|
As a personal trainer, my main goal is to help clients succeed. I find that individuals drop out when they don't see results, or if they have to work way too hard for perceptible change. It is the quality of exercise, and not the quantity (duration) that brings results. Today, our lives are more hectic than ever. Making time for exercise can be difficult, if not impossible. There is good news. A mere 15 to 20 minutes a day is enough for fitness gains, as long as you are regular. This means that you do not have to spend hours sweating for great results. The following tips help you get the most value for your time and supercharge your weight loss efforts. These tips save time, but also require consistency. You will see results within a few weeks if you stick with these ideas. 1) Do exercises that use multiple muscles, called compound exercises. Consult your gym instructor/ look online for a suitable program. For example, a squat uses the front and back of your legs as well as your butt. After each squat, add an overhead shoulder press using a light dumbbell and you will hit even more muscles. 'Isolated' exercises such as biceps curls and triceps extensions are less effective. 2) Focus on large muscle groups. Working your biggest muscles burns tons of calories and will give your metabolism a good boost. These muscles are your butt, thighs, back and core that is, lower back, abdominal and oblique muscles. 3) Increase the intensity of the cardiovascular workout. This increases the calorie burning effect and cuts the time. If you walk, then jog. If you run, then try the occasional sprint. An incline on a treadmill works well too. Instead of doing forty minutes of walking, jogging or low impact aerobics go on a bike or treadmill at a high intensity for twenty minutes. If you have been working out regularly for at least a month, you could try doing intervals. 4) Try periodic boosts in intensity. Exercise at a level that to you is hard, or very hard for two minutes. Then, lower your effort - but keep moving! - For one minute. Repeat this cycle for twenty minutes. 5) Double up your exercises. Rather than resting between sets, use that time to work a different muscle group. For example, alternate one set of biceps curls with one set of triceps dips. Alternatively, do a set of seated leg extensions with a set of leg curls. These are super-sets and they nearly double the number of exercises you can do in a short time. 6) Combine strength and aerobic workouts. As a personal trainer, my main goal is to help clients succeed. I find that individuals drop out when they don't see results, or if they have to work way too hard for perceptible change. It is the quality of exercise, and not the quantity (duration) that brings results. Today, our lives are more hectic than ever. Making time for exercise can be difficult, if not impossible. There is good news. A mere 15 to 20 minutes a day is enough for fitness gains, as long as you are regular. This means that you do not have to spend hours sweating for great results. These tips will help you get the most value for your time and supercharge your weight loss efforts. These tips save time, but also require consistency. You will see results within a few weeks if you stick with these ideas. Nitin Chhoda is a renowned personal trainer, columnist, radio and TV personality and trains clients in 12 countries online from http://www.phonefitnesstrainer.com Would you like a free $ 250 package ? This includes Nitin's bi-monthly fitness newsletter, free exercise routines for toning at home, sample diets, grocery shopping lists, online books and unlimited email support from Nitin – all FREE for a limited time, register today at http://www.toningforwomen.com |
