When you join a gym, you are usually extremely motivated and focused on your goals. However, as time goes on, your progress can stagnate, which leaves you feeling disheartened and takes you back to square one. However, this needn't be the case. By introducing a few simple changes to your workout, you can increase the effectiveness of your training and lose weight faster.
Step 1
Focus on multi-joint, compound exercises such as squats, lunges, bench presses and rows. Many people think that in order to tone their stomach, arms or thighs, they need to focus on isolation movements such as situps, crunches, triceps extensions or leg lifts, but this isn't the case. According to Chad Waterbury, strength coach and author of "Huge in a Hurry," the best workouts for losing fat are multi-joint, free-weight moves because they recruit lots of muscle fibers and burn a large number of calories.
Step 2
Increase the weights you're lifting. Another common myth is that to lose weight, you need to use light weights and perform a high number of repetitions. However, Christian Thibaudeau, author of "The Black Book of Training Secrets" and contributor to the T Nation website, advises sticking to heavier weights for fewer repetitions. Doing a high number of reps does not burn any more calories than lifting heavy and may actually cause you to lose muscle mass. Perform five to 10 reps for all your exercises, lifting as heavy as you can while maintaining perfect technique.
Step 3
Add a session of sprinting once a week. After a thorough warm-up, set the treadmill to about 85 percent of your maximum speed and run for 15 seconds, then reduce the speed to a steady jog for 45 seconds. Repeat these intervals six times, adding an extra sprint each time you do it. According to trainer Mark Young, also a contributor to the T Nation website, these sprint intervals burn more fat than endurance training does and take much less time.
Step 4
Perform more steady-state cardio. While interval training may be a more efficient way of training for weight loss, steady-state cardio still has a place in your routine. Steady-state training involves working at a low to moderate intensity for a sustained period. A typical workout might be 20 minutes on the elliptical or half an hour on a recumbent bike. The benefit that steady state has is that it still burns calories, yet it is far less demanding than intervals or weight training, so you can do more of it without becoming fatigued. If you currently do two 20-minute cardio sessions per week, increase this to three 30-minute sessions.
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