The Five Best Exercises for Fat Loss

It’s a common question to ask – “what exercises should I be doing to lose weight?” And it’s an important question; carrying around extra fat isn’t good for your heart, your bones, your joints, or for your long-term health. And exercising is an essential part of losing body fat. So yeah, this matters.

But let’s put this into perspective; when it comes to fat loss, there’s a trio of factors to consider:

1. Movement. This includes exercise, but it also includes all other ways of moving. Walking, doing physical work around the house, even physically active jobs.
2. Nutrition. What you eat, how much protein and vegetables, how much processed food, overall energy intake, and overall food quality.
3. Stress Management. How do you respond to the stresses that come up in your life? How do you feel about your weight loss journey – are you stressed and impatient, or able to focus on small action steps and enjoy the process?

So, losing body fat includes more than just exercise. But it is an important part of the equation. So, what exercises should you do to lose body fat (assuming nutrition and stress management are on point)?

Here’s the ultimate list of five:

1. Squat: pick something up, and holding it, lower your butt back and down, bending both at the hips and the knees.
2. Hinge: standing over something, stick your butt back, bending mostly at the hips and just a bit at the knees, and pick it up. Put it back down the same way.
3. Press: pick something up, and push it away from you. Alternatively, put your hands against something solid and push yourself away from it.
4. Pull: grab something, and pull it closer to you. Alternatively, grab something solid and pull yourself closer to it.
5. Carry: pick something up, and take it for a walk.

I hear you yelling – “But coach, what exact exercises will work best for me?” To answer that, you’ve got to answer a couple of questions yourself:

1. What exercises can you do? What works for your body shape, works with any past or present injuries, and what equipment do you have access to? You’ve got to be realistic and accommodate your limitations.
2. What exercises do you like to do? Any program that asks you to do things you hate, you’re not going to keep going. If you’re new to training, you should try out some different stuff. But it definitely helps to enjoy your training.
3. Of the things you can do, and that you like to do, what gets you the most out of breath? Breathing hard is a good measure of intensity. Find exercises that use most of your body to complete, and that fee physically challenging.

For real this time, here’s my list; this also represents what comes up in Wasatch Fitness Academy pretty often:

1. Sandbag Down and Ups
2. Sandbag Clean and Press
3. Kettlebell Snatch
4. Overhead Crossload Split Squats
5. Kettlebell Goblet Squat

Enjoy!

-Michael