You can lose a lot of weight pretty quickly just by getting more active and eating a healthier diet.

However after the first two or three months of training, many people struggle to keep the momentum. They hit what we call a "weight loss plateau." At this point, weight loss slows or stops completely.

It can be very frustrating! Especially if you’re working out all the time and you feel like you should be losing more. What’s going on?

It’s important to keep in mind that as we lose weight, our bodies break down both fat and lean muscle tissue to supply the extra energy needs. Eventually, our bodies adapt to the new energy demands, slowing down the metabolism so that the amount we eat and the amount we burn are roughly equal (and therefore no more body tissues like fat get burned).

In order to keep your body in a fat-burning state, you have to keep your metabolism high. The best way to do this is to build muscle throughout your entire body.

Incorporating resistance training in your exercise routine will help boost your metabolism and allow you to avoid hitting weight loss plateaus. For this reason, resistance training is a key feature in all of my clients' programs. 

Best Strength Exercises for Weight Loss

To get the most out of resistance training, you'll want to focus on exercises that are both functional and compound.

Functional exercises are those that will help you move and feel better in your everyday life.

For example, almost all of us have to sit down and stand up from a seated position throughout the day. That's a squat! Practicing squats with good technique and the right amount of resistance can help improve how you move throughout the day and avoid joint pain.

Compound exercises involve multiple joints and muscle groups working at the same time.

This does two things. First, it allows you to strengthen more muscles in less time and second, burn more calories during your work out. These are the best kinds of exercises to rev up your metabolism to keep your overall calorie burn high.

Bodyweight exercises and free weight exercises (using things like dumbbells and barbells) are really your best bet for weight loss. These types of exercises tend to engage a lot of muscles at once to give you the most bang for your buck.

Here’s a go-to list of example exercises that are excellent for getting maximum muscle engagement and boosting your metabolism:

• Squats (example: Box Squats)

• Pull-Ups or Pull-Downs

• Deadlifts

• Chest Press (example: Dumbbell Chest Press)

• Step-Ups (example: Front Step-Ups or Side Step-Ups)

• Lunges (example: Stationary Lunges)

• Rows (example: Bent Over Rows)

If you’re just getting started on your weight loss journey or are doing these exercises for the first time, you’ll want to stick to a lighter weight while you practice getting familiar with the movements. Perform straight sets for each exercise (rather than circuits). Do 3-5 sets of 8-12 repetitions in each set, resting for between 30 seconds and 2 minutes between sets for each exercise.

If you’re more advanced, use a heavier weight to fatigue your muscles—but only use the weight that you can continue to execute proper form for your whole set. Keep the 3-5 sets of 8-12 repetitions using heavier weight, and rest 1-3 minutes between sets.

About the Author

Jayd Harrison is a personal trainer and content creator. She helps people to build muscle, burn fat, and clean up their diets with her online coaching programs and social media content. Check out some of Jayd’s coaching videos on Youtube, or join Jayd live on Twitch and follow on social media.