The Top 9 Best Exercises For Weight Loss, Ranked In Order Of Effectiveness

Cranking out any kind of exercise on the regular can help you lose weight, but by strategically planning your sweat fest, you can get to your goal faster—and who doesn't want that?

To make your workouts as efficient as possible, we ranked the best exercises for weight loss based on calories burned during your workout, including the estimate for the number of calories burned for a 125-pound person and a 185-pound person (the more you weigh, the more calories you tend to burn on any particular task). 

And since we know that the calories burned during your workout aren't the only ones that matter, we spoke with New York City–based trainer Noam Tamir, CSCS, owner of TS Fitness, about how to modify your workout to ramp up the afterburn effect. That way, your body can continue to burn calories at a higher rate—even after you hit the showers. Holla! (Shrink your belly, butt, and thighs with the cutting-edge new plan that naturally retrains fat cells to release excess calories. Try The Fat Call Solution today for free!)

Now go forth and burn, baby, burn!

The article The 9 Best Exercises For Weight Loss, Ranked In Order Of Effectiveness originally ran on WomensHealthMag.com.

The burn: 667-990 calories/hour
The bonus burn: As it turns out, this little rope is actually a big-time fat burner. Try using a weighted jump rope to engage your arms and shoulders even more.

The burn: 566-839 calories/hour
The bonus burn: After running at a steady pace, you'll continue to burn extra calories during the rest of the day. (If that's not motivation to tackle the treadmill, nothing is.) To torch more calories during and after your workout, add short bursts of sprints or faster running into your jog, says Tamir. He recommends keeping a 2:1 work-to-rest ratio to get the most afterburn. For example, if you run for 60 seconds, walk 30 seconds.

The burn: 554-822 calories/hour 
The bonus burn: Tamir says that a HIIT circuit using kettlebells can keep the afterburn going for 36 hours after you leave the gym. To get the best results, make sure you're doing a fluid circuit and not stopping to rest between each move. Tamir recommends switching between upper- and lower-body movements so you can keep exercising for a longer period of time. Try doing a set of kettlebell swings, kettlebell squats, and kettlebell push presses. Then, rest for 15 to 20 seconds after completing the three moves.

The burn: 582-864 calories/hour
The bonus burn: Whether you're kicking it on your own or in class, make sure you keep the rest periods between rounds of jabs and kicks super-short. Aim for 30 seconds of rest for every 90 seconds of sparring. 

The burn: 498-738 calories/hour
The bonus burn: To get the most afterburn, Tamir says to start with 10 seconds of intense pedaling and 50 seconds of rest. Then, move to 15 seconds of sprints and 45 seconds of rest, and do 20 seconds of sprints and 40 seconds of rest after that. Don't forget to turn up the resistance as you progress!

The burn: 481-713 calories/hour
The bonus burn: To get maximum torching power, row in super-fast 1-minute intervals, and take 30- to 60-second active rest periods by alternating between squats, pushups, and planks.

The burn: 452-670 calories/hour
The bonus burn: Whether you're working the StairMaster or running steps around town, à la Rocky, stair climbing provides a good mix of aerobic and anaerobic exercise. To up the ante, hold a 1- to 5-pound dumbbell in each hand to get your upper body fired up, too.

The burn: 322-478 calories/hour
The bonus burn: If you're after a better burn, don't keep the same pace the entire time you're on the elliptical. Vary the incline and levels of resistance to keep things interesting (read: challenging).

The burn: 226-335 calories/hour
The bonus burn: To get the most burn, sign up for a power vinyasa flow class. "Strength-driven practices, where you match the breath with the movement, is where you would have the most afterburn," says Tamir.