WHICH FAT LOSS WEIGHT PROGRAM IS THE BEST?

Which fat loss program is the best?

#Best Diet Plans — Sustainability, Weight Loss,

1. HIGH-INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) tops the list of best fat-loss exercises. “You’ll get a lot done in a shorter timeframe because higher intensity exercise is going to lend itself to a higher calorie burn before and after the workout,” Briney says.

Part of the reason HIIT is effective for fat loss is it maximizes your excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC), or the amount of oxygen your body consumes while your muscles and other tissues return to their pre-exercise state. This process keeps you burning calories once your workout is over. The more intense the exercise, the more calories you burn post-workout.

According to a small study published in the February 2014 issue of Applied Physiology Nutrition and Metabolism, men burned as many calories over the course of 24 hours from a 20-minute HIIT session as a 50-minute steady-state cycling session.

Sample workout: The Tabata protocol is a common — and quick — form of HIIT training. To try it, do eight 20-second rounds of exercise at an all-out intensity, and take just 10 seconds of rest between rounds. Pick an exercise that will get your heart rate up in a flash (e.g., sprints, kettlebell swings, squat jumps, burpees).

However, while HIIT is a top calorie-burning option, it also places a lot of stress on the body. To avoid injury and burnout, limit your HIIT sessions to two or three times per week, Briney says.

2. RESISTANCE TRAINING

Cardio may burn more calories during the workout than resistance training (a 30-minute run at 6 miles per hour burns roughly 372 calories for a 155-pound person, while a vigorous weight session burns 223 calories), but resistance training builds muscle. That muscle then helps you burn more calories at rest (known as your basal metabolic rate), and if the strength session is intense enough, you’ll see greater EPOC, according to Briney.

Sample workout: Shoot for 2–4 strength sessions per week. In general, circuit-style strength sessions (i.e., moving right from one exercise to the next with little to no rest in between) likely burns more calories than taking regular breaks, as will pairing an upper-body exercise with a lower-body exercise, according to Briney. To save time, tack a quick HIIT session onto the end of your strength routine 2–3 times per week.

3. LOW- TO MODERATE-INTENSITY CARDIO

“This is hands-down the best way to burn fat calories,” Briney says. HIIT and other forms of intense exercise primarily burn carbs (officially known as glycogen), whereas less-intense forms of exercise (e.g., walking, swimming, jogging) will primarily burn fat. “People think burning a calorie is burning a calorie, but we don’t always burn calories from the same fuel sources, depending on the exercise,” Briney says.