The Most Effective Exercises That Will Keep The Weight Off, Trainer Says

Besides losing weight, one of the most difficult parts of the workout journey and overall fit lifestyle is keeping the weight off. Some people who go through an incredible weight loss transformation begin to struggle with maintaining the results they worked so hard to achieve. This could be due to not keeping up the healthy habits they've been working on, but also not doing the right exercises. So we've rounded up the most effective exercises that will keep the weight off.

The key is selecting activities that are most effective at building muscle and burning fat. This means performing strength training exercises that are the most bang-for-your-buck. The best strength exercises are compound movements that involve various muscle groups. This allows you to burn more calories, recruit muscle fibers, and elevate your metabolism.

With cardio exercises, I recommend more interval-style training, as this will force your body to use more fast-twitch muscle fibers and increase the calorie burn compared to steady-state. If you want to not only lose weight, but keep the weight off, I recommend picking up the following exercises. And next, check out The 6 Best Exercises for Strong and Toned Arms in 2022, Trainer Says.

Dumbbell Front Squat

Begin this movement by holding a pair of dumbbells up to your shoulders. Keep your core tight, push your hips back, and squat down until your quads are parallel to the ground. Then, drive through your heels and hips to stand back up, flexing your quads and glutes to finish. Complete 10 reps.

Kettlebell Deadlift

Stand in front of the kettlebell with your feet outside of the weight. Push your hips back, and squat down low enough to grab the weight. Make sure your shoulders are in line with the handle and that your torso is straight. Keep your core tight and shoulders down, and pick up the kettlebell by pushing through your heels and hips. Stand tall, and flex your glutes at the top. Reverse the motion to put the weight down before performing another rep. Complete 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps.

Dumbbell Rows

trainer doing dumbbell row exercise — Tim Liu, C.S.C.S.

Position yourself parallel to a bench so that one hand and knee are firmly pressed into the bench. Grip a dumbbell with the opposite arm, and pull the dumbbell towards your hip, squeezing your lats and upper back at the very end of the movement. Straighten your arm afterward, and get a nice stretch at the bottom before performing the next rep. Complete 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps on each arm.

Bulgarian Split Squat

Position your back foot up on a bench or couch, and step out with your other foot about 2 to 3 feet. Once in position, hold your dumbbells at your sides as you lower yourself down—using control—and bend the back knee as you descend. Use your weight to drive through with your front heel to return to standing, flexing your quads and glutes as you rise. Then repeat. Perform 3 sets of 10 reps on each leg.

Dumbbell Bench Press

Lie flat on a bench, and grab a pair of dumbbells. Hold them straight up above you with your arms fully extended. Pull your shoulder blades back into the bench as you lower the weights down toward your chest. Get a good chest stretch, then press the weights back up to the starting position, squeezing your pecs and triceps at the top. Do 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps.

Bike Intervals

Hop on your favorite exercise bike, and hit some sprints. Start with bursts of 15 to 20 seconds, resting for 20 to 40 seconds, and then repeating for 6 to 10 rounds.