Does something like this sound familiar?  Your best friend’s wedding is scheduled about a month from now, and you can’t still fit in the gown you will wear for the occasion. You’re pressured to lose a couple of pounds or else, you’ll need to buy a new gown. You’ve tried all sorts of diet programs but none of them have helped you trim those unwanted pounds.

So what can you do now? Why don’t you step up on your weight training for weight loss? Here are some weight training exercises and tips that you can do to maximize the benefits of weight training and more importantly, get you in the best shape of your life in the shortest time possible:

 

Kettlebell training

Kettlebells are those cast iron balls that have a single handle. Unlike other handheld belts, the kettlebell has an unevenly distributed weight. This means you would have to work hard to stabilize your body and counterbalance the weight of the kettlebell.  In many of our classes, this type of workout is incorporated into the warm up portion of the class.

Kettlebell training is a hardcore workout that can make you burn up to 400 calories in just 20 minutes. In terms of cardiovascular benefits and calories burned, a 20 minute kettlebell workout can be compared to running six miles. It can also work out your core muscles so you can say goodbye to those fats in your midsection. It can also improve your balance and posture. Simply put, it is a good exercise that should form part of weight training for women.

 

High intensity interval training

High intensity interval training (HIIT) is one of the most effective exercise options available. You would only have to engage in this form of exercise for around 20 minutes and three times a week. You would be able to burn off a lot of calories and boost your metabolism by doing HIIT.  Our boxing and kickboxing classes are a perfect blend of this type of training.

You can do HIIT with many forms of exercise like running or weight training workouts. To do HIIT, you would have to engage in short but intense bursts of activity then follow it with a lower intensity period or a complete rest.

For example, you can run for five minutes. Then on the sixth minute, run as fast as you can. On the seventh minute, slow down so you can catch your breath. Repeat this fast/slow cycle five more times before cooling down for three minutes.

 

Jumping Rope

Allotting just 10 minutes for jumping rope is like doing a one-mile run when it comes to cardiovascular benefits and the amount of calories burned. Doing an hour of it can make you burn over 800 calories, far more than what you can burn when you attend cardio kickboxing classes or other martial arts classes.