Exercise For Weight Loss

Weight Loss Exercises

If you’ve been on the heavy side for a long time and are starting to feel its toll on your body and health, then your decision to exercise for weight loss is a welcome one.

The benefits of losing weight can be felt almost immediately. You can breathe easier, sleep better, move more comfortably and your overall disposition becomes more positive.

The best approach to exercise for weight loss is to do resistance training and cardio.

Resistance Training

Resistance Training helps you build muscle and develop better mobility, agility and flexibility. As you build more muscle, your body starts to burn more calories. One kilo of muscle tissue burns 14.3 calories per hour while one kilo of fat tissue burns only 2.64 calories per hour!

The best exercises for weight loss are as follows:
1. Squats
2. Bench Press
3. Deadlift
4. Overhead Press
5. Bodyweight Lunges
6. Incline Dumbbell Press
7. Bent Over Row
8. Assisted Pull Ups
9. Assisted Dips
10. Plank

The first 4 exercises are compound exercises and recruit the largest muscle groups in the body. Lunges, Incline Dumbbell Press and Barbell Rows are isolation type exercises which will require more balance, stability and thus utilise other muscle fibres.

Assisted Pull Ups and Dips will improve functionality. As you gain strength and lose weight, you will be able to do these bodyweight exercises without assistance.

The Plank is the safest abdominal exercise you can do. It will strengthen your lower back, hips and shoulder girdle.

The recommended set and rep ranges are as follows:

• Compound Exercises - 4 sets x 8-10 reps
• Isolation Exercises – 3 sets x 10-12 reps
• Assisted Exercises – 2 sets x 12-15 reps

Cardio

Cardio helps strengthen your heart, removes toxins from your body, improves blood circulation and regulates blood glucose levels. If you are overweight, medium to long distance running should be out of the question for the time being.

High Intensity Interval Training or HIIT burns more body fat and builds more muscle.

Here are HIIT routines you can do to lose weight:

1. Elliptical Machine HIIT

Warm Up: 5 minutes at 50-60 rpm
Intervals:  10 intervals - 30 seconds at 75 to 95 rpm + 30 seconds at 50 rpm
Warm Down: 5 minutes at 40-50 rpm

2. Bodyweight HIIT

Warm Up: Jumping Jacks- 5 sets x 1 minute
Intervals:  4-8 Intervals; 2 minutes rest between intervals
Air Squat x 10 reps
Push Ups x 10 reps
Mountain Climbers x 10 reps
Bird Dog x 10 reps
Turkish Get Up x 10 reps; bodyweight only

Another good cardio option is swimming which is effective and easy on the joints.

In combination with a healthy eating plan, you should be on your way to a fitter, healthier and lighter you in no time at all!