Consider this: you’ve incorporated strength training, jogging, and even sprinkled in a few sprints throughout your week, yet the scale refuses to budge. The likely culprit? Ineffective recovery.
Revisiting our pyramid analogy, think of the sand beneath the pyramid as your recovery. Despite its paramount importance, effective recovery often remains the most neglected aspect of a well-balanced routine. In the quest for weight loss through the calorie in vs. calorie out model, the temptation may arise to train relentlessly every day for maximum calorie burn. However, this approach typically leads to a transient weight loss followed by a stubborn plateau or, at worst, issues like poor digestion, increased fat storage, and a heightened risk of injury or illness.
Recovery is not just about post-workout stretches (which should not be overlooked). It encompasses the quality of your sleep, stress management, and nutritional intake before and after workouts.
Why does this matter? It’s grounded in scientific principles. Stress—whether from daily stressors, inadequate sleep, pain, or nutritional imbalances—activates our fight or flight nervous system, elevating cortisol levels. Elevated cortisol prioritizes survival over other functions, slowing digestion, impeding recovery, and suppressing the release of oxytocin, the “happy hormone.” Consequently, motivation to exercise wanes, post-exercise feelings worsen, and inefficient digestion increases the likelihood of fat storage.
If you find yourself in a rut, review your routine and ensure you’re:
Maintaining a consistent bedtime routine, aiming for at least 7 hours of sleep nightly (individual needs may vary). Incorporating stress management strategies such as deep breathing, meditation, or designated technology detox times into your daily routine. Avoiding meal skipping, prioritizing pre-workout carbs, and post-workout protein. Eating is crucial, as 10% of daily calories are burned through digestion. Embracing rest days—training every day is unnecessary and counterproductive.
7 Best Exercises to Lose Weight
Now, let’s dive into the core of the matter—the absolute best exercises for weight loss. A noticeable theme in this list is the emphasis on compound exercises, those that engage multiple muscle groups simultaneously. Sorry, bicep curls didn’t make the cut here.
- Squats:
- All squat variations involve the entire lower body and the core (abs and back).
- Bonus points for goblet, Zercher, or front carry squats to engage the upper body.
- Deadlift:
- All variations. Deadlifts require strong legs, a stable core, and excellent grip strength for safe execution.
- Kettlebell Swings:
- The intense cousin of deadlifts. Targets the same muscle groups as deadlifts while adding a dose of high-intensity training.
- Turkish Getups (TGUs):
- The poster child for full-body workouts. Works every muscle group, enhancing both strength and mobility.
- Walking Lunges:
- Engages multiple muscle groups (core and lower body) and aids in training the body to absorb shock, promoting healthier joints.
- Transverse Step Ups:
- Excellent for training multiple muscle groups, especially beneficial for those with tight hips or back pain.
- Bulgarian Split Squats:
- A challenging exercise, particularly beneficial for individuals with desk jobs. Stretches the front of the hip and thigh, improving lower body posture and reducing sitting-related pain.
Feel free to integrate these exercises into your routine, starting gradually for safety. All the variations on this list are effective, and there are lower-intensity or bodyweight regressions you can begin with and progressively advance. Instead of pushing too hard, meet your body where it is now and gradually incorporate these exercises into your routine.
Bottom Line:
If you’re grappling with finding the best workout or exercise for weight loss, stick to a balanced diet, prioritize effective recovery, and begin incorporating these weight loss exercises that engage multiple muscle groups.
