Getting a workout in at home and on the road can be a challenge due to lack of access to equipment, space, and/or outdoor weather conditions. When these barriers to exercise are present we encourage participants to find unconventional forms of resistance, such as a backpack or bag, or choose from effective body weight exercises. Although more repetitions will be required to produce muscular fatigue without resistance/weights you can still obtain a great workout by reducing rest intervals between sets or performing a cycle of body exercises in a row before resting for the 2nd round. A recent study analyzed the best body weight exercises for burning calories.
Poulios and colleagues published their findings on the energy costs of different body weight exercises (J Strength Cond Res. 2024). Authors conducted a cross over design study using 7 body weight exercises performed for 30 and 45 seconds. Exercises included
- Burpees
- Jumping Jacks
- Front planks
- Push Ups
- Squats
- Split Squats
- Forward Walking Lunge
Authors reported the highest % of maximal heart rate and METs were found in the following order: burpees, jumping jacks, single leg squats, squats, push ups, front lunges, and planks. Participants on average burned between 11 and 40 calories per minute during the exercises while the greatest caloric burn was found with burpees followed by jumping jacks, push ups, and squats.
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