Best Types of Cardio For Weight Loss

Cardio is important for burning bodyfat and feeling your best. So what’s the best form of cardio for weight loss? The answer is that it’s the form of cardio that you enjoy the most and that you’ll stick with.

That being said, I ranked some of the top forms of cardio for weight loss that burn the most calories.

See below...

1. Sprinting

Sprints outside, on a treadmill, or even upstairs or bleachers are great to burn the most calories in the least amount of time. No equipment is really necessary and you can do these workouts just about anywhere. Plus, running has many mental benefits as a bonus!
Stationary bikes are a mainstay at most gyms, but there’s a reason most people aren’t waiting in line to use them: The only catch with sprinting is that you must be willing to go at an intense rate. So no pedaling while scrolling through your smartphone.

How to burn fat with cycling: Doing intervals on a stationary bike is a great way to maximize your calorie burn in minimum time. Keep your intensity high on the intervals for a couple of minutes, then slow down for a minute or so, continually repeating these intervals for as long as you can.

Workout example: Do a 8 sprint with a 1:4 work-rest time. So, for example, sprint for 15 seconds, then rest for a minute. Repeat 8 times.

2. Rowing

Take a look at any collegiate rower’s body and you’ll surely be envious of their athletic, v-cut frame. Rowing makes the list because it is a great way to incorporate the upper and lower body in a relatively low-stress manner on your joints and ligaments. It’s also a great way to work the posterior chain. Following a moderate pace on the rowing machine can burn upwards of 800 calories per hour for a 180-lb guy, but increasing the intensity with short sprints will get that number well over 1,000 calories per hour very quickly. Just make sure that you have a good rowing machine.

The best way to burn calories on a rower: Keep your chest up and use your entire body when rowing. Don’t let your arms do all the work—try using your legs to get the motion going.

Workout example: Set a clock for 20 minutes, row 250 meters as fast as possible, rest for one minute and then repeat for the entire 20 minutes.

3. Swimming

Swimming is a total-body workout that starts the second you begin treading water. “You’re essentially fighting gravity, so your muscles are working extra hard to keep you afloat without getting a break until you’re out of the water,” says Boudro. “In fact, with just one minute of fast swimming, you’ll burn 14 calories.”
Remember that the type of stroke makes a difference. A breaststroke burns fewer calories than the butterfly, so be sure to incorporate different strokes in your training.

The best way to burn fat while swimming: An easy way to burn calories in the water is to simply tread water. You can do a few laps, then have a water-treading interval, then repeat. If you’re able to swim at a high level, then swim as fast as you can for as long as possible. If you aren’t such a strong swimmer, then do swimming intervals: Swim as fast as you can down the length of the pool and back, then swim slower for the same distance. Alternate these intervals for the duration of your workout.

Workout example: 4 x 50 yards alternate laps of freestyle (odds) and backstroke (evens) with 20 seconds rest in between.

4. High-intensity interval training

HIIT gives you a well-rounded workout while burning a ton of fat and calories. Pairing any body-weight movement with a weighted movement and a traditional cardio element and you have the perfect recipe for an amazing fat-burner.

The best way to do it: Look for Tabata, HIIT, high-impact aerobic, and vigorous interval classes using weights at your local gym. Crossfit boxes, in general, are a great place to get in a HIIT workout.
Workout example: Perform 10 sit-ups, stand up, and perform 10 vertical leaps. Try and reach as high as you can each time, as well as to go all the way down, each time you prepare your jump. Think of yourself as one big spring, and you want to get everything out of each repetition. You will then rest for 30 seconds to 1 minute. To make this one harder, add in a round of 10 pushups, after your vertical leaps.

5. Kettlebells

While a kettlebell workout isn’t technically a cardio-only exercise, its calorie-burning effects are too high to keep off this list. Kettlebell workouts combine the best of both worlds: strength training and cardio. In addition, a recent study on the calorie-burning effects of this type of workout puts it at around 20 calories per minute. This total takes into account not only the aerobic calorie expenditure but also the anaerobic calories burned. Very few cardio exercises build muscle—this is one of the exceptions. You can expect to burn around 400-600 calories in just 30 minutes!
The best way to do it: If you can do a particular movement for 40-50 reps, chances are your kettlebell isn’t heavy enough. Don’t go too light, and don’t go too heavy either.

Workout example: This workout is an EMOM (every minute on the minute). Set a timer and do the following at the start of each minute: 10 kettlebell swing, 5 goblets squat. Repeat for 10 minutes.