The more body parts or limbs you have moving at the same time, the more energy it will require. The more energy required to perform an exercise, the more calories you will burn which in turn leads to decreased body fat. An example of this would be to perform a lower body exercise such as body weight squats with an upper body exercise such as bicep curls or walking lunges with overhead presses. By combining upper and lower body exercises together, your workout becomes not only more efficient as far as time but also calorie burn as well.
Another way to increase calorie burn is to train large muscles using heavy weight. Using the larger, stronger muscles such as those found in the lower body will require more oxygen and energy. Performing heavy leg presses, squats, weighted lunges etc. will create a demand on the muscular system, will elevate your heart rate, and burn a ton of calories while building muscle and strength.
Finally, another way to increase calorie burning efficiency during your workout is to "superset" exercises. There are a few variations of a superset. Two of the most popular ways to superset exercises is to do a set of a lower body exercise such as leg extensions then immediately perform an upper body exercise such as lat pull downs with no rest. Another way to superset exercises is what is referred to as a "Push/Pull" routine. This is where you work two opposing muscle groups such as chest and back, tris and bis, or quadriceps and hamstrings. An example would be performing tricep press downs followed immediately by bicep curls. By training separate muscle groups, you will maximize calorie burn by creating a continuous demand on the body while allowing one muscle group to recover during the working of the paired muscle group.
There are literally dozens of methods you can use to turn your strength training workout into an efficient calorie burning workout as well. Today I covered just three. If you would like to discover more ways you can improve the efficiency of your fitness routines, feel free to contact myself or any other Certified Personal Trainer.
*Always consult your physician and Certified Personal Training before beginning a fitness routine to ensure you have no limitations and/or restrictions.