If you have been looking for exercises that burn the most calories without equipment, you have come to the right place. There are plenty, but today I want to focus on 6 exercises that are going to take you to Shredsville (I realize this is not a word).
Back in the old days, being overweight was a sign of wealth. The people who were in shape were the ones who had to go out and either search for food or kill the food.
Today, things are quite different. We live in a society where luxuries and comforts are so easily accessible, that we now have a choice of what our bodies look like. And usually, being in shape is a sign of wealth, compared to what used to be the opposite.
Unfortunately for some, things have become a little bit out of hand, and the weight has piled up.
For people in first world nations, this is almost like a right of passage. You grow up, your metabolism slows down, and the weight starts to pile on.
This is where most people give up. Not us though. We are determined to create our own path. A path that includes rapid fat loss and better exercise habits.
What exercises burn the most calories without equipment
Before we talk about the actual exercises, I want to give you a little bit of information about how to perform these exercises. First of all, the exercises alone are not going to cut it. We have to combine these exercises with a formula in order to cut fat.
The formula is called high intensity interval training, or HIIT for short. And this is the best way to lose fat. You will not disagree after you spend time doing a 15 minute HIIT workout.
Here is what a 15 minute HIIT workout should look like:
- 30 Seconds of INTENSE exercise (insert one of our exercises below)
- 60 Seconds of REST
- Repeat 10 times
Did you notice how I capitalized INTENSE? This is where a lot of people go wrong. They don’t make it intense. So what is intense? Does hitting 90% of your maximum heart rate sound intense? Because that is what you are going to have to hit for EACH 30 second interval of exercise.
I personally use an Apple Watch to monitor my heart rate, which you can buy from Amazon. You should also learn how to calculate your maximum heart rate for exercise.
Now that you have the formula in hand, you can use that and apply it to the following exercises. If you would rather have an app that guides you through each workout, I recommend downloading All Workouts: Personal Trainer (iOS | Google Play). We have 10 built-in HIIT workouts that will shed fat rapidly, as well as 9 full muscle building workout plans.
Let’s get into these exercises.
Burpees
I had to put burpees first, because if you want to shed fat at a rapid pace, burpees are the best. They are known to be intense, but with a big reward if you are willing to put in the work.
Don’t worry though, I have less tough exercises below. I just wanted to show what is possible if you are fully dedicated and want to lose fat rapidly and for good!
High Knees
Almost like running in place, high knees are just a bit different. Hold your arms to your side, with your forearms parallel to the ground, and your palms facing down.
Run in place, and hit your knees to your palms everytime. Be sure not to jog in place here. If you are monitoring your heart rate, do everything that you can to hit 90% of your maximum target heart rate.
Just because the exercise is technically easier than burpees does not mean that you can slack off!
Jump Squats
Jump squats are great for building more mobility in your legs, and also shedding fat. Let me be honest, all of these exercises are going to burn fat if you do it right.
Simply jump in place, and squat to the floor. Use your quad muscles to shoot you up into the sky. Be sure to focus on landing softly, and then go right back down into a squat and repeat that same process for 30 seconds.
If you are doing this with the intention of being intense, you will definitely hit your target heart rate.
Mountain Climbers
Mountain climbers are similar to burpees in that they work out your whole body. Your upper body will be feeling it, your core, your legs, etc..
Start in a plank position and essentially just run in this horizontal position. You want to try and get your knees to your armpits. Be sure to use your core to squeeze your abs with every running motion.
Sprints
I realize that I am on a treadmill in this video. The video itself is even titled treadmill sprints. But no worries, you can do this outdoors, or even indoors if you have enough space.
If you are going to go the route of sprints, I highly recommend stretching well before you do them. I personally don’t do them often, only because I have a tendency to pull muscles in my legs fairly regularly.
Bike Sprints
Don’t hate me for putting this one in there. I realize that technically a bike is a piece of equipment. But since most people in developed nations have access to a bike, I figured why not.
Again, ignore the fact that I am on a stationary bike in this video. This can be done on a regular old bike as well. All you have to do is go as hard as you can for 30 seconds, and then cruise for 60 seconds. Repeat 10 times, and your workout is complete.
Workout frequency and nutrition for burning fat
By now, you know that completing a 15 minute HIIT workout is no joke. There is a reason that it is called high intensity interval training.
If you want to burn fat at a rapid pace, I recommend doing this 3-4 days per week. If you have time, it might also be wise to add some weight training into the mix. Of course, you can check out FREE plans in our app.
What about nutrition though? You could do HIIT workouts everyday of the week and still not hit your goals if you are not watching what you eat.
Learn how to calculate your maintenance calories, and eat every single day at a caloric deficit.
One important thing to note is that being at a caloric deficit is more important than WHAT you eat. For example, when I was briefly overweight, I had to do a cut in order to lose fat.
I couldn’t just eat a grilled chicken salad everyday. So I got creative. I would eat healthy for breakfast and lunch, and then I would have a cheeseburger for dinner. Not a bad compromise, right? Well, it worked because I was still eating at a caloric deficit.
I ended up hitting my goals, and I now find it easy to decipher if something is high in calories or low in calories. I highly recommend downloading MyFitnessPal. It is a free app that helps you count your calories without much effort.
Main Point: Exercises that burn the most calories without equipment
As you can see, it’s not just the exercises that burn the most calories without equipment. It is the combination of exercises, intensity, consistency, and eating right. If you can combine all of these together over a long period of time, you absolutely will hit your goals.
It really is simple when you teach yourself about exercise and caloric intake. Simple, but not easy.
Make it your mission to not be tempted by outside influence. Focus on building habits now so that you won’t suffer later.
If you want to have a diet cheat day every week, that is fine too. Just remember one thing. Make sure that you are STILL in a caloric deficit for the whole week. Even after the cheat day. This means that you might have to eat less calories for 6 days per week. Plan it all out!
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