Body composition exercises are activities or workouts designed to help you achieve a healthier body composition. This includes a combination of cardio, strength training, and core-strengthening exercises. The goal is to reduce your body fat percentage while increasing lean muscle mass, ultimately improving your overall health.
What Is Body Composition?
Body composition is the proportion of fat versus lean tissue in the body. It’s measured by calculating your body fat percentage. It can be done by various means, such as skinfold calipers, bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and underwater weighing. Knowing your body fat percentage can help you determine if you’re at a healthy weight and body type.
Learn Your Body Fat Percentage
The best way to learn your body fat percentage is to use a combination of methods, such as skinfold calipers and bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). Both are easy and inexpensive ways to track your progress over time. You can also calculate your body fat percentage manually by multiplying your body weight in kilograms by 0.732 or use an online calculator like the one provided by The American Council on Exercise. Knowing your body fat percentage will help you determine how much work you’ll need to do to reach your goals.
Body Composition Exercises
Many types of exercises can help you improve your body composition. These include cardio exercises, strength training, and core-strengthening activities.
Cardio Exercise for Body Composition
Cardio exercise is an essential component of any body composition program. This includes running, swimming, biking, or walking at a brisk pace for at least 30 minutes on most days of the week. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) improves body composition by combining short bursts of intense effort with recovery periods.
Strength Workouts for Body Composition
Strength workouts should also be part of your body composition routine. This includes weightlifting exercises such as squats, deadlifts, and bench presses. These exercises will help you build lean muscle mass and increase your strength, which can help reduce body fat. It’s important to remember to use the correct form when performing exercises, as improper technique can lead to injuries.
Sample Body Composition Exercises
Some sample body composition exercises routines include:
- Running or walking outside briskly for 30 minutes three times a week.
- Resistance training with free weights such as barbells, dumbbells, or kettlebells three days a week.
- Doing full-body circuit workouts that combine strength training with cardiovascular exercise two days a week.
- Practicing yoga one day a week helps build strength, flexibility, and balance.
- Core exercises such as planks, push-ups, or crunches three days a week.
Building Body Composition Workouts
When building your body composition workouts, it’s important to remember to include both cardio and strength training activities. Start with shorter sessions of 30 minutes for the first few weeks to give your body time to adjust. As you become comfortable with the routine, gradually increase the duration or intensity of your workouts. Make sure to rest between sessions to allow your muscles time to recover.
Circuit Training
Circuit training is an effective way to combine cardio and strength training into one workout. This training involves performing a series of exercises quickly, usually 30 seconds to one minute each. You can design your circuit by choosing a variety of body weight or free weight exercises. Alternating between cardio and strength exercises will help you keep your heart rate up and burn more calories.
Alternate Days
Regarding body composition workouts, it’s important to alternate between different activities on additional days. For example, on Mondays, do cardiovascular exercise like running or biking. On Tuesdays, do resistance training with free weights, and on Wednesdays, do core exercises like planks or crunches. This will help keep your body from becoming too accustomed to the same routine, allowing you to make more progress over time.
The Bottom Line
Body composition exercises are an essential part of any fitness program. A combination of cardio activities, strength training, and core-strengthening exercises can help improve your body fat percentage over time. Be sure to alternate between different workouts on different days and use the correct form when exercising to avoid injury. With a consistent effort and dedication to reaching your goals, you’ll be well on your way toward achieving a healthier body composition.
Featured Image by Fabiano Silva from Pixabay
