It takes 3500-4000 calories of activity to burn off around 1 pound of fat, so, for example, you'd need to do 9-10 hours of vigorous walking per week, in order to burn off a single pound of fat. That's quite a lot, and more exercise than you need to do to be within health guidelines - most health professionals recommend 3 to 5 x 20-30-minute sessions a week for general health benefits.

Most people exercise to lose weight, and to lose weight you need to burn fat. But if you are like the majority of the population, you don’t have enough hours in the day to seriously tackle this and hit targets.

Here are the top five fat burning exercises in order to keep your work out to a minimum but ensure that you are burning as much fat as possible in the minimum amount of time.

1. Weight training:
So long as you are lifting weights properly, you can burn a large number of calories in a fairly short period of time. Weight lifting is great because it gives you strength which yields such benefits as increased posture and a tighter core, enabling you to do other exercises more easily. If you are unsure about how you should be lifting weights, it is recommended to consult a personal trainer who can show you the ropes.

Its also important to remember that slow and steady repetitions can and often will burn more fat and calories, as they make the muscles work harder.

2. Running / Elliptical Machines:
Running is an excellent way to burn fat and get a great cardio workout.

Elliptical machines are an excellent alternative and are much easier on your joints than running is, as your not pounding your body weight on to your joints with each step. Try adjusting the settings to increase the incline or else adjust the resistance on the elliptical machine to maximize your work out.

3. Power Walking:
Walking for long distances is a great way to burn fat efficiently, however if your not out of breath then your burn is minimal, you need to get out of breath and work up a sweat.

Power walking speeds up metabolism as well as boosts calorie burning, by making you sweat, getting you out of breath and your heart pumping in an easy, low impact workout.

4. Kick boxing:
In one kick boxing session you can easily burn up 800 calories! It is an intense work out but will give you noticeable results in a short amount of time while building muscle and toning up all over.

5. Rock Climbing:
Rock climbing not only strengthens your legs and torso, but it is an excellent all around fat burning exercise for the adventurous.

It is great for those that like to be outdoors instead of stuck in the gym all the time.

6. Sand Bagging:
This is ultra inexpensive training, and maximum burn, all you need is a duffle bag full of sand or soil or other (around 20kg) and for next 10-15 minutes, throw, carry, lift and be like a kid with this training tool.

The sandbag will kick your butt, get a sweat on, and burn those calories and fat cells like a blow torch.

You can see a calorie burning list to help you work more exercise into your daily routine, as you will need to reduce your calorie intake as well as boosting your exercise levels to gain maximum burn time along with your clen cycle, by clicking this.