11 minutes to weight loss

Here’s how you can burn 500 more kilojoules even when you’re resting.

Just three weekly 11-minute total-body strength workouts, using heavy weights, and doing a low number of reps, can help you burn 500 more kilojoules a day when you’re at rest.

“Even short bouts of activity cause your muscles to break down and rebuild, which requires energy and increases your metabolism,” says study author Erik Kirk. Research shows most people gain weight because they eat more than they’re burning off.

Challenge your muscles (do 10-12 reps of each):

Instead of a crunch, try…
a weighted crunch with a yoga block. Hold a 1-2kg dumbbell with both hands behind your head and place the block between your thighs, feet on the floor. Keep the weight behind your head while you crunch up.
Why? The dumbbell amps up the resistance, and the block brings in your pelvic and thigh muscles.

Instead of a squat, try…
a deep squat followed by a half squat. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and squat as low as you can. Hold for 5 seconds, then stand up. Perform a half squat (half as deep) and hold for 5 seconds to complete one rep.
Why? Changing your range of motion challenges your muscles more.

Instead of a dumbbell shoulder press, try…
adding a resistance band. Stand on the middle of the band and hold an end and a dumbbell in each hand at the shoulders. Press weights overhead, hold for 2 counts, then return to the starting position and repeat.
Why? When using resistance bands with weights , you force your muscles to work even harder.