When you want to lose weight, before you even start thinking about exercise, you need to make sure your diet is clean. Otherwise, whatever efforts you put forth in the gym or basement will be canceled out. As far as the exercise goes, you need to build muscle and become more active. Added muscle can help increase your resting metabolism and contribute to weight loss. The exercises should be done with as much bodily involvement as possible. You can do this with both body weight and free weight exercises.
Step 1
Run on a treadmill for 60 to 90 minutes. If you do not like running, choose any form of cardio as long as it makes you sweat. Elliptical training, stair climbing, jumping rope and inline skating are examples. Do cardio three times a week on nonconsecutive days.
Step 2
Grab a pair of dumbbells to do clean and presses. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and place the dumbbells down by your feet. Bend down, grab the weights and lift them up to chest height with your palms facing forward. Squat down slightly and press the weights up over your head and toward each other. Stop the dumbbells an inch apart, lower them back to chest height and then back down to the floor. Repeat for 10 to 12 reps. Do the whole movement in one smooth motion.
Step 3
Lie on your stomach to do plyo push ups. Place your hands slightly wider apart than shoulder-width and place your toes hip-width apart. Push yourself up in the air and tighten your core to get your back straight. Lower your body down until your chest is a fist-width from the floor. Push up explosively so your hands leave the floor. Land back on your hands and repeat for 12 to 15 reps.
Step 4
Execute a set of leaping lunges while holding dumbbells. Stand with your feet together and hold the weights down at your sides. Step forward with your right foot and lower your body toward the ground. Stop when your right knee forms a 90-degree angle and your left knee is one inch above the ground. Jump in the air and quickly switch your foot position so your left leg is now forward. Land back down, do another lunge and repeat ten to twelve times. Keep your back straight and core tight throughout the exercise.
Step 5
Lie face-down on the floor to do alternating Supermans. Extend your arms straight in front of your head and keep your legs straight. Lift your right arm and left leg up in the air and hold for a full second. Lower them down and lift your opposite arm and leg. Hold again and lower them back down. Keep alternating back and forth until you've done 15 to 20 reps with each side.
Step 6
Perform star sit-ups to work your abs. Lie on your back with your legs straight and out in a "V" shape. Place your arms out at your sides so they form a "T" shape. Lift your left arm and right leg off the floor and try to touch your left hand to your right foot. Keep your right hand and left leg planted on the floor at this point. Lower yourself back down and repeat with your other arm and leg. Keep going back and forth for 15 to 20 reps.
Step 7
Stand with your feet in a wide stance to do flying sumo squats. Turn your toes out 45 degrees and hang your arms straight down in front of your body. Lower your butt toward the floor until your knees form a 90 degree angle. Jump in the air as high as you can and extend your arms above your head like you were signaling a touchdown. Land with your feet slightly less than shoulder-width apart and jump back up. This time, land with your feet back in the wide stance. Repeat jumping back and forth between both foot positions for 12 to 15 reps total.
Tips and Warnings
- Do all the exercises back to back with 30-second rest breaks in between each. That's one circuit. Perform six circuits total and work out three times a week on the days that you don't do cardio.
Things You'll Need
- Dumbbells
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