Best Exercises for Weight Loss

Posted In: Fitness : 1/25/2013

Author: Staff Writer

How are you doing on your fitness goals for 2013?

Was one of your goals to lose weight? If you are serious about your weight loss and want to see results, re-evaluate your routine, following a few principles and ideas, and achieve more, faster!

To start seeing results, your training routine for weight loss should include Cardio Conditioning and a Weight Training regimen.

Cardio Conditioning

A good cardio conditioning program includes a constant cardio element AND an interval element.

Constant cardio element: Do your cardio element of choice at a constant pace for 45-55 minutes. This means walking briskly, jogging, swimming, or taking a cardio class. During your constant cardio training, you want an elevated heart rate and a heavier rate of breathing, but you do not want breathlessness or exhaustion to set in. If you read old articles about cardio conditioning for weight loss, you may find some information about working out at a less challenging pace, as a “fat burning” pace for cardio. The fault with this theory is that not as many calories will be burned, which in turn, means not as much fat is burned. Today’s information tells us that you do have to work at a pretty brisk pace to rev up your calorie-burning ability.

The other part of your cardio conditioning should be interval training.  High Intensity Interval Training, or HIIT training is part of a cardio conditioning program that actually improves cardio capabilities and makes the body more efficient, in the long run, at burning calories.

A sample HIIT Workout for runners would be:

Warm-up:  a 5 minute brisk walk.

Intervals: 2 minute jog, 30 second all-out-sprint, 1 minute walk, and repeat 5 times.

Finish: a 5 minute cool-down walk.

You could also set up a cardio-conditioning circuit station.

Warm-up: a 5 minute brisk walk.

Intervals: 2 minutes of jumping rope, 30 seconds of jumping squats, 1 minute low-impact jumping jacks. Repeat 5 times.

Cool down: a 5 minute walk or simple, low impact dance.

Weight Training Regimen

Any weight training regimen will increase bone density and muscle tone in the body. Any time you build bone and muscle, you are increasing your metabolism. Your body is going to require more calories in order to keep those muscle and bone cells functioning. This means that if you do not increase the amount of calories in your diet, there will be a deficit in calories, which means the body will use the fat from present cells as energy. This is how the body becomes efficient at losing unnecessary weight.

If you want to do double duty, as someone who is wanting to lose weight, then keeping an elevated heart rate during weight training will burn extra calories while building metabolism. This is one of the fastest ways to increase the efficiency of the body’s ability to burn calories.

Here is an example of a weight training regimen to achieve an elevated heart rate and burn extra calories, using a set of 8-10 pound dumbbells:

• Perform 24 walking lunges while lifting the weights out to the side (side deltoid raise).
• Use the same weights to do a set alternating deadlifts and upright rows.
• Perform 12 squats. As you squat, do a hammer. When you stand, do a shoulder press.
• Perform side-angled lunges with single arm rows.
• Do 12 sumo squats with front deltoid raises.

Repeat, reducing weight if necessary.

Those elements will help in losing weight faster and more effectively. Building muscle and cardio endurance also helps the body keep from regaining weight.

SML TIP:  For more ways to progress on your weight loss goals, check out the following resources.

Two popular classes and at-home systems use the HIIT system very well:

• Turbo Kick (at-home version Turbo Fire)
• Les Mills Body Combat (at-home version Les Mills Combat)

Two popular classes and at-home systems use the cardio-weight-training system well:

• Les Mills Body Pump (at-home version Les Mills Pump)
• Les Mills GRIT (or work with a certified personal trainer)

Tags: exercise, healthy tips, weight loss

2 Responses to “ Best Exercises for Weight Loss ”

1. Fred Says:

   February 1st, 2013 at 5:57 am

   At Bel Marra Health, we are concerned with proper nutrition. And, as we read in prior Shannon Miller Lifestyle articles (http://shannonmillerlifestyle.com/health-and-nutrition/why-and-how-to-lead-a-healthy-lifestyle-1-reminder-at-a-time, for example), you agree that both a nutritional, balanced diet and a good training program are important to a weight loss program and to living a healthy life. Thank you for sharing healthy information on the Shannon Miller Lifestyle website.

2. Dangerously Fit Says:

   February 20th, 2013 at 9:23 am

   Trying to lose weight is a goal that’s within your reach, provided that you avoid crazy dietary fads that are unhealthy for you. Look for a proven program that helps you with how to build a healthy lifestyle that you could have on your own. The key to any fat loss and diet program is that it should change your life for you to concentrate on living rather than eating.

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