THE BEST LEG EXERCISES FOR FAT LOSS
If there’s a common theme between these 5 exercises, it’s the fact they’re all done standing. If you’re trying to burn fat, don’t sit down or lie down to workout. These are in no particular order. Choose the exercises that work best for you and your situation and body type.
1. Squats
You knew squatting would be on here, right? There’s not much you can do to replicate squatting. Squats engage your quads, glutes and hamstrings – but they also force you to use your core and upper body to maintain proper body position. They’re also really hard – and burn a ton of calories.
2. Deadlifts
Deadlifts rely a bit more on the backside of your body than squats – namely the glutes, hamstrings and low back. They’ll also engage your lats, traps and calves as well. It takes a symphony of several different muscles contracting to perform a proper deadlift. When you create that much tension in your body, you burn a ton of calories doing so.
3. Lunges
Lunges are one of my personal favorites. Lunges BURN. They’re essentially a single leg version of a squat. Include these in your workouts to create balance between sides. I like standard lunges but also love to include lateral and curtsy lunges to hit different parts of the hips and legs.
4. Swings
Swings are excellent for fat loss because they are an explosive movement – meaning you need to do these QUICKLY. The faster you move, the more muscle fibers you engage and the more calories you burn. If you’re just starting out, hold off on including swings. Make sure you can perform a proper kettlebell deadlift and understand how to hip hinge first.
5. Step Ups
This is the forgotten one of the bunch, but I absolutely love step ups. They’re very low back-friendly, and a bit more focused on the backside – glutes and hamstrings. One of my favorite variations is the offset kettlebell step up, which is performed holding a kettlebell in one hand. Great to target the glutes as well as the obliques.
Are you including at least one of these exercises in all of your workouts? If not, and you’re trying to lose weight and body fat, you’re not maximizing your results. Start including these and you’ll see major differences in your physique. Questions on program design? Comment below or DM and I’d be happy to help!
