Best Skinny Fat Resistance Exercises

There are five main types of resistance exercises: weightlifting, calisthenics, yoga, Pilates, and isometrics. Weightlifting is the gold standard (1, 2, 3). Resistance (anaerobic) exercise helps maintain muscles/mass, improve muscle strength, build muscle mass, increase endurance (tone), lose regular white/yellow fat, and reduce skinny fat. As well as enhance core strength, flexibility, balance, and posture. Resistance training, when done properly, achieves both (4, 5, 6) muscular endurance (tone) and muscular strength (hypertrophy).

What is the best skinny fat resistance exercise for you?

It depends on your goals and resources. If you have consistent, regular access to proper weight training equipment at a gym, at home, or the like, then lift weights. If you do not have such equipment and access, then calisthenics, yoga, Pilates, and isometrics can be done consistently and regularly with minimal equipment following professional training videos that we will post here frequently.

Best Skinny Fat Resistance Exercises

Check back regularly as we will add new links to specific resistance exercises.

There a five types of resistance intensity (7, 35, 36, 37): minimal, very light, light, moderate, and intense.

Weightlifting

Gold Standard – the activity of lifting heavy objects to strengthen muscles, build muscle mass, tone muscles (endurance), and maintain muscles/mass as well as improve core strength, posture, flexibility, and balance, either as a sport or for exercise. Improves overall health and longevity.

Examples (8, 9, 10, 37, 38) include diverse free weights (barbells, plates, bars, etc.), machine weights, resistance bands, loop bands, and tubing.

Achieves both muscular endurance (tone) and muscular strength (hypertrophy).

Amount: 15 minutes to 1 hour, up to 1.25 hours or so.

Exercises

Cable Twists (Core: Love Handles, Lower Back, Abdominals)

Calisthenics (Body Weight)

A type of workout that uses a person’s body weight (and sometimes added weight, ropes, and/or straps in suspension)(37, 38) to maintain muscles/mass, build strength and muscle mass, and increase endurance (tone muscles) with little or no equipment as well as improve core strength, posture, flexibility, and balance. Improves overall health and longevity.

Examples (11, 12, 13, 14) include pushups, squats, crunches, Russian twists, burpees, pullups, and lunges

Achieves more muscular endurance (tone) and less muscular strength (hypertrophy) if additional resistance (added weight) is not used.

Amount: 15 minutes to 1 hour, up to 1.25 hours or so.

Exercises

Russian Twists (Core: Love Handles, Lower Back, Abdominals)

Yoga

A series of 84 asanas — poses (varying degrees of difficulty) — that maintain muscle/mass, build strength (and some mass), and tone muscles while improving core strength, posture, flexibility, and balance. Improves overall health and longevity.

Examples (15, 16, 17, 18) include easier poses like Mountain Pose (Tadasana), Tree Pose (Vrksasana), Triangle (Trikonasana), Warrior I (Virabhadrasana I), Upward-Facing Dog (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana), Downward-Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana), and Seated Forward Fold (Paschimottanasana) as well as the hardest poses like the Handstand (Adho Mukha Vrksasana), Crow Pose (Bakasana) or Crane Pose, Scorpion Pose (Vrschikasana), Eight-Angle Pose (Astavakrasana), and King Pigeon Pose (Kapotasana)

Achieves more muscular endurance (tone) and less muscular strength (hypertrophy) if additional resistance (added weight) is not used.

Amount: 15 minutes to 1 hour, up to 1.25 hours or so.

Exercises

Coming Soon

Pilates

A combination of approximately 50 repetitive exercises designed to maintain muscle/mass, increase muscle strength (and some mass), and enhance endurance (tone) as well as improve core strength, flexibility, posture, and balance. Improves overall health and longevity.

Examples (19, 20, 21) include easier poses like the Pelvic Curl, Chest Lift, Chest Lift with Rotation, Spine Twist Supine, Single Leg Stretch, Roll Up, and Roll-Like-a-Ball along with harder poses such as Advanced Thigh Stretch on the Reformer, Back Bend on the Ladder Barrel, Control Balance Off The Reformer, Candlestick on the Cadillac, Thigh Stretch on the Cadillac, Advanced Mat Teaser w/ Boomerang, Star on the Wunda Chair, and Handstand on the Wunda Chair

Achieves more muscular endurance (tone) and less muscular strength (hypertrophy) if additional resistance (added weight) is not used.

Amount: 15 minutes to 1 hour, up to 1.25 hours or so.

Exercises

Coming Soon

Isometrics (Isometric Exercise)

A system of physical exercises that cause muscles to act against each other or against a fixed object to maintain muscle/mass, increase muscle strength (and some mass), and enhance tone (endurance) as well as improve core strength, posture, flexibility, and balance. Improves overall health and longevity.

Examples (22, 23, 24, 25, 26) include planks, wall sit, glute bridge, dead hang, and isometrics squat

Achieves more muscular endurance (tone) and less muscular strength (hypertrophy) if additional resistance (added weight) is not used.

Amount: 15 minutes to 1 hour, up to 1.25 hours or so.

Exercises

Coming Soon

Adding Muscle Mass and Losing Regular Fat Weight – Best Skinny Fat Resistance Exercises

Proper resistance exercise increases your body’s muscle mass. More muscle increases (27, 28, 29, 28, 30, 31, 36) your metabolic rate. It is scientifically accepted that one pound of muscle burns roughly six calories (32, 33, 34, 35, 36) per day at rest. Whereas one pound of regular white/yellow fat and/or skinny fat only burns 2-3 calories (32, 34, 35, 36) per day. Thus, while at rest, more muscle means more calories burned. Even when active, more muscle means more calories burned.

Which directly affects your baseline Standard BMR calories as well as your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) calories.

Resistance Exercise Health Benefits

Moreover, on top of proper resistance exercise helping you add muscle mass and burn more calories, it also offers a cornucopia of positive health benefits (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42) including losing regular fat weight (visceral fat and subcutaneous fat) while reducing skinny fat (subcutaneous). Not to mention improving heart health (blood pressure and heart rate), preventing and managing insulin (hormone) resistance, type 2 diabetes, and obesity, reducing blood sugar (A1C), and lowering inflammation, at least.

Make sure to avoid too little exercise (metabolic syndrome)(43, 44) and too much exercise (overtraining syndrome)(44, 43), as both significantly influence insulin resistance, directly affecting regular white/yellow body fat/adipose tissue weight loss and gain.

You can accurately calculate your unique Standard BMR and TDEE calories and aggregate metabolic health using the Scientific Metabolism Quiz Health Score (45). Finally, you can calculate individual resistance exercise calorie burn using the latest scientific MET Values along with overall exercise health via the Scientific Exercise Quiz Health Score (46).

References

1. NIH, National Library of Medicine: Effect of blood-flow restricted vs heavy-load strength training on muscle strength: Systematic review and meta-analysis, May 30, 2020, Birk Mygind Grønfeldt, Jakob Lindberg Nielsen, Rune Mygind Mieritz , Hans Lund, Per Aagaard. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32031709/
2. Cleveland Clinic: Want to Lose Weight? Build Muscle, August 6, 2020. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/build-muscles-lose-weight-by-adding-strength-training-to-your-workout
3. ABC News: More women are discovering the health benefits of weightlifting at the gym, January 29, 2024, Mary Lloyd. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-01-30/women-strength-training-shredded-at-gym-for-health/103376798
4. Livestrong: Toning Muscle Versus Strengthening Muscle, Kate Richey. https://www.livestrong.com/article/513071-toning-muscle-vs-strengthening-muscle/
5. Shape: The Difference Between Muscular Endurance and Muscular Strength, Explained, June 18, 2022, Samantha Lefave. https://www.shape.com/fitness/tips/difference-between-muscular-endurance-muscular-strength-definition
6. MD Anderson Cancer Center: Why muscle toning is a myth, September 1, 2021, Heather Alexander. https://www.mdanderson.org/cancerwise/why-muscle-toning-is-a-myth.h00-159464001.html
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12. Men’s Health: Your Comprehensive Guide to Calisthenics for Beginners, June 28, 2023, Alyssa Sparacino. https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a44348102/calisthenics-for-beginners/
13. Health: What Is Calisthenics?, July 7, 2023, Sherri Gordon (Medically reviewed by Barbie Cervoni, RD). https://www.health.com/calisthenics-7372164
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16. MedicalNewsToday: How does yoga work?, April 26, 2023, Hannah Nichols (Medically reviewed by Courtney Sullivan, Certified Yoga Instructor). https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/286745
17. Wikipedia: List of asanas, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_asanas
18. John Hopkins Medicine – Health: 9 Benefits of Yoga, https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/9-benefits-of-yoga
19. NIH, National Library of Medicine: Pilates: how does it work and who needs it?, December 29, 2011, June Kloubec. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3666467/
20. WebMD: Pilates, May 2, 2024, Kara Mayer Robinson and Alyson Powell Key (Medically Reviewed by Jabeen Begum, MD). https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/a-z/what-is-pilates
21. Cleveland Clinic: Pilates 101: What It Is and Health Benefits, March 10, 2023. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/everything-you-want-to-know-about-pilates
22. Wikipedia: Isometric exercise, June 26, 2023, Aaron Kandola, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isometric_exercise
23. MedicalNewToday: 5 isometric exercises for people to try, https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/isometric-exercises
24. Mayo Clinic: Are isometric exercises a good way to build strength?, November 18, 2023, Edward R. Laskowski, M.D. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/expert-answers/isometric-exercises/faq-20058186
25. The Conversation: Why isometric exercises are so good for you, October 9, 2024, Dan Gordon (Professor of Exercise Physiology), Chloe French (PhD Candidate), and Ruby Cain (PhD Candidate). https://theconversation.com/why-isometric-exercises-are-so-good-for-you-239543
26. The Washington Post: The Surprisingly Simple Exercise That Can Lower Your Blood Pressure, January 30, 2024, Kelyn Soong. https://getpocket.com/explore/item/the-surprisingly-simple-exercise-that-can-lower-your-blood-pressure
27. NIH, National Library of Medicine: Increasing muscle mass to improve metabolism, April 1, 2013, Alexandra C. McPherron, Tingqing Guo, Nichole D. Bond, and Oksana Gavrilova. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3661116/
28. University of New Mexico: Controversies in Metabolism, Paige Kinucan and Len Kravitz, Ph.D. https://www.unm.edu/~lkravitz/Article%20folder/metabolismcontroversy.html
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30. Cleveland Clinic: Metabolism, August 20, 2021. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/21893-metabolism
31. NIH, National Library of Medicine: Resistance training is medicine: effects of strength training on health, July-August 2012, Wayne L Westcott. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22777332/
32. Livestrong: Does Muscle Really Burn More Calories Than Fat?, January 6, 2020, Christine Mugnolo (Reviewed by Lisa Maloney, CPT). https://www.livestrong.com/article/438693-a-pound-of-fat-vs-a-pound-of-muscle/
33. Outfit: How Many Calories Does a Pound of Muscle Burn?, June 4, 2024, Shane Duquette and Marco Walker-Ng, BHSc, PTS. https://outlift.com/how-many-calories-does-a-pound-of-muscle-burn/
34. Stronger By Science: How many additional calories does each pound of muscle burn?, June 14, 2023, Greg Nuckols. https://www.strongerbyscience.com/calories-muscle-burn/
35. National Council on Strength and Fitness: Quiz Policies, https://www.ncsf.org/pdf/ceu/a_pound_of_muscle_burns_30-50_kcal_a_day_really.pdf
36. Skinny Fat Science: The Best Skinny Fat Exercise, According to Science, August 2, 2024. https://skinnyfat.fellowone.com/the-best-skinny-fat-exercise-according-to-science/
37. Healthline: 14 Benefits of Strength Training, August 19, 2024, Katey Davidson, MScFN, RD, CPT (Medically reviewed by Jared Meacham, PhD., RD, CSCS ). https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness/benefits-of-strength-training
38. Mayo Clinic: Strength training: Get stronger, leaner, healthier, April 29, 2023, Mayo Clinic Staff. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/strength-training/art-20046670
39. Harvard Health Publishing: Push past your resistance to strength training, April 1, 2024, Julie Corliss, Executive Editor (Reviewed by Christopher P. Cannon, MD, Editor in Chief). https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/push-past-your-resistance-to-strength-training
40. CNN: Why strength training is key to your long-term health, January 15, 2024, Melanie Radzicki McManus, CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/15/health/strength-exercises-resistance-training-wellness/index.html
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42. Harvard T.H. Chan, School of Public Health: Evidence mounts on the benefits of strength training, 2022. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/strength-training-time-benefits/
43. Skinny Fat Science: The Best Skinny Fat Exercise, According to Science, August 2, 2024. https://skinnyfat.fellowone.com/the-best-skinny-fat-exercise-according-to-science/
44. Skinny Fat Science: Best Skinny Fat Cardio Exercises, September 11, 2024. https://skinnyfat.fellowone.com/best-skinny-fat-cardio-exercises/
45. Fellow One Research: Scientific Metabolism Quiz Health Score: https://scientificbodytypequiz.fellowone.com/product/scientific-metabolism-quiz-health-score/
46. Fellow One Research: Scientific Exercise Quiz Health Score: https://scientificbodytypequiz.fellowone.com/product/scientific-exercise-quiz-health-score/