Do This Workout a Few Times a Week and You'll Burn Fat in Your Sleep
When you think of fat-torching strength workouts, your mind may drift to gyms with floor-to-ceiling weight racks. When you think of cardio workouts that get the fat-burning job done, your mind probably drifts to stationary bikes, treadmills or living in a climate where the weather is nice enough to run outside year-round.
Please. While a gym membership, at-home equipment or love of running (and perpetual 70-and-sunny weather) are all things that are nice to have, they aren't must-haves to build endurance and strength while burning fat. Some moves let you do all of these things at once without equipment or stepping foot outside of your home. Knowledge of equipment-free workouts you can do anywhere, anytime, is critical for preventing (or losing) excess fat.
"To burn fat, you will need to remain consistent with exercise to expend more calories than you consume," explains Dr. Landon Uetz, PT, DPT, a physical therapist and pickleball instructor on TeachMe.To. "Cost-effective routines that can be incorporated often throughout the day can be a huge asset for weight loss."
Experts say one workout, in particular, will truly torch fat and build strength. While it's one you might not be crazy about in the moment, you'll love it later.
Related: The One Popular Exercise Move a Physical Therapist Is Begging People Over 50 to Stop Doing
The Risks of Too Much Fat
Before we get into a move that can help burn fat, it might help to understand why that's important. Spoiler alert: It has nothing to do with becoming a cover model or being "allowed" to wear particular clothing and bathing suits, the latter of which you don't need permission to rock, regardless of your size, weight or fat on your body. That said, too much fat can have risks, especially if it's visceral fat. Visceral fat is deep within the belly and surrounds essential organs, like the liver and stomach, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
"Excess fat, particularly visceral fat stored around internal organs...increases the likelihood of cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes and elevated blood pressure and cholesterol levels," explains Michael Masi, DPT, of Garage Gym Reviews. "Additionally, it raises the chances of strokes and certain cancers and may lead to fatty liver disease."
A person can have a normal BMI but have excess visceral fat, putting them at a higher risk for heart disease, according to a statement released by the American Heart Association in 2021. Research published in Nutrients in 2024 found that reducing belly fat could help manage or prevent type 2 diabetes.
The Move That Can You Optimize Your Fat Burn
Hear us out: it's burpees. "Burpees are an exercise that combines a squat jump and a push-up into one continuous movement," Dr. Uetz says. "Generally, it is utilized in health and fitness to challenge your cardio and endurance due to its quick/repetitive movement that can be completed for a duration of time."
Burpees aren't a walk in the park—literally or figuratively. However, consistently incorporating them into your workout routine can be an exercise that results in delayed gratification because of their fat-burning abilities.
"Burpees can help with fat loss because they’re a high-intensity exercise that burns a lot of calories in a short time," says Mike Julom, CPT. "Also, burpees combine strength and cardio training, which means you’re not just burning fat but also building muscle, which can further boost your metabolism."
And that can help you burn fat in your sleep—yes, really. "Muscle tissue burns more calories than fat tissue, so increasing your muscle mass helps you burn more calories even at rest," Julom says.
Research, like a large review in Sports Medicine, shows that resistance training can help healthy adults reduce body fat, including belly fat.
Also, burpees engage more than one muscle group. They're a full-body strength workout mixed with high-intensity cardio, which Dr. Masi says is a bang-for-your-buck deal if you're trying to lose fat. Finally, as challenging as they are, burpees are a move you can do frequently throughout the week.
"Because there is no external load, and the distribution of stress is fairly even across the body, the fatigue you accrue from burpees usually does not require multiple days of recovery as seen with most resistance training workouts," Dr. Masi explains. "This allows for higher density training, meaning you could perform these exercises more frequently each week with less consequence."
How Many Burpees Do You Have To Do To Burn Fat?
Dr. Masi says that fat loss and calorie burn depend on various factors, including age, genetics and intensity. "Some activity trackers built into smart devices that already have that information can take your heart rate and give you a solid estimate. It may not be perfectly accurate but it will at least be consistent," he explains.
Don't have one of those? The American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity (higher heart rate, shorter breaths, and the ability to hold a conversation) or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity (you're not chit-chatting) weekly. Ask yourself which applies to you as you're doing burpees.
"As for how often, you could do them every day," Dr. Masi says. "Just be mindful to listen to your body and not push through a whole bunch of soreness."
You may also not want to do 75 minutes of burpees every week. The good news is that you can combine it with other workouts, and our experts recommend some below.
Regardless of what move you're doing, consistency is critical. One minute of burpees isn't going to offset habitually consuming high-fat, high-sugar, high-calorie foods mixed with an otherwise sedentary lifestyle.
"Generally, fat loss is a gradual and slow process that relies on regular physical activity and a consistent calorie deficit," Julom says. "Doing burpees once in a while won’t create enough of a consistent calorie burn to make a significant impact on your fat levels."
Regular burpees (or physical activity, more generally)? That's a different story.
"When you do burpees regularly, you're always challenging your body, boosting your metabolism and improving your cardiovascular fitness," Julom explains. "This consistency helps to create a steady calorie burn, both during and after workouts."
Related: You'll Love the Results! Check Out the 20 Best Workouts for Stubborn Belly Fat
How To Do a Perfect Burpee
Consistency is key, but so is good form. Dr. Masi shared a step-by-step to help you make the most of your burpees (because if you're going to do burpees, you might as well reap all of the many benefits).
Start in a standing position with feet shoulder-width apart.
Lower to a squat position.
Put your hands in front of you on the mat.
Kick the feet back so you assume a plank position.
Do a push-up.
Jump your feet back and stop when you're in the squat position.
Jump explosively and reach your hands overhead.
Land softly and quickly return to the squat position.
Repeat.
If you're new to burpees, ease into them. "I would generally recommend breaking the movement down into...parts to get comfortable with them," Dr. Uetz says. "You may then progress to completing the movement slowly to avoid rushing and compensatory movements."
Essentially, slowly work through the above movements before getting explosive and fast with them. You can also modify to remove the jump at first or put your feet behind you into the plank position one by one.
Other Great Moves for Burning Fat
Consider combining burpees with these moves to work the muscles differently, reduce injury and keep your body in the game.
Dr. Masi also loves:
Jumping jacks
Shuttle runs ("Run a distance—usually 25 feet—touch the ground, return to the start, touch the ground and repeat for repetitions," Dr. Masi says.)
Invisible jump rope: "This takes away the whole skill barrier to jumping rope and gets straight to the point of challenging your fitness level," Dr. Masi says.
Squat jumps
Lateral shuffles
Julom is a fan of:
Mountain climbers
High knees
Butt kicks
Dr. Uetz says running in place is another great idea. Just remember: The best workout you can do is any workout you enjoy, so if burpees aren't you thing, don't sweat it (literally).
Next up: The One Popular Exercise Move a Physical Therapist Is Begging People Over 50 to Stop Doing
Sources
Dr. Landon Uetz, PT, DPT, a physical therapist and pickleball instructor on TeachMe.To
Visceral Fat, Cleveland Clinic.
Michael Masi, DPT, of Garage Gym Reviews
Obesity and Cardiovascular Disease: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association. Circulation.
Visceral Adipose Tissue: The Hidden Culprit for Type 2 Diabetes. Nutrients.
