Let’s be honest – when it comes to exercise, most of us are in constant search for the workout that burns the most calories in the shortest amount of time. And while running can be a great fat-burning routine, not everyone enjoys this cardio activity and that’s alright because science suggests that you don’t have to pound the pavement any longer in order to incinerate fat.
In fact, you can burn far more calories by doing high-intensity weight training, according to multiple studies on this subject. When the researchers at the University of Southern Maine estimated energy expenditure during exercise, they discovered that weight training burns up to 71% more calories than it was originally presumed.
Weight training alone can increase muscular strength and your basic metabolic rate, while aerobic workouts fortify your cardiovascular system, so it’s no wonder that combining both in one workout is the most powerful approach to fat burning.
We’ve so far seen a great deal of effective fat-burning workouts based on weight training, but the latest routine detailed in a brand new study coming from North Dakota State University beats everything we’ve seen in the past. According to the findings that were presented at the American College of Sports Medicine Annual Meeting in Boston, Massachusetts, with this routine the study participants were able to torch close to 350 calories in just 13 minutes!
That’s double the number of calories burned by running at a 10-minute mile pace for the same amount of time, and almost 40% more than you would burn by performing CrossFit’s Cindy workout for 20 minutes!
In the North Dakota State University study, male subjects performed as many reps of a resistance exercises at 50% of their 1-rep max as they could in 30 seconds, then paused for 15 seconds. The program included three sets of six different resistance exercises performed on the same way in a consecutive order for a total of 13 minutes.
Then, the researchers assessed both aerobic and anaerobic energy expenditure during the 13-minute workout and found out that on average, the subjects had burned up to 346 calories, which is a ground-breaking discovery, given the fact that no other workout has shown such impressive results so far.
According to the lead author of the study, Jake Erickson, the key to these results was the ultra-short, 15-second rests between sets. By giving your body less time to recover between bursts of intense physical activity, you’re able to burn a lot more calories. For example, the control group who performed a similar workout but had longer rests burned around 15% less calories, even though they used heavier weights.
We’re assuming that you’re pretty interested in how exactly this amazing workout looks like, so let’s cut to the chase – here’s the workout that will help you move in the fast lane to a super lean body.
The 13-minute fat loss workout
Perform as many reps as possible (AMRAP) of the following exercises in a consecutive order, using a weight that’s 50% of your 1-rep max.
- Bench press: 3 sets x AMRAP, 15 seconds rest
- Bent-over row: 3 sets x AMRAP, 15 seconds rest
- Bicep curl: 3 sets x AMRAP, 15 seconds rest
- Lying triceps extension: 3 sets x AMRAP, 15 seconds rest
- Leg extension: 3 sets x AMRAP, 15 seconds rest
- Lying leg curl: 3 sets x AMRAP, 15 seconds rest
Thank you for the workout.
How many times a week should I do this workout?
This is an intense workout so try doing it twice per week and fine tune from there.
Do you do 3 sets of bench press then move to bent over row, or is it 1 set for 30 seconds of each exercise cycling through 3 times?
3 sets of bench press (15 seconds of rest in between) then go to the next exercise