All exercise is not created equal. Just like with most things in life there is a good way to go about things and a poor way. Of course you want to be successful so you want the best exercise for weight loss.
No matter if you want to lose 5 pounds or 75 pounds this is the workout plan that is going to help you hit your goals. Below you will find a laid out plan for your weight loss journey, and remember this truly is a journey. You did not add the weight overnight and it’s not going to fall over in a single night either. By realizing that in and of itself you will be more likely to treat your workout and your food as a necessary lifestyle change and stay motivated.
To make sure you stay on track this plan is going to lay out not only the best exercise but also the worst exercise you can do. That way there are no questions and you’ll feel confident and on track as soon as you get started.
Worst and Best Exercise For Weight Loss
Worst: Too Much Exercise
Yes there is such a thing as exercising too much and it’s possibly the most common mistake that I see new clients make. They often come to my boot camp workouts and then I find out that they are working out on their off days, sometimes twice a day!
Working out puts a lot of stress on your body and doing it for too long of durations or without enough rest in between workouts could prevent your body from full recovery. It’s during recovery that body fat is broken down and that muscle is toned up. Definitely not something to skip.
Rules for working out: avoid workouts that last longer than an hour, if you do then make sure to drink a workout drink such as a gatorade. Give yourself at least 1 rest day per week to recover… no exercise at all on this day. And last, never work the same muscle groups on back to back days. They need at least 48 hours to recover.
Best: Total Body Strength Training
I know you’ve seen the muscle men in the gym doing split routines. One day they may do biceps and triceps, another day hamstrings and glutes… you get the picture. However, since you’re wanting to lose weight you need a workout that burns maximum amount of calories.
That is going to happen with total body workouts. Workouts that hit all of your major muscle groups. Plus they also allow for exercises that use a big range of motion, and the bigger the moves the bigger the calorie burn!
If you’re new to exercising you’re going to want to choose body weight moves, which will give amazing results! In fact, 90% of my boot camps are based on body weight alone.
What are some total body moves? Squats, lunge walks, push-ups, bench press, pull-ups, jumps, etc. These are just a few of my favorites.
Worst: Relying on the Treadmill
While the treadmill is useful for getting a cardio workout it shouldn’t be the basis of your workout. Cardio is extremely important for your body, but did you know that weight training, even for women, is more beneficial for burning body fat by increasing your metabolism?
Especially if your idea of a cardio workout is stepping on the treadmill, reading a book, or talking on your cell phone. For results you have to workout! If the idea of weights is intimidating talk to the staff at your gym for a tour to get familiar with the amenities offered.
Best: Free Weights
No if ands or buts about it, when it comes to strength training free weights trump the machines that cover your gym floor.
This goes back to what we talked about above but it’s extremely important. Moves on the weight machines are isolated, meaning they work one little muscle at a time (think about the bicep curl)… this doesn’t take very much energy. At least when it is compared to another exercise like a dumbbell curl to press.
Working with free weights hits more muscle fibers, allows for a free range of motion and will give you results faster. If you’re going to be on the machines, just think… you would have to use practically every machine there to get a total body workout. That would just take way too much time and the rewards wouldn’t be as great as if you just went to the free weight section and did 4-6 exercises.
That’s right you can have a complete workout with just a handful of moves. And trust me you’ll feel the workout for sure!
Again if you’re shaky about leaving the machines, there are several programs available to help you build up confidence and learn new moves.
So there you have it the worst and the best exercise for weight loss. Keep this in mind for me: you can do! Just keep pushing forward and you’ll be successful.
Tags: best exercise for weight loss, burning inches, fat loss, weight loss
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