A Gym Workout Routine For Weight Loss

The gym has everything you need to lose weight. The best way to lose weight is by performing both cardiovascular and strength training exercises. The gym provides plenty of equipment or aerobics classes to help you lose weight. Strength-training machines help you build muscle, and muscle burns calories all day long--even when you're finished with your workout.

Warming Up

Start your workout with five to 10 minutes warming up and stretching. According to the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America, the purpose of a warm-up is to increase your core temperature and prepare the muscles and joints for movements that will follow. Warm-ups also reduce the risk of injury. Use any cardiovascular machine such as the treadmill, stationary bike or elliptical. After your warm-up, thoroughly stretch each body part by holding the stretches for at least 30 seconds.

Cardiovascular Exercise

Cardiovascular exercise burns calories and fat, and strengthens the cardiovascular system--heart, lungs and respiratory system. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends 20 to 60 minutes of cardiovascular activity for weight loss. The longer you exercise the more calories you burn. To maximize weight loss, the ACSM recommends keeping your heart rate between 55 and 90 percent of your maximum heart rate during cardiovascular activity. To get your maximum heart rate, take 220 minus your age. Multiply your maximum heart rate by .55 to get 55 percent of your maximum heart rate. Use cardio machines such as the treadmill, elliptical, stationary bike or row machine.

Lower Body Strength Training

Use weights, resistance bands, machines or just your body weight to strengthen your lower body. Start with your quadriceps and gluteus maximus, the biggest muscles of the lower body. Perform exercises such as squats or lunges. If using machines, opt for the leg press, leg extension, or do squats and lunges using the smith machine. Next, strengthen your hamstring with the leg curl machine and your calves with the calf raise machine. Perform two to three sets of at least one exercise per body part. Complete 10 repetitions in each set.

Upper Body Strengthening

Start with your chest or back by performing exercises such as bench presses, lat pull-downs, push-ups or pull-ups. Work your biceps and triceps by doing biceps curls with dumbbells or by doing dips for your triceps. Strengthen your shoulders with the overhead press machine, or with side and front-lateral raises with dumbbells. Perform two to three sets of at least one exercise per body part. Complete 10 repetitions in each set.

Abdominals

Always include abdominal exercises in your work out. Your abdominals support your back and entire body. According to the American Heart Association, too much fat in your waistline puts you at higher risk for health problems such as high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol and diabetes--also putting you at risk for heart disease and stroke.

Lie on the floor and do crunches with your feet on the floor or in the air. Crunch and bring your elbow to the opposite knee to work the obliques, or put your hands slightly under your back for support and do leg lifts for the lower abdominals. Pick five abdominal exercises and perform three sets of 20 repetitions for each exercise.