If your aim is to lose weight and improve your definition, then listed below are 8 exercises to incorporate alongside your diet that will help to achieve your goal.

The exercises you choose to do will greatly affect the outcome and define the areas you are targeting. For best results you don’t have to perform lengthy sessions of cardio or spend hours jogging. All you need is body weight training to improve your strength, conditioning and body composition.

Apart from losing weight a lot faster, body weight training will improve your metabolism, increase your anaerobic endurance, tone your muscles and help you achieve a leaner, tighter physique.

The health benefits of body weight training include:

  • Improves bone and joint function
  • Bone density
  • Heart and lung
  • Posture
  • Digestion
  • Brain function

To benefit you don’t have to buy expensive equipment and follow complicated training routines. Instead these classic compound movements will help you build a lean musculature, boost your metabolic rate and help you burn fat in a shorter period of time.

 

 

1. Burpees

Burpees are a perfect exercise because they hit every major muscle group in your body and raise your heart rate. They can be difficult at the beginning, but they will definitely benefit you more than hours of regular cardio.

  • Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, weight in your heels and your arms at your sides.
  • Push your hips back, bend your knees and lower your body into a squat.
  • Place your hands on the floor directly in front of and just inside place your feet. Shift your weight onto them.
  • Jump your feet back to land on the balls of your feet in a plank position. Your body should form a straight line from your head to heels.
  • Jump your feet back so that they land just outside of your hands.
  • Reach your arms over your head and explosively jump up into the air.
  • Land and immediately lower back into a squat for your next rep.

 

2. Pull-ups

The pull up is a powerful exercise that will build a strong back, improve your posture, tone your core and your whole body. Pull ups are essential for anyone looking to improve their body composition and overall strength.

  • Grab The Bar, grip it about shoulder width apart.
  • Hang and then raise your feet off the floor by bending your knees. Hang with straight arms.
  • Pull yourself up by pulling your elbows down to the floor. Keep your elbows close.
  • Pull yourself all the way up until your chin passes the bar. Don’t do half reps.
  • Repeat and lower yourself all the way down until your arms are straight. Breathe and pull up again.

 

3. Squats

Squats are the ultimate compound movement for completely reshaping your glutes, thighs and legs. After you gain enough strength and control with the body weight squat, try them with a barbell to achieve better results.

  • Think about where your weight is on your feet, it should be on the heels and the balls of your feet.
  • Keep your entire body tight the entire time.
  • Breathe in, break at your hip and push your glutes back.
  • Keep your back straight, with your spine neutral and your chest and shoulders up.
  • As you squat down, focus on keeping your knees in line with your feet.
  • Squat down until your hip joint is lower than your knees, this is parallel.

 

4. Push ups

Push ups strengthen your shoulders, triceps and chest. They maximally activate your core, especially the abdominal muscles. Having a tight and strong core will improve your posture, back health and stability.

  • When down on the ground, set your hands at a distance that is slightly wider than shoulder width apart.
  • Your feet set up in a way that the feet are touching.
  • From the top of your head down through your heels, keep your body straight.
  • Your head should be looking slightly ahead of you, not straight down.
  • At the top of your push up, your arms should be straight and supporting your weight.
  • With your arms straight,  steadily lower yourself until your elbows are at a 90 degree angle or smaller.
  • Try not to let your elbows go out with each repetition. Keep them relatively close to your body.
  • Once your chest touches the floor or your arms go down to a 90 degree angle, pause slightly and then explode back up until you’re back in the beginning position.

 

5. Lunges

Lunges have a variety of great benefits including, building tight glutes, stronger quads and also hamstrings. They also increase your core strength. Performing them regularly will help you run and improve your flexibility.

  • Keep your upper body straight, with your shoulders back and relaxed and chin up.
  • Step forward with one leg, lowering your hips until both knees are bent at a 90 degree angle. Make sure your front knee is directly above your ankle.
  • Make sure your other knee doesn’t touch the floor.
  • Keep the weight in your heels as you push back up to the starting position.

6. Spider Crawl

This move effectively targets your abs, chest, shoulders and triceps. Improving the mobility of your hips and toning your core muscles, spider crawls will also raise your heart rate and help you burn more fat.

  • Get into a push up start or plank position.
  • Bring your right knee up to your right elbow by bending your knee. Extend your left arm forward and keep your left leg straight.
  • “Crawl” forward bringing your left knee to your right elbow and moving your right arm forward and extending your right knee.
  • Repeat as many times as you can do.

7. Plank

This exercise is one of the best when it comes to core conditioning, toning the glutes and hamstrings. It also improves endurance in the abs and back. Other benefits include an improved posture, balance and overall strength.

  • Plant the hands directly under the shoulders, slightly wider than shoulder width apart.
  • Ground the toes into the floor and squeeze the glutes to stabilise your body.
  • Neutralise the neck and spine by looking at a spot on the floor about a foot beyond your hands. Your head should be in line with your back.
  • Hold the position for 30 seconds. As you get more comfortable with the move, hold your plank for as long as possible without compromising form.

8. Skipping

Skipping a rope for 10 minutes is the equivalent to running for an eight minute mile. Even jumping at a moderate rate burns around 15 calories per minute. This exercise is excellent for burning calories, improving agility and building stronger arms and legs.

  • Keep your back straight, for beginners jump two footed only a few inches from the floor.
  • Alternating feet when jumping is easy, aim to jump a few times on one foot, then try the other foot.
  • Whilst skipping, the rope should ideally be tight and if jumping at speed, aim to have small jumps, with the rope close to your head.

Perform this list of highly efficient fat burning body weight exercises for 15 minutes every day.