Written by: Patrick Edenfield, Personal Trainer, O2 Fitness Falls/540
With the holiday season behind us and warm weather ahead of us, many of our workout schedules have taken a turn back in the right direction. With the summer months fast approaching, we must turn our attention to burning off those pesky winter calories.
Unwanted weight gain during the winter months gets the best of us all, so let’s take a look at some necessary steps we can take to get our bodies and minds ready for the beautiful weather we’ve been waiting for.
Exercise More Efficiently.
Exercising efficiently is our number one priority. The best way to burn the most calories is through compound exercises that target more than one muscle group at a time.
Exercises include squats, lunges, and pushups. Keep in mind that by attacking the bigger muscle groups your body will burn a maximum amount of calories so hit those quads, hamstrings and glutes!
Intensity=results, so if you are not pushing yourself, you will not see desired results. Workout programs should be constantly evolving. Try changing your intensity, boosting your reps, or upping your weight. You don’t want your body to stay the same so why would you want your workouts too?
To burn the most fat in the least amount of time, primarily focus on full body resistance training workouts with little to no rest in between sets. Don't forget: if you can have a full on conversation with someone while exercising you are not working hard enough!
Stay Hydrated.
Be sure to keep your body well hydrated. Since a dehydrated body cannot effectively burn fat, be mindful to drink plenty of water each day. Try to keep a food journal to help you track your eating habits. As we all know, weight loss goals are achieved through proper exercise and diet working together as one.
Start simple by eating 6 small meals a day rather than three large meals. Snacks are not deadly, it’s not so much about the calories you ingest, but rather where those calories are coming from that matters the most. Remember to take a fish oil supplement and a multivitamin each day and don’t forget that post-workout protein shake to boost your metabolism and increase the effectiveness of your training.
You can never out-exercise a bad diet. If you are unsure of how to start a nutritional program geared towards weight loss, ask one of the many nutrition experts at your local O2 Fitness location.
Our mind can play tricks on us during this process so try to stay positive and be honest with yourselves. Many of us have been the victim of rationalization. When we rationalize a skipped workout or cheating on our diet, we are doing so to lessen the blow.
Set SMART fitness goals.
Remember SMART goal setting: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time Bound.
If you have a total weight loss goal of 30 lbs, try breaking that long term goal into smaller more manageable goals. Take 5-10 pounds off at a time. In doing so, you will end up with many small victories that will keep you motivated for the long term. You will be amazed at what those smaller peaks in confidence do for your overall outlook as you approach the finish line!
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