If you are overweight, losing weight can yield innumerable health benefits, including a reduction in risk factors such as stroke, heart attack, metabolic syndrome, diabetes and cancer, according to Mayo Clinic professor and endocrinology specialist Dr. Michael Jensen. Choosing a program that integrates weight training and running will help you lose weight and keep it off.
Step 1
Design a schedule. If you are going to succeed in losing weight, you need to schedule regular exercise sessions into your day. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends running for an hour five days a week to lose weight, while the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) recommends lifting weights two to three times a week. With these recommendations in mind, an example of a well-rounded exercise program consists of the following: an hour of cardio Monday; an hour of weight lifting followed by an hour of cardio Tuesday; one hour of cardio Wednesday; an hour of weight lifting followed by an hour of cardio Thursday; and one hour of cardio on Friday.
Step 2
Weight train appropriately. Although several protocols exist, one that minimizes recovery time by allowing zero to 90 seconds of recovery between sets with higher repetitions is best at targeting calorie burn. The NASM recommends performing three sets of 12 to 25 repetitions for each major muscle group. An example of this type of session is as follows: Begin with bench presses and standing rows; move to squats, hamstring curls, biceps curls and shoulder presses; finish with abdominal crunches, oblique planks and back extensions.
Step 3
Run at a moderate intensity. The ACSM prescribes a running protocol of moderate intensity, which equals approximately 60 to 80 percent of your maximum heart rate. To figure out your maximum heart rate---the fastest your heart can beat in beats per minute---subtract your age from 220. Then multiply this number by 60 and 80 percent to figure out your heart-rate range.
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