Weight loss is among the two most popular goals among recreational gym goers, right alongside muscle gain. Many people focus directly on diet and ignore cardio and weight training altogether. Although diet is the key to weight loss, a proper cardio and weight training plan can greatly catalyze your results. From another angle, your time spend on cardio and weight training can allow you to slack up in the kitchen, meaning an extra cheat meal or two each week.
Basics of Weight Loss
To lose weight, one simple condition must be met. The calories you take in throughout each day must be lower than the amount of calories you burn. Although the body does burn calories even in resting positions and as you go about daily tasks, such as brushing your teeth and putting on your clothes, these amounts do not always exceed calories taken in. To ensure that you are burning enough calories to lose weight, follow a cardio and weight training program.
Cardio
The different types of cardio exercise fall into two major categories: aerobic and anaerobic. Aerobic is steady state cardio, or cardio performed at a low intensity over a long time. Jogging and cycling are good examples of aerobic exercise. Anaerobic, on the other hand, refers to exercise performed at a high intensity over a short period of time, such as sprinting. Beginners should start with steady state cardio and work up to higher intensity exercise. Spend two or three days each week doing some kind of cardio. If jogging and cycling get old, consider rollerblading, hiking or playing a sport you enjoy.
Weight Training
Although many believe that cardio is the only way to burn calories, weight training can actually burn equal or greater numbers of calories. A traditional weight training routine including a mix of compound and isolation exercises is effective and simple. Plan to spend at least three days per week in the gym. Progressively increase the intensity of your exercises over time to keep the body from adapting. Work in several different rep ranges--three sets of 10, four sets of eight and five sets of three. For more advanced lifters, consider circuit training. This type of weight training requires you to perform a series of exercises back-to-back with no rest. Because of the constant movement, circuit training has the potential to burn even more calories than traditional weight training.
Putting It All Together
Trying to fit cardio and weight training in during the week can be difficult for many. To make sure you get everything done, your best bet is to set up a plan. Consistency is the key to progress in the gym. Some people prefer to knock out cardio and weight training on the same days, while others like to split them up. It's entirely personal preference. Just remember to give yourself at least 48 hours between weight training sessions to ensure recovery. A common set up features weight training on Monday, Wednesday and Friday with cardio on Tuesday and Thursday. The weekends are used as rest.
Considerations
While cardio and weight training are great ways to burn additional calories that can lead to serious weight loss, neither will do much good without a proper diet. As bodybuilders have been known to say, abs are made in the kitchen. Eliminate fast and processed foods from your diet and replace them with lean meat, healthy fats such as nuts and peanut butter, and complex carbohydrates that include whole wheat bread and oatmeal.
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