Many people are looking to burn fat and get lean. It’s not easy but it can definitely be done if you have the right amount of dedication and put the work in.
Luckily there are different proven ways to go about burning fat, so if one doesn’t work for you there are other choices out there that will surely help you achieve the body of your dreams.
Let’s cut right to the chase and get started, shall we?
What are the proven ways to burn fat?
You’ve asked and we are going to answer. Here are some proven ways to melt that fat off. Don’t expect it to happen overnight, but it will happen. Combine 2 or 3 of the methods below and you will be a fat-burning machine burning fat faster than ever!
1. Intermittent fasting
Intermittent fasting has been getting a lot of talk lately as a great way to lose fat and it works. It may not be for everyone but if it fits into your lifestyle it will get results.
Intermittent fasting is when you alternate intervals of not eating (fasting period) with times where you are allowed to eat. There are different ways of going about it, you can fast for 16 hours and feed for 8 or fast for 20 and feed for 4. You can even fast for 36 hours and feed for 12. There are even more options than that, have a look at Intermittent Fasting 3 Meal Plans for a look at all the different ways you can fast and an in-depth look at the entire subject.
The reason intermittent fasting works is because fasting puts your body into the most efficient fat-burning state possible by activating your fat-burning hormones and suppressing the hormones that cause you to gain fat.
Some find it an easier lifestyle and like that they can “pig out” during the feeding times without the guilt.
2. Use carb cycling
Carb cycling is another way of burning fat the many people have had great success with.
To put it simply when you are carb cycling you restrict eating carbohydrates so you don’t get enough energy for your body through eating carbs, this will cause the body to burn fat to make up for this energy you are no longer getting from the carbs.
The problem with this is after a while your body will get accustomed to being on a low carb diet and it will become less effective. This is why you go a few days on the low carb diet then mix in a high carb day here and a medium carb day there so your body can’t get used to just being low carb. This will keep your metabolism high and give you some high carb days where you can eat some of those carb-filled foods you love without guilt.
Related: The Secret to Carb Cycling for Fat Loss
3. Use a good finisher
A finished is a short, intense and demanding cardio session at the end of your workout. Some good finishers would be sled pushes, battle ropes, heavy kettlebell swings, burpees, med ball slams and loaded carries. These exercises are sure to get the heart rate up and keep your metabolism high for the next 12-24 hours after exercise due to the increased oxygen demand that is called EPOC (Exercise Post Oxygen Consumption). Basically, what we are doing here is burning calories long after we are done training.
4. Use HIIT cardio
HIIT cardio is the premier form of cardio when it comes to burning fat and preserving muscle. A HIIT workout is much shorter than your traditional cardio that would take 45 minutes or so. HIIT cardio generally lasts only 10-20 minutes but is much more intense and has been shown to burn much more fat.
In HIIT cardio what you do is a brief intense exercise like sprinting followed by a period of low-intensity exercise like walking. Below are some examples of some tough HIIT cardio workouts.
HIIT Workouts
40’s
Sprint 14 sets of 40-yard dashes, rest interval between sprints is 35 seconds.
*Rest time starts as soon as you cross the 40-yard marker.
100-yard sprints
Run a 100-yard sprint, rest 45 seconds then begin another 100-yard sprint. Continue until you have completed 10 sprints.
*Rest time starts as soon as you cross the 100-yard marker.
Burpees
Do 30 seconds of hard burpees then rest 30 seconds. Repeat for 10 minutes.
5. Practice fork putdowns and table pushaways
This one is simple and effective if you have the will power. Eat less, don’t over-stuff yourself, put the fork down and slowly back away.
Regardless of what you eat, as long as you take in fewer calories than you need in order to meet metabolic and physical activity energy requirements, you will lose fat. Some people have fantastic in fat loss simply by eating what they normally eat, but just eat 1/3 less of everything with the exception of green vegetables which are actually negative calorie food items that you can eat as much as you want of. Don’t make your diet more difficult than it needs to be, eat less and have success.
6. Use a fat-burning supplement
Fat burning supplements have come a long way in the last 20 years and are now highly effective. They work by not only increasing your metabolism so you burn fat faster all day long, but they also include an appetite suppressant so you won’t overeat or have cravings.
Not all fat burners are the same though, check out our article on the best fat burners on the market for a complete list of the best fat burners and more information about them.
There you have it, 6 proven ways to burn fat. Put in the hard work and good things will happen.
