To burn the optimal amount of body fat, you need cardio. (Sorry, cardio haters). But no one said it had to be boring. Choose any of the following five cardio options, doing it either when you go to the gym for your weight workout (just be sure to do cardio after wights) or at another time of day, such as first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. In weeks 1-3, do cardio 4-5 times a week; in weeks 4-5, do cardio 5-6 times a week.

1) Interval training A:
Equipment: Treadmill, elliptical, recumbent bike or rower.

Workout: Five minute warm-up; 25 minutes at a 1:1 high:low intensity ratio (for instance mine minute sprinting on a treadmill, followed by one minute at a jogging pace); five minute cool down.

2) Interval training B:
Equipment: Treadmill, elliptical or outdoor track.

Workout: Five minute warm-up; 25 minutes at a 1:2 high:low intensity ratio; five minute cool down.

3) Sprints
Location: Indoor or outdoor track.

Workout: Jog two laps as a warm-up; 4×400-meter sprints with two-minute walking recovery between each; jog two laps as a cool down.

4) Long, Steady Pace Cardio:
Equipment: Treadmill, elliptical, or recumbent bike.

Workout: Go at a challenging pace for 45-60 minutes; the pace should be difficult enough that you break a sweat, but you should still be able to pass the “talk test” (where you can speak without becoming breathless).

5) Hill Repeats
Location: Either on a treadmill with an incline feature or an outdoor hill (choose a steeper incline if you have a higher fitness level).

Workout: 10 minute jogging warm-up; perform 10 50-yard sprints up an incline with one minute walking recovery between each spring (or a brisk walk/jog back down the hill); 10-minute flat-terrain jogging cool down.