Squats
"Squats are a favorite because they work all your leg muscles, plus your deep core (including your pelvic floor)," Ziel notes. "Not only is it great to have stronger legs, but squats are also such an important functional move that women need to do more of and do them daily. I love teaching my clients how to do squat pulses to get their muscles active and engaged, then follow-up those squat pulses with a full range of motion squats."
She continues, "Be sure to avoid tucking your butt. Instead, you want to feel the spreading of your sit-bones (think butt bones) as you lower into a deep squat. Squats, especially when practiced with correct form, can improve how your body feels and moves. Plus, [it is] beneficial for improving your posture! Once you have these down without using any weight, then you can add a kettlebell or dumbbell to increase your strength even faster."
Push-up
Push-ups are La Breche's "all-time favorite, super-efficient exercise." She says this is because they use your own body weight for resistance while also working your whole body. This includes the core muscles (abs, glutes, back), your arms, and your chest. She explains, "You'll get your heart rate up, and build muscle! You can even incorporate pushups in a HIIT workout to maximize the post-workout calorie burn."
La Breche notes, "Building lean muscle is the best way to keep your metabolism working throughout the day, so not just while you work out, but even while sitting at your desk, in the car, or while you sleep. I love pushups because you can gain strength in such a tangible way by doing them daily—feeling successful means you’ll keep doing them!"
To do a push-up, "start with a plank position—you want your hands on the floor stacked below your elbows, right below your shoulders with your weight forward so you feel your abs tighten up." She continues, "Slowly bend your arms to lower yourself down, and then extend your arms to push back up to your starting position. You want your elbows to make an A shape as they bend, rather than pointing straight out to make a T."
Burpee
Haley recommends the burpee because it "uses so many muscle groups." She continues, "In a beginner burpee, you squat down (using your legs and butt) and put your hands in front of your feet. [You] walk your feet out to a plank position (using your core muscles and shoulders), walk your feet back into the squat, and stand up. You can advance the burpee and use even more muscle groups—squat down, walk or jump your feet out to plank, do a push-up (now working chest and triceps too), or walk or jump the feet back to the squat and stand up or do a jump squat. This exercise truly works the entire body," she confirms.
"To build more muscle, you’ll want to pick up more weight. You could turn your body-weight-only burpee into what is often called a Man-Maker (which I like to call a Woman-Maker). Begin with medium-sized weights in your hands and squat down like the beginning of a burpee. You can put your hands on the floor or keep them on your weights as you go out to plank (I recommend keeping them in your hands if you can)," Haley explains. "From your plank, row one arm back at a time (now working your back too). If you need to modify, widen the stance of your plank or put your knees on the floor. Perform your push-up. Then, walk your feet back into the squat with your hands on the floor. As you stand up, perform a bicep curl (now working your biceps too) with a standing squat. Finish with a shoulder press above your head. Repeat."
Bottom line
Overall, La Breche says that the "most important factor in making lasting changes when it comes to weight loss is consistency." She adds, "You can start running and probably see some pretty rapid change, but finding a workout regimen that’s sustainable–meaning you can continue to fit it into your lifestyle AND you enjoy it enough to keep it up—will mean that results like losing weight and seeing more muscle definition will last!"
"I love the energy and supportive atmosphere of group fitness classes, and my perfect combo is a class with some cardio (in the form of dance) paired with resistance training to help me build muscle," La Breche continues. "Dance cardio burns calories (on top of a ton of important factors like heart health), and it’s fun! Pair that with resistance training to build lean muscle mass so the calorie burn that happens in class won't end when you stop moving." So, no matter what kind of exercise you decide to do to burn belly fat faster, it's best to choose one that you adore and can be consistent with!