Some exercises not worth doing for fat loss

Quite often there is no right answer when it comes to exercise but rather the answer that best suits your needs and goals.

If you are looking to lose weight (and by weight I mean fat) there are certain ways to do it that will expedite the process, but also ways to turn your wheels without really getting anywhere. Some exercises just aren't worth doing if you're looking to lose.

The key to losing body fat is to do exercises that are highly metabolic. What does this mean? It means gravitating toward movements that use multiple muscle groups. This increases your heart rate and stimulates your aerobic and even glycolytic system.

Examples of highly metabolic movements are rowing, running, squatting, lunging, biking, skating, pushing, pulling and climbing. All of these movements or exercises require multiple joints and many muscle groups to perform. Examples of low metabolic exercises would be arm curls, crunches, calf raises and seated back extension. These exercises may be appropriate for body building or rehabilitation, but are not as effective for fat loss.

The reason many of us fall for the idea of using crunches and arm curls for "toning" our bodies is because we have been led to believe that spot reduction is real. This is the myth that supports doing crunches to lose fat around your abdominals. There is very little evidence showing this to be true.

Also, if it is true, it is in such minuscule amounts that it is just not worth doing. Crunches can increase the abdominals' strength and size, which is why these exercises are better left in the toolbox of a bodybuilder. Bodybuilders can use many of the highly metabolic exercises, but often use more isolated exercises to increase the size of specific muscles.

It is much more effective to do exercises such as burpees, resisted sprints, lunges, squats and swimming. These exercises and others like them require a large amount of energy to be expended as well as build muscle in the process. When a client is looking to "tone up," I immediately start to consider strength training using highly metabolic exercises if it can be safely done considering their health history.

What is interesting about a fat-loss program is that it is the exact opposite of an athletic program with regard to efficiency. In athletics, you want your body to become extremely efficient at an exercise so that you can perform better. Often times an athlete will not deviate from a select bunch of exercises.

With a fat-loss program, you may only spend a small amount of time on an exercise, so you don't completely adapt to it. Once you become better, it is best to try another mode of training. This way your body burns more calories because it never completely adapts. This is why it is good to mix things up a lot when you are trying to lose weight.

As a side note, most of us know that exercise is just a part of the equation. A well-planned meal plan can also yield wonderful benefits as long as it is appropriate for you. It is definitely worth the time and money to speak to a dietitian and find out what works for you.

To lose weight with exercise, do what is most metabolic and mix things up frequently. Usually the exercise you hate most is the one you need to do to get the best result.

With strength training, you can mix things up almost indefinitely. There are many highly metabolic exercises to use, and you can also change the weight lifted and number of repetitions. Even the time between sets can be changed to make things more challenging.

Just avoid spending a lot of time on isolated exercises such as arm curls and crunches so that you can spend more time on the fat-burning exercises such as squats and push-ups.

Ted Santaniello, MS, CSCS, is the Fitness Center supervisor at the Plattsburgh Recreation Center.