Weekend workout tips for fatloss shows you how to get the most out of your weekend workouts when you don't have time to train during the week. Working out two days a week can make losing fat and getting/staying in shape more challenging but you can still get great results if you follow these smart workout strategies to help you maximize your time in the gym.
Split Workouts
It may seem that doing two full body workouts will benefit you the most but you can actually push yourself harder and work your muscles more effectively if you work different body parts each day. The following are splits that you can try and the advantages and disadvantages with each one.
Upper Body Lower Body Split: Working back, chest, biceps, triceps, shoulders one day and quads, hamstrings, calves, abs the next day. The advantage is that you can easily incorporate supersets, combination sets, and tri-sets into your workout. The disadvantage is that the full upper body workout can get really lengthy.
Push Pull Split: Working chest, triceps, shoulders, quads, calves one day and back, biceps, hamstrings, and abs the next day. The advantage is that you pre-fatigue the smaller upper body muscles when you’re working out the larger upper body muscles so you can do less exercises for the smaller muscles. The disadvantage is that you may get a less effective leg workout when you split up quads and hamstrings.
Non-Competing Muscles Split: Working back, triceps, shoulders, calves one day, and chest, biceps, quads, hamstrings, the next day. The advantage is being able to work all muscles, especially upper body ones, equally hard. There are no real disadvantage to this split except that it can be somewhat confusing for beginners.
Once you choose a split that appeals to you, plan to include at least two exercises per body part and do at least 4 sets of 10-12 reps each with a moderate weight. If your goal is to build muscle then try 3 exercises per body part and decrease to 3 sets of 6-8 reps each with a heavy weight. Always start by training your larger muscles first. It’s also important to vary your workouts. Train heavy one month then go lighter the next. This will help you avoid plateaus and injuries.
Cardio Solutions
Your best bet here is to do your cardio at the end of your strength workout and to include intense intervals to burn more fat. Start with 5 min at a moderate pace continue with 5 minutes of intervals (alternating between easy and really hard) then continue with 10-20 more minutes of moderate intensity cardio.
Don't Forget To Stretch
One last but very important component of your fitness program that you shouldn’t overlook is stretching. The best time to do it is between sets when you’re working out. This will prevent injuries and keep you from getting too sore. You can also do it after your last cardio session when your muscles are most pliable. Be sure to stretch every muscle and hold each stretch for at least 10 seconds without bouncing or straining. One last option is to supplement your weekend workouts with a yoga or pilates video tape. These usually run about 20 min. and can help relieve stress and strengthen your core making your workouts more productive.
Learn how to burn 1000-2000 calories a week without living in the gym with Workouts For Working People: How You Can Get in Great Shape While Staying Employed
