Gain Muscle & Burn Fat: 9 Best Body Composition Exercises

Body composition refers to the amount of muscle, fat, and other components in your body. Workouts designed after understanding an individual’s body composition are the most effective. They include the right balance of exercise that builds muscle and loses fat.

A balanced body composition is one containing the right proportion of fat and lean (muscle) mass. Body composition consists of a mix of different types of exercises. These exercises build foundational strength.

In this post, we list 9 top body composition exercises that target every part of your body.

Top Body Composition Exercises

1. Squats

Squats are a compound movement that targets various muscle groups. The primary muscles involved are the glutes, hamstrings, calves, quads, core, and back. Squats help you build muscle throughout your body.

Here’s how to do it.

• Position your feet shoulder-width apart and stand upright.
• Stretch your arms out in front of you and slowly lower your butt.
• Keep your back straight and your knees bent.
• Keep your heels firmly pinned on the floor and hold this position for a few seconds.
• Return to the standing position.

2. Burpees

Burpee is a full-body compound movement that burns a significant amount of calories. It helps build both muscle and cardiovascular endurance. So, burpees are effective for fat loss and muscle gain.

Here’s how to do burpees.

• Get into the plank position with your palms and toes on the ground.
• Jump up by driving your feet toward your hands and get into an upright standing position.
• Now, jump up while standing. This is one repetition. Get back into the plank position and perform the movement again.

3. Pushup

Push-ups work several muscles in the upper body and core at the same time. Doing this muscle-building exercise does not require you to have any equipment, making it a highly accessible movement.

Here’s how to perform a pushup correctly.

• Get into a plank position.
• Press your palms on the floor and keep your arms straight and extended.
• Stretch your legs and keep your spine straight.
• Lower your body but don’t let it touch the floor. Hold this position for a moment and push back up.

Must Read: Bodyweight Pull Exercises

4. Interval Training

Interval training helps immensely with fat loss. It consists of periods when your body is working at a high intensity and intervals when it’s resting. This work/rest pattern keeps your heart rate elevated, and your body burns calories even after you are done.

Here’s how to do interval training on a treadmill.

• On a treadmill, begin walking at 3 mph.
• After a minute, increase the speed to 7 mph.
• Run at this speed for 30 seconds and then reduce it to 4 mph.
• Keep alternating between 30/15 second intervals.

NOTE: If you don’t have access to a treadmill, you can run the same way in a park.

5. Lunges

Lunges is a great body composition exercise that targets and strengthens the muscles of the lower body. The exercise is recommended for sculpting and toning the body and for reducing the body fat percentage.

Here’s how to perform lunges.

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart and press your feet firmly on the floor.
• Jump with one of your legs forward. Let your knees bend not more than 90 degrees.
• Hold this position for a few seconds and then return to the beginning position.
• Repeat the same movement with the other leg.

6. Weighted Squat Jump

A weighted squat jump is a powerful exercise that combines strength training with the explosiveness of a jump. The weights add resistance to the movement, further increasing the intensity and triggering muscle building in the body.

Here’s how to do a weighted squat jump.

• Stand upright with your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Bending your legs, drop your butt down to knee height.
• Now, driving your body weight through your heels, push yourself into the standing position.
• Since you are performing the movement with weights in your hand, you might feel your shoulders and biceps becoming fatigued.
• Hold the weights firmly in both hands and perform the same movement for at least 15 repetitions.

7. Russian Twists

Russian twists strengthen your core muscles, and a proper diet makes your waistline more defined. But to gain the full benefits of the exercise, it’s important to perform it correctly.

Here’s how to do Russian twists.

• Lie on top of a stability ball.
• Keep your upper back on the ball. Your hips should be held out straight in front of your body.
• Bend your knees at a 90-degree angle and hold your arms straight in front of your chest.
• Twist to rotate onto one shoulder.
• Keep your feet flat on the floor and your back straight while rotating to the opposite side. 

Must Read: Compound Triceps Exercises

8. Barbell/Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift

The Romanian deadlift is an effective body composition exercise that targets and strengthens big muscles. These include hamstrings, glutes, and lower back.

Here’s how to do a Romanian deadlift with a barbell or a dumbbell.

• Use a pronated grip to firmly grasp a barbell. Keep your hands approximately shoulder-width apart.
• Your knees should be slightly bent and your feet hip-width apart. Allow the bar to rest along the front of the thighs. If you are using dumbbells, hold them in each hand, each with the same pronated grip.
• Lift the chest and pull your shoulder blades down toward the back pockets.
• Lower the weight toward the floor. Do not round the back or extend the knees while lowering the barbell or dumbbell.
• Lower the weight till you feel tension in the back of the thighs.
• Push both heels onto the floor, pressing the hips forward, and pull back on the knees. Allow the weight to return to the front of the thighs.
• Keep your spine straight throughout the movement and maintain a slight knee bend.

9. Plank Variations

Plank targets and strengthens your core muscles. There are several plank variations you can do to increase the intensity of the movement and target different muscles in the core. Here are the 3 most effective ones and how to do them.

1. Reverse Plank

• Sit on the floor with your legs stretched out in front of you.
• Put your hands behind your hips with fingers pointed towards your hips.
• Lift your hips and torso upwards till it forms a straight line from head to toe.
• Keep your arms and legs straight and hold the pose for 20-30 seconds
• Now release to the floor.

2. Walking Plank

• Get into a plank position.
• Ensure that you’re forming a straight line from shoulder to feet. 
• Now, walk your right hand forward as far as you can.
• Bring your left hand to meet it and keep your hand shoulder-width apart.
• Step your left hand back to start and then your right hand. 
• Now, alternate with the other hand first.

3. Side Plank

• Get into a standard plank position.
• Now, open up your hips and chest towards your left side to come into a side plank.
• Lift your right arm upward while your left palm rests on the floor.
• Engage your abdominal muscles, and hold the position for 15-20 seconds.
• Now, return to the starting position and repeat on the other side.

Summing Up

Having the right fat and muscle composition in the body is crucial for your overall health. The body composition exercises above help you burn fat and increase muscle mass. Remember to eat a proper diet if you incorporate these exercises into your daily workouts to reap their full benefits in your body’s composition.