Top 5 Resistance Exercises For Losing Weight

Are you familiar with Resistance Training? If not, let me start by defining it for you:

According to WebMD, Resistance training is any exercise, which causes the muscles to contract against an external resistance with the expectation of increases in strength, tone, mass, and/or endurance.

The reason I wanted to define it is because so many people assume the term resistance training means something entirely different.

When most people hear the term resistance training, they immediately think of dumbbells and barbells, which can be intimidating for women (and some men).

The good news is resistance training comes in all shapes and sizes.

Here are a few examples of resistance training equipment that doesn’t include dumbbells and barbells just to give you some clarity:

• Resistance Bands (you know those big rubber-band stretchy tubes)
• Medicine Balls
• Pulley Machines (i.e. seated pulley rows that works your back muscles)
• Leverage Machines (i.e. Hammer Strength brand)
• Kettle Bells

And the list goes on…

While resistance training can be performed using other equipment besides dumbbells and barbells, I’m going to share with you what I consider to be the Top 5 Resistance Exercises For Losing Weight that includes them.

Read on to discover these muscle toning exercises…

Step-Ups While Holding A Pair Of Dumbbells

This exercise is great for toning your thighs and buttocks. Simply grab a pair of dumbbells (one in each hand) hanging at your sides.

Then with your belly button pulled in, chest pushed up towards the ceiling, a slight arch in your back, one leg at a time step up onto an aerobic stepper landing with your foot pointed slightly outward to provide better balance.

I recommend performing all reps on one leg at a time to increase the fat-burning intensity of the movement.

Breathing Pattern: Slowly exhale as you step up and gradually inhale as you return to the starting point.

Dumbbell Shoulder Press (Standing)

This classic movement is fantastic for building lean muscle tone in your shoulders. Simply grab a pair of dumbbells (one in each hand).

Start with holding them your elbows away from your body, upper arms running parallel with the floor, with feet shoulder-width apart for maximum balance.

Now with your belly button pulled in slowly press both dumbbells straight upwards as high as they’ll go. Then slowly lower them back to the starting point.

Breathing Pattern: Slowly exhale on the push upwards and gradually inhale when returning to the starting point.

Dumbbell Curls (Standing)

Everyone loves toned arms and this is usually what most people will look at first when checking someone out. Simply grab a pair of dumbbells (one in each hand). Start with holding them hanging at your sides, your elbows close to your body, palms facing frontwards.

With feet shoulder-width apart, with your belly button pulled in, now slowly curl your right arm towards your right shoulder. Then slowly lower the dumbbell back to the starting point. Repeat on the left arm.

Breathing Pattern: Slowly exhale as you curl the dumbbell upwards and gradually inhale when returning it to the starting point.

Dumbbell Kickbacks (standing)

Back to those loveable arms again. The triceps (back of your upper arms) are usually a problem area for women especially as they age.

That’s okay because dumbbell kickbacks can help you take care of that problem. Simply grab a pair of dumbbells (one in each hand). Start with holding them hanging at your sides, your elbows close to your body, palms facing your body.

With feet shoulder-width apart, with your belly button pulled in, with a slight arch in your back, now slowly lean your upper body until it’s at a 45-degree angle.

Then slowly raised both dumbbells upwards towards your back high as they will go towards the ceiling. Then slowly lower the dumbbells back towards the starting points.

Breathing Pattern: Slowly exhale as you curl the dumbbell upwards and gradually inhale when returning it to the starting point.

Barbell Rows (standing)

Rows are great for toning your upper back muscles and getting rid of back fat. Grab a barbell with a shoulder-width grip apart or slightly wider.

With your belly button pulled in, standing shoulder-width apart, with a slight arch in your back, now slowly lean your upper body forward until it’s almost at a 45-degree angle.

With the barbell hanging, slow pull it upward towards the middle of your stomach, keeping your elbows close to your body, the whole while squeezing your shoulder blades together. Pause at the top for about 3 seconds and then slowly lower it back to the starting point.

Breathing Pattern: Slowly exhale as you pull the barbell upwards towards the middle of your stomach and gradually inhale when returning it to the starting point.

NOTE: The reason that I recommend performing your dumbbell and barbell exercises in a standing position is because this forces you to engage your whole body to support the movement.

This forces your body to burn more calories because more muscles are involved. If you prefer to perform them while sitting for reasons such as providing variety or you suffer from some type of injury, then by all means go for it!

You just learned the Top 5 Resistance Exercises For Losing Weight. And that means you can now apply them to your daily workout routine to build lean muscles, which will put your body into that fat-burning zone!

Blast, Blast, Blast!