Mistake Three
Sticking to cardio
Numerous studies have shown strength training to be more effective than cardio in blasting fat and building muscles. It’s true that cardio workouts tend to torch most calories, but they actually burn both fat and muscles, which help you burn fat. Having more lean muscle tissue greatly increases the body’s potential to burn more calories. Don’t worry about bulking up – it would take massive weights (think 50kg and above) and a bodybuilder’s diet for that to happen. Besides, the more muscles you have, the more calories you’ll burn even when at rest. Plus, you’ll improve your bone density and lower the risk of osteoporosis
You need strength training too. Add exercises like squats, push-ups and lunges (which use your own body weight as resistance) to your routine. If you’re working with free weights, start out with 1kg or 2kg dumbbells. With the ideal weight, you should be able to do 10 to 15 reps in good form and feel tired afterwards. Then, bump it up as you get stronger.