Brief Summary
This video documents an experiment to determine the most effective exercises for fat loss. Jeremy Ethier and Kevin test 50 different exercises, measuring calorie burn and perceived exertion. The findings reveal that high-intensity exercises like sprints and boxing burn the most calories, but low-intensity activities and daily movement also play a significant role in overall fat loss. The video emphasizes the importance of finding enjoyable and sustainable exercises for long-term success.
- High-intensity exercises like sprints and boxing burn the most calories per minute.
- Low-intensity activities and daily movement contribute significantly to overall calorie expenditure.
- Strength training is important for maintaining muscle mass but not as effective for direct calorie burning.
- Finding enjoyable and sustainable exercises is crucial for long-term fat loss success.
Intro
Jeremy Ethier and Kevin embark on a mission to identify the best and worst exercises for fat loss. They plan to rank 50 different exercises based on calorie burn and perceived effort. The goal is to discover which exercises burn the most calories with the least effort and which ones are high effort but don't burn many calories. This data will be used to create an effective fat loss plan.
High Intensity Training
The experiment begins with high-intensity exercises, starting with 60 seconds of sprints. Kevin struggles with the intensity, highlighting the difficulty of maintaining high-intensity workouts. Burpees and mountain climbers are also tested, with sprints initially showing the highest calorie burn at 15 calories per minute, followed by burpees at 12.5 calories per minute. The perceived exertion for these exercises is very high, making them difficult to sustain.
Assault Bike Challenge
To motivate Kevin, Jeremy challenges him to beat his calorie burn on the assault bike, offering a $500 reward. The accuracy of cardio machine calorie trackers is questioned, leading to a discussion with Dr. Eric Helms, who advises using them only for relative comparisons on the same machine. Despite the challenge, the actual calorie burn is lower than the machine's estimate, around 12-13 calories per minute.
Low Intensity Exercise
Due to Kevin's exhaustion with high-intensity exercises, the focus shifts to low-intensity activities. Incline walking at 3 mph with a 2 incline burns around 6 calories per minute. Increasing the speed and incline boosts calorie burn by 30%. Leaning on the treadmill reduces calorie burn by 20%, confirming a 2014 study's findings. Longboarding proves to be a surprisingly effective low-intensity exercise, burning 11 calories per minute, while Kevin enjoys playing basketball.
Strength Training
Strength training burns fewer calories than cardio, especially with lighter weights. The intensity of strength training is so high that it requires longer rest periods, reducing overall calorie expenditure. While strength training is valuable for maintaining muscle mass during fat loss, it's not ideal for burning calories. Ab exercises like crunches burn the fewest calories of all exercises tested.
Daily Movement
Eric emphasizes the importance of daily movement and non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT). Increasing daily steps has a greater impact on calorie expenditure than intense workouts alone. The experiment expands to include testing everyday activities like standing, vacuuming, and folding laundry. Walking outside burns 6 calories per minute for Kevin, a more sustainable option than sprints.
Searching for Enjoyable Exercises
Jeremy searches for high-calorie-burning exercises that Kevin enjoys, testing boxing, medicine ball slams, and power walking. The claim that playing chess burns a significant number of calories is investigated with a high-stakes checkers match. Kettlebell swings, inspired by TikTok, don't live up to the hype. Playing Checkers burned only 2.2 calories per minute.
Results
Boxing emerges as the top calorie-burning exercise, with Kevin reporting that he enjoyed it. The top three exercises are sprinting, boxing, and the devil's press. Longboarding, basketball, and walking are effective low-intensity options. The key to successful fat loss is finding enjoyable and sustainable workouts, combined with consistent strength training.
