Toning up after major weight loss
You logged the woman-hours at the gym and stocked your fridge with enough kale and Greek yogurt to slenderize an elephant. Here are 5 ways to deal with loose skin—surgical and not—after a serious drop in pounds. For a toned physique, you need tight, defined muscles, which means hitting the gym for some resistance training. Perform two lower-body and three or four upper-body exercises each session, each for three to four sets of six to 10 repetitions. Opt for bras with front closures and thicker bands, which give a cleaner, smoother look to your back. Sign up for daily health tips, plus exclusive offers. Ideally you need a minimum of three days and a maximum of six. Cardio may be the way many choose to lose weight, but making weight training a mainstay in your gym routine can complement your cardio routine and will lead to faster results both in terms of weight loss and toning. Moves such as squats, lunges, deadlifts, pushups and rows should make up the majority of your program. This goes against the traditional recommendation of using light weights for higher reps for toning, but lifting heavier provides a greater anabolic response, which actually leads to faster fat burning, notes Banks. For your cardio, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends three 20- to 60-minute sessions of vigorous activity each week. The best method for weight training is to choose multi-joint exercises that hit lots of different muscle groups, notes trainer Jacqueline Silvestri Banks on the Fox News website. The information presented on this website is not intended as specific medical advice and is not a substitute for professional medical treatment or diagnosis.
Back view of male legs running on a treadmill. (Looking for a total-body toning workout that will fit into your busy schedule. But toning up could help you appear more taut after weight loss. Mid-rise jeans are another great option—ones that hit right below the belly button are the sweet spot for a perfect fit. No reproduction, transmission or display is permitted without the written permissions of Rodale Inc. When it comes to excess skin after weight loss, the hard, cold truth is that going under the knife is the only surefire way to totally get rid of it. Try a wrap dress in a bold color like red. For her own body, Coffey went the tummy-tuck route for extra skin around her midsection and amped up her weight-lifting routine for her arms, legs, and back. Decide how many days you can get to the gym each week. Make these total-body workouts, in which you work every major muscle group in a single session. He graduated from Peter Symonds College in the UK with A Levels in law, business and sports science, and is a fully qualified personal trainer, sports massage therapist and corrective exercise specialist with accreditations from Premier Global International. Mike Samuels started writing for his own fitness website and local publications in 2008. Weight loss is straightforward as it simply involves lowering your body weight, which can be done by dieting alone. It should hit at (or just below) the knee, and pairing it with heels will make your legs look longer and leaner.
