Weights are an effective tool for burning calories, offering beginners, intermediates and well-conditioned people a variety of workout choices. For maximum fat-burning, use less weight and perform more repetitions of each exercise to raise your metabolism. Metabolic resistance training, or using resistance to raise your heart rate, is easy to do with a circuit-training workout. You can use barbells or dumbbells to create efficient weight-loss workouts.
Step 1
Compile a list of exercises you plan to do with your weights. Common upper-body exercises include curls, presses, rows, kickbacks, extensions, arm raises and flies. Leg exercises can include deadlifts, squats, lunges, calf raises, hamstring curls and presses.
Step 2
Learn the proper form and technique for each exercise to maximize your benefit and reduce your risk for injury. Perform each exercise with little or no weight to learn the movements.
Step 3
Select the amount of weight for each exercise that will allow you to perform at least 10 repetitions without stopping. You may be able to lift more weight with some exercises than others, so consider buying or borrowing more than one weight size of dumbbell, if that is the type of weight you will be using.
Step 4
Warm up before you begin lifting. Move your arms and legs with movements such as skipping, jogging, swinging and jumping.
Step 5
Perform multi-exercise sets of exercises to create a circuit-training routine. Perform an arm exercise, such as a biceps curl, for 30 seconds. Switch to deadlifts for 30 seconds. Move to another arm exercise for 30 seconds, then finish with a leg exercise for 30 seconds. Take a two- or three-minute break, then start a new circuit.
Step 6
Perform single-exercise sets to create a circuit-training routine. Perform 10 to 12 reps of an arm exercise or perform reps for one minute. Take a one-minute break and start a set of leg exercises. Alternate exercises for 30 minutes.
Step 7
Perform swinging if you have a kettlebell. Place the weight in front of your feet. Bend down with a straight torso and grab the weight. Swing it forward using your legs and hips to push it forward. Let it come back down between and through your legs, bending your legs while keeping your torso straight. Perform one- to two-minute sets, then rest for several minutes.
Step 8
Lower your heart rate at the end of your workout over a period of several minutes. Walk, raise and lower your arm and perform other movements that gradually lower your metabolism. Stretch after your workout to prevent muscle soreness later.
Tips and Warnings
- Perform core exercises during a circuit-training workout to prevent muscle fatigue if you are new to weight lifting. Perform crunches, Russian twists, situps, leg lifts, bicycle kicks and other ab exercises to keep your heart rate elevated as you rest your arm and leg muscles.
Things You'll Need
- Dumbbells
- Barbell
- Kettlebell
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