Losing weight requires a lifestyle change [1]: eating in a calorie deficit, working out, getting enough sleep, and manageing stress. So you can't all of a sudden start working out, eat junk food, and expect to lose weight. But if you're being strategic about your exercise plan for fat loss, trainer and fitness expert Jillian Michaels, who created the My Fitness by Jillian Michaels [2] app, has some tips on how to rev up your calorie burn.
First, she recommends strength training four days a week [3] (if possible) and to train each muscle group twice a week with two days of rest in between. "Lifting weights absolutely speeds fat loss because it burns more calories during and after your workout if done right," she told POPSUGAR.
When it comes to cardio, she's a big fan of high-intensity interval training or HIIT. "HIIT is far more effective across the board," she said. "It amps your calorie burn during the workout as well as your EPOC, or afterburn [5], and it accelerates how quickly you get more fit because of the intensified stress adaptation response."
However, she did say there are some times when low-intensity sustained state cardio, or LISS [6], is a better choice. "If you are tired, sick, or injured, HIIT can be too stressful," she said. "In that case, steady-state cardio will be better."
To lose weight, you can make your lifting sessions a HIIT workout [7] to maximize calorie burn, or do a couple days of HIIT cardio a week to torch fat. Not sure where to start? Get inspired with these 10 HIIT workouts you can do at home or anywhere [8].