Free Weights to Break Through the Weight Loss Flatline

"I was losing weight like crazy & then all of a sudden I hit a wall! No matter what I do I can't drop another pound." 

This is a very familiar cry for many people trying to hit a goal weight or hit a target body mass index.  Often times, especially in individuals who are just beginning a nutritional and/or exercise plan for the first time, one loses weight or body fat drastically in the first several weeks of their journey and then "hit the wall".  They are not at their goal weight or the healthy BMI they have sought out and yet find it impossible to lose another pound.  There are several scientific reasons for the plateau, the main one being that your body is trying to find a state of homeostasis, or balance.  Your body has experienced some dramatic changes in recent weeks and it is trying to balance itself out as part of your built in "flight or fight" response.  You know, however, that there are a few more inches that you desire to reduce in that belt line.  You need to throw your body a curve ball and introduce something new to the demands you are putting on your energy system.

Starting a high energy & intense free weights interval training program that you attack just 2 days a week can help your break through your frustrating barrier.  You may be doing weights already but chances are you haven't attacked your resistance training with the kind of intensity your body requires to demand a change in energy burning options.  You may not have access to a gym, dumbbells or free weights and so any kind of resistance training seems out of the questions.  Both problems are easily conquered by thinking outside of the box a little and introducing one small piece of essential equipment to your gym bag, the stopwatch.

The Stop Watch
I was on the treadmill the other day and to pass time I was observing some of the workout habits of the people in the gym.  On one gentleman I noticed that after he completed his set of repetitions he waited over 4 minutes before repeating the same weight, same exercise, for the same number of reps.  We don't have a very good clock inside of our heads when it comes to getting back in the saddle to attack another set.  Often times we let our heart rate drop to a comfortable rate before starting another set or exercise.  Keeping your heart rate up is what burns calories! Invest in any type of digital stopwatch, you can get them for as low as $7-10 at most sporting goods stores.  You shouldn't wait more than 60 seconds to start another exercise if the weight you've lifted doesn't exceed 85% of your maximum effort. 

The Big 4
Don't spend wasted time working out muscle groups that don't recruit very much oxygen.  The larger the need for oxygen in the muscle the greater the calorie burn.  So the larger the muscle group worked, or the more compound the exercise is, the more oxygen is recruited and the more calories you burn.  Don't spend precious gym time doing bicep curls, tricep extensions, or calf raises.  You will not even see these very defined muscle groups until you get lean!  Instead focus on the 4 large muscle groups in your body; legs (including the glutes), back, chest, & core. You will most definitely work all of your small muscle groups while focusing on these larger ones.  Also try and make these movements compound whenever possible.  Grab a pair of dumbbells and begin by performing a bent over row.  After one repetition drop down and do a push up, then hop back up to begin another row.  Your heart rate will explode & you are really working all 4 major muscle groups.  Get creative!

No Weights, No Problem
Purchasing your own free weights can be very expensive.  Gym memberships often seem like too much of a financial commitment.  You can find ways to add resistance to your exercises with many things around your house.  Use those environmentally friendly reusable shopping bags for more than loading up on goodies.  Burn some calories with them by loading them up with an appropriate weight resistance for you by adding some books. Use these for pulling exercises like rows or high pulls.  Grab the unopened bag of dog food out of the garage & toss it over your shoulder to perform some squats or lunges.  Use your imagination & get creative.  Body weight exercises are never a bad idea either and for around $180 you can purchase the TRX Suspension system for one of the best workouts of your life!

Hopefully this gave you some ideas that will create some variety in your workouts and challenge your weight loss flat lines. 

Go for it!

Nick