New research has revealed which exercises prove the most effective for those looking to take on a summer shred challenge this year - with burpees crowned the top move.
The research, pulled together by fitness experts bulk.com, analyzed the exercises that appeared most frequently in over 100 of the top-viewed workout videos on YouTube, to identify which yield the best results for those looking to get in shape before summer.
Labeled as a ‘summer shred’, these workouts are designed to help exercisers burn fat, get toned and boost their fitness levels before the warm weather hits. They often take the form of a four, eight or 12 week challenge, consisting of 4-6 intensive workouts a week.
And of the 191 different core exercises and variations that appeared across these routines, the most common moves came out as burpees, planks, push-ups and bicycle crunches.
Burpees appeared in 45% of the summer shred routines, making them the most effective exercise for those looking to shed their winter weight - which is bad news for some, given burpees are considered to be one of the most divisive workout moves.
Although burpees pose many benefits - including improving blood flow, enhancing endurance and burning fat - the high-impact move is disliked by many who find going from up to down repeatedly frustrating, or get tired easily due to the exercise’s intensity.
However, YouTube coaches, personal trainers and influencers who produce workouts consider them to be especially effective for shedding weight quickly - as they feature in routines from Chloe Ting, MadFit (Maddie Lymburner) and lockdown favorite Joe Wicks.
Their versatility may account for them featuring so frequently in summer shred workouts, as they appeared across longer workout routines and quick 10/15-minute sessions, with some routines also recommending a modified version as a low-intensity alternative.
The majority of routines that included burpees required them to be done in 30 second or minute-long intervals rather than as reps, as they were done alongside other moves.
Also amongst the most effective workout moves - according to the YouTube data - is planking, which requires you to hold your body in a straight line off the ground.
Basic planks were featured in two fifths (39%) of the summer shred routines, whilst common variations that also appeared were side planks, plank jacks and plank lunges.
Planks often appeared in lower-impact routines that don’t include jumping and offer regular breaks, whilst people were typically asked to hold a plank for 30 seconds at a time.
Top 10 most effective exercises for a summer shred revealed
Burpees (45%)
Planking (39%)
Push-ups (35%)
Bicycle crunches (30%)
Toe touches (27%)
Jump squats (21%)
Glute bridges (20%)
Russian twists (17%)
Knee tucks (15%)
Jumping jacks (14%)
Rounding out the top five most effective summer shred exercises were push-ups (35%), bicycle crunches (30%) and toe touches (27%), with the average workout video lasting for 20 minutes and featuring up to 10 different moves or exercise variations per routine.
With those findings in mind, the ideal 10-minute summer shred workout should look something like this - depending on your fitness level and specific goals. Make sure to warm up and cool down before each workout to prime your muscles and avoid injury.
Perform toe touches for 30 seconds, alternating between feet. These can be done standing for a low-intensity workout, but are best performed whilst laying on your back with your legs extended towards the ceiling.
Transition to 30 seconds of bicycle crunches, making sure to pace yourself so that the movement isn’t too rushed and you’re engaging your core. Alternate legs.
Whilst still laying on the mat, perform 30 seconds of knee tucks, ensuring that your legs are fully extended and that you hold your knees as they’re tucked up for a second or two before fully extending again.
Take a 15 second rest, before getting into a standing position.
Start the next set with 10-15 push-ups, making sure that your hands are placed slightly wider than your shoulders, that you pause before extending your arms, and that your chest almost touches the floor on descent.
After the push-ups, perform 30 seconds of burpees. Begin by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and lower into a squat with your hands on the floor. Kick your legs into a plank position and then jump forward into a squat position.
From here, get into a lying position and hold your body straight off the floor in a plank for 30 seconds, or two 10 second intervals with a 5 second rest between.
Take another 15 second rest, before lying on your back.
Kick off the next set with 30 seconds of Russian twists (between 10-12), which requires you to have your heels on the floor, extend your arms in front of you whilst leaning back, and rotate your torso from one side to the other, pausing in the middle.
Lay flat on your back and do 30 seconds of glute bridges. Make sure that your feet are shoulder width apart, before slowly raising your hips and squeezing your abs.
After another 30 second break, repeat the three sets again.
The above routine allows for substitutions for those who really hate burpees, as jumping squats are a good alternative, whilst push-ups can be swapped for jumping jacks. People can also extend their breaks between sets to suit their fitness levels.
Speaking on the findings, Abi Roberts - bulk.com’s nutritionist - stresses the importance of following the correct form when working out in order to get the most out of a workout. She said: “Learning how to do key exercise movements correctly is essential to both avoiding injury and staying motivated.
“Proper form not only reduces the risk of strain or injury to muscles, joints and tendons - it also allows people to target the intended muscle groups more effectively, which leads to better results, a greater confidence, and an increased motivation to pursue their fitness journey.”
It’s a good time of year to start thinking about getting in shape for summer, as Google Trends data reveals searches for ‘summer shred’ rose by 4,000% at the end of February last year.
Data gathered from the 200 most-watched workout videos on YouTube. Raw data available on request.
Post courtesy of bulk.com.
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