If you've ever tried to drop a few pounds to tighten up your figure, you know how difficult it can be to reshape your body. Weight loss doesn't happen overnight, but it doesn't have to take forever, either. Performing highly efficient and effective exercises will help speed up your weight loss and get you on the road to looking and feeling better in no time.
Cardiovascular Exercise
Cardiovascular exercise is a great way not only to lose weight and to improve your heart health and beat stress. Many forms of cardiovascular exercise are activities you'd do as a hobby.
Whether you bike outside or on a stationary machine at the gym, biking burns a lot of calories. Keeping the speed up is important, though; according to the NutriStrategy's online activity calculator, biking between 16 and 19 mph burns around 1,000 calories per hour (based on a 190-lb person), while a speed of 10 mph burns 500.
Running is a great choice because it requires no equipment except for a pair of shoes and can be done nearly anywhere. Though it is slightly tougher on joints than biking, running burns a massive amount of calories. Running six-minute miles burn nearly 1,400 calories per hour, while running 10-minute miles burns just under 900 calories per hour.
Thanks to the increasing popularity of rowing machines in gyms, you don't need to own a boat to get a great workout. You may be seated while rowing, but that doesn't mean you're slacking off. Rowing at a vigorous effort for an hour burns around 1,000 calories.
Resistance Exercise
Resistance exercise, or lifting weights, isn't all about getting big. In fact, resistance exercise burns around 500 calories per hour. To maximize calorie burn, you'll want to perform compound exercises, or those that require the use of multiple muscle groups. Resistance exercise also increases lean muscle mass, which increases your metabolism, even as you rest.
The deadlift is performed with a barbell and works your entire body. Stand behind a loaded barbell, and bend your knees until you can grip the bar with your palms facing down. Lift the barbell straight up by pushing with your legs and straightening your back by pushing out your abdomen. Bring the barbell to knee level and then reverse the motion to return to your starting position slowly.
The bench press isn't all about building a big chest. It can help slim your waist as well. The bench press works your chest, arms and shoulders, all of which are major muscle groups, meaning you'll burn a great number of calories. Be sure to always have a spotter when you perform this exercise.
The barbell row involves the use of your back, arms and shoulders and also helps strengthen your core. To perform this lift, hold a barbell in front of you with your knees slightly bent and your back bent at a 45-degree angle. Bend your elbows to bring the barbell toward your chest slowly. Reverse the motion to bring the barbell back to its original position.
Tips to Increase Efficiency and Effectiveness
Even though the proper exercises will help you lose weight, there are a few secrets that can help you maximize calorie burn. Each method will increase the efficiency of your exercise sessions significantly.
Instead of resting in between exercises, perform super sets to maximize efficiency. Super sets involve performing one lift as you regularly would, then moving to another lift immediately afterward. The two lifts should work opposing muscle groups so that the first group can rest during the second lift and vice versa. For example, performing one set of bench press followed by one set of barbell rows, and then returning to the bench press would be a super set.
High intensity interval training (HIIT) is a great way to boost calorie burn during cardiovascular exercise. You can perform HIIT while rowing, biking or running. To employ HIIT, simply insert short periods of sprints, or high-intensity exercise, into your normal routine. For example, if you are running on the treadmill at 8 mph, run at that pace for three minutes, then run at 10 mph for one minute before returning to your original pace. Repeat this pattern for the duration of your exercise.
You might be surprised to hear it, but lifting heavier weights will actually help you lose weight rather than get big and bulky. Research published in 2002 edition of the journal "Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise" found that study participants who used heavy weights burned nearly twice the calories in the interim after exercise than a group that used lighter weights.
References
- NutriStrategy: Calories Burned During Exercise
- Bodybuilding: A 4-Week Plan for Beginners, Intermediates, Men and Women
- Bodybuilding: Exercise Guide
- Bodybuilding For You: Best Weight Loss Exercises
- "Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise;" Effects of Resistance Exercise Bouts of Different Intensities but Equal Work; 2002
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