How to actually lose the winter weight by burning fat

If it’s been a while since you saw the inside of a gym, you may be looking ahead to the summer with dread. Headline grabbing High Intensity Interval Training might not be the way to go despite the general consensus that it’s the best way to lose fat.

Exercise should be circuit based and involve your own body weight. Supramaximal Interval Training, a.k.a SMIT, achieves more than HIIT and with less effort.

Do them all within 20 seconds, and rest for no longer than a minute between sets. Half an hour’s training and right treatment options are enough to kick start your war against the winter timber, and you won’t need any ridiculous supplements.

25m sprints

Sprinting is the best cardio for calorie burning. Set up two markers and start with your knees bent and one hand on the ground then dart as fast as you can to the other marker. Repeat for up to 30 seconds then rest.

Squat

This age old exercise should be first on your list to get you blowing early. Working your legs sends hormones to your upper body to help muscle grow faster. Feet should be shoulder width apart, bend so your legs are parallel to the floor, all while keeping your back straight.

Push ups

Don’t cheat. touching your head to the ground is not a push up. By doing these properly and at pace, you’ll be using muscles you never knew you had. Keep hands at shoulder width and let your chest touch the floor, all while looking ahead of you. Aim for 20.

Tuck Jump

Start in a squat position with your feet shoulder width apart. When your thighs are parallel to the floor, launch upwards and, in mid-air, tuck your knees into your chest – a bit like a cannonball. Land soft and jump again straight away.

Burpee

One to try on your own for fear of embarrassment, but the burpees your boisterous sports teacher had you doing work almost every part of your body. Crouch down like a frog with your hands between your feet, go back into a press up position, back to frog then jump into the air with your hands behind your head.

Ab snail

Another to avoid in public, but sit down with your legs straight and your arms on the floor at your side. Point your fingers behind you and lift up off the ground.

Use your abs to pull yourself back past your arms as far as possible and slowly swing back to the start. Aim for eight reps.

Tight rotation

Twisting moves focus on your obliques, that’s the side of your abs for anyone not subscribed to Men’s Health. Hold your arms out straight with your hands together like you’re praying and swing them 90 degrees each way. You’ll have abs of steel in no time.

Mountain climber

By now you should be aching. Don’t cheat with this one and rest by lying on the floor. Get into a press up position without locking your arms, then thrust your knee upwards to the opposite elbow. Do 30 reps in half as many seconds, stand up and rest for 40 seconds.

Planks

The familiar plank should come near the end of your workout. Instead of keeping your fists in line with your eyes, extend your arms so your elbows are aligned with your chin. Keep your legs together and hold for 30 seconds, despite the wobble.

Bastard

Similar to the burpee, but if you’re not dead by now you will be afterwards. Step it up a level by going down into a press-up position, then back to your feet and jumping as high as you can with your hands behind your head.

Combine this with some mountain climbers and reduce the reps by one on each set.

Food

There are ways to out train a bad diet, but it’s a lot of effort.

Men’s Health recommend protein rich breakfasts, helping to overcome 11am cravings. Journal reports also suggest nut eaters are 40 per cent less likely to be obese. Take to eggs, spinach, nutty granola and berries. Almonds also make you more fertile.

For lunch, avoid sandwiches and supermarket salads. By swerving sugary sauces and unnecessary carbs and salt, and sticking to high energy foods you’ll end up snacking less.

Kidney beans and seeds should feature. They’ll be high in protein and help breakdown the fat, so you’ll lose fat while you eat technically.

Easier said than done, but cut the carbs at dinner. Put boiled chicken, salads and radishes on the menu. If you still feel hungry before bed, fruits like coconut and mango as well as some chickpeas will cut the sweet tough cravings.