My Top 8 Strength Movements for Fat Loss

If you are looking to get into KILLER shape, you must weight train. Bottom line. If you don’t, you might have okay levels of fitness but you won’t be able to increase your metabolism, burn calories at rest, and just look flat out awesome. These exercises are killer for building lean muscle, sculpting a great physique, and torching fat…Here’s an example of how we get it done!

In order to effectively lose fat, and keep it off, people need to change their body composition. This does not happen overnight or with a quick fix diet. As a personal trainer in Boston and Cambridge I have seen many people struggle and become frustrated with their fitness programs. Losing fat is a difficult task but it can be broken down into a few simple equations.

1. Lose Fat + Gain Lean Muscle = Change in overall Body Composition
2. Strength Training + Solid Nutrition Plan = Lean Muscle Gain
3. Lean Muscle Gain + Consistent Progressions to Exercise Plan = Fat Loss and Overall Change in Metabolism

Many people rely too much on cardio and calorie restriction when trying to lose body fat, lose weight, and ultimately change their “shape.” The most effective way to do this however, is quite the opposite. You need to develop a solid strength training program, eat 5-6 small meals and snacks each day, and engage in higher intensity conditioning exercises (interval training) in order to achieve the lean, strong, and fat burning body.

Here are my Top Eight Strength Exercises for Ultimate Fat Loss:

1. Squats (dumbbell, barbell, sandbag, kettle bell)
2. Lunges (dumbbell, barbell, sandbag, kettle bell- various directions including lateral, walking, reverse, forward)
3. Chin Ups (assisted, body weight, or weighted)
4. Push Ups (modified, body weight, on bench or ball, explosive using med ball)
5. Overhead Press (barbell, dumbbell, unilateral or bilateral)
6. Turkish Get-Ups (using dumbbell or kettle bell)
7. Kettle Bell Swings (for reps or time)
8. Weighted Trunk Exercises (medicine ball sit ups, twists, back extensions)

All of these exercises recruit large muscle groups, tax the nervous system, increase the heart rate and challenge the cardiovascular system, and develop real world strength (not machine based). These movements can all be modified with variations depending on strength levels, training experience, and goals of the individual. Performing these movements as a circuit or a superset will elevate the heart rate and challenge all areas of your body.

Regardless of the design; these exercises give you more bang for your buck and you will see results much faster than smaller, isolated movements that do not tax your system nearly as much.

Integrate some or all of these exercises into your training program 2-3 days per week, along with 2-3 days per week of higher intensity conditioning for a maximum of 30 minutes, and a clean nutrition plan and you will be well on your way to a consistent change in your metabolism, an increase in lean muscle tissue, and overall fat loss.