Losing weight requires consistency within a workout regimen. In their textbook, “Exercise Physiology: Energy, Nutrition and Human Performance,” Dr. William D. McArdle and Professors Frank I. Katch and Victor L. Katch describe the process of losing weight as a reduction of total body mass, including excess fluid, muscle and fat. Some gym exercises are designed to help lose weight quickly due to their intensity and the type of exercises being done: cardio, strength-training or both.
Interval Sprints
Interval sprints are done on the treadmill using its differing speed and incline settings. Begin by jogging on a low incline setting and maintain this pace for about a minute. While on the treadmill, increase the speed to a quick run with a slightly lower incline and run for 30 seconds. Switch between the slower pace and the quick run, jogging for a minute then running for 30 seconds. “Interval training is great because it works your heart rate up, then quickly lets it drop, making it fitter faster,” said American College of Sports Medicine Certified Personal Trainer Shelby Young. “The faster your heart rate drops to normal, the more fit you are. Interval training also burns fat faster than any other kinds of cardio you could do at the gym.”
Rowing Machine
Using the rowing machine at the gym provides a full-body workout, combining both resistance training and cardiovascular work. Sitting in the rower’s-seat, fasten feet into footholds and grasp handle with an overhand grip. Using the leg muscles, propel the body straight back, extending the legs just before the knees lock. Simultaneously, engage the core and upper body to pull the handle towards the chest before returning to the start position. “The rower is amazing because it strengthens your legs, arms and core and it also makes your heart pump,” said Young. “Anything that works your legs is going to be a good workout because they’re the biggest muscle groups in your body, so you’ll burn more fat and lose weight fast than doing other exercises.”
Stairmaster
One of the most well-known exercise machines in the gym, the Stairmaster, works the lower body: legs and gluteals. Through mimicking the movement of climbing up a flight of stairs, the Stairmaster works the biggest muscle groups in the body, promoting weight loss though fat-burning as well as providing a cardio workout. “The Stairmaster is tough because it’s slow and steady and some people get bored with it, but it’s a great machine that really can get your heart pumping and your legs moving, which will help lose weight pretty fast,” said Young.
About this Author
Sapna Pathak is a certified yoga instructor and diet and nutrition consultant and a sportswriter for the Boston Globe. She has won numerous awards for her reporting on both sports and on the health, diet and fitness industry. In 2004, she earned her double-bachelor’s in journalism and in exercise physiology and neurobiology.
