Male Upper Body Weight Loss Exercise Tips

For male upper body weight loss, the three key aspects are diet, cardiovascular exercise and muscle building exercises. There is no specific plan that will work for everyone. The key is to find a plan that is effective and you can maintain for a long period of time.

Diet

Poor eating habits are the root cause of weight gain, which for men usually means in the abdominal area. While different diets produce different effects for different people, they all have one thing in common, according to WebMD: take in fewer calories. The best diet for you will have two key points. First, it falls within the caloric range for your age and activity level. Second, you can stick with it.

Cardio

Concerning weight loss in the upper body, traditional forms of cardio that primarily involve the legs won't be effective. Elliptical and rowing machines are better because they incorporate the upper body muscles. Boxing and kickboxing classes are also effective for upper body weight loss because they incorporate the arms, shoulders, chest and core muscles. As an added plus, you may find these workouts more enjoyable and less redundant than machines.

Weight training

When lifting for weight loss, the goal is high repetitions at a low weight that can be controlled. While it is true that muscle weighs more than fat and does not burn significantly more calories, muscle increases your metabolic rate. A high metabolic rate will enhance your body's natural ability to burn fat. As with dieting, you must pick a weight program that will deliver results and that you can stick with. For each exercise, aim for three to four sets with a repetition range of 15 to 25.

Variety

Many diet and exercise programs fail because they lack variety. With regards to your diet, make sure you have different options for meals and snacks while staying within your calorie limit. For cardio, once your body adapts, move on to a more advanced program if you are doing a class. If you are doing a machine, increase either the time or intensity. For weight training, change your program every two weeks. This will prevent your body from becoming accustomed to a workout which can retard progress.