How to tweak your workout and lose those last 10 pounds
Losing those last 10 pounds can actually be harder for you to reach than it is for people with more weight to lose. That’s because you’ve probably already made all the obvious changes to your eating habits and exercise routine and just need to push things a bit further. By changing up your work outs you will create muscle confusion and this will create better results in your body.
Revamping your workout routine will only get you so far. You must also closely monitor what you eat. If your diet is on point there are a few strategies you can turn to during your workout to help get rid of that stubborn weight.
1. 4 high-intensity interval training workouts per week (HIIT)
HIIT workouts combine strength-building with cardiovascular training, so you’ll develop metabolism-revving muscle and increase your heart rate to burn off extra calories. HIIT consists of short, intense bursts of exercise with either active recovery (like less intense exercise) or complete rest in between. Cardio workouts and strength routines both qualify because they can both get your heart pumping AND fire up your metabolism. You can get a super effective workout in 20 minutes or less. This workout is particularly good for someone who has 10 or less pounds to lose because it could be too intense for someone who is more overweight than that. Shoot for four HIIT workouts per week.
2. Lift heavier weights.
If you’ve relied on bodyweight exercises to get in shape, then you might not be burning as many calories as you could be. Lifting weights and gradually increasing that weight will increase your excess post-exercise oxygen consumption, which allows you to burn more calories as your body recovers—even after you leave the gym. Once you’ve got a challenging set of weights, make sure you’re doing as many total-body moves (like squats and deadlifts) as you can. Full body movements create the largest calorie-burning effect, especially if you are lifting heavy! Heavy lifting triggers a hormonal response that improves your body’s ability to burn fat.
3. Add steady cardio to the end of your strength training.
Adding in some cardio can really be effective for burning extra calories especially when you only have 10 more pounds to lose. Add three to four rounds of low-intensity cardio per week by tacking on an easy jog or walk at an incline on the treadmill to the end of your workout session. Doing 20 minutes of steady-state cardio exercise after strength training will torch calories without taxing your nervous system. That will help your body recover faster and improve overall calorie burn.
4. Take a week to do less intense workouts.
If you’re working out consistently and you’re still not seeing the results you want, you might not be giving your body enough recovery time. It may be hard to believe, but your intense workouts may be holding you back. This is because your body can only handle a limited amount of stress from working out, your job, your bills, etc. So if you’ve been training consistently without results, it may be time to switch things up so you can fully recover. For the next week try workouts that are less intense on your body but still keep you active, like yoga, swimming, or walking. Get back to your regular workout routine once your week of less intense workouts is up.
