Weight Training for Weight Loss: Start Now

If youre already exercising and eating right with the aim of slimming down, heres something you might not have thought of that can help you achieve your goal: weight training.

Weight training refers to working out with weights, whether dumbbells and barbells (free weights) or the weights you find on exercise contraptions, that you lift by means of pulleys and cables.

If youre currently walking or running or doing other cardiovascular exercise to take off fat, you might think weights would not add anything to your efforts. After all, youre burning off calories either way, right?

Done correctly, though, weight training willbring a dimension to your workout that goes beyond calorie burn-off. It will sharpen and define your muscles, which will make you look and feel leaner even before youve reached your ideal weight target.

Not only will working out with weights make you look better in the eyes of others, it will help motivate you to keep working toward your goal.

Here are some tips for anyone considering weight training for weight loss:

1. Dont spend a lot of money on equipment, at least to begin with.

A basic set of dumbbells in a few different weights will get you started, and may be all you ever need. For the average person who hasnt had much strength training, I recommend purchasing two each of the following size dumbbells: 8 (or 10) pounds, 15 pounds, and 20 (or 25) poundsthat's six dumbbells in all.

Later on you can add a barbell with a set of adjustable weights if you like. However, I recommend getting an adjustable incline/decline bench to use with your dumbbells before spending for a barbell. A bench and dumbbells will equip you to perform nearly all the weight training exercises that you need if your main goal is weight loss (as opposed to trying to look like Mr. Universe).

Fancy workout machines are greatand expensive! If you have access to a gym then by all means take advantage ofsuch equipment. But don't think that you need it in order to get a good workout.

2. Buy or borrow a good illustrated instructional book on weight lifting. Look for one targeted toward average people--people who just want to get fit or get into shape--rather than toward competitive bodybuilders.

In line with tip #1, also make sure that the book you use contains exercises you can do with dumbbells alone, and that work all parts of your body.

If you wish to make maximum progress, I strongly recommend that you also read a book on the general subject of weight loss. Avoid the fad diet of the moment. Look for a book grounded in good science, that contains practical advice for nutritional and lifestyle changes that lead to permanent fat loss. (Some excellent books in this line are actually available as downloads from the Internet.)

3. Work out with your weights regularly. If all you have is 20 minutes every Monday, then make and keep that weekly appointment with yourself.

If you have more time, here's what I consider to be an ideal "weight training for weight loss" schedule. It will give excellent results with a time commitment that is still reasonable:

Monday: 10 minutes of cardio exercise + 20 to 30 minutes' weight training

Tuesday: 10 to 20 minutes of cardio

Wednesday: 10 minutes of cardio exercise + 20 to 30 minutes' weight training

Thursday: 10 to 20 minutes of cardio

Friday: 10 minutes of cardio exercise + 20 to 30 minutes' weight training

Saturday & Sunday: Nothing! Or, better, work in a couple of brisk walks around the neighborhood.

Important: Always put at least one day between your weight training days. Never work out with weights on consecutive days, even if you're tempted to do so. When you exercise with weights you are actually tearing down muscle so that it can rebuild itself stronger and bigger. Those in-between days are your muscles' crucial rebuilding days.

4. Use the right number of exercise sets for weight loss--not for bodybuilding.

Not one in a hundred exercisers understands this point. But now you will!

When you work out with weights, you convert a certain amount of fat to muscle. Muscle weighs something, too, though. If your goal is to lose weight, you don't want to end up with a pound of muscle for every pound of fat you started with. You would be more muscular for sure, but you would still be overweight!

The key is to do fewer sets of a given exercise than is called for in "regular" or non-weight-loss-oriented weight training.

The best instructional books give separate instructions for their workouts according to their reader's particular goal, whether that's to lose pounds, to build the biggest muscles possible, or something in between. If the book you're using does not offer this, you can make the adjustment yourself.

Keep in mind that a set contains a certain number of repititions or "reps" of an exercise. A typical weight training book may instruct you to do 4 sets of a particular exercise, each set consisting of 10 reps, for a total of 40 reps. In this case you (as a weight loss exerciser) would do no more than 2 sets of 10 reps each, for a total of 20 reps maximum.

By throttling back to about half of the prescribed number of sets, you can be assured that you will be both building muscle and losing weight. (Alternately, you may want to keep the number of sets unchanged but do just half the number of reps per set.)

To be safe you can limit yourself to one set per exercise per workout session, regardless of what your book instructs. Trust me: As long as you're getting in your cardio sessions, too (and eating right, of course), you will lose weight--and you'll gain some nice, "ripped" muscles in the process.

Denny Waldarmo is a professional weight training coach who dispenses fitness and health advice at the Solid Gold Info web site: http://www.solid-gold.info/burn-the-fat.html

Need a no-hype opinion of the hottest selling weight loss book? Denny offers his.

Learn 5 Fat Loss Techniques to Lose Weight Permanently

Are you tired & frustrated that none of the fat loss products help you to loss your stomach fat. In spite of your best efforts, more fats are getting stored at your tummy, hips and butt.

Being a professional dietician and fitness consultant, I successfully treated several of these types of cases where people failed to control their stubborn fat after several attempts and spending couple of hundreds of dollars.

In this article, I will share with you five common diet and exercise mistakes as fat loss tips for your benefit.

Most important fat loss tip is that you need to accept responsibility for your diet and exercise mistakes and need to follow a proper fat loss plan.

1. You never became obese in one day so you cannot reduce weight in one day. You need to follow a disciplined fat loss plans to get back in shape. Remember it's a life long process.

2. Fat Loss is a billion dollar industry. You will find several irresistible offers on quick fat loss promoted by celebrities. Remember offer may be good in general but it might not work for you. Before spending big money, on a new weight loss program think rationally. Instead of looking for a magic pill, take action and commit yourself to a proven diet and exercise program that you can stick to for life.

3. Please maintain food and exercise diary and record accurate portions and calories. Once you start following a fat loss program, do not bend it as per your wish. It is common mistake to eat more on Sunday feast with an understanding that you will exercise half an hour more next day. You need to create a daily calorie deficit daily and that can be achieve by taking less calorie and spend more calorie.

4. A consistent performer always wins. You need to continue to follow diet meal plan and exercise. Never go back to your old food habit or life style after initial success. Please do not watch TV while you are doing your fat burning workout.

5. You are overweight or obese because you have poor metabolism. Proper exercises as resistance training, fast walking, and swimming boost your metabolism and increase in metabolism triggers weight loss. You can take negative calorie food or hunger suppressant like natural hoodia for better result.

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New Years Weight Loss

Many people in America struggle with their weight. This struggle often intensifies with the coming of the New Year and the resolutions we all make. In the midst of the pressure to resolve or enhance one's life, many dieters feel like they should try to make yet another attempt at a New Years weight loss program. However, this attempt normally comes out of a quick and pressured decision to get on the resolution bandwagon and shed those extra pounds. As a result, most New Years weight loss programs only last for at most a few months before we end up going back to our old eating habits, and we once again bid adieu to our resolution to have a new body, new weight, more energy and healthier eating plan.

This year, try to prepare in advance. Go into the dieting season with a plan of action, goals and dedication to your goals. Here are some ideas:

Tips on how to make the right diet resolutions -

1) Prepare in advance. Many people fail in their New Years weight loss programs because they choose a diet in haste and don't have enough information and they don't understand the diet concepts.

2) Play matchmaker. The first step in creating a personalized weight loss plan is understanding your dieting style. Here are some questions to help you choose the right weight loss program for your needs.

A) What type of foods do you like?

B) Are you willing to alter your eating habits?

C) Are you willing to engage in regular physical activity?

D) Do you lead a busy lifestyle?

E) Are you looking to lose weight and then maintain that weight loss?

F) Why do you want to go on a diet?

3) Educate yourself. Now that you have answered the above questions, you probably have a good idea as to how, when and why you diet. These answers are important as they provide road signs pointing to what diet may be right for you.

For example, if you like eating all foods and want a flexible and long-term diet then it's likely the Weight Watchers diet is a good fit. Alternatively, if you like eating lots of meat, fish, cheese and eggs then the South Beach Diet plan may be for you. The fact is there are many diets; it's more a matter of finding the right one for you, than listening to what other people have done. Choosing a well-matched diet for your individual tastes and character and this will give you greater chances of weight loss success.

4) Don't set your sights too high. When dieting, it's important to take baby-steps and work up to your goal rather than setting a far-reaching goal the very first time. Therefore, to ensure you're successful, set attainable monthly goals. If you're not sure what to shoot for, one pound per week, or 4 pounds per month is a good weight loss pace.

5) Finally, Embrace your decision. Once you've become acquainted with your dieting personality, educated yourself on the many weight loss programs and weight loss products available, chosen the one that suits you best and set realistic goals you're in a much better position to diet. So make your diet plan, pat yourself on the back, embrace your decision to lose weight healthily and get started.

Dieting for weight loss management and better health is a gift. There are many people in the world who don't even have enough food to eat on a day to day basis, therefore, this year look at dieting from a completely different perspective. Consider your ability to diet, eat well and select healthy foods a blessing rather than a chore.

Check out Diet Concepts for tips on different diets as well as recipes and diet plans.

Natural Weight Loss Requres A Combined Approach

Despite advertising claims, there is no single product or approach that is widely effective at producing natural weight loss. Although many hopefully search for a magical one-step solution to their weight problems, the vast majority of the time a combination of diet, exercise, and sometimes natural weight loss aids is necessary to effectively lose weight and keep it off.

There are many natural weight loss products available and additional ones come out all the time. Each promises to be nearly miraculous in it's effects and people buy the latest and greatest weight loss aid with eager anticipation, hoping that it will finally be the answer to their weight problems. They want to believe that a pill, or a patch, or a tea, etc.. will be all they need to lose weight and that diet and exercise won't be necessary (because dieting and exercising are difficult). Even though deep down they probably know that the latest weight loss miracle being hyped is no better than all the things they've tried before, they want to believe it will work, and so they buy it, only to be disappointed again.

Now this is not to say that natural weight loss aids are all completely worthless. In fact, many do exactly what they are supposed to do. For example, hoodia gordonii (at least the real stuff) does seem to be a very effective appetite suppressant. So, if the main reason that you have trouble losing weight is because you have out of control hunger that makes you eat excessively, hoodia may be a big help. The problem is that most people are not overeating out of actual hunger. They may eat out of boredom, out of habit, out of a need to satisfy a craving, or out of a need to soothe some emotional issue they are dealing with, but they don't eat out of hunger. Hoodia is not going to help you if you aren't eating out of hunger.

Other natural weight loss aids may work by increasing the metabolic effects of diet and exercise. It kind of stands to reason that if you fail to incorporate diet and exercise the effects of these products will be pretty minor.

Some natural weight loss aids block the absorption of fat by the digestive tract and thereby lower the calories you absorb from each meal. While this does tend to help with weight loss, unless you stop eating everything except fat (which is not a good idea), you still are taking in other calories that, in excess, will be converted to fat AFTER they are absorbed from the digestive tract. Here again a consistent diet and exercise program is needed to get maximum effects.

At this point, you may have guessed that one of the primary points I am trying to make is that lsting natural weight loss, absolutely requires a healthy eating plan and regular exercise. No weight loss aid, natural or otherwise will by itself make you lose weight and keep it off. In fact, the ads for weight loss aids will usually state this very thing, even though it is in microscopic print at the bottom of the ad.

What it comes down to is that natural weight loss is built on a foundation of sensible diet and exercise. With a good diet and exercise program in place, you may get additional benefits from using one or more of the natural weight loss products on the market. But do your research to find a product that serves your particular needs. In other words, if you're not overeating out of hunger, don't buy an appetite suppressant. If you're already minimizing your fat intake, don't waste your money on a fat blocker.

Now, once you have your weight loss plan in place with your diet, exercise program, and whatever natural weight loss aids you choose to use, there's one little thing that needs to happen for you to successfully lose weight. You have to stick to the program! If there's one thing that renders the vast majority of natural weight loss efforts ineffective, it's a lack of follow-through.

It has been my experience that very few people stick to a natural weight loss program consistently for more than two weeks at a time. Of course, some people may intermittently follow a weight loss program for months or years, but they get sidetracked over and over again and really are not consistent for more than one or two weeks in a row, so they never get any momentum and achieve their goals.

A new study that tested the relative effectiveness of several popular diet plans revealed a fascinating finding. The overall success rates of most of the currently popular diet programs were about the same. The success or failure of any given diet had little to do with what the approach was. In other words, low carb, low fat, calorie restriction, eating for blood type, etc., really didn't matter. What mattered was whether or not the individual stuck to the program! To sum it up, it doesn't matter so much what you do to lose weight (within reason), as much as it matters that you do it consistently long-term!

To follow-through with your natural weight loss plan, you MUST get control of your mind. There are many ways to do this and many different techniques that work to varying degrees for different people. You can get a lot of help in this area with products from Anthony Robbins, Dr. Phil, and others, as well as through technologies like hypnosis, the Sedona Method and Emotional Freedom Technique. You may need to try several methods to find what works well for you.

Regardless of the approach you use, the true key to effective natural weight loss really has very little relationship to the hottest weight loss aid on the market, or the most recent diet book being promoted. The real secret is to choose a reasonable approach that includes diet, exercise (choose an exercise you are physically capable of doing - starting with advanced kickboxing if you've been a couch potato your whole life is not going to work!), and possibly one or more weight loss aids and then make that program a part of your daily life forever. And the way to make that happen is to take control of your mind and get your brain working with you rather than against you. Good luck!

Dr. Best provides free diet, exercise, and supplement information on his website covering natural weight loss. He can be reached via email at DrBest@TrainYourBrain4WeightLoss.com

Weight Loss Tips For 2008

The first thing that we have to know before we precede to the topic weight loss tips is that there are no short cut methods for you to shed excess weight over night. It requires will power and patience. Another thing to be remembered before you start acting upon the weight loss tips that you are getting is that shedding weight is some thing that is to be dealt with according to the physique and body nature of individuals. Make sure that the life style that you are going to adopt is suitable for you or not.

Like any other work, a programme to shed weight or the weight loss tip you are to follow should also have a target. You should be definite about how much pounds that you want to reduce and the time period within which you want to achieve that target. Make a fixed time schedule without attempting to drag it to an indefinite period. That will make you find excuses for not following the diet rules and routine exercise that you have to do every day.

Try to collect all available materials on the subject especially when you prepare a diet chart to know the impact of reducing food intake. Avoid vitamin deficiency by taking vitamin and mineral supplement to avoid problems arising out of malnutrition.

The first step to be taken by you is to observe quantity of food that you consume a day. Just observe what all food stuff, including the snacks that you consume while you are watching TV or a movie that you consume to know the exact amount of food that you take a day. It is essential to know what all things you have to quit to get rid of the over weight problem.

Never attempt to skip break fast. A good break fast is some thing that is essential for your body to remain healthy and strong. Avoiding break fast may make you eat more at lunch time.

Add a lot pulses and vegetables into your regular diet. Pulses are good to increase the metabolism of your body. Make it a habit to drink plenty of plain water a day. It will help you to lose weight faster than you think

Shift to four to five small meals instead of taking heavy meals three times a day. If you want to avoid excessive intake of food learn to eat slowly by chewing every bit of your food. Avoid all junk foods and fried items from your regular diet. Avoid occasions that tempts you to take too much food. Follow a regular exercise routine to make the weight shedding programme more effective and quick.

For your free course teaching you exactly how to succeed with your weight loss goals using simple and effective weight loss diets simply go to http://weightlossrevolution.net

Implementing A Successful Weight Loss Plan

Loosing weight has become a common trend these days. People are into more number of weight loss plans. There are plenty of such plans available in the book stores, libraries, internet and many other media. Choosing the right plan suiting out requirements and out body language is simply difficult to select. Each and every book on weight loss plan stands out to be unique and different in its own way.

The only way to select the perfect book matching your needs is through the open mind method. In this method you are let to decide on your own after reading several books. You can just gather information about those which suits your requirements, time, money and effort. Mix and match plans really works to be too good. This could end up in bringing up the perfect plan which might sound to be the best one for you.

Always think in the practical way and never jump into a plan without thinking and sometimes even rethinking paves the way. Do not blindly believe and practice what is told. Never go for any kind of crash diets or something which might be dangerous at any point of time. Weight loss pills are readily available in the market but never opt for those miracle pills as it could result in side effects eventually.

Only with slow and steady trial and error method you will be able to finally end up with the best plan. You will be surely encouraged if you practice what is known as patience as it shows up the new way for you. It is certain that you will end up with the ideal plan suiting you if you are hard working, realistic and being patient.

Things work out to be fine if you are to follow a strict plan. One among those is the calorie-shifting diet which has been proved to be effective than any other plans. Studies have stated that by following this diet you tend to lose almost nine pounds after every eleven days if you are to strictly adopt it. Also the experts count on the hazards caused due to rapid weight loss plans.

In this routine you should be depending on low carbohydrates, low fat and low calorie for three days then you can take a short break of another 3 days where you depend on any of these. The alternate day's cycle shall be followed for almost eleven days and you can find the initial result. Even though this process is slow, it is regarded to be as very safe and secured.

For your free course teaching you exactly how to succeed with your weight loss goals using simple and effective Hoodia weight loss simply go to http://weightlossrevolution.net

The Weight Loss Transformation Mindset

Sometimes we get caught up. We forget how powerful we really are. Well, I want to remind you of exactly that. YOU are POWERFUL. Yes, I know sometimes we stumble through our articles and we scroll through looking for something that might interest us as we then proceed to keep looking. But I want you to know that I'm speaking to YOU.

Right NOW in this moment. And I don't care how much you've stumbled in the past. The truth is that we ALL have fears. We all have times of self-doubt and uncertainty. We all have times where we wake up early in the morning and we just don't feel like facing the day. What do most of us do in these situations? We turn to outside sources of pleasure. We put off being our inner ideal until 'tomorrow.'

We justify. And when you fast forward a life of procrastination, you'll be watching a film of regret. But you know what? Sometimes this isn't the end of the world. Maybe there's someone out there that is 100% perfect. I can tell you that I'm certainly not. And yes sometimes you DO need to be hard on yourself if you behave like this. Raising your standards...

But ultimately there comes a time when you move beyond that. To something even bigger and more encompassing. You're stress and anxiety is replaced by an inner sense of calm and ROCK SOLID CONFIDENCE that nothing or no one can shake.

In an instant, you have had enough of petty games and nonsense. You realize EXACTLY what you want and you are filled with the *awareness* that you will do whatever it takes to get there. You will NOT fail yourself. If you stumble so be it - but you know exactly where you're going. And that's when it becomes only a matter of time...

I honor you. Take this moment to sit up straight, take a full and deep breath... and recognize your GREATNESS. Smile. I'm grateful to have the opportunity to speak to you b/c anyone who is focused on progress and growth is a winner in my book. And the fact that you're reading these words indicates exactly that. In closing let me ask you:

What would it take to create that inner sense of confidence and power that *inevitably* leads to you manifesting the body and health that you desire?

To learn more visit http://www.LivingLifeLean.com to sign up for a free 10 Day eCourse and discover how you too can live in a lean, strong and energetic body.