Successfully Combining Weight Loss Exercises

What are effective weight loss exercises? That's a good question, but the first question we need the answer to is what causes you to lose weight? The basic answer to this question is, you lose weight when you take in fewer calories than you burn. Easy right? Well... maybe not so simple 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 many effective exercises out there, but which ones work the best and why?

Two Main Exercise Types

Both resistance and aerobic training are crucial to your weight loss goals, and you will find effective weight loss exercises in both types.

Aerobic Training: is different from resistance training in both intensity and duration of muscle contraction. Aerobic training is usually done with light or no weights, so intensity is less, but it's done over a relatively longer time period.

Main Way Calories Are Burned: aerobic training is beneficial to your weight loss program, mainly because of the amount 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 switches from burning carbohydrates/sugars/glycogen to burning fat. Unlike the other type of weight loss exercises, aerobics does not, however, increase your basal (resting) metabolic rate as much... stay tuned:-)

Example Exercises:

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 goal purpose of resistance training is to strengthen and enlarge skeletal muscles. How does this support weight loss? With increased muscle mass, your body will begin to burn more calories throughout the day, not only during the actual exercise like the weight loss exercises above!

Example Exercises:

Free Weights (Barbells, Dumbbells, etc.)
Resistance Bands
Weight Machines

So What Exercises Are Best For You?

The short answer is that this is a very personal question for you to answer, but here are some guiding principles. 1) You have to participate in both types for total fitness (This goal should come before weight loss!). 2) These should be exercises you love, and 3) You have to do them consistently (i.e., at least a few times per week)!

What Do I Do?

My weekly training plan usually includes the following weight loss exercises:

Day 1 -- Resistance Training: Free Weights for "Push Muscles" (Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps)

Day 2 -- Aerobic Training: Yoga (Runner's Yoga)

Day 3 -- Resistance Training: Free Weights for "Pull Muscles" (Back, Bicep)

Day 4 -- Aerobic Training: Plyometrics

Day 5 -- Resistance Training: Free Weights for Legs (Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Calves)

Day 6 -- Yoga or Rest

Day 7 -- Rest

No need to follow my routine verbatim, but this is an examle of how you can capture the weight loss benefits of both aerobic and resistance training.

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