The Sad Truth About “Fat Burning Exercises”

Whenever I’m asked “Can you please tell me the best workout routine or exercises for shedding fat? My response is usually met with disappointment.

I always say, “Losing fat is mostly dependent on your daily diet, not your workout routes..”

Yeah, imagine someone expecting a simple response of a list of exercises only to be given this. Kind of a letdown isn’t it?

So then the individual becomes confused and annoyed and I then attempt to clear up the misunderstanding.

The Real Truth About Fat Burning Exercises

None exists!

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A FAT BURNING EXERCISE.

I’ll explain why…

The idea that specific exercises exist that can burn fat or even that specific exercises and workouts will make you lose weight is actually untrue.

Fat loss does not work that way.

The Real Reason For Fat Loss

There is the one and only one thing that can “burn fat”, and that is being in a consistent caloric deficit.  

When you consume fewer calories than you burn or if your body burns more calories that you consume, then the body will be in a state of caloric deficit. In this state, the body burns the stored fat as fuel instead.

Let that just sink in for a second.

Caloric deficit is always the underlying cause of fat loss. And that is despite what else you may be doing to lose weight. 

Here’s an example, say you consume 2000 calories daily but you burn 2500 calories, then 500 calories previously stored will be burned from fat, muscle or both (calories in < calories out = calorie deficit).

3 Ways You Can Create Your Deficit To Super-Charge Fat Loss

You can create your calorie deficit in three ways:

1. Diet – Say you have been maintaining your current weight by eating 2400 calories daily. If you should start eating 2000 calories daily (a 400 calorie deficit), you would lose fat. That’s right, even if you are not actively working out.
2. Exercise – Following the same example, if you ate 2400 calories daily but you burn 400 more calories per day by exercising, that 400 calorie deficit would exist and you would lose fat. 
3. Diet and Exercise – If you consume 200 less calories and burned 200 more daily, guess what happens? Yeah, your body will be in a 400 caloric deficit and so fat loss will occur.

So, all these methods work because caloric deficit is the foundation of weight loss. Once there is a calorie deficit, you will lose fat. If it is not, you won’t lose fat.

It’s as simple as that. Here is why all this matters. Click here for part 2.