50 Fat Loss Exercises RANKED (Using Science)

Summary

In a quest to determine the most effective fat loss exercises, the video follows a comprehensive test comparing 50 different activities. High-intensity workouts like sprints and burpees initially lead, but the importance of sustainable, enjoyable routines is highlighted. Boxing emerged as the top calorie-burning exercise with the best effort-to-calorie ratio, while low-intensity activities like longboarding and walking were surprisingly effective. The video emphasizes that finding a balance between enjoyable, consistent exercise and proper nutrition is key to successful fat loss.

Takeaways

• 🏃 High-intensity exercises like sprints, burpees, and mountain climbers are very effective for burning calories but can be exhausting.
• 💦 The average calories burned per minute for sprints was 15, and for burpees, it was 12.5, which were lower than expected.
• 🤔 The perceived exertion for these high-intensity exercises was very high, with some exceeding the scale of 1 to 10.
• 💡 The use of a mask that measures oxygen consumption, carbon dioxide release, and heart rate was crucial for obtaining accurate calorie burn data.
• 🚴‍♂️ Low-intensity exercises such as incline walking and longboarding can be surprisingly effective for calorie burn with less exertion.
• 🏀 Basketball was a fun and effective low-intensity exercise for Kevin, highlighting the importance of enjoyment in exercise adherence.
• 🏋️‍♂️ Strength training was found to burn fewer calories than cardio, emphasizing its role in maintaining muscle mass rather than fat loss.
• 🧘‍♂️ Low-intensity exercises like standing, sitting, and fidgeting contribute to daily calorie expenditure and should not be overlooked.
• 🎲 Intellectual activities like playing chess can burn calories, though the claim of 6,000 calories a day seems exaggerated.
• 🥊 Boxing emerged as the top exercise for calorie burn in relation to perceived exertion, making it a sustainable option for fat loss.
• 🍽️ Nutrition plays a vital role in fat loss, and Built With Science offers guidance on both diet and exercise for optimal results.

Q & A

What is the main purpose of the video?

The main purpose of the video is to determine the most effective exercises for fat loss by ranking 50 different exercises based on their calorie-burning efficiency.

Who is Kevin and what is his role in the video?

Kevin is a programmer at Built With Science and is working towards his own fat loss journey. He participates in the exercise tests alongside the host to provide data for optimizing a fat loss program.

What is the initial exercise tested in the video and how did it affect Kevin's heart rate?

The initial exercise tested is 60 seconds of sprints. It was so intense that Kevin's heart rate went up to 185, and he felt it before the 60 seconds were finished.

Why were the calorie burn values for the exercises lower than expected?

The calorie burn values were lower than expected because high-intensity exercises, while effective, do not necessarily burn as many calories per minute as one might think.

What is the role of the pool mask in the experiment?

The pool mask is used to measure the amount of oxygen used and carbon dioxide released, combined with heart rate data, to get an exact number of calories burned during the exercises.

What is Dr. Eric Helms' opinion on the accuracy of cardio machines' calorie trackers?

Dr. Eric Helms suggests that cardio machines' calorie trackers are not as accurate as gas exchange measurements and should only be used for relative differences in energy expenditure.

Why did the host decide to switch to low-intensity exercises?

The host decided to switch to low-intensity exercises because high-intensity exercises were leaving Kevin exhausted, which is not sustainable for a long-term fat loss program.

What was the surprising finding about incline walking?

The surprising finding about incline walking was that leaning on the treadmill or holding onto the rails reduced the calorie burn by 20%, as it unloads some of the body mass.

What is the conclusion about strength training in terms of calorie burning?

The conclusion about strength training is that it burns significantly fewer calories than cardio, especially when the weights are not extremely heavy.

What advice does the video give for creating a sustainable fat loss workout plan?

The advice given is to find workouts that one enjoys and can stick with in the long run, pairing them with consistent strength training for optimal fat loss.

What was the highest calorie-burning exercise found in the video?

The highest calorie-burning exercise found in the video was boxing, which also turned out to be the most enjoyable for Kevin.

How does the video address the importance of nutrition in fat loss?

The video addresses the importance of nutrition by mentioning that Built With Science guides viewers with weekly workouts and step-by-step diet plans to achieve their fat loss goals.

What was the unexpected outcome of the chess game challenge in terms of calorie burn?

The unexpected outcome of the chess game challenge was that it did not burn as many calories as anticipated, with a rate of 2.2 calories per minute.

Outlines

00:00

🔥 High-Intensity Training for Fat Loss

The video script begins with an introduction to a calorie-burning challenge involving high-intensity exercises. The narrator and his friend Kevin, a programmer, test various exercises to determine which ones are most effective for fat loss. They start with sprints, burpees, and mountain climbers, finding that sprints burn the most calories per minute, but all are exhausting. The goal is to find exercises that burn a lot of calories without being too difficult to maintain, leading to the exploration of 47 more exercises. The use of a mask to measure oxygen consumption and heart rate is highlighted as a method to get accurate calorie burn data. A deal is made with Kevin to push through the challenge for a cash bonus, emphasizing the intensity of the workout and the struggle to maintain it.

05:01

🚶‍♂️ Low-Intensity Exercises and Their Calorie Burn

The script moves on to test low-intensity exercises after realizing that high-intensity workouts are unsustainable for Kevin. Incline walking is tested at different speeds and inclines, showing a significant increase in calorie burn with higher intensity. Leaning on the treadmill is revealed to reduce calorie burn by 20%, aligning with a 2014 study. Longboarding and basketball are found to be effective low-intensity exercises that Kevin enjoys. The importance of finding a sustainable workout routine is emphasized, with the suggestion to match fitness levels and preferences to the intensity of the exercise. Strength training is also tested, but it's found to burn fewer calories than cardio, highlighting its role in maintaining muscle mass rather than fat loss.

10:03

🏠 Everyday Activities and Their Impact on Fat Loss

The final paragraph explores the calorie-burning potential of everyday activities and chores, such as vacuuming, reading, and folding laundry. The narrator tests various activities to determine their calorie burn, including standing, sitting, and even playing checkers. The script also investigates the claims of certain exercises and activities that are said to burn a large number of calories, such as boxing, medicine ball slams, and power walking. The importance of finding enjoyable exercises is reiterated, as it contributes to the sustainability of a workout routine. The narrator and Kevin discover that boxing, in particular, is both enjoyable and effective for calorie burning. The script concludes with the revelation of the top three calorie-burning exercises and the suggestion to combine them with consistent strength training for effective fat loss.

Keywords

💡Fat Loss

Fat loss refers to the process of reducing the amount of body fat while maintaining or gaining muscle mass. In the video, the theme revolves around identifying and ranking exercises that are most effective for burning fat. The script discusses various exercises and their calorie-burning efficiency, aiming to create a fat loss plan that is both effective and sustainable.

💡Calorie

A calorie is a unit of energy that, in the context of the video, represents the amount of energy expended during physical activity. The script focuses on ranking exercises based on the number of calories burned per minute, with the goal of finding the most calorie-efficient exercises for fat loss.

💡High-Intensity Training

High-intensity training (HIT) is a type of workout that involves short, intense bursts of exercise at maximum effort. In the video, the script describes testing high-intensity exercises like sprints and burpees, which are known for their calorie-burning potential but also for their demanding nature on the body.

💡Perceived Exertion

Perceived exertion is a subjective measure of how hard one feels they are working during exercise, often rated on a scale from 1 to 10. The script uses this concept to compare the difficulty of different exercises, such as sprints and burpees, to determine which might be more sustainable for long-term fat loss programs.

💡Sprints

Sprints are short, fast bursts of running that are used in the video to illustrate a high-intensity exercise. The script mentions that sprints were among the exercises that burned a significant amount of calories per minute, making them a candidate for an effective fat loss workout.

💡Burpees

Burpees are a full-body exercise that combines a squat, push-up, and jump. The script describes them as being particularly exhausting and having a high perceived exertion level, but also as an exercise that burns a notable amount of calories.

💡Incline Walking

Incline walking is a form of walking on a treadmill or inclined surface at a higher angle, which increases the intensity of the workout. The script explores how adjusting the incline and speed affects calorie burn and how it compares to other low-intensity exercises for fat loss.

💡Longboarding

Longboarding is a recreational activity similar to skateboarding but with longer boards. In the video, it is highlighted as a low-intensity exercise that surprisingly burns a significant number of calories per minute, making it a potential candidate for a sustainable fat loss routine.

💡Strength Training

Strength training involves exercises that use resistance to build muscle and increase strength. The script discusses how, while strength training is beneficial for maintaining muscle mass, it does not burn as many calories as cardio exercises, making it less ideal for fat loss from an energy expenditure perspective.

💡Consistency

Consistency refers to the regular and continuous practice of an activity, in this case, exercise. The video emphasizes the importance of finding enjoyable and sustainable workouts to maintain consistency in a fat loss program, as this is key to long-term success.

💡Nutrition

Nutrition is the study of the food and nutrients that are necessary for the body to function properly. The script concludes by noting that while exercise is important, a proper diet plan is also crucial for achieving fat loss goals, suggesting that a balanced approach to both nutrition and exercise is necessary.

Highlights

The video aims to determine the most and least effective exercises for fat loss through a comprehensive test.

High-intensity training, starting with 60 seconds of sprints, is initially tested for its calorie-burning potential.

Surprisingly, the average calories burned per minute during the first exercises were lower than expected.

Burpees and mountain climbers are tested next, with high perceived exertion but moderate calorie burn.

A challenge is issued to Kevin to beat a 34-calorie-per-minute benchmark on the assault bike for a cash reward.

The accuracy of the assault bike's calorie tracking is questioned and discussed with Dr. Eric Helms.

Dr. Helms suggests that gas exchange measurement with masks is more accurate than cardio machines' calorie counters.

Low-intensity exercises, like incline walking, are tested next, showing a significant increase in calorie burn with increased speed and incline.

Leaning on treadmills during incline walking reduces calorie burn by 20%, aligning with a 2014 study's findings.

Longboarding and basketball are found to be effective low-intensity exercises for Kevin, enjoyable and sustainable.

Strength training is tested and found to burn fewer calories than cardio, emphasizing its role in maintaining muscle mass rather than fat loss.

ABS exercises like crunches are revealed to be the least effective for calorie burning.

The importance of daily activities and steps over intense workouts for overall fat loss is highlighted by Dr. Helms.

Everyday chores and activities are tested for their calorie-burning potential, with standing and walking being significant.

A search for enjoyable high-calorie burning exercises leads to testing boxing, medicine ball slams, and power walking.

Boxing is found to be the most enjoyable and effective high-intensity exercise for both calorie burn and perceived exertion.

The video concludes that finding sustainable and enjoyable exercises is key to long-term fat loss success.

A list of all 50 exercises ranked by calorie burn is provided for viewers to find the best fit for their fat loss journey.

Transcripts

what are the best and worst exercises

for fat loss today my friend Kevin and I

are putting on the world's most accurate

calorie

truck and together we're going to rank

50 different exercises at the end we'll

reveal one as the most effective fat

loss exercise but we'll also discover

which exercises burn the most calories

with the least effort and which ones are

high effort but don't actually burn very

many calories using these bindings I'll

create the perfect Fat Loss plan guarant

to help you shred body fat starting off

with what all the data tells me is the

most effective for calorie burning high

intensity training beginning first with

60 seconds of Sprints

go because of workouts are so intense

Kevin was already starting to feel it

before the 60 seconds were finished

that was brutal your hurry went up to

185 I go to that water fountain over

there for the dogs and

first exercise done I'm a little

for Kevin we're asking a lot for him

today but he's a

champ in case you're wondering Kevin is

a programmer here at bill with science

and he's currently working towards his

own fat loss Journey my hope is that

doing these workouts together will give

me the data I need to help Kevin

optimize his fat loss Journey next up

were 60 seconds of burpees and then 60

seconds of mountain

climbers as fast as you

can just like with a Sprint Kevin was

struggling to make it the full 60

seconds keep go keep

go I remember why I hated those so

much with three exercises down Sprints

had taken an early lead at an average of

15 calories burned per minute and

burpees coming in second with an average

of 12.5 now these values were lower than

I expected but we'll explain why that is

later on but so far all three exercises

have been exhausting how would you rank

your perceived exertion on burpees on a

1 to 10 scale 10 11 how about on the

Sprints 12 10 10 10 for me the Sprints

were like eight or nine the burpees were

like they exceeded the scale so if I

want to help Kevin build a program that

burns a ton of calories without feeling

like he's dying we're going to have to

keep searching fortunately we still have

47 exercises left the test that's good

as we continue testing high-intensity

exercises the data showed we were

burning through our calories but just

like with the previous exercises

training at high intensity it's not

easy I would not I would not choose

this and with Kevin still struggling to

make it through some of the exercises I

had to find a way to continue pushing

him to collect the best data possible so

as I finished my circuit on the assault

bike I decided to make Kevin an offer he

couldn't refuse if you can beat my total

of 34 calories in a minute I'll give you

$500 I'm okay with not let's

go now some of you data nerds may be

wondering how the assault bike could

tell me I burned 34 calories in a minute

when the best exercise we tested so far

didn't even burn half of that well

that's why we're relying on the pooi

mask for all of our data basically it

measures the amount of oxygen we use and

the carbon dioxide release and it

combines us with our heart rate to get

the exact number of calories we're

burning so while Kevin was catching up

to my 34 calorie total I was skeptical

about the accuracy for more insight I

reached out to Dr Eric Helms a pearl

bodybuilder and host of the mass

research review YouTube channel cardio

machines are really a bit of a black box

there is some equation that goes in

there it's definitely not like a peer-

reviewed equation and it's certainly not

going to be as accurate as gas exchange

like you're measuring with the masks the

only way that I would use the energy

expenditure on a cardio machine is if

you're comparing a previous session on

that same machine entering the same

measurements as a relative difference if

you burned 30 on that machine last time

and this time you burned 60 you probably

did about twice as much work but beyond

that I wouldn't put much stock into

those values even though I learned you

can't always trust a cardio machine's

calorie tracker for this challenge a

deal is a

[Music]

deal don't pass out don't pass out don't

pass out all right Kevin gets a fat

bonus I was not expecting that instead

of 34 plus calories per minute we

actually burned around 12 and 13 and to

avoid skewing results we'd make sure to

wait for our heart rates to return to

Baseline before moving on to the next

exercise but when I checked in on Kevin

I realized we had a problem all right

let's get Kevin out of his death

bed got tap out of that you're going to

tap out yeah I'm going to tap out of

that turned out that even though I had

tried to select the most optimized

workout for fat loss nearly every

exercise so far was leaving Kevin

absolutely exhausted and that's no way

to sustain a program which means we're

going to have to find a new approach low

intensity exercise first up incline

walking so we started with 3 mph and a

two incline which burned around 6

calories per minute oh this is so nice

coming bumping the speed up to 3.5 in

the incline up to six led to a pretty

impressive 30% jump in calorie burn but

you know how people at the gym tend to

lean on the cardio machines or hold on

to the rails when incline walking yeah

so we tested that next and it drop the

calorie burn by 20% Which aligns with

the findings of a 2014 study that tested

the exact same thing if you are leaning

on the treadmill unloading some of your

mass you're essentially reducing your

body weight then you're basically only

walking with the part of your body is

where does that sounds and therefore

burning fewer calories so much easier

but what's true of all of our walk-in

was that Kevin was able to get through

without feeling like he was going to

collapse which meant the switch to low

intensity training was definitely a step

in the right

direction longboarding an activity I

love doing as a kid was winning in my

calorie battle for low intensity

exercise burning an oppressive 11

calories per minute beating the

elliptical stair master and other forms

of cardio that I just don't really enjoy

and although Kevin didn't feel

comfortable hopping on the board

basketball was working out really well

for him and it looked like he was having

fun doing

it so I think the first thing you want

to do is establish do you have the

fitness level that high-intensity

training is on the table if yes do you

enjoy it great if you enjoy it equally

to a moderate intensity then you can

choose when you want to do it based upon

your time availability if you don't

enjoy it don't do it for me it always

comes down to what's practical what's

sustainable and do they have the fitness

level so it's not a potential risk of

doing this very high intensity

activity and time you're dude

getting easier man

too and after catching our second wind

with low intensity we moved into

strength training to find out how it

Compares a

cardio surprisingly unless the weights

got really heavy strength training was

burning significantly less calories in

cardio not to mention we could just

barely make it to a minute on most

exercises he strength training is even

higher intensity than many forms of

quote unquote high-intensity cardio it's

so high intensity that instead of going

all right I'm going to go a minute on 2

minute off like you might with cardio

you're typically doing 5 to 12 reps

which is going to take less than a

minute that's typically going to be

completed in 20 to 30 seconds and if

you're training to failure then you may

need to rest you know 1 2 or 3 minutes

before you can then perform at your best

afterwards you're spending more time

resting during a weight training workout

than you are actually lifting weights so

weight training is great for maintaining

muscle mass and ensuring that the weight

you lose is primarily body fat but it's

not a great tool for a fat loss itself

from an energy expenditure perspective

we also tested ABS exercises like

crunches which ended up burning the

fewest calories of all the exercises

we've tested so far at this rate you'd

have to do 17 hours worth of crunches to

burn the calories equivalent of one lb

of fat after our first day of testing it

felt like I had pretty much everything I

needed to create the perfect fat loss

workout plan to help Kevin until I

presented some of that data to Eric I

think an important perspective for the

viewer is that if they go in and they

absolutely crush it with say a bunch of

interval work for 45 minutes three times

per week the impact of that will be a

whole lot less than if they say went

from having 3 to 4,000 steps per day

being relatively sedentary up to getting

7 to 9,000 steps per day the latter

would have a far greater impact on their

total daily energy expenditure and their

ease of getting into a calorie deficit

and seeing sufficient successful weight

loss over time than those three 45

minute allout sessions talking to Eric I

realized that just testing exercise to

create an optimized workout wasn't going

to be enough it turns out what we do

outside of the gym can have a far

greater effect when it comes to fat loss

and to find out just how much I had to

keep testing that means testing every

chore activ video you can do with your

free time whether it's vacuuming reading

or folding the laundry and starting

right off with standing just simply

standing as for cabin he was going

through the same circuit of test

downstairs testing average calories burn

standing sitting sitting while fidgeting

and sitting while playing a video

game right Kev that's a minute no I'm

burning calories man

[Music]

and Not only was I earning boyfriend of

the Year award by taking care of all the

housework I was finally starting to

build a clear picture of all the ways

you can maximize calorie burn through

the course of the day for example just

walking outside Burns an impressive 6

calories per minute for Kevin although

that's almost a third of what he burned

doing sprints I'm pretty sure he'd much

rather go for a 30-minute walk than

suffer through 10 minutes of Sprints two

one that was hard burpees or dishes

Jeremy dishes all day every

day but the one thing I still haven't

found in our testing was a high calorie

burning exercise that Kevin actually

enjoyed so I started searching online to

find other exercises that claim to burn

a shocking number of calories in hopes

of finally finding one that's a great

fit for Kevin training beginning first

with boxing medicine ball slams and

power walking at least one foot on the

ground all times just try to go as fast

as you can I guess you just look like a

bunch of angry moms out there you know

what's incredible how much Burns off

energy is playing chess can burn up to

6,000 calories a day while playing in a

tournament okay so I don't actually know

how to play chess but to testa's claim

Kevin and I will be playing a game of

high stakes Checkers remember the $500 I

lost challenging Kevin on the assault

bike well now we're going double or

nothing if Kevin beats me again he's

getting ,000 bonus so I do not want to

lose are you sure about that

one I don't know but since this could

take a while let's take a look at some

other tests so we'll just go right to

the single leg burpies what

the turn to Tik Tok that's one of the

highest calorie burners but we'll see so

what was the actual calorie burn from

Kettle bu Wings well not anywhere close

to some of the other special EXT

exercises we tested but what can you

expect taking advice from Tik Tok

anyways just like the assault bike

challenge the Checker match was neck and

neck with Kevin once again getting the

best of me as for the calorie burn

although my brain probably wasn't

working quite as hard as a master chess

player it didn't burn nearly as much as

I anticipated 2.2 calories per minute

just a touch higher than S I have no

doubt that um being intensely

intellectually active burns more more

calories than say just chilling you

probably burn more calories playing

chess than listening to Joe Rogan I'm

sure the uh the first is a lot more

intellectually challenging and

stimulating but I don't think it's

probably as high as 6,000 calories a day

if I had to guess and even though I was

now $1,000 poorer than when I started

the challenge I had all the data I

needed from each exercise including a

shocking first place exercise to reveal

to Kevin what exercise do you think

burned the most calories well see like

burpees I don't want to be number one

like any any of the burpees I don't care

what you tell

me if it was the highest I I still

wouldn't do them so your number one

alltime highest calorie burning exercise

was boxing oh wow that's surprised me

too boxing and you said you had some fun

doing it right I think it was fun it

just felt like we were like goofing off

at that point in fact Kevin and I had

the same top three sprinting boxing and

the devil's press burn more calories

than any other exercise and although

Sprints when average up between us came

out as number one boxing was the one

that burned the most calories compared

to our perceived exertion which is

enough to make it the winner in my books

as for the low intensity exercises that

still burn a surprising amount of

calories long boarding shooting hoops

and even just plain old walk-in worked

great so depending on your conditioning

you can pair any of these exercises with

consistent strength training and you

should be well on your way to losing fat

cuz ultimately it's about finding the

workouts that you enjoy and can stick

with in the long run and thankfully

that's exactly what we were able to find

for

Kevin though maybe we could use a

coach now in the description box down

below I posted the link to a list of all

50 exercises ranked from highest to

lowest based on calorie bir while

finding the right workout plan is a

great first step to tr succeed in your

fat loss Journey you can't neglect your

nutrition and that's why here at bill

with science we not only guide you every

single week with your workouts but we

also guide you step by step with your

diet to get you into the best shape of

your life and to join today just head

over to built with science.com and take

our quiz to find the best plan for you

and your body but for those of you who

are just looking for a cheap healthy

sizebed meal plan you can start

following today to lose fat then give

this video watch next thanks so much for

watching I'll see you next time