Successfully Combining Weight Loss Exercises

What are effective weight loss exercises? That's a good爍uestion, but a more important question爓e need the answer to爄s what causes you to lose weight? The simple answer to this question is, you lose weight when you burn more calories than you take in. Simple right? Well... maybe not so easy in practice. I will be writing a diet article (i.e., the calorie "take in" side of this equation) later, but this article will address the "calorie burn" side. There are several effective exercises out there, but which ones work the best and why?
Two Major Types of Exercise
Aerobic and resistance training are both爄mportant to your weight loss goals, and you will find great weight loss exercises in both categories.
Aerobic Training: is different爁rom resistance training in both intensity and duration of muscle contraction. Aerobic training is usually done with limited or no weights, so intensity is less, but it's performed over a relatively longer time period.
Main Way Calories Are Burned: aerobic training is beneficial to爕our weight loss program, mainly because of the quantity of calories, in general, and fat, in particular, you can burn during the training. Runners call it "hitting" the wall, but this is the point in your aerobic session when your body transitions from burning carbohydrates/sugars/glycogen to burning fat. Unlike the other type of weight loss exercises, aerobics does not, however, raise your basal (resting) metabolic rate as much... stay tuned :-)
Example Exercises:?br />

• Distance Running


• Cycling


• Stair Stepper machine


• Aerobics classes

Resistance Training: is a form of strength or weight training where each effort is performed against a specific opposing force generated by resistance (e.g., weight, body weight, or band).
Main Way Calories Are Burned: the goalpurpose of resistance training is to strengthen and enlarge skeletal muscles. How does this help with weight loss? With more muscle mass, your body will begin to燽urn more calories all day long, not only during the actual exercise like the weight loss exercises above!
Example Exercises:?br />

• Free Weights (Barbells, Dumbbells, etc.)


• Resistance Bands


• Weight Machines

What Are the Best Exercises For You?
The quick answer is that this is a very personal爍uestion for you to answer, but here are some guiding principles. 1) You need exercises of燽oth types for total fitness (This goal should be your primary goal not just爓eight loss!). 2) These should be exercises you enjoy, and 3) You have to do them regularly (i.e., at least a few times per week)!
What Do I Do?
My weekly training regime爑sually includes the following weight loss exercises:
牋燚ay 1 - Resistance Training: Free Weights for "Push Muscles" (Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps)
牋燚ay 2 - Aerobic Training: Yoga (Runner's Yoga)
牋燚ay 3 - Resistance Training: Free Weights for "Pull Muscles" (Back, Bicep)
牋燚ay 4 - Aerobic Training: Plyometrics
牋燚ay 5 - Resistance Training: Free Weights for Legs (Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Calves)
牋燚ay 6 - Yoga or Rest
牋燚ay 7 - Rest
No need to follow my routine爓ord for word, but this is an examle of how you can leverage the weight loss benefits of both aerobic and resistance training.

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