Cardio is often synonymous with weight loss. While cardio should not be the only form of exercise you use, it should definitely be a part of your program.

The problem is that when most people do cardio to lose weight, they often opt in for doing low intensity steady-paced cardio (i.e. low intensity cardio).

Increasing your cardio workout intensity will help you improve weight loss progress.

High intensity cardio is more effective for burning calories. It is regarded as more effective for reducing belly fat.

High intensity cardio is also less time consuming, more engaging and entertaining, and will help for a more long-term weight loss.

Here is a good list of cardio exercises that you can consider adding to your program.

You can also test out a high intensity interval training (HIIT) such as the Tabata protocol.

Summary:

Doing more high intensity cardio will help you burn more calories and thus improve your weight loss. Aim to add one or two sessions to your weekly workout routine.

You’re Not Doing Compound Exercises

Every exercise falls into one of two categories:

Isolated – involves the movement of one joint and one major muscle.

Compound – involves the movement of a minimum of two joints and more than one muscle group.

While isolated exercises are great for targeting specific lagging muscles and reduce the risk of injury. They are not great for weight loss.

Compound exercises on the other hand work wonders when accompanied with a good diet to help promote weight loss.

They target multiple muscle groups all at once. This explosive nature leads to a larger amount of calories being burned.

During your resting period you will have a large number of muscles, small and large, recovering from your workout. This in turn will raise your resting metabolic rate and cause you to burn more calories whilst at rest.

I am not only referring to resistance training. Compound cardio exercises such as jump rope and burpees are great examples that will get your heart rate racing and your body burning more calories.

Here are some of the best compound exercises that you can add your workout program:

• Squats
• Romanian Deadlifts
• Push-ups
• Military Presses
• Lunges
• Deadlifts
• Dips
• Pull-ups
• Burpees
• Good Mornings into squats

When designing your workout for the day or week, have half of your exercises be compound.

Summary:

Compound exercises will skyrocket your weekly calories burned and will help maintain a long-term weight loss regiment. Make sure that at least half of the exercises in your workout are compound.