--- title: Plyometrics: 6 Moves That Burn More Fat in Less Time description: Here's everything you need to know about plyometrics canonical: https://time.com/3934505/fat-burn-workout-moves/ author: TIME article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-06-27T12:00:16.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:58:47.775Z article:section: Health og:title: 6 Moves That Burn More Fat in Less Time og:description: Here's everything you need to know about plyometrics og:url: https://time.com/3934505/fat-burn-workout-moves/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt76915a0cc10cb522/69885833196cf42209036d33/105657593-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=358&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 358 og:image:height: 201 og:image:alt: woman-lunge-exercise-beach og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: 6 Moves That Burn More Fat in Less Time twitter:description: Here's everything you need to know about plyometrics twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt76915a0cc10cb522/69885833196cf42209036d33/105657593-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=358&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 video:duration: 05:15 video:published: 2014-06-12 section: health topics: dietary guidelines, saturated fat, cholesterol, LDL and HDL, triglycerides, low-fat diets, processed foods, carbohydrates and insulin, diabetes, obesity, whole foods genre: explainer, documentary tones: informative, critical, cautionary, conversational emotions: concern (medium), curiosity (medium), skepticism (medium) sentiment: negative audience: health-conscious adults, dieters, general public, people managing diabetes or heart disease risk organizations: US government products: reduced-fat cheese, fat-free yogurt, low-fat granola, reduced-fat Kettle chips, reduced-fat Chips Ahoy, low-fat cottage cheese content_suitability: health controversy [00:45-05:15]; death [01:21-01:23] transcript_source: publisher captions transcript_reviewed: not applicable ---  # 6 Moves That Burn More Fat in Less Time > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME Health Matters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition Health Matters is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. The latest health news and expert advice on living well. Health Matters makes the fast-moving world of health more useful, surprising and human, from the latest science and medical breakthroughs to practical ideas for living better. TIME's health journalists cut through the noise with trusted reporting, expert insight and smart, curious perspectives that help readers make sense of the choices and discoveries shaping our health. 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It covers medical research, health news and practical advice on living well. #### Where can I get reliable health news by email? Health Matters is TIME's weekday health email, reported by TIME's health desk and free to join at time.com/newsletters. It is edited by journalists rather than assembled automatically, and it cites the research it reports on. #### Is Health Matters free? Yes. Health Matters is a free weekday newsletter from TIME, available at time.com/newsletters. #### Who reads TIME's Health Matters newsletter? Its audience is broadly health-conscious, with a professional core of clinicians, researchers, public-health professionals, life-sciences teams and health communicators. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-health-2026q3/newsletters?i=749436c1-40f9-46a4-8a68-ecaed47b9f08&cr=time-nl-health-2026q3-v1) ## Video: The Truth About Fat [Watch (HLS stream): The Truth About Fat](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/uYGhfNfS.m3u8) (5:15)  _Published 2014-06-12. When you want to lose weight or get healthy, what is the first thing you would normally cut from your diet? If you said fat, you're not alone_ Description, summary, key points, chapters, key quotes, questions and transcript, where present, were produced automatically from the video or its captions and were not reviewed. ## Summary The video examines decades of US dietary guidelines that urged cutting fat, arguing the approach failed to improve public health and that rising diabetes and obesity followed. It explains that saturated fat has more complex effects on cholesterol than assumed, and that low-fat processed foods often replaced fat with sugar and carbohydrates. It concludes that the best approach is to eat real, whole foods, whether or not they contain fat. ## Key points - From 1977 to 2012, per capita consumption of eggs fell by 9%, beef by 37%, and whole milk by 72%. (00:59) - The prevalence of diabetes rose 157% from 1980 to 2011, with nearly one in ten Americans now having the disease. (01:33) - Diabetes costs the public health system $245 billion a year. (01:44) - Saturated fat raises LDL cholesterol but also raises HDL, so it is described as having both harmful and protective effects. (02:31) - Smaller, dense LDL particles are linked to heart disease, while larger LDL particles are mostly benign, and saturated fat increases the number of large particles. (02:45) - Fats found in olives and fish like salmon are described as heart protective. (03:02) - Consumers replacing fat with sugars and carbohydrates meant calorie intake was actually going up. (03:41) - Study after study has found it is very difficult to lose weight on a very low-fat diet. (04:29) ## Chapters - [00:00 to 00:59] Dietary guidelines and the push to cut fat. Introduces the long-standing government guidance to reduce fat and cholesterol intake to lower heart attack risk. - [00:59 to 01:44] Results of the low-fat experiment. Describes changes in food consumption and rising diabetes and health costs since the guidelines took effect. - [01:44 to 02:45] How fats affect cholesterol. Explains the different types of cholesterol and how saturated fat affects LDL and HDL levels. - [02:45 to 03:41] Fat-free products and the shift to carbs. Discusses reduced-fat and fat-free products and how their marketing led consumers to eat more sugar and carbohydrates. - [03:41 to 04:29] Carbs, insulin and weight gain. Explains how carbohydrate conversion to sugar and insulin can drive weight gain and hunger. - [04:29 to 05:15] Choosing real whole foods. Concludes that eating well means focusing on real whole foods, whether or not they contain fat. ## Key quotes - [00:59] narrator: "By reducing their intake of cholesterol down to the equivalent of about one egg a day." - [01:33] narrator: "The experiment was a failure." - [02:31] narrator: "So raising both, makes saturated fat a cardio wash." - [03:41] narrator: "But amid the confusion about fat, we end up replacing it in our diets with sugars and carbohydrates" - [05:02] interviewer: "the only way to eat well, is to eat well." ## Questions this video answers - What did the US dietary guidelines recommend for fat and cholesterol intake? [00:45] - Did the low-fat dietary approach improve Americans' health? [01:33] - How do the two types of LDL cholesterol differ in their link to heart disease? [02:45] - Why might fat-free and low-fat processed foods lead to higher calorie intake? [03:41] - Why is it difficult to lose weight on a very low-fat diet? [04:29] - What does the video suggest is the best way to eat healthily? [05:02] ## Content suitability - health controversy [00:45-05:15]: Challenges long-standing government dietary guidance and mainstream advice to cut fat. - death [01:21-01:23]: Mentions nearly a million American deaths a year from heart disease in the mid-1980s. by [Jennifer Cohen / Health.com](https://time.com/author/health-com/) ## Jennifer Cohen / Health.com Contributor Jun 27, 2015 12:00 PM UTC  Mixed race woman exercising on beach Mixed race woman exercising on beach Getty Images by [Jennifer Cohen / Health.com](https://time.com/author/health-com/) ## Jennifer Cohen / Health.com Contributor Jun 27, 2015 12:00 PM UTC There’s an in-vogue specialized training method that many people are using to get crazy results, and it is one of the fastest methods to get fit in a short amount of time: [plyometrics](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20488631,00.html). Plyometrics are explosive movements that combine power, speed, and strength by working several body parts at once. Since they recruit more muscles than your average exercise—compare a bicep curl, which isolates only that one muscle, with a move that activates your arms, legs, and core simultaneously, like many of the ones below—you burn more calories not only during your workout, but up to eight hours after you’ve finished. While plyometrics are well-known in the world of sports as a way to help athletes improve their game, they’re starting to take the rest of the fitness world by storm, and for good reason: In addition to toning and sculpting your legs, booty, arms, and abs, plyometrics help to build strength, increase balance and coordination, and improve cardiovascular health. Before you jump off the couch and head to the gym, make sure you’re ready to handle plyometrics; since the difficulty level is somewhat advanced, being able to perform a proper basic [squat ](http://news.health.com/2014/07/02/how-to-do-the-perfect-squat/)and [lunge](http://www.health.com/health/video/0,,20901490,00.html) first is important. Once you’ve mastered those moves, you’re ready to move on. Here are 6 plyometrics that will burn fat in no time: **Squat Jumps** Start by getting into the bottom of a squat position. Your legs should be slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and slightly turned out. Your chest should be out, shoulders back, and core engaged. From here, explode straight up in the air, allowing your feet to leave the ground. Make sure to land softly on your toes when you come down. Doing this will protect your knees and hips. Complete 10-15 squat jumps. **Lunge Hops** Start in a lunge position with your right foot in front and left foot behind you with your left knee about an inch from the floor. From here, explode straight up out of the lunge, switching your legs mid-air and landing softly on your toes. You will now have your left leg in front and right leg behind you. Repeat this until you’ve completed 10 total lunge hops. **Skaters** Start at the bottom of a squat position. Jump to the left, landing on your left leg, while bringing your right leg behind your left ankle. From here, jump to the right side with your right leg, bringing your left leg behind your right ankle. This completes one rep. Complete a total of 30 skaters. **Toe Taps** Find a stable medicine ball, step, or bench. This will be your base for the toe touches. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and arms by your sides. Bring your right toe to the edge of your base. From here jump and switch your feet so that your left toe is at the edge of the base and your right foot is now back on the floor. Repeat this for a total of 30 toe taps. **Medicine Ball Squat Thrusts** Grab a medicine ball and stand with your legs slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Hold the ball at belly-button height and slowly squat down until your thighs are parallel to the floor or lower. (Do not let your knees extend past the tip of your toes.) From here, explode upwards and toss the medicine ball straight in the air. Keep your eye on it so you can catch it and drop right back into the squat position. Do 12-15 medicine ball squat thrusts. **Medicine Ball Burpees** Grab a medicine ball and stand with your legs slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Squat down to the floor and place the medicine ball between your feet while keeping your hands on the ball. From here, jump back into a pushup position, making sure your hands are placed securely on the ball. Jump your feet forward until you are at the bottom of a squat again, then stand up straight. Try to do 10-12 medicine ball burpees. _Liked these moves? Check out_ [_A 5-Move Workout To Get Your Butt In Shape_](http://news.health.com/2015/05/27/a-5-move-workout-to-get-your-butt-in-shape/) [_This article originally appeared on Health.com_](http://news.health.com/2015/06/16/6-moves-that-burn-more-fat-in-less-time/) _More from Health.com:_ * [How to Stick to a Workout Plan](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20656688,00.html?xid=time) * [The Best Post-Workout Stretches](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20706961,00.html?xid=time) * [Your Perfect No-Gym Workout](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20634717,00.html?xid=time) ## Transcript [00:00] [ MUSIC ] There's something we all enjoy about staying [00:02] for dinner. You ever thought why? What was on [00:06] your dinner table when you were younger? Chances are [00:08] it had a lot to do with, what your doctor was telling you [00:10] is healthy. Building a strong healthy body is like [00:13] building a strong, beautiful building. If the foundation [00:14] is weak, the [00:18] whole building will be weak. It takes five fingers to [00:21] point the way to healthful eating habits. Well, here we [00:25] go. For years, the government published dietary [00:29] guidelines. Meant to keep Americans healthy. There's [00:32] a great deal to learn. Tell me what you eat, and I'll tell [00:35] you what you are. The body needs certain substances [00:38] to live and grow. And remember, your body [00:42] isn't just like an automobile. For years, the key [00:45] measures of those guidelines were the same, cut fat [00:48] from your diet. The committee's original report urged [00:51] Americans to reduce their risk of heart attack. By [00:54] reducing their intake of cholesterol down to the [00:56] equivalent of about one egg a day. And those [00:59] guidelines had an effect. From 1977 to 2012, per [01:04] capita consumption of eggs fell by 9 %, beef by 37 %, [01:08] whole milk by 72 %. Calories from saturated fat fell, [01:12] while calories from supposedly safe carbohydrates [01:14] increased. As one expert put it, it was a vast nutritional [01:18] experiment. With nearly a million American's a year [01:21] dropping dead from heart disease in the mid 80s, we [01:23] had to try something. Nearly four decades later results [01:26] are in. The experiment was a failure. [01:31] Americans are sicker than they've ever been before. [01:33] The prevalence of diabetes has gone up 157 % from [01:36] 1980 to 2011. Nearly one in ten Americans [01:41] now has the disease. Causing the public health system [01:44] $ 245 billion a year. Heart disease is still the number [01:48] one killer in the country. Americans are as obese as [01:51] ever. So, what went wrong? Good old granola. Great [01:54] for taste but loaded with fat. It doesn't take much of [01:58] imagine a leap to assume that fat would make us fat, [02:02] clog our arteries and raise the risk of heart disease. It [02:05] turns out that saturated fat is a lot more complicated [02:07] than we think. Carbohydrates and fats are nutrients. [02:10] Like man, you need nutrients to live and [02:14] grow. [ MUSIC ] Firstly, there are two kinds of [02:18] cholesterol. LDL which is linked to heart disease and [02:21] HDL which can be protective. Fats that course through [02:25] the blood are known as triglycerides and high levels of [02:28] those are linked to heart disease. Saturated fat raises [02:31] LDL cholesterol but also raises HDL. Moving LDL [02:34] buildup on arterial walls. So raising both, makes [02:38] saturated fat a cardio wash. One key piece of [02:41] information is that LDL seems to come in two forms. [02:45] Large and fluffy, small and dense. Those smaller [02:48] particles are linked to heart disease, while the larger [02:50] ones are mostly benign. Saturated fat increases the [02:54] number of large particles. The opposite happens with [02:57] carbs. I don't get it. Researchers [03:02] have long since discovered the kind of fats found in [03:04] olives and in fish like salmon. Are actually heart [03:07] protective. Now it turns out the fats found in meat and [03:10] dairy, aren't as bad as we feared before. So that [03:13] means by focusing so much on fats. We may actually [03:16] have been making ourselves sicker. So, she brings up [03:18] the subject of reduced- fat cheese. It's a fat- free [03:21] [ UNKNOWN ]. Fat- free, cholesterol free. Low- fat [03:23] granola. Reduced- fat Kettle chips. Reduced- fat [03:24] Chips Ahoy. Lowfat cottage cheese. Non- fat yogurt is [03:28] the perfect example. The thinking for consumers was [03:31] simple. Fat was dangerous. This product had no fat. [03:34] Therefore, it must be healthy. It's non- fat, which [03:37] means less calories. [ MUSIC ] But [03:41] amid the confusion about fat, we end up replacing it in [03:44] our diets with sugars and carbohydrates, which meant [03:47] our calorie intake was actually going up. When [03:51] carbs [03:54] and things like corn and white bread are ingested into [03:56] your body, their converted into sugars. Those sugars [03:59] convert to insulin cuz it's fat cells go into storage [04:03] overdrive, leading to weight gain. Since fewer calories [04:06] are then left to fill the body, you begin to feel hungry it [04:08] means our metabolism begins to slow down in effort to [04:11] save energy, we eat more and we gain more weight, [04:14] never quite feeling full. As this process repeats, our [04:17] cells become more resistant to insulin, which causes us [04:19] to gain more weight, which increases insulin resistance [04:21] in a vicious circle. Cut calories, and people just get [04:26] hungrier. Obesity, diabetes, high triglycerides and low [04:29] HDL cholesterol can all follow. Study after study has [04:33] found it's very difficult to lose weight on a very low- fat [04:35] diet. Possibly because fat and meat can produce a [04:38] sense of satiety, that's hard to achieve with carbs, [04:40] making it easier to simply stop eating. But it isn't just [04:44] the increase in carbs that affects us. These processed, [04:47] low saturated fat alternatives, come loaded with [04:50] sugars, salt, preservatives, and even some unhealthy [04:54] fats. So what's the real alternative? As [04:59] one extra puts it, the cold hard truth about diet is that [05:02] the only way to eat well, is to eat well. You'll be [05:05] happier and you'll be healthier, if you focus on real [05:08] whole foods, whether they have fat or not. Got it. 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