You’ve been working out a ton and are convinced this is going to be the week that the number on the scale is finally where you want it to be. And then… nope. Womp womp.
Put away that sad trombone — with a few simple changes to your normal workout routine, you can finally start to see results. In fact, changing up your workout routine for weight loss is basically the secret sauce for making progress.
“Your body adapts to your workout, so it’s important to tweak your normal routine so you continue to get the most out of it,” explains strength and conditioning specialist Noam Tamir. Here, some of his favourite ways to switch up your workout routine for weight loss.
1. Warm Up (But Really Tho) For Weight Loss
If you jump into your workout without prepping your body first, well, you’re a normal human being. But you won’t be able to perform as optimally (read: burn as many kilojoules), says Tamir — that’s why it’s crucial to begin with a good warm-up.
“Start with a couple of mobility moves, like hip-opener drills, ankle drills, leg swings and neck nods,” recommends Tamir. “All of these will help get the synovial fluid — the fluid inside of your joints — moving, which will help with your mobility overall.”
He also recommends paying some attention to your glutes, which are the biggest muscle in your body — and should be activated before any workout for max results. His activation moves of choice: single-leg bridges, lateral band walks and deadbugs. “If you do just a couple of these moves before you begin, your workout will be much more effective.”
2. Work Interval Training Into Your Cardio Routine
“Interval training helps you burn more kilojoules than you do when you’re exercising in a steady state,” explains Tamir. So if you’re a treadmill junkie, sprint for 30 seconds and then walk for 30 — and keep alternating that routine. Play with the incline to increase resistance, too, which will boost your weight loss. You can try a similar technique on a bike or an elliptical — basically while doing any form of cardio. “You’ll be working harder when you’re going faster, which will spike your heart rate, and ultimately help you get more from your workout overall,” says Tamir.
3. Focus On Compound Movements
Many of the machines at the gym target one specific muscle group, but if you’re focused on weight loss, your best bet for weight training is to opt for moves that use multiple muscle groups at once. “An example of this would be a squat versus a leg-extension machine,” explains Tamir. “You’re using more muscles overall, which ultimately means you’ll end up burning more kilojoules.” Look to free weights, which challenge your balance and fire up more muscle, so you’ll work harder.
4. Lift More Weight
Because — you guessed it — you’ll end up burning more kilojoules.“For your upper body, try increasing the weight you’re using by five to 10 percent each week,” says Tamir. “And for your lower body, increase the weight by 10 to 15 percent each week.”
So if you’re lifting five kilos, try increasing the weight by about half a kilo for your upper body, and about one kilogram for your lower body (depending on the weights you have; it doesn’t have to be exact).
And if you currently do only bodyweight stuff, start using weights. “The key is to choose a weight where you’ll still be able to do your moves with clean form.” (Because going too big and getting injured definitely won’t help you get in better shape.)
5. Refuel And Rehydrate
“If you don’t do this, your body won’t get the optimal muscle gain from your workout, which will limit the amount of kilojoules you burn in the long run,” says Tami. In addition to drinking lots of water, he recommends having protein post-workout — something like chocolate milk is great.
