Weight loss occurs when your body burns more calories than it consumes. To promote this process along quickly, you need to perform exercises--but not just any exercises. They have to be intense, and you need to incorporate both an aerobic and weight-training component. The best weight-training exercises to do are ones that involve multiple joint movements and multiple muscles at the same time.
Step 1
Perform any type of cardiovascular exercise that you enjoy, and do it in an interval fashion. Start out with a light five-minute warm-up. Increase your intensity and go all out for 30 seconds. Come back down to a moderate intensity for 60 seconds, then go back to a high intensity. Continue alternating 30 seconds of high intensity with 60 seconds of moderate intensity for 30 minutes. Finish with a light five-minute cool-down. Do your interval workout three times a week on alternating days. Running, cycling, swimming, jumping rope, stair climbing, cross country skiing and elliptical training are all good options.
Step 2
Execute a set of push-ups. Lie on your stomach with your hands directly under your shoulders and your toes curled under your feet. Push yourself up in the air until your arms are fully extended. Lower yourself down until your chest is a fist-width away from the ground, and push yourself back up. Do 15 to 20 reps.
Step 3
Hold a pair of dumbbells to do squat shoulder presses. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold dumbbells at shoulder height with your palms facing forward. Lower your body down into a squat, stand back up and lift the dumbbells above your head until your arms are just short of lockout. Lower the weights back to shoulder-height and repeat. Do 12 to 15 reps.
Step 4
Lie face down on the ground to do superman extensions. Extend your arms straight out above your head and place your legs flat on the floor. Lift your arms and legs up simultaneously while arching your back. Lower yourself back down and repeat 15 to 20 times.
Step 5
Lunge and lift at the same time. Stand with your feet together and hold dumbbells at your sides. Step forward with your right foot and come down into a lunge position where your right knee is bent 90 degrees and your left knee is an inch above the floor. Stand back up, bring your feet together and do a bicep curl. Squeeze at the top of the movement for a second and lower the weights back down to your sides. As soon as the dumbbells come back down, step forward and lunge with your left foot. Keep alternating with each foot and do curls in between. Perform 12 to 15 lunges with each foot.
Step 6
Execute a set of burpees. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Bend down and place your hands on the floor outside of your feet. Kick your legs behind you, land on your toes and do a push-up. Snap your feet back between your hands and jump in the air as high as you can. As you do this, extend your arms straight above you as if you were trying to grab on to a horizontal bar. Land back on your feet and immediately do another one. Perform 15 to 20 reps.
Step 7
Perform a set of bicycle crunches. Lie on your back with your legs elevated, shins parallel to the floor and knees bent 90 degrees. Lift your upper body and place your hands on the sides of your head. Bring your right elbow toward your left knee by twisting your upper body. As you do this, fully extend your right leg. Reverse the movement to target your other side, and continue going back and forth in a smooth motion.
Step 8
Jump in the air to do starbursts. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Crouch down really low and hold your arms in tight to your body. Explode up in the air and extend your arms and legs out to form an "X" shape. Land back on your feet and repeat for 15 to 20 reps.
Tips and Warnings
- Perform the weight-training exercises one right after the other in a circuit. Take 30 second rest breaks between each one and do five to six total circuits. Do this routine on three alternating days of your cardio.
Things You'll Need
- Dumbbells
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