Exercises to Lose Weight Quickly

Is it Really Possible to Lose Weight Fast?

Weight loss, and specifically long-term weight loss from fat reduction, is not a “quick” process.

If you are overweight, there is a very good chance that your excess weight didn’t just magically appear overnight. In other words, if you gained weight slowly over the last few months, don’t expect to lose it in a couple weeks. However, if your goal is to lose weight quickly, we are going to dive much deeper into this topic and help you achieve the best possible results.

The following information about exercises to lose weight quickly provide the quickest possible weight loss ONLY when combined with proper nutrition & adequate rest.

All Weight Loss is Not Created Equal

Scale weight is very overrated. You have heard that your body is 70% water or something to that effect, right? The last time you had to carry a bucket filled with water or a pack of drinking water bottles, what do you remember about it? It was very heavy, wasn’t it?

To Keep it Simple, Your Body Weight Consists of 2 Components: Lean Body Mass & Fat Mass

Lean Body Mass

Your lean body mass consists of all tissue which is not body fat. This includes your bones, organs, brain, and muscles. In fact, even the water in your body is part of your lean body mass.

You can see in the lean body mass of an obese female on the DXA scan picture (left). You can clearly see muscle tissue, bones and organs which make up the lean body mass surrounded by a yellowish white tissue which is body fat.

Your lean body mass is primarily made up of water. Water is not only heavy, but it is constantly being retained and expelled in most of the tissues of your lean body mass.

This is why fast weight loss is often deceiving. Drastic changes in diet, exercise, and dehydration can cause your body to lose water weight which is not permanent, and it can often be unhealthy.

Even worse, improper nutrition along with overtraining will lead to a reduction in lean muscle mass which contributes to keeping your metabolism burning a high number of calories.

Body Fat

Although fat is stored in multiple places in your body, you can think of body fat as what you can feel when you pinch any part of your body.

Since your skin is only about 1mm thick, if the fold of your skin you pinch is over 2mm what you are feeling is called subcutaneous fat which is the primary stored body fat in your body.

Depending on your sex, genetics, physical activity, history and other factors, you may have specific areas which have more body fat than others. There is no way to target your specific ‘problem areas’ as body fat is reduced slowly through caloric deficit.

Exercises to Lose Weight Quickly Help Create a Caloric Deficit

The graphic shows a caloric balance. It is when you consume as many calories as you expend throughout a period of time. In this case your weight will remain the same.

A caloric deficit is when you burn more calories than you consume over a period of time.

You can see if you increased the right side of the balance it would tip the scales in the favor of weight loss.

In order to lose weight quickly your goal is to maintain a caloric deficit of as many calories as possible.

Since your structured exercise is such a small portion of your energy expenditure, the exercises to lose weight quickly burn the most calories during and following your workout because they involve large muscle groups.

Take note that if you really want to lose weight fast, you should not only increase the calories you burn from not only structured exercise but consume less calories as well as increase the calories you burn from your activities of daily living. You can do this by taking the stairs instead of the elevator, walk to work instead of taking the bus, park at the back of the parking lot instead of the front, et cetera.

All 3 factors will contribute to a high metabolism and allow you to lose weight fast.

The fourth way to increase energy expenditure is your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate). Your BMR or resting calories is how many calories your body burns for normal bodily functions at rest, such as digestion and breathing.

You cannot change your BMR directly but it can be influenced by changes in body composition (added muscle mass), nutrition and rest. You can look at an increased BMR as being a bonus for following a healthy nutrition and exercise program.

What are the Best Cardio Exercises to Lose Weight Quickly?

The Best Cardio Exercises to Lose Weight Quickly can be Any Aerobic Activities !

Download Chart in PDF

Any mode of cardiovascular exercise such as running, jogging, hiking, bicycling or using cardio equipment can be considered exercises to lose weight quickly.

The mode (type of exercise) of cardio exercise is insignificant compared to your exercise intensity.

Cardio exercise intensity is classified as your sustained heart rate during exercise. It is very important you know your exercise intensity during your workouts.

While you can monitor your heart rate by old fashioned pulse counting or a fancy wristwatch heart rate monitor it is often more simple and practical to use a Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) chart to monitor exercise intensity.

The RPE chart allows you to quantify your exercise intensity and level of fatigue.

Use the RPE Chart

It is a good idea to download and print out the RPE chart and have it right in front of you when you exercise.

The RPE chart can help you maintain your vigorous exercise pace without the distraction of taking your pulse or punching buttons on your heart rate monitor. The best part about the RPE scale is it does not require any mathematical adjustments as exercise heart rate does.

Once your body begins to physically adapt to your new exercise program exercise intensities which were once vigorous (for example, maintaining 160 beats per minute jogging 5 mph on a treadmill) will become easy for you. The RPE chart makes it easy to increase the intensity of exercise because you won’t have to worry about any math.

Change up Your Cardio Routine Often

While most of the time exercises to lose weight quickly are high intensity, vigorous exercises it is very important to ‘keep your body guessing’ by changing your activities and exercise intensities periodically.

High intensity cardio exercise can be hard on the body. If you perform the same motion over and over again at high intensities (especially on a low calorie diet) you become likely to develop nagging problems such as stress fractures and tendonitis.

The #1 Rule of Any Exercise Program is to Stay Healthy

Replacing a high intensity cardio workout with a low intensity, longer duration workout of another type of exercise every so often will let your body adequately recover while burning calories for your fast weight loss goals.

What are the Best Weight Training Exercises to Lose Weight Quickly?

First, You Must Understand There is No Such Thing as Spot Reduction

If you are looking to lose weight quickly you must get this myth out of your head. The myth of spot reduction basically states that you can burn fat off a particular area of the body by flexing the muscles under the fat.

This is not how fat reduction actually works. The only way to truly burn fat is through cardio exercise, strength training, and proper nutrition.

Whether you think you need to “lose the most weight” in your arms, legs, mid-section or face, your exercise selection is going to be relatively the same.

For Fast Weight Loss Full Body Resistance Training Workouts are Optimal

Exercises to lose weight quickly work as much muscle mass as possible. Isolation exercises (‘toning exercises’) serve no purpose for anyone looking to lose weight fast.

The exercises to lose weight quickly are designed to stimulate your metabolism and maintain your muscle mass. Along with your low calorie diet, the exercises to lose weight quickly will help create and maintain a caloric deficit.

Using the resistance training exercises to lose weight quickly will also allow you to finish your resistance training workout quickly giving you more of your precious time to devote to your calorie incinerating cardio program.

Exercises to Lose Weight Quickly Sample Workout

Below is an example of a workout schedule for somebody to lose weight fast. This sample workout contains exercises with a very high difficulty level so do not attempt if you are just a beginner. This workout represents what you could be able to do as you progress from beginner to intermediate and advanced fitness levels.

If you’re just starting out, be sure to check out the ten week beginners weight loss exercise plan instead. This beginners plan assumes you are a complete newbie and so will start you out slow and gradually work you up to higher intensity exercises.

Exercises to Lose Weight Quickly Weight Training Workout

Although the following workout has only 4 exercises it works your body’s entire muscle mass as well as cardiovascular system. You can perform the first 2 exercises back to back with minimal rest then repeat for 2-4 sets before you move to the second 2 exercises.

You can can also perform one at a time with rest in between. As long as you’re spending the great majority of your workout exercising than resting these can be great exercises to lose weight quickly.

Dumbbell Push-ups w/ Rows

Working Muscles:

• Chest
• Lats
• Core (Transverse Abdomins)
• Triceps
• Biceps
• Anterior Deltoids
• Shoulder Stabilizers

Squat with Shoulder Press

Working Muscles:

• Quadriceps
• Glutes
• Hamstrings
• Anterior & Medial Deltoids
• Triceps

Lunges with Curls

Working Muscles:

• Glutes
• Quadriceps
• Hamstrings
• Inner/Outer Thighs
• Biceps

Squat with Rows

Working Muscles:

• Quadriceps
• Glutes
• Mid & Lower Traps
• Latissimus Dorsi
• Biceps
• Posterior Deltoids

Exercises to Lose Weight Quickly Sample Workout Schedule

The weight training workout above should be performed first and take no longer than 30 minutes. The cardio sessions can be on any machine. The cardio intensity level is based on the RPE chart. You can view and download the RPE chart below.

Download RPE Chart in PDF

Monday

• Weight Training Workout 1
• 30-45 minutes cardio @ levels 4-6

Tuesday

• 20-30 minutes cardio @ level 7-9

Wednesday

• OFF
• Optional- 30-45 minutes cardio @ levels 4-6

Thursday

• Weight Training Workout 1
• 30-45 minutes cardio @ levels 4-6

Friday

• 20-30 minutes cardio @ level 7-9

Saturday

• Weight Training Workout 1
• Cardio intensity based on energy levels

Sunday

• OFF

Total Time: 1 Hour each workout (+ or – 15 minutes)

Times per week: 3-6

By no means is this sample workout of exercises to lose weight quickly the only exercises you can do to lose weight but it does represent the type of workouts which are most effective for fast weight loss. For more information and videos of these types of exercises and information about weight loss please visit:

Here’s a Look At Many Popular Exercises That Can Help You Lose Weight Fast

What are the Side Effects when you Lose Weight Fast?

Again: All Weight Loss in Not Created Equal

These side effects have absolutely nothing to do with the exercises to lose weight quickly and all to do with diet and how you treat your body. If you accept the fact that the best weight loss happens at its own natural pace and resist abusing your body by starving yourself or long term diet supplement use you are very unlikely to develop any side effects.

Rebound Weight Gain

The most common side effect of weight loss programs that lose weight too fast. It is unnatural for your body to lose a large chunk of weight in a short period of time. When you do so, it changes your body chemistry. This is made worse by the use of diet pills where stimulants such as caffeine are the main ingredient.

If your body is put in an unnatural state during your period of fast weight loss, once your weight is stabilized, your body will readjust actually making it easier to put weight back on for many people. Rebound weight gain can be demoralizing for dieters.

Loose Skin

Don’t be alarmed. You need not worry about loose skin if you only have a few pounds to lose as it is only common amongst people who lose large amounts of weight in a relatively short period.

The most common sufferers of loose skin are those who have undergone gastric bypass surgery and large amounts of liposuction surgeries.

Loose skin is a result of the body fat being reduced faster than the skins capabilities to adjust its tension.

The worst part about loose skin is once it happens the only way to reduce it is by a surgical procedure. There are no exercises, creams, supplements which reduce loose skin.

Dehydration

Many people who try to lose weight quickly often resort to dehydrating themselves. This is very common in weight limit athletes such as wrestlers but many people dehydrate themselves because they lose scale weight doing so.

If you’re not an athlete training for an event, there is absolutely no point to dehydrating yourself. Avoiding fluid intake, eliminating salt from the diet and taking diuretic pills are common ways to induce a state of dehydration which can be counterproductive, dangerous and even deadly!

Your body’s hydration is ever changing with your diet, sleep, exercise and external environmental factors. If you deplete your body of carbohydrates and sodium your body will store less water which lowers your weight in the process. Some people can lose 10 or more pounds by dehydrating themselves.

When you dehydrate yourself you not only risk serious problems, but some argue that dehydration severely lowers your metabolism, making it harder to lose the fat. Dehydration is pointless because when you resume your normal eating and drinking habits, you will regain your water weight immediately.

Overtraining Syndrome

Along with intense training, a low calorie diet makes it far more likely that you’ll develop overtraining syndrome.

This is common in people who intend to lose weight quickly because they devote all their energy to training and neglect rest and proper caloric intake.

Overtraining syndrome happens as a result of many, often small negative factors colliding to create a big problem.

Once you enter overtraining syndrome, exercise will not only be less enjoyable making it hard to finish a workout, it will be hard just to get out of bed in the morning. Overtraining syndrome is way of your body telling you that you need to take a break.

Weight Loss Resources

• Fat Loss, Goal Estimation and Nutrition Articles
  Rather than trying to lose weight fast, make it your goal to lose weight healthily by burning fat and maintaining your lean muscle for successful long term body fat & weight reduction.
• Ask The Trainer Weight Loss Q&A Archive

About Michael Behnken

Mike Behnken is a personal trainer who holds multiple NASM certifications and a MS in Exercise Science. Mike loves fitness, travel, and photography among many other interests.