Although shedding a few pounds can lead to several physical and psychological benefits, most of us do it to achieve a lean, sculpted body. Choosing a workout that helps you lose weight and tone muscles is the key to accomplishing your fitness goals and living a healthier lifestyle this New Year.
Boot Camp
The American Council on Exercise (ACE) lists “boot-camp style” workouts as one of the leading fitness trends of 2010 because it allows those challenged with limited time to exercise to burn calories while toning muscles in a short amount of time. Boot camp workouts incorporate a sequence of calisthenics (push-ups, squat thrusts, punches and kicks) with aerobic movements to “whip you into shape.” In 2008, the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association, a trade organization for health clubs, reported over a quarter of health clubs offering boot camp style fitness classes. The U.S. Army offers a program, HOOAH 4 Health, which includes exercises that target the lower back, abs, biceps, triceps, shoulders, upper back, chest, quadriceps, hamstrings, calves and gluteals.
Circuit Training
Circuit training is another workout topping ACE’s 2010 fitness trends due to its combined strength and endurance benefits. This workout alternates between periods of exercise that tones the muscles with short bursts of activity that works the body aerobically. For example, following up a set of bicep curls with two minutes of jogging. Curves, a fitness franchise based on a 30-minute workout that combines strength training through hydraulic resistance and cardiovascular activity, helped popularize circuit training when the company launched its national advertising campaign in 2003.
Aquatic Exercise
Join a water aerobics class, swim or try aqua jogging. Exercising in the pool can help you lose weight and tone muscles. According to “Fitness” expert Greg Moe, master trainer for Rough-Fit outdoor fitness programs in Tustin, California, treading water vigorously can burn as many calories as running at 6 miles per hour, and water's constant resistance forces you to engage more muscle fibers through a larger range of motion. Plus, the little- to no-impact of aquatic exercise makes it an ideal workout for those who experience pain in their joints or are in rehabilitation for an injury.
Spinning
Due to its calorie-burning potential (600 calories in 40 minutes), indoor cycling is one of the most efficient weight loss workouts with the added benefit of muscle toning, especially the hip flexors, gluteals, hamstrings and quadriceps as well as muscles in the calves and shins. Most indoor cycling workouts last about 40 minutes and include techniques used in road cycling by incorporating three hand positions and five core movements (seated flat, standing flat, seated climb, standing climb and jumps).
Member Comments