What Kind of Physical Exercise Does Somebody Have to Do to See Quick Results?

No one wants to spend endless hours exercising only to wait months to see results. But physical fitness is a long-term undertaking. For every pound you want to lose, you'll have to burn 3,500 calories more than you eat, and visible muscle development typically requires that you burn fat so that you can see muscle. Some workouts deliver faster results than others, and adopting a challenging routine will always help you achieve quicker results.

  1. Aerobic Exercise

    • Aerobic exercise is the gold standard for burning fat. Unlike lifting weights or calisthenics, it works your entire body, burning more calories and helping to melt away the fat. For the best results, stick with intense aerobic workouts such as jumping rope, running, swimming laps at a high speed or cycling uphill. You'll lose weight more quickly if you're winded and sweaty during your exercise, because this indicates your body is having to work hard, which equates to burning more calories.

    High-Intensity Interval Training

    • High-intensity interval training is a more intense take on traditional aerobic exercise. It burns more calories and can improve your aerobic capacity, making all forms of aerobic exercise easier and enabling you to work out longer. To try this type of exercise, simply pick an aerobic routine such as cycling, then switch back and forth between high- and low-intensity bursts of activity for one to two minutes each. For example, you might cycle at a moderate clip on a flat incline for one to two minutes, then increase your speed and cycle uphill for one to two minutes.

    Circuit Training

    • Circuit training offers strength training, which will define and strengthen your muscles, and aerobic exercise, which will help you to lose fat. Simply pick three or four different aerobic exercises. Then do a circuit of strength-training routines such as pushups, pullups and lunges, followed by a five- to 10-minute circuit of aerobic exercise. Do another circuit of different strength-training routines, followed by more aerobic exercise, continuing to follow this pattern for the duration of your workout.

    Kettlebells

    • According to an American Council on Exercise/University of Wisconsin at La Crosse study, kettlebell workout routines result in faster muscle development than traditional weight lifting. Most kettlebell workouts require that you swing, rather than just lift, the kettlebell, and if you do kettlebell routines at a fast pace you can get a fat-melting aerobic workout alongside your strength-building routine.