with your fingers and outstretched wrists.
• Lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor by pushing your hips back and bending your knees, being careful not to arch your back.
• To propel yourself forcefully back up to the starting position, plant your heels firmly in the ground.

11. Dumbbell Deadlift

Why:

Not comfortable performing a traditional bar deadlift? No dramas – if you want to develop your strength before hitting the bar, the dumbbell deadlift is a great scaling alternative.

It's a fantastic example of a full-body workout that can be done practically anywhere, including hotel gyms. It has a ton of advantages, such as increased mobility, improved grip, and overall body strength. Fortunately, all of these will help you develop stronger quadriceps, glutes, traps, and core when performing the barbell deadlift.

How:

• With your palms facing inward, hold two dumbbells in front of your thighs.
• With a flat back, hinge at the hips to move the hips behind the heels.
• Wither side of your feet, make contact with the dumbbells on the floor.
• To stand again, push the floor away from you.

12. Thrusters

Why:

The dumbbell thruster is just a push press plus a front squat, but don't let that deceive you—when performed properly, this exercise can work your entire body.

After grabbing a barbell, dumbbells, or kettlebells, squat down until your body is parallel to the floor. Go slowly. It will put a strain on your grip strength, glutes, quadriceps, shoulders, and core.

It also produces a powerful engine. If you're looking for effective exercises for weight loss, the dumbbell thruster is a great addition to your routine.

How:

• Hold two kettlebells by their handles while your weight is on the back of your shoulders.
• Squat down, keeping your legs parallel to your shoulders and bending your knees slightly.
• Raise the kettlebells above your head by driving through and straightening your legs, then extending your arms.
• Return to a squat position.

13. Dumbbell Goblet Squat

Why:

It's the most basic form of squatting. Alright, nearly. The goblet squat, which may also be performed with a kettlebell, is a great transition from the basic bodyweight squat for people who want to strengthen their lower body before adding weight to a barbell.

If your goal is weight loss, incorporating goblet squats into your routine can be an effective way to engage multiple muscle groups and boost your metabolism.

In a similar vein, adopting good form can really target your glutes and legs while activating your core, shoulders, and back. Additionally, by slowing down, this exercise will increase your mobility and make it perfect for time-under-tension training.

If you're seeking exercises for weight loss, incorporating movements that engage multiple muscle groups, like the one described, can be beneficial for burning calories and promoting overall fitness.

According to a Portuguese study, squats burn about 35 calories every minute.

How:

• Hold a dumbbell in front of your chest with both hands while standing with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart.
• Resuming your squat, drive back up, and repeat while maintaining the same dumbbell position.

14. Dumbbell Step-Ups

Why:

Step-ups with a dumbbell are an effective way to strengthen your gluteus maximus, which is the main muscle that extends, rotates, and adducts and abducts from the hip joint.

Exercises involving just one leg also strengthen the tiny muscles surrounding the joint, which helps to prevent injury.

If you're aiming for weight loss, incorporating step-ups with a dumbbell into your routine can be advantageous, as it targets major muscle groups and promotes overall lower body strength, contributing to your weight loss goals.

Dumbbell step-ups are a dynamic exercise that will increase your upper body strength and athleticism while burning calories. As you advance, make sure to keep adding weight to the burden.

How:

• Step onto the raised platform with your right foot and press up through your heel.
• With your left foot, take a step back and focus on flexing your right leg's knee and hip.
• Continue on the opposite side.

15. Medicine Ball Slams

Why:

Do you enjoy going to the gym to vent your frustrations? Ball slams are among the best workouts for weight loss, then. It's very easy: just pick up something not too heavy and set it down again.

Rinse and repeat to get a tonne of benefits, such as increased muscular mass in your abs, shoulders, and glutes, as well as an elevated heart rate that will burn calories at an incredible rate.

How:

• Hold a medicine ball above your head with your arms outstretched while standing with your knees slightly bent.
• About a foot in front of you, bend forward at the waist and smack the ball against the floor using your core muscles.
• In order to avoid falling forward, let your arms follow through. As the ball ascends again, catch it and repeat.

16. Box Jumps

Why:

There are moments when leaving the weight room is necessary. Box jumps are a really easy and effective exercise that you may do when you're short on time but still want to get your heart rate up a bit. By developing leg power, you'll increase your athleticism, which will enable you to perform greater lifts.

When performed in a 'tabata' manner (four sets of 40 seconds on, 20 seconds off), box jumps are estimated by the American Council on Exercise to burn over 360 calories in total after four rounds.

How:

• Place your feet shoulder-width apart to create a comfortable spacing between you and the box.
• Pinch yourself into a quarter squat, then launch yourself skyward to land on the box by swinging your arms.
• Try to land as lightly as you can. Step backward from the controlled box now.

17. Battle Ropes

Why:

When it comes to a lung-busting finisher that simultaneously tones your shoulders, biceps, and forearms, battle ropes are hard to top.

The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research discovered that participants' heart rates increased to 180 BPM after 10 15-second combat rope bursts, which is equivalent to an all-out, full-body sprint.

You can burn 120 calories in 10 minutes with a combat rope workout, so don't feel limited to the weights. Additionally, experiment with different rope movements: circles test shoulder mobility, side-to-side moves challenge stability.

How:

• Ten to fifteen feet distant, anchor the middle of the rope.
• Hold an end in each hand while extending your arms at your sides. Raise one arm as swiftly as you can to shoulder level to start the activity.
• Raise the other side as you allow that arm to return to its initial position.
• Continue whipping the ropes up and down as quickly as you can with your left and right arms in turn.

18. Rowing

Why:

The rowing machine may not be as popular in your local gym, but that shouldn't deter you.

This study, which was published in The Strength and Conditioning Journal, discovered that an 83 kg male could burn about 377 calories by rowing for 30 minutes, and that the metabolic demands of an interval rowing workout were comparable to those of MMA training. Very helpful in an emergency.

How:

• With your feet strapped in, take a seat at a rowing machine and grasp the handle with your overhand hand.
• To push the seat back, straighten your legs and bring your hands up to your chest when they pass your knees.
• Repeat the motion in reverse.

19. Treadmill Sprints

Why:

It's a depressing sight to see endless rows of empty treadmills. A basic piece of equipment for body conditioning can be the treadmill.

Make use of HIIT training techniques, which involve brief, sharp, and intensive workouts. Ten sets of 30/30 sprint to rest should be the starting point. The goal is to increase the machine's gradient while reducing the amount of rest time.

Try to keep your tempo as steady and flowing as possible during each attempt.

How:

• Use the treadmill handrails to get on after the belt reaches its maximum speed.
• To ensure that your quadriceps absorb the impact instead of your joints, make sure to land on your forefoot first.
• As soon as your foot makes contact, thrust up with your rear knee to propel yourself forward quickly. Picture a line that extends from your shoulder to your knee.

20. Skipping

Why:

Ever notice a scrawny boxer? That's right. Pro athletes, including MMA fighters and CrossFit luminaries, vouch for the advantages of the jump rope for a reason.

They are lightweight, perfect for conditioning, and may be incorporated into warm-ups and finishers of any type of exercise. If you're on a journey for weight loss, incorporating jump rope exercises, especially double-unders, can add a dynamic and calorie-burning element to your fitness routine.

Although it may not seem like it, skipping can be a full-body workout since your legs and calves will be used to move your body forward while your shoulders and arms will be used to turn the rope quickly. Your abs will be blasted if you keep your core active.

"It tones the muscles in the upper and lower body and burns a lot of calories quickly, but other factors will determine if it's appropriate for an individual," says Peter Schulman, MD, an associate professor at the University of Connecticut Health Center in the field of cardiology and pulmonary medicine.

If you're aiming for weight loss, incorporating jump rope exercises can be advantageous, as they target multiple muscle groups and contribute to calorie burning, aligning with your weight loss goals. Double-unders, in which the rope passes around your body twice for each jump, intensify the exercise.

How:

• Grasp both ends of the rope.
• When the rope strikes the ground, use your wrists to flip it around your body and jump to clear it.

21. Mountain Climbers

Why:

Although they appear easy, mountain climbers need to do them with proper form to minimize damage and maximize their gains. If you're on a journey for weight loss, incorporating exercises like mountain climbers can be beneficial, as they engage multiple muscle groups and elevate your heart rate for effective calorie burning.

Before beginning the action, make sure you're in the right position: shoulders high, hands under shoulders, core tight, and drive with forceful knees.

You'll increase your heart rate, develop explosive lower body power, and target your shoulders and core. As you start to tire, make sure you maintain proper posture and, if needed, reduce the speed of your knee drives.

Remember, consistency with exercises that promote cardiovascular health and engage various muscle groups is key for achieving weight loss goals.

How:

• Assume a sprinter's stance on the ground, placing one foot under your waist and one behind you while keeping your leg straight.
• Change your foot placements explosively.
• Repeat the specified number of reps.

22. Sandbag Forward Lunge

Why:

Sandbags are one piece of equipment that is utilized even less frequently than treadmills. If you use them correctly, you will gain more muscle that is useful than before.

Although they're not a good replacement for barbells or dumbbells, the instability of sandbags rather than their weight is what gives them their charm.

Your stabilizing muscles will be working nonstop to keep you balanced while the sand shifts inside the bag. Maintain a braced core to maximize muscle recruitment and prevent injury.

With sandbags, you may theoretically burn up to eight calories each minute, or 80 calories every ten minutes or 240 calories every thirty minutes.

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee found that training with sandbags, as opposed to dumbbells or kettlebells, increases participants' hearts to beat about eight beats per minute more quickly. High energy expenditure and calorie burn are correlated with this.

How:

• Position the sandbag over your back.
• Leaning forward with your right foot, take a deep lunge where your back knee is as close to the floor as possible and both legs are bent.
• Push yourself back up and continue on the opposite side.

23. Bear Crawls

Why:

You'll get some weird looks as you perform the bear crawl, but ignore them. At its most basic, it's a very practical exercise that will help you build muscle endurance in your arms, shoulders, chest, stomach, legs, and core.

How:

• Start on all fours, with your knees beneath your hips and your hands beneath your shoulders, everything raised off the ground.
• Maintain a neutral head position, chin tucked in, and hips somewhat higher than shoulders.
• In order for your opposite arm and leg to cooperate as you start to move forward, reach with your left foot as you do with your right arm.
• Start with little steps and work your way up until you've perfected the movement and coordination while maintaining a uniform hip flexion.

24. Wall Ball

Why:

Wall balls, a favorite workout in CrossFit, are an excellent way to build upper-body strength and power, especially when under oxidative stress.

While the upward motion of tossing the ball above will strengthen your chest, shoulders, and back, the squatting portion of the exercise will work your calves, quads, and hamstrings. Wall balls will also raise your V02 max and help you develop functional muscle.

How:

• Take a medicine ball and aim it up to ten feet if you feel safe doing so.
• Once your thighs are parallel to the floor, squat down while holding the bottom of the medicine ball at your chest.
• Use your momentum to toss the ball into the wall's 10-foot marker as you push back upward.
• Rebound the ball, catch it, and repeat the exercise a number of times.

25. Shadow Boxing

Why:

Shadow boxing is a great way to engage your arms, legs, and cardiovascular system while using only bodyweight exercises. Delivering a painful blow to your glutes, a Forza study discovered that boxing can burn up to 800 calories in one hour. This is how you ace it.

How:

• When shadow boxing, assume a fighting stance and pivot on your toes.
• You can dip and weave as much as you want.
• Punch at different intensities to create a high-intensity, low-intensity aerobic workout.