In the wake of lifestyle diseases, gyms have become beehives of activities as men and women flock in and out in a bid to lose weight and shape their bodies. However, it is not the number of times or hours you have been to the gym that counts. It is what you have done in the few or many hours you were there. You have to develop the knack of training effectively to lose weight and shape your body. Here are the most effective exercises to do at the gym for all levels.
Walking/Running on the Treadmill
Walking is the easiest yet the most ignored gym exercise. Whenever you walk, you strengthen your bones and muscles. As a rule of thumb, start with a slow pace, then quicken your pace. Schedule walking and running sessions appropriately depending on the time you have at the gym. Ten-minute sessions can get you started.
Weight Lifting
This is one of the most popular gym exercises among seasoned gym goers. It is the mother of gym exercises for weight loss. It involves lying flat on your back on a bench then lifting loads of different weights with your hands. It is a form of resistance training. This type of training builds muscles and burns fats. You, however, need to get your weights right for weight lifting to be effective. Start with lighter loads and progress to heavier loads with time.
Squats
Squats are straight-forward gym exercises. You try to sit down with your back straight and knees bent. Do this several times. Add dumbbells with time. Squats work out the quadriceps and hamstrings, among other muscle groups. It is worth noting that there is the right and wrong way of doing squats. To master the right direction, use a real chair. Try to sit down on it the usual way, but stand back up before you reach the seat. Do this repeatedly until you master the move, then remove the chair.
Push-Ups
Like squats, push-ups are also simple and straightforward. With your toes touching the floor, hands wide apart and the body trunk straight, you try to touch the floor by bending your elbows. Before you reach the floor, lift your body back up to the original position. Do this several times, engaging your rear-end abs and muscles.
Interval Training
Interval training involves short bursts of very rigorous exercises followed by short rests. A good example is sprinting as fast as you can on the treadmill for two minutes or less, then resting for a minute. You can also perform massive kettlebell swings or jump squats. During the time of the exercise, maximum energy is used as you give your all. No wonder this exercising burns calories big time and enhances your aerobic fitness. Incorporating strength training in interval raining adds color to the already excellent package.
In summary, do not let obesity pull you down the rabbit hole. Hit the gym and exercise regularly. Practice foam rolling and other simple activities that accentuate your range of motion when doing squats, pushups, lunges and other exercises.
