How to Burn 300 Calories

It can be helpful to think about calorie burn in increments because sometimes we only have a certain amount of time to get some good exercise in and build strength. Here's how to burn 300 calories!

Are you looking for simple, at-home workouts you can do to amp up the output and burn 300 calories, to be precise— and ALSO crush your weight loss goals?

Well, lucky for you, that’s precisely what we are here for.

Meal prepping and exercise go hand in hand in creating a sustainable weight loss program. Exercising has countless benefits including cardiovascular health, muscle endurance, long-term health, mental health, and so much more, but one of the biggest reasons people exercise is to lose weight.

How Does Exercise Help With Weight Loss?

Exercise helps us lose weight in two primary ways. First, it burns calories while we are moving and performing our workout. Burning 300 calories, for example, helps you stay in a caloric deficit which allows you to lose weight, and, when done right, primarily fat.

Second, specific exercises help us build muscle. By building muscle and losing fat, we essentially trade wasted weight for weight that is active. That's because fat doesn’t really burn calories on its own; however, muscle actively burns more calories throughout the day as it functions.

So, how do we do this and more specifically, burn 300 calories? Great question. The workouts below will help you not only burn calories but also build muscle. And lean muscle mass can help you with the afterburn!

Three Workouts That Will Help You Burn 300 Calories

Note: Total calories burned based on a 30-year-old, 200-pound man.

Tabata Circuit

Tabata:

Pushups (20 sec. work/10 sec. rest) x 8
Air Squats (20 sec. work/10 sec. rest) x 8
Lunges (20 sec. work/10 sec. rest) x 8
Rest for 1 minute, then repeat.

Tabata is a fancy word for 8 rounds of 20 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest. Tabatas are great for getting your heart rate high and then allowing you to recover and do it all over again. Feel free to modify the pushups and work from your knees if you need to.

Every Minute on the Minute Circuit

EMOM (24 Min.)

20-30 Step ups
20-30 Slow Russian twists
10-20 Couch Dips
10-15 Burpees

Every Minute on the Minute (EMOM) training is perfect for keeping you on track during your workout. If you are anything like me and get distracted during your workouts, this may be a helpful approach.

The goal is to work for about forty-five seconds out of every minute. So at the start of the time (0:00), you would do 20-30 step-ups, then at the 1-minute mark, you would do 20-30 slow Russian twists, etc. For the step-ups, you can use your front porch steps, a sturdy wooden box, or anything that allows you to step up between fifteen to twenty inches. You will do each exercise six times.

Dumbbell or Kettlebell Circuit

30-Minute Strength Training Circuit:

Goblet Squat 3x10
Single Arm Standing Shoulder Press 3x10
Reverse Lunge 3x10
Single Arm Row 3x10

If you have access to a moderate-weight dumbbell or kettlebell, this workout is sure to build strength. Unlike the previous workouts, it's not timed per se. Aim to spend about thirty minutes on this activity, however, so choose your weight accordingly.

Here's how to read this. You'll do each set of exercises in sequence, ten times, and repeat the sequence three times. So, after your first set of squats, do your first set of shoulder presses on each arm, alternating back and forth. With the squat and lunge, be sure to hold the weight with both hands right underneath your chin. On the dumbbell row, you want to hinge at your hips, rest the hand that is not lifting the weight on a couch or bench, keep a flat back, and pull the weight up underneath your armpit.

Completing these three exercises should help you burn 300 calories in about an hour or so, but it'll also build a lot of functional strength and mobility.

How to Burn 300 Calories and Keep Yourself Motivated

Adding these exercise sessions that target strength can help you with your overall weight loss efforts. The process can sometimes be difficult, mysterious, and frustrating, but it is worth it! Stick to the basics of meal prepping, tracking calories, exercising, and sleep. Also, after your hard work, be sure to consume some protein to help your muscles recover and grow stronger. Most importantly? Don't forget to hydrate, as that helps with recovery.

Sources

Kaminski, Jacqueline. “Metabolic Equivalents: What Are They & How To Calculate Them.” NASM, https://blog.nasm.org/metabolic-equivalents-for-weight-loss.

Shaikh, Dr. Jasmine. “How Do You Calculate Calories Burned During Exercise?” MedicineNet, MedicineNet, 20 Oct. 2021, https://www.medicinenet.com/how_to_calculate_calories_ burned_during_exercise/article.htm.