Do you want to torch some calories and really break a sweat?
There are some fantastic fitness classes designed to help you burn the most calories in a single session and get you quicker to your fitness goals. Whether you like dancing, combat, weights, or swimming, there is something for you.
Fitness classes can be a great opportunity to burn calories while you meet other like-minded people and make new friends. They are designed to challenge you, and the instructor will be able to follow your fitness and guide you to big and better goals.
Want to know which exercise classes will help you burn the most fat? Then read on, and our guide will take you through the twelve most effective workout sessions that will get your heart racing and muscles aching for more.
1. Spin Classes
Cycling is well known to be one of the best ways to blast fat from the body. It is a high-intensity cardio workout that will put you on track to your weight loss goals. Cyclists have the biggest hearts for this reason and are considered to be some of the fittest athletes out there.
Spin classes take place on fixed bikes in a room with an instructor. The instructor will lead the session and gives you a breakdown of the pace and speed you will need to maintain to keep up with the class, just like being in the peloton in the Tour de France.
Sometimes you will be required to cycle slowly while standing and other times at a breakneck speed. This adds to the intensity of the workout. You will be drenched in sweat by the end of the session, guaranteed.
You can burn around 500 calories in a single spin class. That is as much as two standard-size candy bars or one healthy meal. So if you were to take a spin class twice a week, you would be well on the way to achieving your fitness goals.
2. Kettlebell Classes
Strength training is a fantastic way to burn fat and is actually more effective than cardio. Cardio will burn more calories per session, but that fat burn ends the moment the workout does. With weight training, you will continue to burn calories long after working out as your muscles develop and strengthen.
Kettlebells are often made from cast iron or steel and are formed into the shape of a ball with a handle at the top. You swing them in a range of movements to help you develop strength, cardio fitness, and flexibility.
Kettlebells will help you develop muscle, particularly in your upper body, shoulders, arms, and abs. They also can help shape your booty if you focus on your glutes and legs in your swing movements.
Taking a kettlebell class will help you build muscle that continues to burn even after you have put the kettlebell back on the rack.
3. Circuit Training
This popular exercise class is a form of body conditioning class that usually takes place in the equipment area of the gym. This is because each circuit is made up of different activities, ranging from running on a treadmill to lifting weights.
A session could involve resistance training, endurance training, weight lifting, or aerobic activities at a high intensity, so come prepared for anything. Each circuit training class is different and can be adjusted to fit the class’s needs and goals.
A circuit is usually 5-6 different movements, which the entire class will move through 2-3 times. It will work out all aspects of your body and really get you burning those calories. Circuit training can offer different styles of functional fitness that will make you stronger in your everyday activities outside of the gym.
4. Boxercise
Classes based around the sport of boxing are usually non-contact. Most involve shadow-boxing moves and concepts used by boxers to keep fit. They are designed to be high-intensity and really get your cardio fitness up.
Some classes may involve a version of partner-based sparring, using pads or punchbags, but they never involve actual contact with anyone else.
Not only is this a great way to release your aggression, but it is also a fantastic way to burn lots of calories in one session. It will also help you develop your fitness discipline while increasing your cardio fitness.
Learn from the pros, don’t gulp water between rounds. Learn to sip it gently, like a boxer would do. This way, you will avoid getting a stitch when the intensity increases.
5. Weight Training
As we mentioned earlier, weight training is a great way to burn fat, as your muscles will continue to ache and use up calories long after the class has ended.
Classes like Les Mill’s BodyPump integrates the use of weights into the class to help you develop strength and tone your body. The class will integrate barbells and dumbbells as the fully trained instructor guides you through certain lifts to ensure you do not overextend and hurt yourself.
You will feel the warm glow in your muscles for a few days after the class, and your body will thank you for the extra definition in a few weeks of practice.
6. Zumba
If you love to dance and can’t help but move your feet when you hear Latin rhythms, then Zumba is for you. This dance class is a great way to burn fat because you will be having so much fun, you won’t even realize you are doing it!
Zumba classes are usually around 60 minutes of great music, movements, and laughs. They will get your heart racing as you move through different steps designed to help you burn fat and strengthen your core muscles.
Don’t worry about your timing or two left feet. Everyone is just in the class to move, have fun, and enjoy the music. You will feel the benefits afterward, as Zumba is guaranteed to get you sweating and burning that fat.
7. Step Classes
Aerobic step classes have been around since 1989 and have remained popular with gym-goers ever since. They are shown to help you lose weight and boost your mood as you learn the routines.
Step aerobics has been shown to help manage your blood pressure and is a good exercise for people with osteoporosis or weak knees as it is a very low impact on the body. It was originally designed to help people recover from knee injuries.
Step aerobics will get you breathing hard and burning lots of calories during the session. Also, it is very flexible, and you can adjust the difficulty level to something that suits you.
Need more intensity? You can just raise the step, or lower it down, or not use one at all if you are just starting out. Step aerobics is a great place to start if you are looking to burn fat and learn how to move your body.
8. Interval Training
High-Intensity Interval Training or HIIT is a great way to crush your cardio fitness goals in a limited amount of time. Typically, a HIIT session lasts for less than 30 minutes and can involve both cardio and weight training moves.
HIIT allows you to burn energy and fat in short, sharp bursts of intense action. This allows you to tap into your anaerobic system (without oxygen), which will help you burn more fat. As there is no oxygen being supplied during these bursts, you can only maintain them for a short amount of time.
It is super effective for burning fat and treating obesity, as well as improving your muscle definition and bone mass. It does require some motivation to push through the intense bursts, but if that sounds like you, then you can burn a lot of fat more quickly than standard cardio workouts.
9. Tabata
Tabata is an even more intensive version of HIIT. It focuses on getting the maximum amount of effort in the shortest amount of time. Some Tabata sessions can last only 10-15 minutes but have the same impact as a 45-minute session on the elliptical.
You have to bring your maximum intensity to the session to get the most out of it. You work out for twice the amount of time you have to rest, which keeps your body in the fat-burning zone.
Tabata is super intense, but one of the most effective ways of burning fat and keeping it off, if that is your fitness goal.
10. Aqua Fitness
Swimming is a great way to burn calories, but if you are not keen on doing lengths, then why not look into aqua aerobics. This workout uses tools specially designed for the pool to help you burn fat and build muscles while keeping cool in the water.
You can also do a version of Tabata in the pool as well. Turn up the intensity and get your burn on, then take some time to cool off and relax in the water.
Aqua fitness is the lowest intensity exercise, as you are putting no additional pressure on your joints. However, you can really turn up the heat by using the water-resistance to build your strength.
Have you ever been sweaty in a pool? It is possible, especially with a fast and focused aqua aerobics session.
11. Pilates
Pilates is a great low-impact exercise for losing weight and burning fat. Practicing regularly will help you lose or maintain your weight and is beneficial for your overall health. It will make you strong and flexible and tone up your muscles all over.
Don’t be fooled by the sedate pace of the class. Pilates is tough!
It is particularly good at focusing on your core strength and reducing the size of your waist. It can help tone and slim down the central areas of your torso, including your hips and stomach.
A qualified Pilates instructor will lead you through the moves to ensure that you are performing them effectively and help you adjust to those that you are not quite proficient in yet.
Pilates will help you burn fat, become stronger and is a great way to exercise when you are rehabilitating from any kind of injury.
12. Yoga
Deep breathing helps you lose weight. Yoga is all about mastering your breathing while learning to move your body and testing its limits. You will lose abdominal fat if you practice yoga regularly and follow a healthy eating regime.
Yoga works across all parts of your body, stretching muscles you may not have realized that you had and toning them. There are certain moves that will burn more fat than others as they ask you to move and stretch in new and challenging ways.
Lots of celebrities swear by yoga classes to help them maintain their beach-ready bodies as it torches some major calories, increases your heart rate, and builds your muscles.
It also helps you calm your mind. So you get a great body and mind workout in the same session.
Try These Fitness Classes To Burn Calories
It is important to remember that all fitness classes will help you to burn calories and improve your overall fitness. You need to be consistent with your program and try and attend a class at least 2-3 times a week to start to see real changes in your body.
Pair your fitness regime with a nutritional and healthy diet that supports and nourishes your body. Then you will start to see the fat melt off you, and your new healthy self come to the forefront.
If this article has inspired you to try a new type of class, then why not check out our schedule. We have a wide range of different fitness classes to help you on your road to fitness. Get in touch, and we will be able to give you the advice you need to achieve your fitness goals.
