Losing Weight And Gaining Muscle Routine

Contrary to the common perception that muscle-building activities will make you "get big," losing weight and gaining muscle go hand-in-hand. A safe and effective routine for weight loss includes regular strength training as well as aerobic exercise and a healthy eating plan. Compared with just focusing on cardio and diet, increasing your muscle strength will make it easier for you to control your weight while also improving your overall body composition.

Strength Training

Strength training is a primary component of an effective weight loss routine. Muscle burns more calories than fat, so as you gain muscle through regular strength training, you will burn more calories even while at rest. Increasing your muscle mass also boosts the metabolism. Strength training is especially important for weight control as you age, as muscle mass naturally diminishes as you get older and is replaced with fat if you don't take efforts to rebuild it. Some common types of strength training exercises include body weight exercises such as sit-ups or push-ups, and using free weights or weight machines.

Cardio

Moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic activity should also be a part of your weight loss routine, as it will help you burn calories, build cardiorespiratory endurance and boost overall health. The Department of Health and Human Services recommends that adults get at least 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity, such as brisk walking, or 75 minutes a week of vigorous aerobic activity, such as jogging, although depending on your weight loss goals, you may require even greater amounts of aerobic activity per week. You can spread your cardio activities out throughout the week, but each session should be at least 10 minutes long.

Diet

Because weight loss requires you to burn more calories than you take in, following a reduced-calorie diet plays a key role in weight loss. However, for long-term success, it is best to avoid gimmicky fad diets and extreme diets that eliminate certain food groups entirely. Your diet needs to provide balanced nutrition that will give you energy for workouts and the nutrients necessary for building healthy bones and muscles. In addition to reducing your overall caloric intake, a healthy diet for weight loss emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy while avoiding foods that contain saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt and added sugars. Nuts, beans, fish, poultry and lean meats are also good items to include in a healthy, reduced-calorie diet.

Getting Started

Now that you know the components of an effective weight loss and muscle-gaining routine, it's time to get started. Before beginning any weight loss program, it is important to set realistic goals, commit to keeping them and learn proper exercise technique. A physical trainer may help you with these details. You should consult a health professional before getting started if you have any health problems such as high blood pressure; heart problems; severe muscle, tendon or ligament problems; or any other serious chronic disease. It is also advisable to consult a doctor before you start an exercise routine if you are 35 or older and haven't exercised in a long time.

Workout Schedule

Your weekly workout schedule for losing weight may include some cardio every day or on most days of the week, although you don't need to schedule as much time for strength training. Most people will gain muscle with just two or three 20- or 30-minute strength training sessions per week, according to Mayo Clinic physical medicine specialist Dr. Edward Laskowski. You should aim to work all the major muscle groups each week, allowing at least one full day of rest for each group. Each of your workouts should also include at least 15 minutes for stretching exercises, warm-up activities and a cool-down.