Written by Garett Reid | NSCA, CSCS, CISSN, M.S.E.S.S
Fact checked by Tyler DiGiovanni, BSBM
FACT CHECKED
One of the most commonly asked questions in the world of training and fitness is: What's the best exercise for losing weight? There's actually a good chance it could be the most asked question.
Here's the problem: we rarely like using the word "best" when talking about exercises, as there are so many factors to consider and plenty of nuances to explore. However, we do have a pretty good theory. If you're trying to optimize your fat loss, you're about to learn very useful information.
Prepare to lose some pounds with our exclusive 12-week fat loss training program. Choose between a 4 or 5 day training split and torch that stubborn fat, all while retaining, or even gaining muscle...
How Do You Lose Weight?
In order to determine the best exercise to lose weight, we need to first establish how we lose weight in the first place.
Some will try to make this more complicated than it needs to be, but weight loss comes from this simple equation;
- Calories Consumed - Calories Burned = Weight Change
This means;
- If you eat more calories than you burn, you'll gain weight
- If you eat the same amount of calories you eat as you burn, you'll maintain weight
- If you eat less calories than you burn, you'll lose weight
Again, there is nuance in this, but for most people, this is the general gist of weight loss.
Now, this would lead many people to assume that the best exercise for weight loss is the one that burns the most calories. This isn't necessarily true and we'll go over why below.
Exercises For Fat Loss
There are many types of exercises you can choose to assist you on your weight loss journey. We're going to examine their benefits and drawbacks to compare and see which one is crowned king for fat loss.
Let's get to it.
1. HIIT
High-intensity interval training, or more simply known as HIIT, is a common tactic used by many for fat loss. This style of training involves alternating between intervals of very-high intensity work and intervals of low-intensity recovery.
Benefits
HIIT offers quite a few benefits. However, the overarching one is that it's very time-efficient.
There are a ton of variables, but assuming you're already warmed up (for example, you add to the end of a workout), you can generally burn the same amount of calories in ½-⅓ the time as you would with using a steady state!
In general, a session of steady-state is usually going to last at least 30 minutes. However, a HIIT session can be knocked out in 10 minutes. Again, this assumes you're already warmed up.
For example, a study had two groups of overweight individuals follow a weight loss program that consisted of the same warm-up and a 20-minute session of resistance training.¹ Then one group performed HIIT for 8 minutes and the other performed a 30-minute session of steady state. In this study, the HIIT group actually saw better changes in their body comp.
One more positive benefit is that HIIT may have better potential at preserving muscle mass during a fat loss workout program. Now, HIIT is not designed to build muscle so don't think this can replace resistance training.
Regardless, because the exercise is performed at a high intensity, it has more potential to stimulate muscle protein synthesis to a degree that favors muscle preservation. This makes it a powerful tool for anyone who is really invested in bodybuilding or preserving as much muscle mass as possible.
Drawbacks
While HIIT is a very powerful tool to add to your weight loss workout plan, it does have some drawbacks.
The first, and one not talked about enough, is that you need a certain level of fitness to be able to perform HIIT correctly. In order to get the benefits of caloric burn in little time, you gotta bust your ass! This requires an elevated level of fitness.
It's not uncommon to see new trainees, who are often overweight, attempt to perform a HIIT class, and they spend most of their time keeled over – this isn't efficient.
In the same vein, proper HIIT training is very intense and places a lot of force on the joints. This is good when done with proper dosage; in other words, you can't do it every day. At the very least, you need to alternate between lower and upper body exercises, and even then, it can be a lot.
Regardless, you'll be limited to 2-4 sessions weekly, with beginners being towards the lower end.
To top it off, HIIT is often touted as the clear winner in terms of body composition. However, results are inconclusive when looking at all studies.²
2. Steady State
Steady state training is your classic "cardio training" that involves performing moderate intensity cardio for usually 30+ minutes. The exact intensity can vary depending on who you ask, but we think 65-80% maximum heart rate is a good rate for most people.
Most people think of the treadmill when talking about steady state. However, you can apply it to any piece of cardio:
- Treadmill
- Cycling (indoor, outdoor)
- Rowing (indoor, outdoor)
- Star climber
- Air Assault
Benefits
Using steady state cardio can be very effective in your training program. For one, it's much easier for anyone of any fitness level to perform – you don't need to work at intensity levels of 90% or higher.
Secondly, it's easy to use with low-impact. In fact, one of the most effective modes is to use an incline treadmill – place it at an appropriate angle and a speed that promotes a fast walk.
More importantly, steady state works. Somewhere along the way, an idea was spread that says steady state isn't good for fat loss or not as good as HIIT. As we saw above, this isn't true.
Depending on the person and situation, steady state is just as good, if not better, for fat loss.
Drawbacks
Steady state cardio is a great tool for fat loss but it has some drawbacks. The first is that it does take time.
If you are a person who has limited time, steady-state may take up too much time to burn a considerable number of calories.
Now, in the grand scheme of things, this is likely only a real issue for a small number of people. Others may just prefer to get their cardio done as fast as possible!
Another complaint is that some claim the steady state is boring as there's no change in intensity and you're doing the same exercise for so long.
One more is that it can result in overuse injuries, especially new people. As you're performing the same motion so much, if your form is off, the added stress can build up over time.
Now, there are two easy fixes;
- Add duration and intensity gradually
- Alternate through modes of exercise, i.e., running, cycling, rowing
Finally, while not a problem, you should consider the fact that steady state works at too low of an intensity to stimulate muscle growth. In addition, too much with inadequate nutrition could actually lead to muscle loss.
3. Weight Training
While usually not thought of as an exercise used for fat loss, it should be.
First, we should be clear about what we mean when we say "weight training." We aren't talking about just doing resistance training like biceps curls or even bodyweight squats.
We're talking about following a training plan that follows progressive programming, i.e., adding weight or reps each week. In addition, we are specifically talking about performing your major compound movements like;
- Chest press
- Squats
- Deadlift (variations)
- Back rows
Benefits
The major benefit that weight training has over the other modalities is its the best form of exercises to either maintain muscle mass or build muscle.
While HIIT may be useful, it doesn't beat proper weight training simply because you can use greater loads.
In addition, while it may not burn "1,000s of calories an hour", it still burns calories. The amount can vary greatly depending on the person, duration of training and the type of training but is likely around 200-400 calories.
However, you can utilize various forms of weight training at the end of a session to invoke higher caloric burn. Again, this shouldn't be your main goal, but a quick 5-10 minute EMOM is a great option to:
- Increase muscle endurance
- Increase anaerobic endurance
- Caloric burn
Drawbacks
The biggest concern that people have with weight training for fat loss is that it will probably have a smaller caloric burn compared to steady state training. When compared to HIIT, the calorie burn will be more equivalent, but there's the time issue.
Therefore, many people will look at weight training as not being ideal to use for fat loss.
Another drawback is that you have access to equipment. Yes, you can train at home, but to perform the type of resistance training we're talking about, you need things like;
- Barbells
- Weights
- Machine
- Dumbbells
This means you either need to spend a lot of money and build your own gym or spend time driving to the gym.
4. NEAT Or Step-Counting
Last, we have increased your NEAT, technically known as your non-exercise aerobic thermogenesis. NEAT is the calories you expend during the day from activity that is not exercise or sport-related. This can include things like;
- Walking your dog
- Fidgeting
- Walking to your car
- Cooking food
It can really include anything, even as you read this article!
Benefits
One of the biggest problems with the population in the West is living a sedentary lifestyle; many get very little activity during the day. In fact, for some people, here's what their physical activity consists of;
- Going to the bathroom and getting dressed
- Walking to their car
- Walking from their car to their desk
- A couple of bathroom breaks
- Walking back to their car
- Walking inside their house
This is one of, if not the worst, things for our health and weight.
Now, this is also where step-counting comes in. The idea of increasing your steps is to simply increase your daily activity; while it can, it doesn't all have to be walking at a brisk pace.
Walking 10,000 steps will burn around 400-600 calories depending on the person and other variables. That's a lot. Now, when you then pair that with a controlled diet, you see how effective this can be.
What makes step-counting stand out from the other methods is you can do it every day as it's low-stress. This means you can burn about 3,500 calories a week (500cals x 7)!
Let's compare that to HIIT. Let's say you can burn 300 calories in 10 minutes, which is likely on the upper end. Now, due to its intensity, you can only do it a few times a week; let's say 4. That's only 1,200 calories.
Even if you performed HIIT 5 times a week and burned 600 calories, that's still only 3,000.
Drawbacks
Now, obviously there's a major time difference involved. Walking 10,000 steps can take anywhere from 75-150 minutes.
However, consider that you can technically get work done (phone calls), listen to seminars, or take the time to mediate and disconnect.
Another drawback is that it will have minimal influence on cardio. Now, this doesn't mean it won't have any and studies do show increasing daily steps can decrease risk of cardiovascular events.³
When it comes to muscle strength or growth, there's also minimal improvements. Again, this doesn't mean there's zero but when compared to doing squats, or even sprinting, the adaptations are less.
So, What Is The Best Exercise For Fat Loss?
Above we saw 4 modes of exercise that can aid in your weight loss program. So, which one is best?
Again, we don't like to use the word best as they all have their own benefits. Further, an optimized program should have some components of each one.
However, let's get a little more specific.
To narrow the question down, let's assume you can only use one mode of exercise for fat loss; what would it be?
Weight Training For Fat Loss!
When questioned like that, the question becomes much simpler to answer. Our choice would be weight lifting or resistance training!
That may be a surprise, but our reasoning will make sense.
To begin with, we need to assume that you have your nutrition under control and are in a caloric deficit. This will always be your number one tool when losing weight.
You should not be using exercise to try and out train a bad diet – you shouldn't be worried about needing to burn 1000s of calories a day through exercise.
Therefore, weight training has a very unique benefit not seen in the other modes – it is easily the best at building muscle, or at least maintaining muscle.
In addition, you need to keep in mind that weight training still burns extra calories on top of its muscle building properties.
Get in a 500 caloric deficit weekly for a total of 3,500 calories. Then add another 800-1,500 from weight training, and you have a 5,000 weekly caloric deficit. That's 6-8 lbs of fat burned monthly while you're building or maintaining muscle.
The Best Secret Tool For Weight Loss
Now, let's look at this question from a different perspective. What's the best exercise for fat loss that we have seen make the biggest difference in a person's weight loss journey?
Again, this might be a surprise, but we think that increasing steps with intent makes the biggest difference in a person's weight loss journey.
Now, this tends to apply more specifically to overweight individuals and those starting their weight loss journey.
Regardless, the explanation is easy. These individuals are generally coming from a sedentary lifestyle where they're getting very little physical activity. This
- They don't have the fitness to endure long sessions of steady state or effective HIIT sessions.
- Walking 10,000 steps would be a major change in their physical activity levels and result in significant caloric burn.
At the same time, this can also include something like a low-intensity stair stepper or incline treadmill for more experienced lifters.
What's The Best Weight Loss Workout Plan?
So, let's look at this question from one more angle. Instead of pitting these modes of training against each other, let's see how they complement each other.
In the real world, you should be able to apply all of these exercises and mode of training to your weight loss program.
This is by far the best way to lose weight as you get to use each of their benefits, culminating in a full body workout. Here is how your best weight loss exercise plan should look.
- Strength training: At a minimum, you should have at least two strength training sessions using compound movements while hitting each muscle group twice. However, 3-5 days would be ideal, especially if you're concerned with maintaining and possibly building strength and muscle mass.
- Cardio: We'll go over the HIIT and steady state below, but in total, you should have at least 3 cardio sessions per week.
- HIIT: Everyone should have at least one HIIT session a week, simply because it trains certain physiological and metabolic systems. However, you could go up to 3 sessions per week, with some more experienced lifters using more.
- Steady State: Again, everyone should have at least one session of steady state of at least 30 minutes, ideally 45. This is because it trains some unique systems which deliver unique benefits in addition to extra calories.
- NEAT (Steps): As much as you want! Increasing your steps should be done daily and is your secret weapon. When it comes to how many you should do, we'd ask; "How many can you do?". But to give you a goal, you should aim for a minimum of 7,500 daily. However, the more you do the better until at least 20,000 steps.
If you follow the above guidelines in your weight loss workout plan, you'd have to really try hard not to lose weight!
Prepare to lose some pounds with our exclusive 12-week fat loss training program. Choose between a 4 or 5 day training split and torch that stubborn fat, all while retaining, or even gaining muscle...
References
- Russomando, Luca, et al. “The Effects of Short-Term High-Intensity Interval Training and Moderate Intensity Continuous Training on Body Fat Percentage, Abdominal Circumference, BMI and VO2max in Overweight Subjects.” Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology, vol. 5, no. 2, 10 June 2020, p. 41, https://doi.org/10.3390/jfmk5020041.
- Martins, Catia, et al. “High-Intensity Interval Training and Isocaloric Moderate-Intensity Continuous Training Result in Similar Improvements in Body Composition and Fitness in Obese Individuals.” International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, vol. 26, no. 3, June 2016, pp. 197–204, https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsnem.2015-0078.
- Stens, Niels A, et al. “Relationship of Daily Step Counts to All-Cause Mortality and Cardiovascular Events.” Journal of the American College of Cardiology, vol. 82, no. 15, 1 Sept. 2023, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2023.07.029.
Garett Reid
Author