Workouts for Weight Loss

Any good workout routine that will maximize weight loss should involve weight training and a cardio program. This will allow virtually all of the muscles in your body to be utilized on a routine basis. This will increase muscle metabolism which allows your body to burn a large amount of calories and fat which results in weight loss.

Cardio

The incorporation of a cardiovascular routine is good for burning large amounts of calories. The goal behind cardio is to increase your heart rate for an extended period of time. This can be anywhere from 20 to 60 minutes per session depending on your current fitness level and capability. Cardio is any type of motion that can accomplish this goal. This can be walking, running, swimming, bike riding, using an elliptical machine or cycling machine. You can also accomplish this through playing sports such as basketball, racquetball, tennis or golf. Your mission is to pick activities that you can enjoy. This will keep you consistent with performing a regular schedule.

Strength Training

The proper way to burn calories and fat should be completed by using less resistance and more reps. The end result is the creation of stronger and leaner muscle tissue throughout your body. One of the greatest benefits of strength training is that while your body is resting and sleeping, your muscles continue to break down. This means you burn a large number of calories well after the workout is finished. This increases your metabolism and can last for as long as 24 hours.

This type of activity should be done on days where cardio is not being performed for two or three days of the week. Avoid strength training on consecutive days as your body needs a break to rebuild your muscles. Strength building exercises can be crunches, squats, push-ups, triceps pull-downs, military press, bench press, assorted dumbbell lifts and lunges. The most effective fat burning technique is one that will have you performing 3 sets of 10 reps of each station with short rest in between each different exercise. Move from exercise to exercise for a period of 20 to 30 minutes of continuous work.

Schedule

A good schedule is one that will keep you burning calories every day of the week through a series of breaking down and rebuilding muscle and an increased metabolism. Cardio activities can be performed anywhere from three days per week to every day depending on your level of ability. Strength training should be kept at two to three days of the week. An example looks like the following:

Monday, Wednesday and Friday perform cardio for 20 to 60 minutes.
Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday (optional) strength training should be performed for 20 to 40 minutes.
Sunday is an optional cardio day or a day of rest.