Combine Upper/Lower Body Strength For Weight Loss

Photo: Fitness Magazine

1. Squats with biceps curls. Select a challenging weight for the bicep curls. Perform 3 sets of 10, 2 sets of 15 or 3 sets of 15. Do not let your knees pass your toes.

Photo: ACE Fitness

2. Lunges with military press. If you have the space, walk the length of the room via alternating leg lunges. If in a smaller space, lunge in place with alternating legs. Choose a challenging medicine ball or free weights for the military press. Perform 3 sets of 10-15.

Photo: WebMD

3. Wall slides (wall sits) with arm raises. As you slide down the wall to the sitting position, raise your arms from your sides up to chest level, with the elbows staying straight. Lower the arms as you slide back up the wall. Keep the thumbs pointed up throughout the arm raises and only lift arms to 90 degrees. Repeat 2-3 sets of 8-15. Do not let your knees pass your toes.

Photo: About.com

4. Ab crunches with leg bicycling. Perform straight crunches or oblique crunches (as shown) as you move your legs in a bicycling motion. Repeat 3-5 sets of 20.

5. Intervals of push-ups and sit-ups. Perform push-ups until fatigue. Then flip onto your back and perform full sit-ups until fatigue. Repeat 3-5 sets of each. If you cannot perform sit-ups, perform with abdominal crunches.

Why Combine Upper/Lower Body Strength Training?

These exercises are effective for weight loss because they increase your heart rate (cardio), incorporate multiple muscle groups, and increase muscle tone. The greater you do these 3 things in your workouts, the faster your weight loss will be! You will quickly boost your metabolism so that you burn more calories throughout the day! If you are going to exercise for 30 minutes, work as many muscle groups as possible during that time. Why spend 15 minutes of gym time strengthening 5 muscles when you can work 10 or more muscles at the same time?!!