Weight Loss Workout Routines

It is so common for people to get motivated to finally lose weight and get in shape and workout for a week or two, but then lose the enthusiasm. I know, it still happens to me. The problem is that no progress gets made, so the weight comes back and the fitness level declines.

Is there a weight loss workout routine that will keep you motivated month after month? Something where you are not bored? Well, how about a list of activities that will add some variety and fun to your regular cardio and weight training to lose weight? Try some of these activities and transform your lifestyle into one of fitness and have the body and fitness level to prove it.

Go to Weight Loss Workout Routines for more exercises and pictures.

By adding variety to your workout, you won’t get bored and your body will continue to get stronger. And you will be less likely to get joint injuries caused by the repetitive motions of the same routine day after day.

To be sure, in addition to the non traditional weight loss workout routines it is still true that the very best way to get strong and lose body fat is by including regular weight training to lose weight and build muscle. But add some of these other routines and activities so you don’t lose your enthusiasm and sense of fun about living a fit life.

You can work these activities into your schedule in many ways. Do them on the same day as your weight training. Some are clearly easy to do if you are alreay at a gym. You can also mix it up and alternate days of weight training with one of these routines. You can even do one of these alternative workout routines for a few weeks and then go back to some weight training. Either way you will be working your muscles in a variety of ways and this will stimulate more muscle growth and fat loss.

Ok, get psyched for some fresh new workout routines to keep your fitness program from getting stale:

1. Swimming Sprints - This is a full body workout, and is easy on the joints. Short sprints will do more to build muscle than longer endurance distances. Try swimming as fast as you can the length of a pool and then rest about 30 seconds or until you catch your breath before repeating. You can also use different swim strokes to add more variety.

2. Kettlebell Training - Ok, this is technically still weight training, but if you have not tried kettlebells, you need to. Most people who try kettlebells feel that it is one of the best training methods. Kettlebells are an alternative type of free-weight training instead of barbells and dumbbells. Their unique construction and weight distribution (basically a cannonball with a handle) allows for a whole different realm of exercises that’s available compared to dumbbells and barbells.

3. Bodyweight Workouts - Try doing one or two workouts a week at home with just bodyweight based exercises. These can be great because you can get a high intensity workout done in only 15-30 minutes without having to go to the gym on days that you might not have time for a trip to the gym. Try alternating bodyweight squats, pushups variations, lunges, and floor abs exercises continuously for 15-30 minutes.

If you keep your rest period short, you can really get an intense body changing workout without spending a lot of time working out. If this kind of routine works well for you and you want to take it to the next level, check out the book, the Naked Warrior, by Pavel Tsatsouline. You could look like the Greek sculpure on the cover.

4. Wind Sprints and Hill Sprints - Find any open field in a park or athletic field and try 50, 75, and 100-yard all-out wind sprints. After each sprint, rest long enough to catch your breath before the next one (generally 1-2 minutes). Try workouts of anywhere from 6 to 20 wind sprints for a great “cutting” workout. Also, if you have a hill nearby, hill sprints are also great workouts. Sprint up the hill as fast as you can and walk down for your rest interval. Repeat until you’re whooped (a 20-30 minute hill workout is plenty).

5. Staircase Workouts - This is great because stairs are everywhere. I got in great shape running stairs in our stadium when I trained for football season. You can go to a football field and do stadium stairs, any building that has stairs like a hotel (most people take the elevator, so you will not even have many people looking at you while you’re working out), or even the stairs in your own home. For an awesome full body workout, try mixing stairs sprints with an upper body exercise like pushups or pull-ups.

6. Ring Training - This type of training basically uses portable gymnastic rings that you can take anywhere with you. You throw the straps up over any high bar like a pullup bar, the top of a power rack, or even over a football field goal crossbar. Then you can quickly adjust the rings to do exercises like ring dips, ring pushups, ring pull-ups, hanging leg raises, horizontal body rows, L-sits, and more. Dips and pushups on the rings are my favorites and the rings really make them a hell of a lot more difficult, while also incorporating your stabilizer muscles to a much greater degree.

The rings allow your joints to move in a more natural pattern and can help you prevent or even recover from shoulder injuries. Personally, when I try dips on a normal dip stand, it hurts my shoulders. However, dips on the training rings feel perfect, and also give me a much better muscle pump. The training rings are one of the best training devices I’ve ever bought. Give them a try… I think you’ll like them if you’re up for a challenge. Visit ringtraining.com for more info on how to get your own training rings.

7. Mountain Biking - My favorite. Mountain bike riding gives you a variable intensity exercise that works with bursts of exertion followed by recovery intervals. You’ll get a super-fun, high-intensity, leg burning workout that will melt fat off of your entire body and build awesome legs at the same time. You have to get off the paved road though to get a total body workout. Be sure to wear a helmet.

You may never ride a stationary bike again after experiencing the fun of climbing a hill and then flying down the other side. And once you ride some “single track”, you’ll think you are in the middle of your new favorite video game as you swerve, climb and coast.

8. Skip Rope - Not only is this a great total body workout, it is fun too as you get better at it. Try adding it as a warmup to your weight training routine, and mix it up by doing two legged jumps, one-legged jumps, arm crossovers, double jumps (rope passes under feet twice for each jump) to keep things interesting and increase the intensity. Also, try alternating 15-20 second high intensity bursts where you jump as fast as you possibly can, followed by 15-20 second recovery intervals where you jump slowly to get ready for your next burst. Keep repeating until you’re whooped, which might happen pretty quick!

9. Indoor (or outdoor) Rock Climbing - This is yet another fun way to get in a great workout that will also challenge you both physically and mentally. Indoor rock climbing gyms have starting popping up all over the place in recent years and will be more accessible than outdoor rock climbing to most people. Rock climbing is a great workout for your legs, arms, shoulders, and your entire back. It also really works your grip strength and forearms like crazy. Whenever I go indoor rock climbing (which is only on occasion), my forearms are sore for about 2-3 days afterwards. Give it a try if you’ve never done it… it may be just what you’re looking for to spice up your fitness routine.

10. Jumping exercises - squat jumps, box jumps, lunge jumps, and broad jumps are some of the best ways to incorporate explosive jumping exercises into your routines. The explosive and powerful nature of jumping exercises works your leg muscles in an entirely different way than most normal slow grinding strength training moves. I’ve even seen a university study cited once that found squat jumps to elicit the greatest testosterone response of all exercises studied. That means more muscle and less fat on your entire body, not just your legs. Try super-setting jumping exercises with upper body exercises for some really intense workouts.

What do you think? Which ones will you integrate this week? Pick one or two and add them to keep your workouts fresh, your body continually getting stronger and your motivation high. And of course the results you get will give you the final verification that these weight loss workout routines are just the right thing for your fitness lifestyle