Workouts for Weight Loss – Interval Training

In my opinion, aside from regular weight training with free weights and compound exercises, one of the best kinds of workouts you can do for weight loss is interval training.

The concept is fairly simple – instead of long periods of drawn out cardio at a constant intensity, interval training comprises short bouts of all-out effort (or close to it) alternated with periods of rest or very low intensity movement. Interval training is quick and after your warmup, it’s all over within 12 minutes usually.

So why is this better than steady-state cardio? Well, the reason interval training is a more effective workout for weight loss is that although it burns less calories during the workout, the sprint-rest nature of interval training actually elevates your metabolism throughout the rest of the day, such that you burn far more calories over time than you would if you’d done cardio at constant intensity.

In fact, interval training can actually be better for your cardiovascular health than standard cardio – this depends on the intervals you choose, but certain interval protocols such as Tabata Training have been shown in scientific studies to increase VO2 max (the most complete measure of cardiovascular fitness) by 50% more than long sessions of steady running or cycling.

So, how do you put together an interval workout?

Here’s some things you should keep in mind:

-You must warm up thoroughly before interval training. Warm up for at least 7-8 minutes, preferably 10. Do stretches and cardio at a low to moderate intensity – get the heat flowing, blood pumpin

-Your interval workouts for weight loss should not be more than 10 minutes.

- Intensity is important. Depending on the regime, you’ll be needing to stick to a certain intensity, and you’ll usually be working in your anaerobic threshold, i.e. at 85% of your maximum heart rate above. If the protocol requires you to sprint all out for your, then that’s what you must do – effectiveness is a function of sticking to the prescribed intensity.

Weight Loss Workouts with Free Weights

Contrary to popular belief, parking yourself on a treadmill or stationary bike for an hour is actually far from the best weight loss workout you could do. This kind of steady cardio is good for burning fat during your session, but your metabolism returns to normal fairly soon afterwards – and so the only fat you burn is whatever is pulled from your fat tissue during your session.

The most effective weight loss workouts are those which elevate your metabolism to higher levels for the rest of the day. This means the total reductive effect on fat stores is far greater than if you’d just sat on the stationary bike or treadmill for an hour. The key is to choose workouts that have this positive effect on your metabolism.

Weight lifting is one of the number one ways to elevate your metabolism. In fact, the best muscle-building workouts are actually also pretty much optimal for fat burning. Why do you think bodybuilders need to eat every three hours? That’s right, their metabolism is through the roof from their workout style, and they need to pack in insane amounts of food to actually gain muscle.

So, how should you train? Well, 3-4 sessions a week in the weights room is ideal. An optimal weight loss workout should be based on the following factors:

-Utilise compound exercises. The more of your body you can work with one exercise, the better. Think Shoulder Press, Bench Presses, Cleans, Snatches, Rows, Dips, Pullups, etc.

-Stay in the 8-12 rep range. This is optimal for building muscle, and also for burning fat. Less than 8 reps and you aren’t doing enough total workload, more than 8 and you won’t be lifting enough to stimulate changes in metabolic rate.

-Emphasise the big “full-body” lifts. Squats, deadlifts and Olympic movements are absolute king for kicking your metabolism up a notch. Really focus on these movements – think of your workout as a Squat or Deadlift workout, with some assistance exercises thrown in after. I like to do a “push-pull” split where I workout 4 times a week, and so some variation of a squat or deadlift in each session. When I train like this and stay in the 8+ rep range, I can eat all kinds of junk and stay relatively lean because my metabolism is through the roof.

So there you go – compound free-weight exercises for weight loss workouts. Remember it’s not what you burn off in the gym, but the positive effect your workout has on your rate of fat-burning throughout the day afterwards.

Here’s a summary of a couple of popular weight loss workout programs.

Conventional Weight Loss Program

The classic “eat less than you burn” program. This is the standard method of losing weight and is the probably the model that people are most familiar with. The basic idea is very simple – By consuming less calories than you burn, you force your body to tap into fat stores for energy – thus losing fat. It’s a very sustainable program and it’s the one most people are likely to stick to.

Of course, you have to have at least a vague idea of how many calories you’re consuming and burning. This can be difficult at first but with a few calculations and careful attention to what you put into your body over a couple of weeks or so, you can arrive at some rough numbers. This conventional approach to weight loss is ideal when combined with a good program of weight lifting and cardiovascular exercise.

Ketogenic or Low-Carb Diets

We’ve all heard of these, largely in thanks to Dr. Atkins. The basic premise is this: eat as much protein, fat and vegetables as you like, but eliminate carbohydrates from your diet, or only consume very small amounts in the morning or on specified “cheat” days. These diets are very much “all or nothing” – they are based on the principle of ketosis, which is a metabolic shift made by your body whereby it derives all its energy from fat stores. The transition process can be nauseating as you struggle with faintness, “brain fog” and immense carbohydrate cravings. Your workouts will suffer hugely and you’ll find yourself severely struggling with energy day to day. However the benefits can be amazing – it’s possible to lose fat VERY quickly.

Ketogenic diets are NOT for beginners. Pro bodybuilders lose them to drop weight quickly before contest, and if you aren’t closely monitoring liver, kidney and blood values it’s possible to land yourself in a very poor state of health. It could be argued that Dr. Atkins did the west a great disservice by popularising these diets, capitalising on an “I want results now” consumer mindset.

However, the results do speak for themselves and if you think you’re up to it then ketogenic weight loss workout programs certainly obtain results – but please do check with a doctor to make sure your liver, kidneys and general health are up to it first… and don’t say I didn’t warn you.