Fat Loss Body Weight Workouts: Your Guide to Shedding Pounds at Home

Losing weight involves modifying eating habits and increasing physical activity. Regular exercise is essential for achieving weight loss goals. Aim for at least 300 minutes of moderately intense activity each week to lose weight. It’s important to consult with a doctor before starting any new exercise program to determine the best options for your individual needs.

The Benefits of Bodyweight Training

Bodyweight training, like weight training, is a form of resistance training. When performed correctly, no-equipment bodyweight exercises can torch fat and strengthen your whole body. You can do this full-body workout anywhere: at home, at the park, while away for travel, or even during your lunch break at work.

Effective Bodyweight Exercises for Fat Loss

Here are some exercises that can help you on that journey:

Walking

Adding half an hour of brisk walking to your daily routine can burn approximately 150 extra calories each day. The faster and longer you walk, the more calories you burn. Walking is an excellent option for those new to regular exercise. Start with shorter walks and gradually increase the duration and intensity.

Jumping Rope

Jumping rope is a fantastic way to burn calories quickly. You'll burn more calories jumping rope than walking on a treadmill for the same amount of time. Additionally, it works multiple muscle groups, including your core, upper body, and lower body and can also improve your coordination.

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High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) involves alternating between intense physical activity and less-intense exercise. While it shouldn't be done every day, it's very effective for weight loss. HIIT burns more calories than steady cardio. The intense exercise keeps your body working and in fat-burning mode for up to 24 hours after your workout ends.

Cycling

Cycling is another great low-impact exercise that can be adapted to different fitness levels. Depending on your weight, speed, and type of cycling, you can burn approximately 400-750 calories per hour.

Swimming

Swimming is an ideal exercise, especially if you have achy knees or back pain. It's easy on the joints, engages both your upper and lower body, and provides a good cardio workout. The resistance of the water also provides additional benefits. Swimming for a half-hour a few times a week can lower your risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers. It can also reduce bad cholesterol and blood pressure.

Strength Training

This type of exercise uses resistance to build strength and muscle. It not only helps you lose weight but also helps you keep the weight off by building muscle, which helps your body burn more fat. Aim to do some strength training 3-5 times a week, for about an hour each time, with a rest day between every two days of training.

Pilates

Pilates exercises, typically performed on a mat or with tools that emphasize core strength, can make you stronger and help you maintain a healthy weight. The intensity of a Pilates class can be adjusted to your needs. Classes and demonstrations are available online or at your local gym.

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Jogging

Jogging is an aerobic exercise that uses oxygen, which can help you lose weight. A good jog can also raise your metabolic rate for up to 24 hours, keeping you in fat-burning mode even after you finish your workout. Regular jogging can help boost your metabolism over a long period of time.

Yoga

Yoga combines physical activity and meditation. It's a popular way to practice mindfulness. Over time, overweight individuals who do yoga at least once a week for 30 minutes may lose weight and have lower BMIs. Yoga practitioners are also more mindful eaters, meaning they’re more likely to know when they're truly hungry and when they’re full.

Stair Climbing

Stair climbing is another low-cost, versatile exercise for weight loss. Climbing just two flights of stairs every day can lead to a significant weight loss in a year. It can also increase the amount of good cholesterol in your blood and help keep your joints, muscles, and bones healthy.

Hiking

Hiking is a more adventurous way to lose weight. It involves walking in nature and navigating obstacles like tree roots and rocks.

Bodyweight Circuit Workout

Here’s a bodyweight circuit designed to work every muscle in your body, melt fat, revitalize tight muscles, and build strength.

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The Plan: Do this workout at least 3 times a week for 28 days. Perform the main workout as a 3-round circuit with no rest between exercises. After the final exercise, rest 1 minute. Do each move for 60 seconds in the first round, 45 seconds in the second round, and 30 seconds in the third.

The Warmup: Work through 3 rounds.

  • Squat to Hip Opener: Start standing, and drop into a deep squat. Stand, squeezing your glutes, and lift your right leg, driving your knee up. Rotate your thigh outward, flexing your right glute. Pause, then return to standing. Repeat on the other side. Do reps for 30 seconds, then jumping jacks for 30 seconds. Complete 3 sets, with no rest between each.

The Workout:

  1. Duck Walk to Squat Jump: Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Squat until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Keeping your chest up and your weight in your heels, walk forward 4 steps. Balance out your feet and jump up. Lower back down for more duck walks, take 4 steps backward, and jump again. That’s 1 rep. Stay low as you walk forward, and take small steps.
  2. Pushup Plank with Knee Touch: Start in a pushup position, hands beneath your shoulders, feet wide. Lift your left hand to touch your right knee. Return your left hand to the floor. Do a pushup. Repeat on the other side. That’s 1 rep. Bend at the waist as you bring hand to knee. Keep a flat back until the last possible moment when you need to touch your knee. Take your time; don’t rush the reps.
  3. Lateral Bound to Burpee: Start in an athletic stance. Leap to the left, landing on your left foot only, knee slightly bent; control your landing. Place your right foot on the floor; your feet should be shoulder-width apart. Quickly squat, get into pushup position, lower your chest to the floor, hop your feet to your hands, stand up, and jump. Leap right, landing on your right foot, and repeat the entire process. That’s 1 rep. If the bound is too difficult, take a smaller hop.
  4. Crab Bridge to Knee Lift: Lie on your back, palms on the floor, knees bent, feet close to your butt. Lift your butt a few inches and straighten your arms. This is the start. Lift your right foot, tucking knee to chest, and touch your knee with your opposite hand. Pause. Return to the start. Repeat on the other side. Then squeeze your glutes and press up through your heels until your shoulders, hips, and knees form a straight line. Return to the start. That’s 1 rep.
  5. Gator Roll: Lie on your back, arms and legs extended, shoulder blades and thighs off the floor. This is the start. Without letting your arms or legs touch the floor, roll to the right until you’re on your stomach. Pause, then roll back to the start. Repeat on the other side. That’s 1 rep. Take your time rolling over and your abs will get maximum benefit.
  6. Lateral Bear Crawl to Bird Dog: Start on all fours, knees off the floor, core tight. Take 2 steps to the left. Pause. Lower your left knee to the floor, and extend your left arm in front of you and your right leg behind you. Return back to bear-crawl position and take 2 steps to the right; drop to your right knee and extend right arm and left leg. That’s 1 rep.

20-Minute Bodyweight Workout Circuit

You will perform each exercise, doing as many reps as you can in a one-minute time frame. Once you finish the entire circuit, repeat a second time through.

  1. Squat Down and place hands on the ground, knees fully bent. When you land, move right back into the squat position to complete the next rep. Avoid doing this exercise on a concrete surface if possible as it can lead to knee pain due to the excess stress coming down on the joints.
  2. Classic Push-Up is the next bodyweight move for this workout session. Start in a prone position, balancing on your toes with the legs extended. Keeping the abs contracted and the spinal column straight, bend the elbows as you lower yourself down to the ground. Pause when your sternum is almost touching the ground and then press up to complete the rep. Remember to keep your head looking down while doing this exercise.
  3. Stand in an upright position with feet about hip-width apart. Take one step forward a foot or two and plant the foot on the ground. Begin to bend the forward leg as you lunge down, touching the back knee to the ground. As you lower, twist towards the front leg with the upper body. Reverse out of the lunge and twist back to center. Step forward with the opposite leg, repeating the above steps, to complete one rep of the exercise. For added difficulty, pause for one second at the bottom of the lunge position.
  4. Prone Plank Walkout. Start in a prone position, facing the ground. Your legs will be extended and you’ll balance on your toes. Place your elbows under your shoulders and balance on your forearms. Your back should be flat like a tabletop in this position. Hold this starting position for five seconds, then take one step to the right side with your right leg and arm, following with the left leg and arm. Hold this position for five seconds. Make sure to keep the abs tight as you do this movement while also squeezing the glutes.
  5. Mountain Climber. You’ll start this exercise in a push-up position, with legs extended behind you and hands on the ground, shoulder-width apart. Once balanced, drive one leg into the chest, bending the knee as you do so. Once in position, reverse direction and as you do so, pull the other knee inward. Mind-muscle connection on this move is key. Make sure that you focus on driving the knees into the body by contracting the ab muscles.
  6. Squat Jump. This move is great for building lower body strength as well as improving your power. Bend at the knees and squat down as low as you can, pulling your arms back behind you. Rebound up off the ground, jumping as high off the ground as you can, swinging your arms through and above your head. When doing this exercise, make sure that you land with the knees moving over the toes to avoid suffering from knee pain.
  7. Crab Walk Backward. From a seated position with your knees bent and feet planted on the ground, place your hands on the ground beneath your shoulders. With your weight evenly distributed between your feet and hands, lift your hips so your body is just hovering above the ground. Begin to take one step back with the right foot and hand, followed by the left foot and hand. Continue to walk both arms and legs in the backwards direction as you move across the floor. Keep the abs and glutes tight and hips up off the ground as you do this. With this exercise, you don’t want your steps to be too large. This makes it challenging to control. Smaller steps will tend to work better for most people.
  8. Cross Body Mountain Climber. Bring one knee up towards the body and as you do, lift the upper body and cross over so the opposing elbow moves towards the knee. Lower that leg and untwist to center. Lift the next leg and repeat the process with the other elbow this time. Continue alternating sides simultaneously until all reps are complete. To see best results with this movement, perform it in a slow and controlled fashion.

One full minute is a long time for these exercises. If you need to stop and rest during the minute, do so. Do this workout two to three times per week and you will see results, both in your performance and physique.

Additional Bodyweight Exercises

  • Burpees: Stand with your feet a little wider than shoulder-width apart and bend down and place your hands on the floor. Then, push your legs out behind you fast (you should end up in a push-up position) and jump your legs back in so that they land each side of your hands. Finish by jumping up quickly.
  • Squat Jumps: Stand shoulder-width apart, knees soft. As these are performed faster, the benefits of squat jumps are that you’ll increase your heart rate and burn more calories too.
  • Mountain Climbers: Mountain climber exercises are great for working the core, as well as your legs, glutes, shoulders, and triceps.
  • Plyometric Lunges: Start with your feet together, knees soft. Push off with both feet, jumping them together then jumping into a lunge. Plyometric lunges develop lower body strength, stability, and coordination.
  • Lateral Jumps: Start with your feet no more than hip-width apart. The benefits of lateral jumps are that they improve leg strength, while also helping improve balance and mobility.
  • V-Sit-Ups: Lie on the floor with your arms extended overhead and your legs straight out in front. Tuck your chin into your chest and slowly raise your upper body off the floor, while simultaneously raising your legs off the floor. Your body should be in a ‘V’ position when reaching the top of the exercise.

The Importance of Nutrition

If you are trying to lose weight, then you need to fix your nutrition first and foremost.

Supplementation

Supplements are not everything and will not be what’s responsible for your fat loss. However, quality supplements can give you an undeniable edge. With the caffeine, you’ll feel the energy right away, which will help you perform during this short workout. The act of taking your supplement before your workout will tell your brain and body that it’s time to train.

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